Project description:Fusarium verticillioides is a detrimental fungus that can contaminate maize grains with mycotoxins that are harmful to human and animal health. Breeding and growing resistant genotypes is one alternative to reduce contamination and subsequent production of mycotoxins by this fungus. However, little is known about the resistant mechanism relevant to breeding in this pathosystem. Therefore, our aim was to identify genes and metabolites that may be related to Fusarium ear rot resistance using resistant and susceptible maize inbreds. Kernels of the resistant inbred showed significantly reduced disease severity, and reduced levels of total fumonisin and ergosterol content compared with the susceptible one. Gene expression data were obtained from microarray hybridizations using F. verticillioides inoculated and non inoculated maize kernels. Differentially expressed sequences were identified and classified into 36 functional categories. Most of the differentially expressed genes were assigned to the categories “protein, RNA, DNA, stress, transport, signaling and cell metabolism”. These genes encode for PR proteins, detoxification and primary metabolism enzymes. Fungal inoculation did not produce considerable changes in gene expression and metabolites in the resistant L4637 inbred, probably due to a preformed or constitutive resistance mechanism. Defense-related genes were induced or repressed in kernels of the susceptible inbred L4674, responding specifically to the pathogen infection. The qRT-PCR in infected silks showed that glucanase, lipid transfer, xylanase inhibitor, PR1 and 26S proteosome transcripts had higher expression ratios in the susceptible line compared to the resistant one in response to fungal infection. Through this study, a global view of differential genes expressed and metabolites concentration during resistance and susceptibility to F. verticillioides inoculation has been obtained, giving additional information about the mechanisms and pathways conferring resistance to this important disease in maize.

Project description:Fusarium verticillioides is a detrimental fungus that can contaminate maize grains with mycotoxins that are harmful to human and animal health. Breeding and growing resistant genotypes is one alternative to reduce contamination and subsequent production of mycotoxins by this fungus. However, little is known about the resistant mechanism relevant to breeding in this pathosystem. Therefore, our aim was to identify genes and metabolites that may be related to Fusarium ear rot resistance using resistant and susceptible maize inbreds. Kernels of the resistant inbred showed significantly reduced disease severity, and reduced levels of total fumonisin and ergosterol content compared with the susceptible one. Gene expression data were obtained from microarray hybridizations using F. verticillioides inoculated and non inoculated maize kernels. Differentially expressed sequences were identified and classified into 36 functional categories. Most of the differentially expressed genes were assigned to the categories “protein, RNA, DNA, stress, transport, signaling and cell metabolism”. These genes encode for PR proteins, detoxification and primary metabolism enzymes. Fungal inoculation did not produce considerable changes in gene expression and metabolites in the resistant L4637 inbred, probably due to a preformed or constitutive resistance mechanism. Defense-related genes were induced or repressed in kernels of the susceptible inbred L4674, responding specifically to the pathogen infection. The qRT-PCR in infected silks showed that glucanase, lipid transfer, xylanase inhibitor, PR1 and 26S proteosome transcripts had higher expression ratios in the susceptible line compared to the resistant one in response to fungal infection. Through this study, a global view of differential genes expressed and metabolites concentration during resistance and susceptibility to F. verticillioides inoculation has been obtained, giving additional information about the mechanisms and pathways conferring resistance to this important disease in maize. Global view of differential genes expressed during resistance and susceptibility to F. verticillioides inoculation. Two maize inbred lines : one resistant (L4637) and one susceptible (L4674) to F. verticillioides infection. Two-condition experiment, Inoculated (I) vs. non-inoculated (NI) lines. Biological replicates: 3 . One replicate per array.

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Transcriptional changes in Aspergillus flavus-infected maize kernels

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