Low-temperature scanning electron microscopy in fungus-nematode interaction.

A comparative study has been made of different preparation techniques used for the scanning electron microscope (SEM), with regard to their application to fungus-nematode interaction. The preparation of frozen-hydrated specimens of both healthy and Arthrobotrys-oligospora-infected second-stage larvae of the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne sp.) is described, and the results are compared with those obtained by critical point-drying and freeze-drying. In all cases the frozen-hydrated specimens consistently showed the best preservation.