A simple physical model for fungicide induced hexagonal clustering of intramembrane particles in the plasmalemma of Ustilago avenae.

Freeze fracture electron microscopy is used to study the influence of fungicide (triadimenol) treatment on the plasmalemma of sporidia of Ustilago avenae. The intramembrane particles (IMPs) randomly distributed in untreated samples form large hexagonal clusters after triadimenol treatment. A simple physical model based on length mismatch between lipid bilayer and IMPs is used to describe the interaction between the IMPs in terms of a lipid mediated potential. Using for a rough estimation also data on artificial membranes the fungicide induced ordering effect of the IMPs is discussed. A homogeneous change of lipid bilayer parameters due to the fungicide action is considered as well as a fluid-gel phase transition of the lipid matrix, which might be related to the cluster formation. Further implications of the different possibilities with respect to the mode of action of the fungicide are suggested.