The success of a parasitic relationship between fungal pathogens and their host plants depends on pre-infectional events. In this work scanning electron microscopy was used to study the events that occur between germination and penetration of the fungus Stenocarpella macrospora on maize (Zea mays) leaves. Plants of the hybrid Das-8492 were cultivated in greenhouse, and inoculated at the five-six leaves stage with 300 µl of a conidial suspension of 10(5) conidia/ml. Disk samples of leaf tissue were collected at different times after inoculation and prepared for analysis by scanning electron microscopy. It was verified that 86% of the conidia germinated between 12-15 h whereas apressoria formation occurred 18 h after inoculation. The presence of an extra cellular matrix also was observed during germination and penetration, suggesting that it may have a role in pathogenesis.
scanning electron microscopy; infection; Zea mays; extra cellular matrix
