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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #312144
Title: Developing transgenic wheat and barley that exhibit resistance to Fusarium graminearum via glucoside conjugation of trichothecene mycotoxins

Author
item MUEHLBAUER, GARY - University Of Minnesota
item LI, XIN - University Of Minnesota
item SHIN, SANGHYUN - University Of Minnesota
item HUANG, YADONG - University Of Minnesota
item BODDU, JAYANAND - University Of Minnesota
item SCHWEIGER, WOLFGANG - University Of Natural Resources & Applied Life Sciences - Austria
item McCormick, Susan
item DILL-MACKY, RUTH - University Of Minnesota
item CLEMENTE, TOM - University Of Nebraska
item BERTHILLER, FRANZ - University Of Natural Resources & Applied Life Sciences - Austria
item ADAM, GERHARD - University Of Natural Resources & Applied Life Sciences - Austria

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/9/2014
Publication Date: 12/9/2014
Citation: Muehlbauer, G.J., Li, X., Shin, S., Huang, Y., Boddu, J., Schweiger, W., McCormick, S.P., Dill-Macky, R., Clemente, T., Berthiller, F., Adam, G. 2014. Developing transgenic wheat and barley that exhibit resistance to Fusarium graminearum via glucoside conjugation of trichothecene mycotoxins [abstract].

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fusarium graminearum infection of wheat and barley results in production of trichothecene mycotoxins including deoxynivalenol (DON) and nivalenol (NIV). These mycotoxins result in increased fungal virulence and reduce grain quality. Numerous transcriptomic studies have been conducted by our lab on the wheat/barley – F. graminearum interaction. These studies have identified a set of genes that may provide resistance to F. graminearum infection via conjugation, degradation or transport of trichothecenes. In addition, these studies also provide an understanding of F. graminearum genes that are expressed during infection. For example, the F. graminearum transcriptome responds differently to wheat carrying either resistant or susceptible alleles for Fhb1. From these studies we identified a barley UDP-glucosyltransferase (UGT13248) that exhibited DON resistance in yeast. Transgenic wheat expressing UGT13248 exhibited a high level of type II resistance in the greenhouse and resistance in the field that approaches the level of resistance conferred by Sumai 3. The mechanism of resistance conferred by UGT13248 is via conjugation of DON to DON-3-O-glucoside. Backcross families carrying Fhb1 (type II resistance) derived from Rollag and the UGT13248 transgene were screened in the greenhouse and field. The level of resistance in plants carrying Fhb1 alone and those carrying Fhb1 and the UGT13248 transgene were similar with a few Fhb1/UGT13248 containing lines exhibiting a slight reduction in severity compared to those carrying Fhb1 alone. The lack of reduction in disease severity may be due to either (1) Fhb1 and the UGT13248 acting in the same manner or (2) the level of resistance conferred by Fhb1 is so high that if is difficult to obtain increased resistance. Noteworthy, transgenic wheat carrying UGT13248 also exhibit type II resistance to 3-ADON- and NIV-producing strains of F. graminearum, indicating that UGT13248 acts on a wide range of trichothecene mycotoxins. Interestingly, overexpression of UGT13248 in barley resulted in resistance to DON in root assays. Overall, our results demonstrate that UGT13248 is an effective gene for conferring resistance to F. graminearum infection.