Abstract
Different glycoconjugates were revealed in the fungus Ascocalyx abietina (Lagerberg.) Schlaepfer-Bernhard, by using various lectin-gold complexes. N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylgalactosamine, and D-mannose were specifically localized in cell walls of fungal cells. N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid) and L-fucose were detected in structures corresponding to lipid bodies, whereas they were totally absent in the cell wall. This is the first report on the occurrence of sialic acid in fungi and of fucose in Ascomycetes. The great advantage of using lectin-gold complexes for ultrastructural localization of sugars in phytopathogenic fungi, as well as in studies concerning host-pathogen interactions, is discussed.