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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 #400802
Research Project: Improving Food Safety by Controlling Mycotoxin Contamination and Enhancing Climate Resilience of Wheat and Barley

Location: Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research

Title: Chitin and laminarin additively trigger wheat reactive oxygen species but not resistance to Fusarium head blight

Author
item Hao, Guixia
item RHOADES, NICHOLAS - Orise Fellow
item McCormick, Susan

Submitted to: Plant Direct
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/26/2023
Publication Date: 10/17/2023
Citation: Hao, G., Rhoades, N.A., McCormick, S. 2023. Chitin and laminarin additively trigger wheat reactive oxygen species but not resistance to Fusarium head blight. Plant Direct. 7(10). Article e538. https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.538.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.538

Interpretive Summary: Plants react to fungal infections by turning on defense genes and producing reactive oxygen species (ROS). The fungus Fusarium graminearum causes Fusarium head blight (FHB), a serious disease of wheat and barley. FHB results in crop yield loss and contaminates grain with harmful fungal toxins. ARS researchers in Peoria, Illinois, found that treating wheat plants with the fungal cell wall component chitin increased their resistance to FHB and reduced the amount of toxin in infected grains. But it wasn’t known if other fungal cell wall components could be used to improve resistance to FHB. Therefore, they evaluated ROS responses in different parts of wheat plants that had been treated with chitin or laminarin, a polymer of the cell wall component beta-glucan, or both. While ROS was turned on in plants treated with laminarin or chitin, they found that ROS were highest in the flowers and stems of wheat heads treated with both chitin and laminarin. This study identified an alternative way to increase plant resistance to a fungal disease and decrease toxin contamination which will improve food safety.

Technical Abstract: Plants respond to fungal infections by activating defense genes including producing reactive oxygen species (ROS). The fungus Fusarium graminearum causes Fusarium head blight (FHB), a serious disease of wheat and barley. FHB results in crop yield loss and contaminates grain with mycotoxins. In a prior study, we discovered that chitin induces tissue-specific ROS burst in wheat. However, it is unknown whether other fungal cell wall components could induce defense response in wheat. Therefore, we evaluated ROS and defense gene responses in different wheat tissues that had been treated with chitin, laminarin, or both. Different ROS patterns were induced in wheat treated with laminarin or chitin. Furthermore, we found that ROS were enhanced in wheat tissues treated with both chitin and laminarin. This study provides novel information for enhancing plat immunity to increase plant resistance.