Plant protoplasts as tools in quantitative assays of phytotoxic compounds from culture filtrates of Phytophthora citrophthora

Toxic metabolites from culture filtrate of Fusarium oxysporum and its effects on cucumber cells and plantlets

Resistance of cucumber plantlets to culture filtrate of Fusarium oxysporum is correlated with resistance of single cells from callus. Single cells and plantlets of two cultivars of cucumber were incubated with culture filtrates. Rapid cell death occurred, as assessed by the stain fluorescein diacetate. More cell death ocurred in the cells of the cultivar Aodai than in to cells of the cultivar Caipira, which presented high level of resistance. Maximum toxic activity of culture filtrates was attained after 21-25 days of growth of the fungus.

Is the Phytophthora citrophthora culture filtrate a reliable tool for the in vitro selection of resistant Citrus variants?

Nucellar calli from four Citrus cultivars with known resistance to the Phytophthora citrophthora pathogen were chosen as experimental material to test the pathogen's response to culture filtrate (CF). Sensitivity of the four calli to CF of the fungus was in reverse order to what is known on the susceptibility of the cultivars in vivo. Sensitivity of protoplasts derived from the same four calli to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was in the same order as that of calli to CF. Protoplasts derived from calli selected for tolerance to CF showed a higher plating efficiency with increasing concentration of CF in the medium. TLC and GLC determinations showed the presence of indole acetic acid in the culture filtrate. Results indicate that CF of P. citrophthora cannot be used as a selection tool in vitro.

The binding of isolated mesophyll cells from barley leaves to hyphae of Pyrenophora teres

Live mesophyll cells from barley leaves were isolated and used to investigate contact phenomena between these cells and hyphae of the barley pathogen Pyrenophora teres. When incubated with colonies of P. teres, the isolated cells became attached to the hyphae. The binding of the cells may have been mediated by an affinity between cellulose in the mesophyll cell wall and extracellular material produced by the fungal hyphae. Different fungi exhibited a wide range of affinities for the mesophyll cells. It is suggested that isolated mesophyll cells may be a useful tool in the study of host-pathogen interfaces.