The Growth of Fusarium oxysporum Spore Isolates from Potato is Inhibited by 1,4‐dimethylnaphthalene

Abstract

Prolongation of storage via temporary meristematic sprout inhibition has effectively been carried out in tubers after brief exposure to 1,4‐dimethylnaphthalene (DMN), a compound naturally abundant in the tissues of dormant potatoes. Not only does DMN suppress meristematic growth, but studies have shown that DMN greatly impacts the microbiome on the surface of potatoes, especially with regards to species diversity. Among the diverse microbiome population is Fusarium oxysporum, a particular strain of pathogenic fungus responsible for the plant disease fusarium wilt. F. oxysporum was successfully isolated from the surface of a tuber using the fusarium selective media Nash‐Snider, to which cultures were transferred and maintained on nutritionally complex potato dextrose agar plates. DNA sequencing using selective primers NL1, NL2, ITS1F, and ITS2R confirmed the fungus to be F. oxysporum. A single spore isolation technique was utilized to record the number and growth response of spores treated with DMN vs spores treated with water (control). Single spore isolate plates were contained in vacuum sealed chambers and incubated at a constant 22C while exposed to 7.5ul DMN via aerosol dispersion for four days. After a day of rest, the spores on each plate were measured and counted. The results concluded spores exposed to DMN showed slower diameter growth than those treated with water. Knowing the effect of DMN on F. oxysporum is critical in controlling and preventing harvest loss brought on by fusarium wilt. In an attempt to gain more insight on the specificities of the DMN‐fungal conundrum, further studies are still being conducted.Support or Funding InformationSupported in part by a grant from the 1,4‐Group, Meridian, IDThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.