Morphological changes of vegetative structures of esca-associated fungi upon interaction with <i>Epicoccum layuense</i> isolate E24 in dual culture plates.

Phaeomoniella chlamydospora isolate CBS 161.90 (left side) and E. layuense (right side) at interaction area at day eight (A); hyphae of P. chlamydospora with swollen chlamydospores (arrow) and an increasing of sporulation in the contact line with E. layuense (B-D) when compared to P. chlamydospora growing alone (E) at day ten. Phaeoacremonium minimum isolate CBS 110713 (left side) and E. layuense (right side) at the interaction zone at day eight (F); intermingled hyphae of both fungi at day ten (G) after the hyphae of P. minimum have tried to change their growth direction (left arrow) to avoid the contact with the antagonist (right arrow) at day six (H); agglomerates of P. minimum hyphae intermingled with the antagonist hyphae (I), conidia of P. minimum from the interaction zone (J) when compared to conidia from the P. minimum single culture (K), and hyphae of P. minimum growing alone (L), all at day ten. Fomitiporia mediterranea (left side) and E. layuense (right side) at the interaction zone at day eight (M); agglomerates and strands of F. mediterranea hyphae in an attempt to block the advance of E. layuense (N); hyphae of F. mediterranea denoting plasmolysis (arrow) (O) and clamp connections (arrow) (P); mycelium of F. mediterranea growing alone (Q). Scale bars represent A, F, M = 1 mm; B, G, H, L, N = 50 μm; C, E, I, O-Q = 20 μm; D, J, K = 10 μm.