Scanning electron microscopy of hyphal interaction between Streptomyces griseoviridis and some plant pathogenic fungi

Abstract

The interaction between Streptomyces griseoviridis and the pathogens Alternaria brassicicola, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum, Mycocentrospora acerina, Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was studied by SEM both on autoclaved seeds and living seedlings of turnip rape and carrot and the fungi Phomopsis sclerotioides and Pythium ultimum on cucumber seedlings. The samples were prepared by the standard method for examination by scanning electron microscope. The hyperparasitism of S. griseoviridis was clearly shown. S. griseoviridis tightly wound around Alternaria conidia and Sclerotinia hyphae, eventually disintegrating them. It grew along the hyphae of B. cinerea, P. sclerotioides and M. acerina, dissolving them. The hypha of F. oxysporum seemed to be slightly affected, and its conidia not at all. The hyperparasite grew only loosely on the hypha of R. solani and on the mycelium and oogonia of Pythium which seemed not to sustain much injury.