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Experimental studies of the attachment of the parasitic angiospermAgalinis purpurea to a host

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Summary

Agalinis purpurea (L.) Raf. (Scrophulariaceae) is a facultative rootparasite. Haustoria, the organs specialized for host attachment and penetration, develop rapidly after exposure of the parasite's roots to host root exudate or specific haustoria-inducing molecules. Haustoria are competent to attach as early as 6–12 hours post-induction and reach a maximal level of attachment by 36 hours. Developing haustoria which have not contacted a host by 60–72 hours of development fail to attach when contact is established. However, this time course of attachment competency is extended for haustoria which have previously been attached to a host. Attachment is a nondiscriminatory event and induced haustoria will adhere to a variety of biological and non-biological substrates. Adhesion is mediated through specialized haustorial hairs whose surface is covered with a papillate network. The papillae represent the cement which attaches the haustorium to its host. The proportion of papillate hairs on haustoria parallels the attachment competency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department, University of Virginia, Gilmer Hall, Charlottesville, Virginia

    Wm. V. Baird & J. L. Riopel

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  1. Wm. V. Baird
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  2. J. L. Riopel
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Portion of a dissertation submitted by the first author in partial fulfillment of the Ph.D. in Biology at the University of Virginia.

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Baird, W.V., Riopel, J.L. Experimental studies of the attachment of the parasitic angiospermAgalinis purpurea to a host. Protoplasma 118, 206–218 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01281804

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01281804

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