Superoxide radical induces sclerotial differentiation in filamentous phytopathogenic fungi: a superoxide dismutase mimetics study.

This study shows that the superoxide radical (O(2) *( -)), a direct indicator of oxidative stress, is involved in the differentiation of the phytopathogenic filamentous fungi Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Sclerotium rolfsii and Sclerotinia minor, shown by using superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetics to decrease their sclerotial differentiation. The production rate of O(2) *(-) and SOD levels in these fungi, as expected, were significantly lowered by the SOD mimetics, with concomitant decrease of the indirect indicator of oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation.