scholarly journals Fungal Endophytes Control Fusarium graminearum and Reduce Trichothecenes and Zearalenone in Maize

Toxins ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed F. Abdallah ◽  
Marthe De Boevre ◽  
Sofie Landschoot ◽  
Sarah De Saeger ◽  
Geert Haesaert ◽  
...  

Fusarium graminearum can cause Giberella Ear Rot (GER) and seedling blight in maize, resulting in major yield losses. Besides GER, the infected grains are consequently contaminated with multiple mycotoxins of F. graminearum. Zearalenone and trichothecenes, such as deoxynivalenol and its acetylated forms, are among the major mycotoxins associated with F. graminearum infection in maize. In the current work, we explored the effect of the endophytic fungal genera of Epicoccum and Sordaria, to control F. graminearum infection in comparative trials with Piriformospora spp., an elusive endophytic genus. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of these endophytes on zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol levels using in vitro and in planta assays. As plants are endowed with several detoxification mechanisms comprising e.g., glucosylation of trichothecenes, the effect of the isolated fungal endophytes on the deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside level was also assessed. In general, results showed a considerable variability in the antifungal activity, both among species and among isolates within one species. Additionally, the effect on mycotoxin levels was variable, and not necessarily related to the antifungal activity except for zearalenone levels which were consistently reduced by the endophytes. These results highlight the great potential of certain endophytic fungal strains as new biocontrol agents in agricultural science.

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishni Fernando ◽  
Priyanka Reddy ◽  
Inoka K. Hettiarachchige ◽  
German C. Spangenberg ◽  
Simone J. Rochfort ◽  
...  

Asexual Epichloë spp. fungal endophytes have been extensively studied for their functional secondary metabolite production. Historically, research mostly focused on understanding toxicity of endophyte-derived compounds on grazing livestock. However, endophyte-derived compounds also provide protection against invertebrate pests, disease, and other environmental stresses, which is important for ensuring yield and persistence of pastures. A preliminary screen of 30 strains using an in vitro dual culture bioassay identified 18 endophyte strains with antifungal activity. The novel strains NEA12, NEA21, and NEA23 were selected for further investigation as they are also known to produce alkaloids associated with protection against insect pests. Antifungal activity of selected endophyte strains was confirmed against three grass pathogens, Ceratobasidium sp., Dreschlera sp., and Fusarium sp., using independent isolates in an in vitro bioassay. NEA21 and NEA23 showed potent activity against Ceratobasidium sp. and NEA12 showed moderate inhibition against all three pathogens. Crude extracts from liquid cultures of NEA12 and NEA23 also inhibited growth of the phytopathogens Ceratobasidium sp. and Fusarium sp. and provided evidence that the compounds of interest are stable, constitutively expressed, and secreted. Comparative analysis of the in vitro and in planta metabolome of NEA12 and NEA23 using LCMS profile data revealed individual metabolites unique to each strain that are present in vitro and in planta. These compounds are the best candidates for the differential bioactivity observed for each strain. Novel endophyte strains show promise for endophyte-mediated control of phytopathogens impacting Lolium spp. pasture production and animal welfare.


Plant Disease ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Albert Noel ◽  
Ludmilla Roze ◽  
Mikaela Breunig ◽  
Frances Trail

The search for beneficial endophytes that can be part of a constructed microbial community has increased in recent years. We characterized three endophytic fungi previously isolated from wheat for their in vitro and in planta antagonism toward the Fusarium head blight pathogen, Fusarium graminearum. The endophytes were phylogenetically characterized and shown to be Alternaria destruens, Fusarium commune, and Fusarium oxysporum. Individual fungal endophytes significantly increased seed weight and lowered the accumulation of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol compared to F. graminearum infected wheat heads without endophyte pretreatment. Investigation into the mechanism of competition in vitro showed that endophytes competitively excluded F. graminearum by pre-emptive colonization and possible inhibition over a distance. Investigations on the use of these endophytes in the field are in progress. Identification of these three endophytes highlights a common quandary in searching for beneficial microbes to use in agriculture: species definitions often do not separate individual isolates’ lifestyles. A greater understanding of the risks in using intraspecies variants for biocontrol is needed and should be examined in the context of the ecology of the individuals being investigated.


2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (12) ◽  
pp. 1617-1627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyunghun Min ◽  
Hokyoung Son ◽  
Jungkwan Lee ◽  
Gyung Ja Choi ◽  
Jin-Cheol Kim ◽  
...  

Peroxisomes are organelles that are involved in a number of important cellular metabolic processes, including the β-oxidation of fatty acids, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, the role of peroxisomes was examined in Fusarium graminearum by targeted deletion of three genes (PEX5, PEX6, and PEX7) encoding peroxin (PEX) proteins required for peroxisomal protein import. PEX5 and PEX7 deletion mutants were unable to localize the fluorescently tagged peroxisomal targeting signal type 1 (PTS1)- and PTS2-containing proteins to peroxisomes, respectively, whereas the PEX6 mutant failed to localize both fluorescent proteins. Deletion of PEX5 and PEX6 resulted in retarded growth on long-chain fatty acids and butyrate, while the PEX7 deletion mutants utilized fatty acids other than butyrate. Virulence on wheat heads was greatly reduced in the PEX5 and PEX6 deletion mutants, and they were defective in spreading from inoculated florets to the adjacent spikelets through rachis. Deletion of PEX5 and PEX6 dropped survivability of aged cells in planta and in vitro due to the accumulation of ROS followed by necrotic cell death. These results demonstrate that PTS1-dependent peroxisomal protein import mediated by PEX5 and PEX6 are critical to virulence and survival of F. graminearum.


Plant Disease ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 93 (10) ◽  
pp. 1037-1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young-Ki Jo ◽  
Byung H. Kim ◽  
Geunhwa Jung

Silver in ionic or nanoparticle forms has a high antimicrobial activity and is therefore widely used for various sterilization purposes including materials of medical devices and water sanitization. There have been relatively few studies on the applicability of silver to control plant diseases. Various forms of silver ions and nanoparticles were tested in the current study to examine the antifungal activity on two plant-pathogenic fungi, Bipolaris sorokiniana and Magnaporthe grisea. In vitro petri dish assays indicated that silver ions and nanoparticles had a significant effect on the colony formation of these two pathogens. Effective concentrations of the silver compounds inhibiting colony formation by 50% (EC50) were higher for B. sorokiniana than for M. grisea. The inhibitory effect on colony formation significantly diminished after silver cations were neutralized with chloride ions. Growth chamber inoculation assays further confirmed that both ionic and nanoparticle silver significantly reduced these two fungal diseases on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne). Particularly, silver ions and nanoparticles effectively reduced disease severity with an application at 3 h before spore inoculation, but their efficacy significantly diminished when applied at 24 h after inoculation. The in vitro and in planta evaluations of silver indicated that both silver ions and nanoparticles influence colony formation of spores and disease progress of plant-pathogenic fungi. In planta efficacy of silver ions and nanoparticles is much greater with preventative application, which may promote the direct contact of silver with spores and germ tubes, and inhibit their viability.


2011 ◽  
Vol 101 (8) ◽  
pp. 929-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Ponts ◽  
Laetitia Pinson-Gadais ◽  
Anne-Laure Boutigny ◽  
Christian Barreau ◽  
Florence Richard-Forget

The impact of five phenolic acids (ferulic, coumaric, caffeic, syringic, and p-hydroxybenzoic acids) on fungal growth and type B trichothecene production by four strains of Fusarium graminearum was investigated. All five phenolic acids inhibited growth but the degree of inhibition varied between strains. Our results suggested that the more lipophilic phenolic acids are, the higher is the effect they have on growth. Toxin accumulation in phenolic acid-supplemented liquid glucose, yeast extract, and peptone cultures was enhanced in the presence of ferulic and coumaric acids but was reduced in the presence of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. This modulation was shown to correlate with a regulation of TRI5 transcription. In this study, addition of phenolic acids with greater antioxidant properties resulted in a higher toxin accumulation, indicating that the modulation of toxin accumulation may be linked to the antioxidant properties of the phenolic acids. These data suggest that, in planta, different compositions in phenolic acids of kernels from various cultivars may reflect different degrees of sensitivity to “mycotoxinogenesis.”


2010 ◽  
Vol 65 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 433-436
Author(s):  
Hui Xu ◽  
Huan Qu

Several 2,6-bis-(un)substituted phenoxymethylpyridines were synthesized and evaluated in vitro against Fusarium graminearum, Helminthosporium sorokinianum, Alternaria brassicae, Alternaria alternata, and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum. Among all derivatives, compound 3 a exhibited a broad-spectrum antifungal activity against the five phytopathogenic fungi.


2003 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 253-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiu-Kwok Chan ◽  
Wayne A McCormick ◽  
Keith A Seifert

Bacteria were isolated from a cultivated soil and screened for antagonistic activity against Fusarium graminearum, a predominant agent of ear rot and head blight in cereal crops. Based on its in vitro effectiveness, isolate D1/2 was selected for characterization and identified as a strain of Bacillus subtilis by phenotypic tests and comparative analysis of its 16S ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) sequence. It inhibited the mycelial growth of a collection of common fungal phytopathogens, including eight Fusarium species, three other ascomycetes, and one basidiomycete. The cell-free culture filtrate of D1/2 at different dilutions was active against macroconidium germination and hyphal growth of F. graminearum, depending on the initial macroconidium density. It induced the formation of swollen hyphal cells in liquid cultures of this fungus grown from macroconidia. A bioassay also demonstrated that D1/2 offered in planta protection against the damping-off disease in alfalfa seedlings caused by F. graminearum, while the type strain of B. subtilis was ineffective. Hence, B. subtilis D1/2 or its culture filtrate has potential application in controlling plant diseases caused by Fusarium.Key words: antifungal activity, Bacillus subtilis, biological control, biopesticide, Fusarium species.


2007 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 491-493
Author(s):  
H. Harzer ◽  
R.D. Johnson ◽  
S. Rasmussen ◽  
C.R. Voisey ◽  
L.J. Johnson

Symbiotic grass associations with fungal endophytes (genera Neotyphodium and Epichloë) display enhanced fitness as well as prolonged field persistence over their endophyte free equivalents. Perennial ryegrass, an important agronomic grass, is typically associated with the N. lolii endophyte. The endophyte lives within the intercellular spaces without inducing any symptoms in the plant. The aim of this study is to elucidate the biosynthetic function of fungal secondary metabolite gene clusters. Non-ribosomal peptide synthetase genes (NRPSs) of unknown function were targeted, as these genes are commonly associated with the production of bioactive peptides some of which are ecologically important. Some novel endophyte NRPS genes have been identified using a degenerate PCR screen; one of these, NRPS5 will be discussed here. Clones were obtained by screening a fosmid Epichloë festucae genomic DNA library and we are currently determining gene function by using targeted gene replacement followed by an assessment in vitro and in planta using metabolomics and appropriate bioassay screens. Keywords: endophyte, NRPS, secondary metabolism


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaorong Lin ◽  
Hongchen Li ◽  
Zonghua Wang ◽  
Stefan Olsson

Background. Choosing reference genes for RT-qPCR for the study of transcriptomic responses of target genes is often done using “standard” reference genes (housekeeping genes) selected before the genomic era. Now, published transcriptome data can be used to aid in this selection to avoid the selection of a reference gene that varies and obscure results. Methods. We use transcriptome data for the model pathogen fungus Fusarium graminearum to select housekeeping genes for In Vitro and In Planta conditions. Transcriptome data was downloaded from a publicly available database. We selected a database where transcriptome chip data from many experiments using the same chip has been deposited divided the downloaded data into In Vitro and In Planta conditions based on the information about the experiments. Results. We ranked the genes with the least variation (relative difference between maximum and minimum expression) across each dataset. Genes previously shown to perform well as reference genes for In Vitro conditions in a similar analysis as ours also performed well for In Vitro conditions in our dataset but worked less well for In Planta conditions. We found 5 reference genes that performed well under both In Planta conditions and In Vitro conditions. Discussion. Even if these 5 reference genes performed well, for other (new) target conditions we recommend making a transcriptome analysis to select well performing reference genes for RT-qPCR if possible. Alternatively, select 2 of the 5 genes that we show here performed well under both In Planta and In Vitro conditions.


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