Journal
MYCOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Volume 110, Issue -, Pages 465-470Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.mycres.2005.11.011
Keywords
Clavicipitaceae; Gramineae; infection process; plant pathology
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The pathogenic development of the biotrophic ergot fungus Claviceps purpurea is strictly limited to the ovary of grasses. Early colonization stages occur within a defined spatio-temporal course of events, including the directed growth to the vascular tissue for nutrient supply. To characterize mutant strains with putative defects in pathogenicity, the close observation of the infection pathway is therefore indispensable. Here, we describe the establishment of a new pathogenicity assay, based on the in vitro cultivation of isolated rye ovaries. The pathogenic development of a wild-type strain of C. purpurea was compared with the infection of mature rye flowers on whole plants. Up to the sixth day post inoculation, the route of infection within the isolated ovaries was maintained and temporally equal to that seen in mature flowers. Therefore, the in vitro pathogenicity assay is an effective alternative to the whole-plant infection tests, and suitable for detailed infection studies and screening high numbers of mutants for defects in early pathogenesis. (c) 2005 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available