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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Cereal Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #329567
Title: Genome-wide analysis and functional characterization of candidate effector proteins potentially involved in Fusarium graminearum-wheat interactions

Author
item Lu, Shunwen
item Edwards, Michael

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/4/2016
Publication Date: 7/6/2016
Citation: Lu, S., Edwards, M.C. 2016. Genome-wide analysis and functional characterization of candidate effector proteins potentially involved in Fusarium graminearum-wheat interactions [abstract]. Plant Biology 2016, July 9-13, 2016, American Society of Plant Biologists, Austin, TX. Available: http://plantbiology.aspb.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Poster-Booklet-w.-Abstracts.pdf

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fungal pathogens often produce certain small secreted cysteine-rich proteins (SSCPs) during pathogenesis that may function in triggering resistance or susceptibility in specific host plants. We have identified a total of 190 SSCPs encoded in the genome of the wheat scab fungus Fusarium graminearum and found at least 23 SSCPs to be true extracellular proteins that are expressed in planta (Lu and Edwards, Phytopathology 106:166-176). Furthermore, we compared the expression patterns of these candidate effector proteins between compatible and incompatible interactions by transcriptional analysis. A majority of SSCPs examined were found to be expressed in identical or similar patterns when the fungus attacked susceptible wheat cultivars such as Grandin and Wheaton. However, the expression patterns of at least 13 SSCPs were altered when the same pathogen infected the commonly used resistant cultivar Sumai 3: the expression of 11 SSCPs appeared to be suppressed or “down-regulated” at certain stages of infection while two others were apparently “up-regulated” at 4-8 days post inoculation. Gene knock-out and heterologous expression experiments are underway with the priority given to these differentially expressed SSCPs. The resultant deletion mutants/recombinant proteins will be subjected to pathogenicity/necrosis-inducing activity assays on both susceptible and resistant wheat cultivars to determine the roles of these candidate effector proteins in F. graminearum-wheat interactions. This study may provide new molecular insights into Fusarium head scab, a devastating disease of wheat crops worldwide.