POSSIBLE ROLES OF COMPETITION FOR THIAMINE, PRODUCTION OF INHIBITORY COMPOUNDS, AND HYPHAL INTERACTIONS IN SUPPRESSION OF THE TAKE-ALL FUNGUS BY A STERILE RED FUNGUS
M. Shankar et al., POSSIBLE ROLES OF COMPETITION FOR THIAMINE, PRODUCTION OF INHIBITORY COMPOUNDS, AND HYPHAL INTERACTIONS IN SUPPRESSION OF THE TAKE-ALL FUNGUS BY A STERILE RED FUNGUS, Canadian journal of microbiology, 40(6), 1994, pp. 478-483
Possible mechanisms involved in the suppression of the take all fungus
(Gaeumannomyces graminis var, tritici) by a sterile red fungus were e
xamined. Studies on the effects of foliar application of thiamine to p
lants showed a reduction in take-all suppression by the sterile red fu
ngus thereby indicating that competition for this particular vitamin,
required by both fungi, could be one of the mechanisms of antagonism.
Treatment with the exudate produced by the sterile red fungus on solid
substrates resulted in lysis of the hyphae of the take-all fungus. Ex
udate produced on sterilised wheat seeds was more inhibitory to the ta
ke-all fungus than that produced on ryegrass seeds. Fungal inhibition
increased as the duration of exposure to the exudate increased. The pr
imary effects of hyphal interactions between the sterile red fungus an
d the take-all fungus were evident as coiling and contact lysis. It is
possible that a combination of mechanisms including the above may be
involved in suppression of the take-all fungus by the sterile red fung
us.