Molecular biology and biotechnology for reduction of Fusarium mycotoxin contamination

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease of important cereal crops resulting in significant yield loss and mycotoxin contamination. Persistent outbreaks of FHB in Europe and North America have led to various efforts to understand the mechanisms of resistance to this disease and mycotoxin biosynthesis. In this minireview, we summarize basic and applied studies conducted in our laboratories into reducing mycotoxin contamination in FHB.     

禾谷镰刀菌脂质转运蛋白Vps13的功能分析

 Vps13蛋白家族是真核生物中高度保守的一类脂质转运蛋白,其在丝状真菌中的功能尚不清楚。小麦赤霉病主要由禾谷镰刀菌(Fusarium graminearum)引起,是小麦最重要病害之一。禾谷镰刀菌含有酿酒酵母VPS13的一个同源基因FgVPS13。通过同源重组的方法获得禾谷镰刀菌FgVPS13敲除突变体。研究表明,FgVPS13敲除突变体出现生长、产孢和有性生殖的缺陷。FgVPS13敲除突变体在小麦胚芽鞘和麦穗上的致病力下降,产生的脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇(deoxynivalenol, DON)毒素含量也明显降低。而且,FgVPS13抑制线粒体自噬。总之,FgVPS13参与调控禾谷镰刀菌菌丝生长、无性和有性生殖、致病力和线粒体自噬。     

Interactions Between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Barley yellow dwarf virus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium</Emphasis> spp. Affecting Development of Fusarium Head Blight of Wheat

Interactions between Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) and Fusarium species causing Fusarium head blight (FHB) in winter wheat cvs Agent (susceptible to FHB) and Petrus (moderately resistant to FHB) were studied over three years (2001–2003) in outdoor pot experiments. FHB developed more rapidly in cv. Agent than in cv. Petrus. The spread of FHB was greater in BYDV-infected plants than in BYDV-free plants. Thousand grain weight (TGW) was reduced more in Fusarium-infected heads of cv. Agent than in cv. Petrus. A highly significant negative correlation was found between disease index and TGW in cv. Agent (r = −0.916), while in cv. Petrus the correlation was less significant (r = −0.765). Virus infection reduced TGW in cv. Petrus more than in cv. Agent. In plants with both infections, TGW reductions in cv. Petrus corresponded to those of BYDV infection, and in cv. Agent TGW was more diminished than in BYDV infection. Effects of different treatments determined over three years on ergosterol contents in grain were generally similar to effects on disease indices. Grain weight per ear and ear weight of the different treatments of both cultivars largely corresponded with the TGW results. Deoxynivalenol (DON) content in grain of cv. Agent infected with Fusarium spp. was 11–25 times higher compared to the corresponding treatments in cv. Petrus. The DON content in grain of plants of the two cultivars infected with both pathogens was higher than that of plants infected only with Fusarium over the three years.     

小麦赤霉病发病程度与DON含量的关系

 采用田间判断小麦赤霉病的发病级别或者检测刚收获小麦的病粒率,分析小麦赤霉病田间发病级别与其麦粒脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇(DON)含量之间以及病粒率与麦粒DON含量之间的关系,结果表明它们之间都有极显著的相关性。小麦田间发病级别为2级以上时,麦粒的DON含量> 1000μg/kg,4级以上时,麦粒的DO N含量> 2000μ g/kg;在病粒率< 25%时,DO N含量< 1200μg/kg,病粒率在25%~40%时,DON含量为1200~2200μg/kg,病粒率> 40%时,DO N含量> 2200μg/kg。#br#本研究采用卫生部食品卫生监督检验所建立的薄层色谱分析法测定样品中的DON含量,DON平均回收率为91.2%。     

RNA-Seq解析cAMP促进禾谷镰孢菌DON毒素产生的分子基础

 禾谷镰孢菌(Fusarium graminearum)引起的小麦赤霉病(Fusarium head blight)不仅造成小麦产量损失,而且病菌在侵染过程中会释放大量真菌毒素,导致小麦籽粒污染,严重威胁人畜健康。实验室前期研究发现外源添加环磷酸腺苷(cAMP)可以促进禾谷镰孢菌脱氧雪腐镰孢菌烯醇毒素(Deoxynivalenol, DON)产生,但其分子机制尚不清楚。本研究利用转录组分析了cAMP处理后禾谷镰孢菌基因的表达情况,探究了cAMP促进DON毒素合成的潜在机制。研究发现响应cAMP处理的差异表达基因有4 470个,其中1 818个基因上调,2 652个基因下调。负责DON毒素合成TRI基因簇的所有基因在cAMP处理下均上调表达,表明cAMP通过诱导TRI基因簇表达促进DON毒素合成。进一步分析了cAMP下游依赖性蛋白激酶A(PKA)的敲除突变体Δpka的转录组数据,发现几乎所有TRI基因簇基因均下调表达,并且cAMP处理上调表达而Δpka突变体中下调表达的基因中显著富集真菌毒素代谢相关的基因,该结果进一步表明cAMP通过PKA通路调控DON毒素合成。此外,cAMP处理后,可诱导DON毒素产生的γ-氨基丁酸(gamma-aminobutyric acid, GABA)合成相关基因上调表达,而GABA分解相关基因下调表达。这表明禾谷镰孢菌可通过调节细胞内的GABA水平促进DON毒素合成。     

Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in precipitation, throughfall and stemflow fromSchima superba andCunninghamia lanceolata plantations in subtropical China

Despite growing attention to the role of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in forest nutrient cycling, their monthly concentration dynamics in forest ecosystems, especially in subtropical forests only were little known. The goal of this study is to measure the concentrations and monthly dynamics of DOC and DON in precipitation, throughfall and stemflow for two plantations ofSchima superba (SS) and Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata, CF) in Jianou, Fujian, China. Samples of precipitation, throughfall and stemflow were collected on a rain event base from January 2002 to December 2002. Upon collection, all water samples were analyzed for DOC, NO₃ ⁻−N, NH₄ ⁺−N and total dissolved N (TDN). DON was calculated by subtracting NO₃ ⁻−N and NH₄ ⁺−N from TDN. The results showed that the precipitation had a mean DOC concentration of 1.7 mg·L⁻¹ and DON concentration of 0.13 mg·L⁻¹. The mean DOC and DON concentrations in throughfall were 11.2 and 0.24 mg·L⁻¹ in the SS and 10.3 and 0.19 mg·L⁻¹ in the CF respectively. Stemflow DOC and DON concentrations in the CF (19.1 and 0.66 mg·L⁻¹ respectively) were significantly higher than those in the SS (17.6 and 0.48 mg·L⁻¹ respectively). No clear monthly variation in precipitation DOC concentration was found in our study, while DON concentration in precipitation tended to be higher in summer or autumn. The monthly variations of DON concentrations were very similar in throughfall and stemflow at both forests, showing an increase at the beginning of the rainy season in March. In contrast, monthly changes of the DOC concentrations in throughfall of the SS and CF were different to those in stemflow. Throughfall DOC concentrations were higher from February to April, while relatively higher DOC concentrations in stemflow were found during September–November period. Foundation item: This study was supported by the Teaching and Research Award program for MOE P.R.C. (TRAPOYT). Biography: Guo Jian-fen (1977-), female, Ph. Doctor in College of Life Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P.R. China. Responsible editor: Zhu Hong     

Depolymerization and mineralization rates at 12 Mediterranean sites with varying soil N availability. A test for the Schimel and Bennett model

It has been suggested that the relative abundance of soil nitrogen forms should change along an N availability gradient. This model was originally described at a biome scale, and few studies have tested it at other scales. Moreover, none of them has examined whether changes in the relative rates of ammonification, nitrification and depolymerization rates also occurs. Our goal was to test whether these N transformation rates change along an N availability gradient which is likely to exist between forest, shrubs and grasses. We used three N availability indexes (total K₂SO₄-extractable N, ion exchange membrane N and the sum of N mineralization and depolymerization rates). Depolymerization dominated over mineralization in the two poorest plant communities, while ammonification and nitrification rates dominated in intermediate and nutrient rich plant communities respectively. These results confirm that the Schimel and Bennett model can be applied at a regional scale, and that N availability may be modulating not only the dominant N form, but also the relative abundance of a particular N transformation rate.     

链霉菌抗生物素蛋白—过氧化物酶连结法定位肝脏中脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇的研究

脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇(deoxynivalenol,DON),又名呕吐毒素,是目前全球谷物污染最严重的真菌毒素之一。在所有的易感动物中,以猪最为敏感。本研究选用10头健康阉公猪,随机分为2组,染毒组和对照组,染毒组经乳静脉注射DON,注射剂量为75μg/kg体重,对照组经乳静脉注射生理盐水。注射完成后开始计时30 min后放血宰杀,迅速取肝脏,采用链霉菌抗生物素蛋白—过氧化物酶连接结(streptavidin-perosidase,SP)法定位肝组织中的DON。SP法定位结果显示,在染毒组肝门管区小叶间静脉的血管壁有DON的分布。本研究采用SP法定位DON在猪体内消化器官组织的分布情况,为毒素的残留研究提供依据。     

Effects of ZEA,DON and Their Combined Effects on the Secretion of Cytokines in CTLL-2 Cells

To analyze the effects of ZEA or/and DON on the immunologic function,CTLL-2 cell was used as experimental materials. After exposing the CTLL-2 cell to different concentrations of ZEA (0,5,10,20 μg/mL),DON (0,0.5,1,2 μg/mL) and ZEA+DON (blank group,5 μg/mL ZEA,0.5 μg/mL DON,5 μg/mL ZEA+0.5 μg/mL DON) for 48 h,the concentration of GZMB,PFP,IFN-γ and TNF-α in CTLL-2 cell and supernatant fluid were detected by ELISA method. The result showed that DON and ZEA could reduce the concentration of PFP,GZMB and IFN-γ in the CTLL-2 cells and the culture supernatant fluids,and increase the concentration of TNF-α. The intoxicated group had significant or extremely significant difference compared to control group (P <0.05;P <0.01),which showed the dose effect. The group exposed to the combined of ZEA and DON showed an additive effect. The result indicated that ZEA,DON and the two combined could reduce the killing activity of immunological cell by affecting the secretion of immunological cytokines, and indirectly affect the negative feedback regulation of humoral immunity and cellular immunity,which led to the decline of immune function in animals.     

A three-dimensional numerical model for a mariculture nitrogen cycle: case study in Shizugawa Bay, Japan

A numerical model is developed for mariculture management, which consists of: (1) calculation of spatial distribution of PON (particulate organic nitrogen) using simulated current, (2) calculation of spatial distribution of DO (dissolved oxygen), (3) calculation of DON (dissolved organic nitrogen), (4) calculation of spatial distribution of DIN (dissolved inorganic nitrogen), and (5) calculation of the horizontal distribution of accumulated matter which is supplied by deposits from the mariculture of fish. This model is capable of calculating the detailed spatial distribution of PON, DON, DIN and DO by dividing the bay into many grid points. It also takes into consideration the effects of feed and fish in each raft, and the loading of DIN from rivers. The model is applied to Shizugawa Bay, in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The model elucidated the oxygen cycle among ecological compartments. The amount of dissolved oxygen supplied by photosynthesis is much greater than the consumption through respiration by fish and all other conditions for mariculture of fish are favourable in this bay.