Intra-strains diversity of expression of polymorphic PKS4 gene in comparison in zearalenone production by Fusarium graminearum during in vitro cultivation.

Filamentous fungi belonging to the Fusarium genus are responsible for large economic losses due to their high pathogenicity and toxigenicity. Fusarium sp. may produce variety of mycotoxins, one of them is zearalenone (ZEA). The presence of the PKS4 gene shows the possibility of zearalenone biosynthesis by Fusarium sp. In this study, in four Fusarium graminearum and one Fusarium poae strains the presence of PKS4 genes and ZEA concentrations were determined. The presence of the PKS4 gene was confirmed by classical polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in three of four strains of F. graminearum. One strain with no PKS4 gene detected was found while still producing ZEA. In the present study, a real-time PCR assay has been successfully performed for the relative expression of Fusarium strains based on new designed primers targeting the PKS4 gene involved in ZEA biosynthesis. Result shows that P56/4 strain of F. graminearum has the highest mRNA level, in the range of 12, what correlates to the high production of this mycotoxin. In this study, a real-time PCR assay has been successfully developed for the prediction of the production of ZEA by F. graminearum strains by PCR real-time techniques based on primers targeting the gene, PKS4, involved in ZEA biosynthesis. The special significance was pointed to occurring genes polymorphism.