A 90-KDA GLYCOPROTEIN ASSOCIATED WITH ADHESION OF NECTRIA-HAEMATOCOCCA MACROCONIDIA TO SUBSTRATA

Nectria haematococca mating population I macroconidia incubated in water are nonadherent. Within 10 min after incubation in zucchini fruit extract or potato-dextrose broth, N. haematococca macroconidia adhere at the spore apices, produce material at the spore apices which is labeled with concanavalin A (ConA), and produce a 90-kDa glycoprotein which is labeled with ConA. Neither the ConA labeling nor the 90-kDa glycoprotein are observed on spores incubated in water. Spores incubated in V8 broth or in defined media do not produce ConA-labeled material at the spore apex, do not become adherent, and do not produce a 90-kDa glycoprotein; however, these spores germinate as efficiently as spores incubated in the adhesion-inducing media. Thus, the production of the ConA-labeled material at the site of attachment and the production of the 90-kDa glycoprotein are specifically associated with adhesion and are not generally associated with the process of germination. Furthermore, ConA prevents adhesion, but not germination, of spores. Thus, the same compound that labels the material at the site of adhesion also blocks adhesion.