Life Cycle
Unlike most other plant pathogens, Mycosphaerella graminicola infects through stomata rather than by direct penetration and there is a long latent period of up to two weeks following infection before symptoms develop. The fungus evades host defenses during the latent phase, followed by a rapid switch to necrotrophy immediately prior to symptom expression 12–20 days after penetration. The period between infection and formation of sporulating structures (latent period) was estimated to be 20.35 ± 4.15 days for Mycosphaerella graminicola in Northern Germany and decreased with increasing temperature. Such a switch from biotrophic to necrotrophic growth at the end of a long latent period is an unusual characteristic shared by most fungi in the genus Mycosphaerella. Very little is known about the cause or mechanism of this lifestyle switch even though Mycosphaerella is one of the largest and most economically important genera of plant-pathogenic fungi.
It has been suggested that ascospores of Mycosphaerella graminicola have been spread with the prevailing wind (from west to east) over Europe.
Read more about this topic: Mycosphaerella Graminicola
Famous quotes containing the words life and/or cycle:
“These people in high life have too much presence of mind, I believe, to seem disconcerted, or out of humour, however they may feel: for had I been the person of the most consequence in the room, I could not have met with more attention and respect.”
—Frances Burney (1752–1840)
“The lifelong process of caregiving, is the ultimate link between caregivers of all ages. You and I are not just in a phase we will outgrow. This is life—birth, death, and everything in between.... The care continuum is the cycle of life turning full circle in each of our lives. And what we learn when we spoon-feed our babies will echo in our ears as we feed our parents. The point is not to be done. The point is to be ready to do again.”
—Paula C. Lowe (20th century)