Location: Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research
Title: Exploring the role of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase in oxidation and desiccation stress tolerance of Fusarium verticillioidesAuthor
OBERLIE, NICOLE - Bradley University | |
MCMILLAN, SARAH - Bradley University | |
PIERSON, PAIGE - Bradley University | |
BONICH, NICHOLAS - Bradley University | |
Brown, Daren | |
MCQUADE, KRISTI - Bradley University |
Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 4/22/2017 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Fusarium verticillioides is a pathogenic filamentous fungus that primarily affects maize. We are exploring stress response mechanisms in F. verticillioides, particularly the role of the disaccharide trehalose. Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase, coded for by the TPS1 gene, catalyzes the first of two steps in trehalose synthesis. Past work in our lab indicated that an F. verticillioides tps1 mutant produces no trehalose and has reduced pathogenicity against maize. We report here that the tps1 mutant is sensitive to both oxidative and desiccation stress, suggesting a role for trehalose in stress tolerance. To determine if the stress sensitivity observed in this strain is due to the absence of trehalose or to the lack of a secondary function of the enzyme, we are exploring stress response and sensitivity of a deletion mutant complemented with a mutant of TPS1 encoding a form of the enzyme expected to be catalytically inactive. |