Infection of maize (Zea mays) plants with the smut fungus Ustilago maydis triggers the formation of tumors on aerial parts in which the fungal life cycle is completed. A differential display screen was performed to gain insight into transcriptional changes of the host response. Some of the genes strongly up-regulated in tumors showed a pronounced developmental expression pattern with decreasing...

Maize produces a suite of allelopathic secondary metabolites, the benzoxazinoids. 2,4-Dihydroxy-7-methoxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one and 2,4-dihydroxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one reside as glucosides in plant tissue and spontaneously degrade to 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone (MBOA) and 2-benzoxazolinone (BOA) upon plant cell disruption. Several maize-associated fungi in the genus Fusarium can metabolize ...

6-Methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone (MBOA) is an allelochemical that found in Poaceae and generally associated with monocotyledon species. This compound formed from the glycosylated form of 2,4-dihydroxy-(2H)-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one (Gly-DIMBOA) by a two-stage degradation process. The MBOA detoxification capacity two weed species, namely Echinochloa crus-galli Lolium rigidum, resistant biotype rigidum...