ACTIVITY OF HYDROLYTIC ENZYMES IN BARLEY LEAVES INFECTED WITH POWDERYMILDEW

The behavior of hydrolytic enzymes (acid phosphatase, non specific est erase, exoprotease, beta-glucosidase) were investigated in the epiderm al and in whole leaf extracts as well as in intercellular spaces of ba rley plants infected with powdery mildew. Compatible and incompatible barley - powdery mildew genotype combinations were used for this analy sis. The course of the studied hydrolase activity changes post inocula tion of barley leaves was significantly influenced by the degree of co mpatibility or incompatibility. Generally in the epidermal cells that were directly attacked by the fungus, the activity of hydrolases was h igher in the compatible combination than in the incompatible one. The epidermal exoprotease activity showed the highest differences between compatibility and incompatibility and a positive correlation between t he enzyme activity and the host-parasite genotype compatibility. Our r esults indicate that the investigated hydrolases do not play a key rol e in the host resistance.