Kingdom Fungi Family Pleosporaceae Scientific name Pyrenophora teres Rank Species | Division Ascomycota Genus Pyrenophora Higher classification Pyrenophora Order Pleosporales | |
Similar Pyrenophora, Rhynchosporium secalis, Rhynchosporium, Blumeria graminis, Mycosphaerella graminicola | ||
Pyrenophora teres is a necrotrophic fungal pathogen of some plant species, the most significant of which are economically important agricultural crops such as barley. Toxins include aspergillomarasmine A and related compounds.
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Dispersal and spread
The spores of P. teres are usually carried by wind. Growth of the organism on a host plant causes symptoms including necrosis, senescence and eventually cell death. In countries like Australia, damage from Pyrenophora can have serious economic consequences and reduce farm yields by up to 50%. Host tissue is obtained by penetration of the cell with an appressorium, a bulbous formation produced by the fungus that allows the uptake of nutrients.
Role of reactive oxygen species
During plant-fungal interactions involving Pyrenophora, resistant and susceptible varieties of barley display differential levels of reactive oxygen species production. This implicates ROS as having a central role in plant resistance, along with their regulators, known as ROS scavengers