Figure 3.

Forcible ascospore discharge in Fusarium graminearum RNAi mutants and IFA WT. (A) Forcible ascospore firing. Half circular carrot agar blocks covered with mature perithecia were placed on glass slides. Photos from forcibly fired ascospores (white cloudy) were taken after 48 h of incubation in boxes under high humidity and fluorescent light. (B) Fired ascospores were washed off and counted. Means± SDs of the counted spores is presented from three biological repetitions. Significant differences are marked: ^*p < 0.05; ^***p < 0.001 (Student’s t test). (C) Ascospore germination. Discharged ascospores were incubated at 100% RT in the dark for 24 h at 23°C in SN liquid medium. The percentage of germination was assessed by examining the ascospore number in three random squares in the counting chamber. Means ± SEs of the percentage of germinated spores from three biological repetitions. Significant differences are marked: ^*p < 0.05 (Student’s t test).