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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » Crop Production and Pest Control Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #209832
Title: Identification of two tagged-insertional mutants of Fusarium graminearum impaired in asexual reproduction

Author
item ZEARFOSS, ASHLEY - COKER COLLEGE
item KELLY, ASHLEY - COKER COLLEGE
item PARROTT, LACEYE - COKER COLLEGE
item XU, JIN-RONG - PURDUE UNIV.
item DUNKLE, LARRY
item FLAHERTY, JOSEPH - COKER COLLEGE

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/14/2007
Publication Date: 6/1/2007
Citation: Zearfoss, A.D., Kelly, A.G., Parrott, L.A., Xu, J., Dunkle, L.D., Flaherty, J.E. Identification of two tagged-insertional mutants of Fusarium graminearum impaired in asexual reproduction abstract]. Phytopathology. 97:S128-S129.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fusarium graminearum is an important fungal pathogen of small grains and maize cultivated throughout the world. This pathogen not only causes extensive crop losses due to the destructive nature of the disease but also has the ability to contaminate grains with mycotoxins. To better understand fungal development and its relationship with pathogenicity, we developed and applied a phenotypic screen to identify random-insertional mutants of F. graminearum wild-type strain (PH-1) impaired in light-responsive asexual development. After screening >4,000 tagged-insertional mutants of F. graminearum derived from restriction-enzyme mediated integration (REMI) mutagenesis of PH-1, we identified two mutants, designated 6A8 and 8B5, that fail to produce macroconidia when cultured under conditions otherwise conducive for macroconidial development by wild-type and control strains. We used qPCR to analyze insertion events in both 6A8 and 8B5 and determined that both mutants contain a single insertion. These mutants will be characterized at a molecular level to determine the site of integration of the REMI plasmid, followed by complementation studies to confirm that the tagged mutation is responsible for the observed phenotype.