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Abstract
BackgroundFusarium species cause Fusarium head blight (FHB) and other important diseases of cereals. The causal agents produce trichothecene mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON). The dicotyledonous model species Arabidopsis thaliana has been used to study Fusarium-host interactions but it is not ideal for model-to-crop translation. Brachypodium distachyon (Bd) has been proposed as a new monocotyledonous model species for functional genomic studies in grass species. This study aims to assess the interaction between the most prevalent FHB-causing Fusarium species and Bd in order to develop and exploit Bd as a genetic model for FHB and other Fusarium diseases of wheat.ResultsThe ability of Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum to infect a range of Bd tissues was examined in various bioassays which showed that both species can infect all Bd tissues examined, including intact foliar tissues. DON accumulated in infected spike tissues at levels similar to those of infected wheat spikes. Histological studies revealed details of infection, colonisation and host response and indicate that hair cells are important sites of infection. Susceptibility to Fusarium and DON was assessed in two Bd ecotypes and revealed variation in resistance between ecotypes.ConclusionsBd exhibits characteristics of susceptibility highly similar to those of wheat, including susceptibility to spread of disease in the spikelets. Bd is the first reported plant species to allow successful infection on intact foliar tissues by FHB-causing Fusarium species. DON appears to function as a virulence factor in Bd as it does in wheat. Bd is proposed as a valuable model for undertaking studies of Fusarium head blight and other Fusarium diseases of wheat.
Highlights
Fusarium species cause Fusarium head blight (FHB) and other important diseases of cereals
Floral infection FHB is the disease of greatest significance in wheat and, if Brachypodium distachyon (Bd) is to be useful as a model, it is imperative that it expresses symptoms similar to those of wheat
Spikes of Bd were spray inoculated to assess the susceptibility of Bd to Fusarium graminearum (Fg) and Fusarium culmorum (Fc) and to compare symptoms to those of FHB on wheat (Figure 1a,b)
Summary
Fusarium species cause Fusarium head blight (FHB) and other important diseases of cereals. This study aims to assess the interaction between the most prevalent FHB-causing Fusarium species and Bd in order to develop and exploit Bd as a genetic model for FHB and other Fusarium diseases of wheat. Several Fusarium species are globally important pathogens of wheat (Triticum aestivum). These fungi infect floral tissues as well as seedlings, stem bases and roots causing Fusarium head blight (FHB), seedling blight, crown rot and root rot, respectively [1,2]. The most prevalent Fusarium mycotoxins in wheat are trichothecenes such as deoxynivalenol (DON) and nivalenol (NIV) [6]. The phytotoxic effects of DON in wheat are chlorosis, necrosis and wilting, often leading to the bleaching of the whole head above the inoculation point [10]
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