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Enhanced mycotoxin production of a lipase-deficient Fusarium graminearum mutant correlates to toxin-related gene expression

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Abstract

Fusarium graminearum causes important diseases of small-grain cereals and maize and produces several mycotoxins. Among them, deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) can accumulate in feedstuffs and foods to health-threatening levels. Although DON is important for fungal virulence in wheat, disease severity in the field does not correlate with mycotoxin concentrations. We compared gene expression and mycotoxin production of lipase-deficient mutants (Δfgl1), strongly reduced in virulence, and the respective wild-type isolate. Δfgl1 mutants exhibited up-regulated DON production during wheat head infection. On isolated wheat kernels, DON was only produced in low quantities, but higher in wild-type than in Δfgl1 mutants. In contrast, neither wild-type nor Δfgl1 mutants produced ZEA during wheat head infection. However, ZEA was clearly detectable on wheat kernels. Here, Δfgl1 mutants revealed a dramatically enhanced ZEA production. We could correlate the altered amounts of DON and ZEA directly with the expression of the toxin-related genes Tri5 for DON and PKS4 and PKS13 for ZEA. Based on Tri5 expression and the infection pattern of the wild-type and Δfgl1 mutants, we suggest that the transition zone of rachilla and rachis is important in the induction of DON synthesis. Gene expression studies indicate an involvement of the lipase FGL1 in regulation of 8 PKS genes and ZEA production.

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Abbreviations

FHB:

Fusarium head blight

DON:

deoxynivalenol

ZEA:

zearalenone

PKS:

polyketide synthase

Dpi:

days post-inoculation

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Acknowledgements

We specially thank Brigitte Doormann for critically reading the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Phytopathology and Genetics, University of Hamburg, Biocenter Klein Flottbek, Ohnhorststr. 18, D-22609, Hamburg, Germany

    Christian A. Voigt, Bianca von Scheidt, Attila Gácser, Wilhelm Schäfer & Siegfried Salomon

  2. Department of Ecology and Biology of Useful Plants, University of Hamburg, Biocenter Klein Flottbek, Ohnhorststr. 18, D-22609, Hamburg, Germany

    Helmut Kassner & Reinhard Lieberei

Authors
  1. Christian A. Voigt
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  2. Bianca von Scheidt
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  3. Attila Gácser
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  4. Helmut Kassner
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  5. Reinhard Lieberei
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  6. Wilhelm Schäfer
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  7. Siegfried Salomon
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Correspondence to Wilhelm Schäfer.

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Voigt, C.A., von Scheidt, B., Gácser, A. et al. Enhanced mycotoxin production of a lipase-deficient Fusarium graminearum mutant correlates to toxin-related gene expression. Eur J Plant Pathol 117, 1–12 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-006-9063-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-006-9063-y

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