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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 #355044
Research Project: Novel Methods for Controlling Trichothecene Contamination of Grain and Improving the Climate Resilience of Food Safety and Security Programs

Location: Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research

Title: Effects of atmospheric CO2 level on the metabolic response of resistant and susceptible wheat to Fusarium graminearum infection

Author
item CUPERLOVIC-CULF, MIROSLAVA - National Research Council - Canada
item Vaughan, Martha
item Vermillion, Karl
item SURENDRA, ANU - National Research Council - Canada
item Teresi, Jennifer
item McCormick, Susan

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/17/2018
Publication Date: 8/17/2018
Citation: Cuperlovic-Culf, M., Vaughan, M.M., Vermillion, K., Surendra, A., Teresi, J.M., McCormick, S.P. 2018. Effects of atmospheric CO2 level on the metabolic response of resistant and susceptible wheat to Fusarium graminearum infection [abstract].

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Diseases of agricultural crops caused by fungi have devastating economic and health effects. Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most damaging diseases of wheat and other small grain cereals. FHB contamination of wheat has been steadily increasing over the last decade leading to an increase in risk of mycotoxin contamination in food and feed. Rising atmospheric CO2 concentration and associated climate changes are thought to have contributed to this increase in FHB. However, our understanding of the mechanisms behind the influence of CO2 levels on the wheat’s defense response against Fusarium graminearum infection, and the spread of FHB remains limited. In this study, the defense response of wheat plants grown at ambient (400 ppm) and elevated (800 ppm) CO2 was evaluated and compared. Plant and fungal metabolites play a major role in defense and virulence with significant differences in metabolic response in resistant and susceptible plants. NMR spectroscopy performed in this work have provided detailed metabolite information leading to metabolic markers of susceptibility and resistance in wheat at different CO2 levels. Fusarium infection-induced metabolic changes under different conditions are discussed in the context of metabolic network and resistance. This work shows that the effect of CO2 level increase is different in the susceptible and resistant wheat making the resistant wheat more susceptible to particular fungal strain and also leading to increase in DON production through change in the several known resistance related metabolic pathways that will be discussed in the presentation.