Infectivity of lesioned wheat root tissue related to the presence of dehydrogenase enzymes in hyphae of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. Tritici in the lesions

Transverse sections of lesioned tissue taken from wheat roots grown in soil naturally infested with Gaeumannomyces graminis var, Tritici were stained with trypan blue and the area of stele occupied by hyphae or by brown host deposits was measured. The area of mycelium in lesioned pieces taken from seedling or tillering plants and used as inoculum in host infectivity tests was positively correlated with the disease produced and the area of brown deposits in lesioned pieces taken from tillering or mature plants was negatively correlated. Whole pieces of lesioned tissue were examined cytochemically for glutamic and succinic dehydrogenases in the invading hyphae. Groups of host cells in the endodermal region were filled with hyphae showing positive reactions for both dehydrogenases (active) and separated by areas of brown discoloured host tissue containing few active hyphae. Less than half the discoloured lesion was occupied by active hyphae. The area of lesion containing hyphae with dehydrogenase enzymes was positively correlated with the measure of disease severity of the roots and with the infectiveness of the lesioned tissue when inoculated on to axenic wheat seedlings. The progress of infection in axenie seedlings inoculated at 3 or 8 cm from the seed differed with the two placements, notably in the host response and the growth of active hyphae in the cortex.