The binding of isolated mesophyll cells from barley leaves to hyphae of Pyrenophora teres

Live mesophyll cells from barley leaves were isolated and used to investigate contact phenomena between these cells and hyphae of the barley pathogen Pyrenophora teres. When incubated with colonies of P. teres, the isolated cells became attached to the hyphae. The binding of the cells may have been mediated by an affinity between cellulose in the mesophyll cell wall and extracellular material produced by the fungal hyphae. Different fungi exhibited a wide range of affinities for the mesophyll cells. It is suggested that isolated mesophyll cells may be a useful tool in the study of host-pathogen interfaces.