Interspecies crosstalk between Magnaporthiopsis maydis and Fusarium verticillioides in mutually infected maize plants.

ABSTRACT: Maize late wilt disease (LWD), caused by the fungus Magnaporthiopsis maydis, affects crops in Israel, Egypt, Spain, Portugal, India, and other countries. This study examines the interaction between M. maydis and Fusarium verticillioides, another post-flowering stalk rot pathogen. A confrontation assay revealed antagonism between the species. Fusarium verticillioides extrolites significantly hindered M. maydis in cross-cultivation. In a 40-day growth room test, introducing F. verticillioides at sowing and M. maydis one week later reduced plant growth to 44% of the control. Vice versa or simultaneous inoculation also stunted growth significantly (55% and 67%, respectively). Real-time PCR confirmed these growth responses by tracking both pathogens' DNA in plant roots. Similar trends were obse

SUBMITTER: Shofman G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11933429 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature