Pathogenicity of a Gibberellin-Producing and a Nonproducing Strain of Fusarium moniliforme in Oats as Determined by a Colorimetric Assay for N-Acetyl Glucosamine

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Abstract
The growth response of a GA-producing and a nonproducing strain of F. moniliforme Sheld. in oats (Avena fatua L.) was determined in the laboratory by a colorimetric assay for N-acetyl glucosamine. Three day old seedlings were transferred to tubes containing Hoagland''s agar and mass-inoculated with a spore suspension of the test fungus. Whole plants were harvested at 5, 10, 15 and 20 day intervals and chemically analyzed for glucosamine, a chitin subunit. The GA-synthesizing strain produced significantly greater amounts of glucosamine over the 20 day period than the nonproducing strain of F. moniliforme. Since the degree of pathogenicity can be quantified by the relative amounts of fungal mycelium in the host tissues (i.e., chitin), these data suggest that GA production enhances pathogenicity. Except for an initial lag in the growth of the non-producing strain, there was no significant difference in the growth curves of each strain in liquid shake culture.

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