Impaired purine biosynthesis affects pathogenicity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium oxysporum</Emphasis> f. sp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">melonis</Emphasis>

The vascular wilt pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis causes worldwide yield losses of muskmelon. In this study, we characterized a UV-induced non-pathogenic mutant (strain 4/4) of F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis, previously identified as a potential biological control agent. During comparative analysis of vegetative growth parameters using different carbon sources, mutant strain 4/4 showed a delay in development and secretion of extracellular enzymes, compared to the wild type strain. Amendments of the growth medium with yeast extract, adenine or hypoxanthine, but not guanine, complemented the growth defect of strain 4/4, as well as secretion and partial activity of cellulases and endopolygalacturonases, indicating that the strain is an adenine auxotroph. Incubation of strain 4/4 conidia in adenine solution, prior to inoculation of muskmelon plants, partially restored pathogenicity to the mutant strain.