ARS | Publication request: REMI MUTAGENESIS IN THE WHEAT SCAB FUNGUS FUSARIUM GRAMINEARUM

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 1, 2002
Publication Date: June 1, 2002
Citation: TRACY, M., HOU, Z., KISTLER, H.C., XU, J. REMI MUTAGENESIS IN THE WHEAT SCAB FUNGUS FUSARIUM GRAMINEARUM. PHYTOPATHOLOGY. 2002. Abstract. v. 92. p. S81.

Technical Abstract: Fusarium graminearum is an important pathogen of small grains and maize in many areas of the world. Infected grains are often contaminated with mycotoxins harmful to humans and animals. In the past decade, wheat scab (head blight), primarily caused by F. graminearum in North America, has emerged as a major threat in wheat production. To better understand the molecular mechanism of plant infection and virulence of F. graminearum, we used the REMI (restriction-enzyme mediated integration) approach to generate random targeted mutants. More than 3,500 hygromycin-resistant transformants have been generated by transforming pCB1003 into F. graminearum PH-1. Nine of 1,500 transformants in a corn-silk infection assay had reduced virulence. Preliminary data indicated that some of them were dramatically reduced in their ability to infect and colonize flowering wheat heads. Genetic analysis and plasmid rescue are underway to identify and characterize genes disrupted in these mutants.