The avidity of conidia and 48-h-old germlings of Coniothyrium minitans for FITC-conjugated lectins was characterised by flow
cytometry and digital microscopy. Six isolates of C. minitans representing three morphological types were compared. Binding of Con
A, SBA and WGA by conidial populations varied markedly in extent and pattern between isolates, however, with increasing culture
age, conidia from all isolates demonstrated a significant reduction in lectin avidity. Germling isolates bound significantly different
amounts of lectins and lectin binding differed significantly with locality. Spore walls of all germlings from all isolates bound more
Con A compared with hyphal apices and mature hyphal walls. In contrast, hyphal apices of the majority of germling isolates, readily
bound SBA and mature hyphal walls of germling isolates bound more WGA than other regions of the germlings. Such differential
lectin binding by conidia and germlings may influence their specific surface interactions and adherence characteristics.