ARS | Publication request: FUNGAL GENES EXPRESSED DURING PLANT DISEASE DEVELOPMENT IN THE FUSARIUM GRAMINEARUM/WHEAT INTERACTION

Submitted to: Fungal Genetics Newsletter
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 18, 2003
Publication Date: March 18, 2003
Citation: Goswami, R., Trail, F., Xu, J.R., Kistler, H.C. 2003. Fungal genes expressed during plant disease development in the Fusarium graminearum/wheat interaction [abstract]. Fungal Genetics Newsletter. 50:106.

Technical Abstract: Fusarium graminearum the causal agent of wheat scab disease is a species complex comprised of strains belonging to at least eight phylogenetically distinct lineages that can differ significantly in their aggressiveness on wheat and also in the type and amount of mycotoxin they produce. Based on differences in aggressiveness we selected two strains with high (NRRL 31084) and low (NRRL 28303) virulence for genomic studies. cDNA libraries were created by suppression subtractive hybridization to compare mRNA populations from wheat heads inoculated with them in order to identify genes specific to each interaction. EST sequences from both the forward and reverse libraries revealed marked differences in gene expression among strains during pathogenesis. Several of them had matches with sequences from other fungi indicating that they were Fusarium genes expressed in planta. Another subtracted cDNA library also has been constructed using wheat inoculated with NRRL 31084 and mock inoculated wheat heads to further characterize fungal genes expressed during the disease interaction. Ultimately, we anticipate that this information will be vital for identification, isolation and functional analysis of genes related to pathogenicity.