Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #288524
Title: Developing Fusarium head blight resistant wheat

Author
item MUEHLBAUER, G - University Of Minnesota
item SHIN, S - University Of Minnesota
item LI, X - University Of Minnesota
item BODDU, J - University Of Minnesota
item SCHWEIGER, W - University Of Minnesota
item CLEMENTE, T - University Of Nebraska
item DILL-MACKY, R - University Of Minnesota
item McCormick, Susan
item BERTHILLER, F - University Of Natural Resources & Applied Life Sciences - Austria
item ADAM, G - University Of Natural Resources & Applied Life Sciences - Austria

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/6/2012
Publication Date: 12/6/2013
Citation: Muehlbauer, G.J., Shin, S., Li, X., Boddu, J., Schweiger, W., Clemente, T., Dill-Macky, R., McCormick, S.P., Berthiller, F., Adam, G. 2013. Developing Fusarium head blight resistant wheat. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fusarium head blight, caused by Fusarium graminearum, is a major disease problem in wheat and barley around the world. During infection, F. graminearum produces trichothecene mycotoxins that act as virulence factors and cause a reduction in grain quality. Therefore, developing approaches to detoxify trichothecenes will serve the dual function of increasing disease resistance and improving grain quality. Numerous gene expression experiments were conducted to identify genes that are differentially expressed in barley and wheat after F. graminearum inoculation or treatment with the F. graminearum trichothecene deoxynivalenol (DON). Previous work in Arabidopsis thaliana had shown that a UDP-glucosyltransferase (UGT) can detoxify trichothecenes. We identified a set of barley UDP-glucosyltransferases that exhibited homology to the Arabidopsis gene. Examining these genes resulted in the identification of the barley UGT (HvUGT13248) gene that provided resistance to DON in yeast and Arabidopsis. Resistance to DON was shown to be via conjugation of DON with UDP glucose to form DON-3-O-glucoside (D3G). Transgenic wheat over-expressing HvUGT13248 were developed in the FHB susceptible Bobwhite and CB037 backgrounds. These transgenics exhibited a statistically significant increase in type II resistance compared to the non transgenic controls. In several of the lines the level of type II resistance was equivalent to that observed in the Sumai3 genotype. Field screening of the transgenic wheat showed a statistically significant decrease in disease severity compared to non transgenic controls. As in yeast and Arabidopsis, resistance in the transgenic wheat plants appears to be via conversion of DON to D3G. Our results show that these transgenic lines provide a novel source of FHB resistance in wheat.