Relationships between seed germination, fumonisin content, and Fusarium verticillioides infection in selected maize samples from different regions of Costa Rica

Thirty-five maize seed samples from three geographic regions of Costa Rica were analysed for fumonisin content, germinability, and Fusarium verticillioides infection with and without surface disinfection. The concentration of fumonisins in the maize samples varied from 4 ng g⁻¹ to 16 000 ng g⁻¹ with an all over-all average of 2500 ng g⁻¹. There was a significant difference in fumonisin content between samples from Alajuela and Guanacaste. Germination of the seed samples ranged from 12% to 98% with significant differences between regions. F. verticillioides infection was 12–98% and 13–97% for surface-disinfected and nondisinfected seeds, respectively. There was a significant negative correlation ( r  = -0.52) between fumonisin content and seed germination, but no significant correlation was found between fumonisin content and F. verticillioides infection, or between F. verticillioides infection and seed germination. Most of the high fumonisin seed samples had some mechanical or insect damage. Whether or not the fumonisins had a direct effect on germination was not further established. It is concluded that the large differences in fumonisin content of maize seeds within and between regions are primarily caused by differences in seed quality, genetic diversity of F. verticillioides strains in natural populations, climatic differences between regions, and varietal differences. Some of the fumonisin levels found in this study coincide with levels associated with risks to humans and animals in other countries.     

Genetic variation among Fusarium oxysporum isolates from cucumber

Isolates of Fusarium oxysporum obtained from cucumber worldwide were classified into 3 groups by random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR). All isolates of f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum fall into one group. Isolates of races 1 and 2 of f. sp. cucumerinum fall into a second group related to isolates of f. sp. melonis and niveum. Isolates of race 3 fall into a third group, related to f. sp. momordicae. Because f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum has relatively recently been introduced into Greece, where it is actively spreading and very damaging, RAPD-PCR may be valuable in monitoring populations of F. oxysporum.     

Interactions between Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium graminearum in maize ears and consequences for fungal development and mycotoxin accumulation

Fungal interactions of Fusarium verticillioides and F. graminearum in maize ears and the impact on fungal development and toxin accumulation were investigated in a 2‐year field study at two locations in France. Maize ears were inoculated either with a spore mixture of F. graminearum and F. verticillioides or using a sequential inoculation procedure consisting of a first inoculation with F. graminearum followed by a second with F. verticillioides 1 week later. Toxin and fungal biomass were assessed on mature kernels, using HPLC and quantitative PCR. Correlation between the levels of DNA and toxin was high concerning F. graminearum DNA and deoxynivalenol (R² = 0·73) and moderate for F. verticillioides DNA and fumonisin (R² = 0·44). Fusarium graminearum DNA either decreased in mixed inoculations or was not influenced by subsequent inoculations with F. verticillioides, compared to single inoculations. In contrast, F. verticillioides DNA either significantly increased or was not affected in mixed and sequential inoculations. In two of the replicates, it can be assumed that natural contamination by F. verticillioides was favoured by previous contamination with F. graminearum. Overall, the results suggest that F. verticillioides has competitive advantages over the F. graminearum strains. Additionally, the data provide, for the first time, key evidence that previous contamination by F. graminearum in maize ears can facilitate subsequent infections by F. verticillioides.     

Genetic variability among isolates of Fusarium oxysporum from sugar beet

Fusarium yellows, caused by the soil‐borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. betae (Fob), can lead to significant yield losses in sugar beet. This fungus is variable in pathogenicity, morphology, host range and symptom production, and is not a well characterized pathogen on sugar beet. From 1998 to 2003, 86 isolates of F. oxysporum and 20 other Fusarium species from sugar beet, along with four F. oxysporum isolates from dry bean and five from spinach, were obtained from diseased plants and characterized for pathogenicity to sugar beet. A group of sugar beet Fusarium isolates from different geographic areas (including nonpathogenic and pathogenic F. oxysporum, F. solani, F. proliferatum and F. avenaceum), F. oxysporum from dry bean and spinach, and Fusarium DNA from Europe were chosen for phylogenetic analysis. Sequence data from β‐ tubulin, EF1α and ITS DNA were used to examine whether Fusarium diversity is related to geographic origin and pathogenicity. Parsimony and Bayesian MCMC analyses of individual and combined datasets revealed no clades based on geographic origin and a single clade consisting exclusively of pathogens. The presence of FOB and nonpathogenic isolates in clades predominately made up of Fusarium species from sugar beet and other hosts indicates that F. oxysporum f. sp. betae is not monophyletic.     

Control of Fusarium verticillioides,cause of ear rot of maize,by Pseudomonas fluorescens

BACKGROUND: Maize is one of the staple food crops grown in India. Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg is the most important fungal pathogen of maize, associated with diseases such as ear rot and kernel rot. Apart from the disease, it is capable of producing fumonisins, which have elicited considerable attention over the past decade owing to their association with animal disease syndromes. Hence, the present study was conducted to evaluate ecofriendly approaches by using a maize rhizosphere isolate of Pseudomonas fluorescens (Trev.) Mig. and its formulation to control ear rot disease and fumonisin accumulation, and also to study the capacity to promote growth and yield of maize. In vitro assays were conducted to test the efficacy of P. fluorescens as a seed treatment on seed germination, seedling vigour and also the incidence of F. verticillioides in different maize cultivars. The field trials included both seed treatment and foliar spray. For all the experiments, P. fluorescens was formulated using corn starch, wheat bran and talc powder. In each case there were three different treatments of P. fluorescens, a non‐treated control and chemical control. RESULTS: Pure culture and the formulations, in comparison with the control, increased plant growth and vigour as measured by seed germination, seedling vigour, plant height, 1000 seed weight and yield. P. fluorescens pure culture used as seed treatment and as spray treatment enhanced the growth parameters and reduced the incidence of F. verticillioides and the level of fumonisins to a maximum extent compared with the other treatments. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates the potential role of P. fluorescens and its formulations in ear rot disease management. The biocontrol potential of this isolate is more suited for fumonisin reduction in maize kernels intended for human and animal feed. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Stylar canal architecture of maize is not an indicator of resistance to Fusarium verticillioides infection

European Journal of Plant Pathology - Fusarium verticillioides causes Fusarium ear rot (FER) of maize and contaminates the grain with mycotoxins called fumonisins. Structural barriers that prevent...     

Genetic and biological characteristics ofTyphula ishikariensis isolates from Norway

Isolates ofTyphula ishikariensis, a snow mold fungus, were collected from five localities in Norway. They were divided into three groups according to genetics, cultural morphology, etc. Group I grew normally at 10 °C. Its mating patterns with Japanese taxa were variable: compatible with both biotypes A and B; compatible with biotype A but incompatible with biotype B; and incompatible with both biotypes. Group I was prevalent in southern inland districts such as Buskerud, Oppland, and Hedmark. Group II had smaller sclerotia as compared to other groups, and its sclerotia were often covered with white mycelium in nature and in culture. Group II was compatible with biotype B only. Group III was characterized by irregular growth at 10 ° C and genetic incompatibility with biotypes A and B. Cultural morphology of group III resembled that of group I at 0 °C. Rind cell patterns of sclerotia did not separate these two groups or biotypes. Isolates of groups II and III were often obtained from coastal regions in Finmark. Mating reactions were variable: monokaryons were compatible with their respective dikaryons, and monokaryons of groups II and III occasionally mated with group I dikaryons. Dikaryons of groups II and III, however did dikaryotize monokaryons of other groups. Norwegian isolates ofT. ishikariensis were highly variable, and the orthodox nomenclature system seemed inapplicalbe at the infraspecific level.     

Effect of environmental conditions on spore production by Fusarium verticillioides, the causal agent of maize ear rot

Silk infection by Fusarium verticillioides is caused by conidia produced on maize crop residues and results in kernel infection and consequent accumulation of fumonisins. Studies were carried out in both controlled and field conditions to understand the dynamics of sporulation on maize residues. The effect of temperature (5°C to 45°C) and incubation time (3 to 41 days) on spore production on maize meal agar was described by a logistic model that accounted for 85% of variability. The rate parameter depended on the length of incubation and the asymptote on temperature. Maximum sporulation occurred at 27°C, with a progressive increase between 5°C and 27°C and then a rapid decline, with no sporulation at 45°C. Fusarium verticillioides strains from different geographic origins showed different sporulation capabilities, with similar optimum temperatures. Pieces of stalk residues inoculated with F. verticillioides and placed above the soil between rows of maize crops, in 2003 to 2005, produced conidia continuously and abundantly for some weeks, particularly during the period after silk emergence, with an average of 1.59 × 10⁷ conidia g⁻¹ of stalk, over a wide range of environmental conditions. Sixty-seven percent of variability of the spore numbers found on stalks was accounted for by a multiple regression model. Precipitation (rain or overhead irrigation) in the 14 days before stalk sampling decreased the number of spores, whilst the number of days with conducive conditions of moisture (i.e. days with rainfall, average relative humidity >85% or vapour pressure deficit <4 hPa) and greater degree-days (base 0°C) in the 14 and 3 days before sampling, respectively, increased sporulation.     

美国大豆中镰刀菌的分离鉴定

为加强对美国输华大豆真菌病害的监测力度,降低外来生物入侵风险,本文通过对美国进境大豆病菌分离,共得到32个菌株,并对其中3株镰刀菌进行了形态学和分子生物学鉴定,确认了它们分别是尖孢镰刀菌(Fusarium oxysporum)、木贼镰刀菌(F.equiseti)和拟枝孢镰刀菌(F.sporotrichioides)。本研究从32个分离菌株中得到的3株镰刀菌分属于不同种,不仅证实了美国大豆中镰刀菌的多样性,也可为港口的植物检疫工作提供借鉴。     

The conserved global regulator VeA is necessary for symptom production and mycotoxin synthesis in maize seedlings by Fusarium verticillioides

The veA or velvet gene is necessary for biosynthesis of mycotoxins and other secondary metabolites in Aspergillus species. In addition, veA has also been demonstrated to be necessary for normal seed colonization in Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. The present study shows that veA homologues are broadly distributed in fungi, particularly in Ascomycetes. The Fusarium verticillioides veA orthologue, FvVE1, is also required for the synthesis of several secondary metabolites, including fumonisin and fusarins. This study also shows that maize plants grown from seeds inoculated with FvVE1 deletion mutants did not show disease symptoms, while plants grown from seeds inoculated with the F. verticillioides wildtype and complementation strains clearly showed disease symptoms under the same experimental conditions. In this latter case, the presence of lesions coincided with accumulation of fumonisins in the plant tissues, and only these plant tissues had elevated levels of sphingoid bases and their 1-phosphate derivatives, indicating inhibition of ceramide synthase and disruption of sphingolipid metabolism. The results strongly suggest that FvVE1 is necessary for pathogenicity by F. verticillioides against maize seedlings. The conservation of veA homologues among ascomycetes suggests that veA could play a pivotal role in regulating secondary metabolism and associated pathogenicity in other fungi.     

Toxin Profile, Fertility and AFLP Analysis of Fusarium verticillioides from Banana Fruits

Gibberella fujikuroi is composed of at least nine mating populations (MPs), corresponding to biological species and assigned letters (from A to I). Each MP possesses a specific toxicological profile and a preferential host. Members of Fusarium verticillioides and F. thapsinum, anamorphs respectively of MPs A (G. moniliformis) and F (G. thapsina), share identical morphological traits, but they have a different preferential hosts (maize and sorghum, respectively) and toxin profiles, beingable the only member of MP A to produce fumonisins and the only member of MP F to produce moniliformin. Isolates from banana fruits were identified morphologically as F. verticillioides. The isolates were analyzed for fumonisin and moniliformin production. While none of the isolates produced fumonisin, all the isolates produced moniliformin. The isolates were crossed with tester strains of MPs A and F, showing ability to produce fertile perithecia only when crossed by MP A tester strains isolated from maize. However, the time required for the formation of fertile perithecia and their size differed significantly from the usual fertile crosses of strains belonging to MP A. Pathogenicity tests using such isolates of F. verticillioides isolated from banana and a set of F. verticillioides isolates isolated from maize were also performed on banana fruits. The data showed that the isolates from banana were more pathogenic. Finally, isolates from banana and maize were compared using AFLP. The results revealed that isolates from banana and maize produced two distinctly different clusters. In conclusion, isolates of F. verticillioides from banana showed specific traits (toxin production, in vitro fertility, pathogenicity and molecular profiles), that were different to those of the same species from maize. This could reflect important differences in the ecology and natural history of the population from banana and should encourage further investigations into the mechanisms of toxin production and pathogenicity within the same MP.     

Infection and Fumonisin Production by Fusarium verticillioides in Developing Maize Kernels

ABSTRACT Fusarium ear rot and fumonisin contamination are serious problems for maize growers, particularly in the southeastern United States. The lack of maize genotypes highly resistant to infection by Fusarium verticillioides or to fumonisin contamination emphasizes the need for management strategies to prevent contamination by this mycotoxin. Information on the initial appearance of infection and fumonisin contamination of kernels and their increase over time is needed to determine if early harvest may be an appropriate control strategy. Maize ears from replicated studies at two locations in eastern North Carolina were harvested weekly, starting 2 weeks after pollination and continuing for 14 weeks. The percentage of kernels infected with F. verticillioides and the fumonisin contamination in the harvested samples were determined. Kernel infection by F. verticillioides and fumonisin contamination appeared as kernels neared physiological maturity and increased up to the average harvest date for maize in North Carolina. Beyond this date, the concentrations of fumonisin fluctuated. Under years conducive for fumonisin contamination, early harvest (greater than 25% grain moisture) may help reduce the level of contamination.     

Differentiation of Fusarium verticillioides from Banana Fruits by IGS and EF-1α Sequence Analyses

Fusarium verticillioides(Gibberella moniliformis, G. fujikuroi mating population A) is an important pathogen of maize and produces several mycotoxins, including fumonisins, which cause diseases in humans and animals. The partial sequences of the IGS region (Intergenic Spacer of rDNA units) and the translation elongation factor EF-1α gene of a representative sample (48 strains) of F. verticillioides isolated from diverse hosts, geographical origins and with different levels of fumonisin production were analyzed. A phylogenetic approach by PAUP was used to evaluate the genetic variability in this species and to detect the occurrence of lineages which could be associated with different hosts or produced different toxin profiles within this species. Genetic variability detected by both sequences was high, especially with the IGS sequence which showed a high number of parsimony-informative sites and nucleotide diversity. The results of the phylogenetic analysis indicated that F. verticillioides occurs as (i) a major fumonisin-producing population with a wide geographical distribution, wide host preferences (cereals), showing variability and considerable incidence of sexual reproduction and (ii) a minor fumonisin non-producing population, with restricted host preference (banana), low variability and clonal reproductive strategy.     

Geographic substructure of Fusarium asiaticum isolates collected from barley in China

Fusarium head blight (FHB) can affect wheat and barley and is a devastating disease caused by a complex of Fusarium species. Here we report on a large-scale survey on the genetic diversity of isolates collected from barley in China. Ten VNTR markers were tested on a representative set of 40 isolates covering 14 sampling areas along the Yangtze River. VNTR4 and VNTR7, with 13 and 6 alleles, each were applied to a total of 1106 single-spore isolates to reveal the population structure of F. asiaticum. The F. asiaticum population showed high genetic diversity and a clear genotypic substructure within China. Pair-wise comparisons of allele frequencies between the mountainous provinces of Sichuan and Chongqing in Western China, Hubei Province in the centre or the eastern provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shanghai showed significant differences. Even between counties of the same province, significant differences between allele frequencies were found (P?<?0.001). Our results indicate serious constraints for migration of this pathogen in the major cereal-growing areas of China.     

甘肃玉米穗腐病样品中轮枝镰孢菌的分离鉴定及生物学特性

 为了明确甘肃玉米穗腐病的病原种类, 于2009年9月在甘肃省四大生态区采集玉米穗腐病样品, 以组织分离法进行病原物的分离培养, 对分离得到的镰孢菌菌落进行纯化和单孢分离后, 以形态学为基础, 参照Leisle分类系统进行鉴定。结果表明:共分离到271株镰孢菌菌株, 其中以轮枝镰孢菌(Fusarium verticillioides)和黄色镰孢菌(F. culmorum)出现频率高, 属优势种。按照柯赫氏法则对沈单16和金穗96832进行致病性测定, 证实了轮枝镰孢菌对玉米果穗的致病性。选取2株轮枝镰孢菌菌株进行EF-1α(tef) 基因序列分析, 将PCR产物回收测序后在GenBank上比对, 菌株GSLT4-3-2与GenBank中登记的轮枝镰孢菌FN179339、FN179345和FN179338;GSTS24-2-1与轮枝镰孢菌FN179343、FN179346、FN179340、FN179344和 FN252384亲缘关系最近, 序列同源性达100%。轮枝镰孢菌GSYC17-2-1的生长温度范围为15～35℃, 最适温度为28℃, pH 值为8;菌落在pH值为4～10的培养基上能够迅速扩展, pH值为7时产孢量最大;碳源对轮枝镰孢菌菌丝生长影响相对稳定, 而氮源对其营养生长影响的变幅较大;完全黑暗条件下, 菌丝扩展最快, 12 h光暗交替对产孢量有明显的促进作用;病原菌菌丝致死温度为70℃, 10 min。     

Characterization of Fusarium mangiferae isolates from mango malformation disease in Southern Spain

During the last years, Fusarium strains have been isolated from shoots and inflorescences of mango trees affected with floral and vegetative malformation in different orchards from the Axarquía region (south of Spain), highlighting the identification of Fusarium mangiferae. With the aim of elucidate epidemiological aspects and design more efficient control strategies, population diversity among the strains of F. mangiferae associated with MMD in Spain was determined by ap-PCR, RAPD-PCR, vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) and mating type analyses. Three different VCGs were found among the Fusarium mangiferae Spanish isolates, two of them showing similar ap–PCR and RAPD profiles. PCR with primers specific for the mating type (MAT) alleles resulted in amplification of the MAT-2 allele fragment among the majority of the isolates, there being only two isolates MAT-1. This population diversity suggests at least three possible independent introductions of the pathogen into the Axarquía region.