Visualization of fungal hyphae in the trichomes of sawtooth oak leaves

• Published in: European journal of plant pathology Vol. 156; no. 4; pp. 1119 - 1133
• Main Authors: Park, Junhyung, An, Hwayong, Kim, Ki Woo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.04.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cytoplasm; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Ecology; Electron microscopy; Field emission microscopy; Fungi; Halos; Hyphae; Leaves; Life Sciences; Microscopy; Nucleotide sequence; Oak; Phyllosphere; Physical characteristics; Plant Pathology; Plant Sciences; Quercus acutissima; Scanning electron microscopy; Transmission electron microscopy; Trichomes; Sawtooth oak; Trichomes; Hyphae
• ISSN: 0929-1873; 1573-8469
• DOI: 10.1007/s10658-020-01970-6

The trichomes of Quercus acutissima (sawtooth oak) leaves were investigated to ascertain a possible fungal habitat on the phyllosphere. Brown spots with yellow halos occurred on naturally-infected leaves of sawtooth oak in Suwon, Korea. Tubakia dryina was isolated from the brown spots and identified based on its morphological characteristics and DNA sequence data. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed hyphal branching and prevalence of septate hyphae on the adaxial leaf surface. Non-glandular trichomes were usually colonized by septate hyphae. Hyphae coiled around the trichome rays. Epidermal shrinkage of trichomes appeared rather frequently observed on the diseased leaves than on the control leaves. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of fungal hyphae in the naturally-infected trichomes of this oak species. Hyphal growth appeared to dissolve the non-glandular trichomes on the abaxial leaf surface. Concentric bodies and intrahyphal hyphae were often found in the hyphal cytoplasm. These results suggest that the foliar trichomes of sawtooth oak could serve as fungal habitats or infection sites.