The interaction between Trichoderma harzianum and the soilborne plant pathogen Rhizoctonia solani was studied by both scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. Macroscopic observations of fungal growth in dual cultures revealed that pathogen growth inhibition occurred soon after contact with the antagonist. SEM investigations demonstrated that coiling of the antagonist (T. harzianum) around its host (R. solani) was an early event preceding hyphal damage. Ultrastructural observations of hyphal interactions showed that contact between the two fungi was mediated by a fine, extracellular matrix originating from cells of R. solani. The use of gold-complexed Ricinus communis agglutinin provided evidence that this matrix was rich in galactose residues [...]
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Nicole Benhamou (1993) studied this question.