4.3 Effects of T. laevis and T. controversa on
wheat anther development
To understand the infection between somatic and reproductive cell in
wheat anther, cell number and size were estimated in infected anthers.
In the case of the T. laevis and T. controversa wheat
interaction, the consequence of successful infection is the change of
the cell count and cell size of anther. Thus, the normal development of
anther cell layers influence by pathogens (Walbot & Skibbe, 2010; Li,
2013; Banuett et al., 1996). Confocal imaging allowed measurement of
wheat anther cell counts and sizes after fungal infection during anther
development. By comparing with control anthers, cell size and numbers
increased or decreased significantly due to the infection of T.
laevis or T. controversa (Figures 5, 7, Tables3, 4, 5, 6 ). Anther consists of unreproductive and
reproductive cell types, and almost each cell type showed alterations in
width, length and depth, and /or volume and percentage in some stages
after infection. Our results showed that cell count of EPI, EN and ML
significantly decreased, but no statistically observation was noted in
the cell sizes of EPI, EN, and ML after T. laevis infection along
Y-axis. In the case of T. controversa the cell count of EPI along
X- and Y- axes increased at the first stage of development, which
suggest abnormalities in the normal process of development. The SPL
cells produce ML and TA, after infection the cell count of X*Y in ML and
TA increased, mean T. controversa disrupts the normal development
of both cells (Figure 7C, Table 5 ). Additionally, the
all-somatic and reproductive cells of anthers affected by the T.
controversa . However, the volume of ML and TA cells decreased in
400-700 µm sized anthers, which infect the formation process of MP and
PG. The cell width, length and volume of PMC and MP cells increased in
400-700 µm and 700-1100 µm anthers compared to control plants (Kelliher
& Walbot, 2011). The infected TA cells remain undifferentiated for long
time compared to normal cells. The cell counts, and cell sizes of cell
types changed by both fungal infection.