Degradation of Fungal Cell Walls by Lytic Enzymes of Trichoderma harzianum
In in vitro tests, two strains of Trichoderma harzianum failed to parasitize colonies of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum and F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis.
However, these strains were strongly mycoparasitic on Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium aphanidermatum
When grown in liquid cultures containing laminarin, chitin or fungal cell walls as sole carbon sources, both strains of T. harzianum released, 3-β-glucanase and chitinase into the medium. Higher levels of these enzymes were induced in strain T-203 than in T-35 by hyphal cell walls of F. oxysporum