VIEW ARTICLE

Ecology and Epidemiology

Perforation and Destruction of Pigmented Hyphae of Gaeumannomyces graminis by Vampyrellid Amoebae from Pacific Northwest Wheat Field Soils. Y. Homma, Visiting plant pathologist, Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, Present address: Shikoku National Agricultural Experiment Station, Zentsuji, Kagawa-Ken, 765 Japan; J. W. Sitton(2), R. J. Cook(3), and K. M. Old(4). (2)(3)Research technician and research plant pathologist, Agricultural Research, Science and Education Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Pullman, WA 99164; (4)Plant pathologist, Division of Forest Research, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Canberra A.C.T. 2600, Australia. Phytopathology 69:1118-1122. Accepted for publication 24 April 1979. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. The American Phytopathological Society, 1979. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-69-1118.

Vampyrellid amoebae were isolated from two Pacific Northwest wheat field soils by burying pigmented hyphae of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici as bait for 4–8 wk. The amoebae caused holes (average diameter 1.7 μm) and numerous annular depressions (incomplete holes) in the hyphae. The annular depressions, holes, and the amoebae that caused them all matched those previously described from Scotland and Canada. The amoebae caused perforations of conidia of Cochliobolus sativus in water cultures. The time from initial contact of a hyphal cell by the pseudopodium of an amoeba until the cell was empty of contents ranged from 40 to 90 min.