Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #305542
Title: Investigating Spore killer of Fusarium verticillioides

Author
item PYLE, JAY - Illinois State University
item PATEL, TEJAS - Illinois State University
item MCCALL, MORGAN - Illinois State University
item Proctor, Robert
item Brown, Daren
item HAMMOND, THOMAS - Illinois State University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/13/2014
Publication Date: 6/13/2014
Citation: Pyle, J., Patel, T., Mccall, M., Proctor, R., Brown, D.W., Hammond, T.M. 2014. Investigating Spore killer of Fusarium verticillioides. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Maize is one of the most important crops in the world. Fusarium verticillioides may colonize maize as an endophyte or as a pathogen, causing disease at any life stage of the plant. During growth on maize, F. verticillioides can synthesis a number of mycotoxins including fumonisins, which have been linked with human esophageal cancer and birth defects. To control fumonisins, we are exploring the use of a selfish genetic element known as Spore killer. For example, we envision creating a biocontrol strain that can harness the genetic transmission-distorting properties of Spore killer to modify the genetic structure of agricultural populations of fungi. In the case of F. verticillioides, this could allow us to target fumonisin synthesis in an agricultural population and limit the contamination of agricultural products. Here we report our progress towards the necessary first step of cloning and characterizing the locus that causes spore killing in F. verticillioides