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Effect of Fluorescent-Labeled Lectins on Visualization of Decay Fungi in Wood Sections. J. J. Morrell, Assistant professor, Department of Forest Products, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97330; D. G. Gibson(2), and R. L. Krahmer(3). (2)(3)Graduate research assistant, and professor, respectively, Department of Forest Products, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97330, (2)Present address: Reichhold Chemicals, Inc., P.O. Box 1482, Tacoma, WA 98401. Phytopathology 75:329-332. Accepted for publication 4 October 1984. Copyright 1985 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-75-329.

Fluorescent-labeled lectins were used to stain white, brown, and soft rot fungi in microtomed sections of wood from several coniferous species; the sections were then observed with incident fluorescence microscopy. Fluorescein-labeled wheat germ agglutinin greatly enhanced hyphal visibility of all fungi over that obtained with the conventional safranin-O/picro-aniline blue method. Thus, fluorescent-labeled lectins provide an improved tool for observing fungi in wood sections at stages when detection with conventional light microscopy varies, and they could prove useful for following the course of decay from spore germination to complete wood breakdown.