Pathogens and hosts are in an ongoing arms race and genes involved in host-pathogen interactions are likely to undergo diversifying selection. Fusarium plant pathogens have evolved diverse infection strategies, but how they interact with their hosts in the biotrophic infection stage remains puzzling. To address this, we analyzed the genomes of three Fusarium plant pathogens for genes that are u...

In Australia both Fusarium graminearum and F. pseudograminearum cause head blight and crown rot of wheat and this work compares the aetiology and diversity between the two species. A total of 199 isolates of F. pseudograminearum and 118 isolates of F. graminearum obtained from wheat grown in Queensland and northern New South Wales and were identified using published species-specific PCR assays....

Fusarium graminearum is the primary causal pathogen of Fusarium head blight of wheat and barley. To accelerate genomic analysis of F. graminearum, we developed a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-based physical map and integrated it with the genome sequence and genetic map. One BAC library, developed in the HindIII restriction enzyme site, consists of 4608 clones with an insert size of appr...

Priming refers to a mechanism whereby plants are sensitized to respond faster and/or more strongly to future pathogen attack. Here, we demonstrate that preexposure to the green leaf volatile Z-3-hexenyl acetate (Z-3-HAC) primed wheat (Triticum aestivum) for enhanced defense against subsequent infection with the hemibiotrophic fungus Fusarium graminearum. Bioassays showed that, after priming wit...

Fusarium graminearum causes Fusarium head blight (FHB), a devastating disease that leads to extensive yield and quality loss of wheat and barley. Bacteria isolated from wheat kernels and plant anthers were screened for antagonistic activity against F. graminearum. Based on its in vitro effectiveness, strain SG6 was selected for characterization and identified as Bacillus subtilis. B. subtilis S...

Ear rot is a serious disease that affects maize yield and grain quality worldwide. The mycotoxins are often hazardous to humans and livestock. In samples collected in China between 2009 and 2014, Fusarium verticillioides and F. graminearum species complex were the dominant fungi causing ear rot. According to the TEF-1α gene sequence, F. graminearum species complex in China included three indepe...

The aim of this research was to study the antifungal properties of propionibacteria. Three fractions from cultures of Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. shermanii 41 and ssp. freudenreichii 111 (i.e. culture containing viable bacteria, cell-free supernatant and bacteriocin preparation) were tested for their ability to inhibit the growth and mycotoxin production of Alternaria alternata, Fusar...

The elucidation of the biochemical pathway of trichothecene production by Fusarium species has been the focus of our laboratory for a number of years. The complex pathway begins with the sesquiterpene hydrocarbon trichodiene and consists of multiple oxygenation, cyclization, and esterification steps. As is found in a number of other organisms that produce toxic/antibiotic compounds, many of the...

Fusarium graminearum, a prominent fungal pathogen that infects major cereal crops, primarily utilizes asexual spores to spread disease. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying conidiogenesis in F. graminearum, we functionally characterized the F. graminearum ortholog of Aspergillus nidulans wetA, which has been shown to be involved in conidiogenesis and conidium maturation. Deletion o...