CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing and Secondary Metabolite Screening Confirm Fusarium graminearum C16 Biosynthetic Gene Cluster Products as Decalin-Containing Diterpenoid Pyrones

Fusarium graminearum is a causal organism of head blight in cereals and maize. Although few secondary metabolites produced by F. are considered disease virulence factors, many molecular products biosynthetic gene clusters expressed during infection their associated role the unknown. In particular, predicted meroterpenoid cluster historically designated as “C16” likely with pathogenicity. Presented here results CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing experiments disrupting polyketide synthase terpene genes C16 graminearum. Culture medium screening using transformant strains were profiled UHPLC-HRMS targeted MS2 to confirm metabolite decalin-containing diterpenoid pyrones, FDDP-D FDDP-E. Both pyrones confirmed be wheat heads challenged growth chamber trials. The extent which dispersed within genus discussed along proposed FDDPs pathogen factors.