Potassium permanganate 3%

[Pitufo]

A quick share of a new staining technique I hadn’t come across before. Good for small hyaline spores.

https://micro-science.co.uk/product/potassium-permanganate/

Thank you to Claude Bayet for this suggestion.

[Chris Yeates]

Hi

Given that this is a stacked image, with what looks like DIC contrast it’s rather difficult to compare this with what most people would see using this technique.

Certainly not as good as MLZ for Russula spores; that image does not show the ± complete reticulum one would expect with R. ochroleuca. Still, it’s horses for courses. It would be interesting to see the images taken with a standard light microscope; also shots of different micro-features – clamps for example . . .

Chris

[Pitufo]

The photo was only to show the colour of the spores.. Russula were the only hyaline ones I had handy.. It isn’t meant to replace Melzer’s. The technique was recommended for use with very small hyaline spores or strutures which are sometimes hard to see and measure. I guess it just oxidises organic matter brown.

No real DIC involved – I just happened to be playing around last night with “Poor man’s DIC” – oblique lighting (or OL) ie a piece of card cut into a crescent shape placed on the field lens (cut from an A4 file divider in 10 seconds). It was my first attempt in a while and I was quite pleased with the results… See attached an unstacked image.

More info on OL http://microscopy-uk.org.uk/dww/articles/oblique.htm

and the more advanced COL http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artdec02/pjcol.html

Also a standard brightfield image.

[Chris Yeates]

Too harsh on my part, for which I apologise (I have amended my previous post). I have found that when stacking mico-images they need a lot of re-touching (I use Zerene’s editing program a lot, but I am very – too? – fussy).

It would be interesting to see the effect on other features like cheilocystidia and certain features of asco’s like paraphyses (distinguishing between those of Mollisia and those of Pyrenopeziza for example), and ascus bases (present or absence of croziers), etc.

The Poor Man’s DIC seems very effective – fooled me at any rate 😳

[Pitufo]

Thanks Chris. I will have a look at some paraphyses and post the results. PM me if you would like some solution for testing.

I have been told that a 5% solution is good for visualising germ pores in basidiomycete spores which is something I have found difficult at times.

John

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