Editorial

3 pages, 201 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

by Łukasz Stępień

J. Fungi 2023, 9(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9010013 - 21 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1493

Fusarium species are ubiquitous fungi, both saprotrophic and pathogenic to plants, animals and humans. They are also potent mycotoxin producers which makes them one of the most devastating plant pathogens. Mycotoxin biosynthesis and regulation has recently become one of the mainstream research topics, [...] Read more.

Fusarium species are ubiquitous fungi, both saprotrophic and pathogenic to plants, animals and humans. They are also potent mycotoxin producers which makes them one of the most devastating plant pathogens. Mycotoxin biosynthesis and regulation has recently become one of the mainstream research topics, since knowledge concerning individual metabolic pathways became available and modern ’omics’ techniques allowed us to expand this even further. Independently, high-throughput sequencing methodology helped researchers gain insight into the complex phylogenetic relationships among closely related genotypes comprising Fusarium populations, species and species complexes. Molecular tools have so far been very powerful in species identification and phylogeny, as the great diversity of the Fusarium genus has forced scientists to continuously revise previously described taxons. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Pathogenic Fusarium Species)

Research

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23 pages, 32001 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Invasion and Colonization of Pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum R1 in Crocus sativus L. during Corm Rot Disease Progression

by Nancy Bhagat, Shanu Magotra, Rikita Gupta, Shikha Sharma, Sandhya Verma, Praveen Kumar Verma, Tahir Ali, Ankita Shree and Jyoti Vakhlu

J. Fungi 2022, 8(12), 1246; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8121246 - 25 Nov 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1912

Abstract

The corm rot of saffron caused by Fusarium oxysporum (Fox) has been reported to be the most destructive fungal disease of the herb globally. The pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum R1 (Fox R1) isolated by our group from Kashmir, India, was found to be different [...] Read more.

The corm rot of saffron caused by Fusarium oxysporum (Fox) has been reported to be the most destructive fungal disease of the herb globally. The pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum R1 (Fox R1) isolated by our group from Kashmir, India, was found to be different from Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. gladioli commonly reported corm rot agent of saffron. In the present study, Fox R1 was further characterized using housekeeping genes and pathogenicity tests, as Fusarium oxysporum R1 f.sp. iridacearum race 4. Though Fox R1 invaded the saffron plant through both corm and roots, the corm was found to be the preferred site of infection. In addition, the route of pathogen movement wastracked by monitoring visual symptoms, semi-quantitative PCR, quantitative-PCR (q-PCR), real-time imaging of egfp-tagged Fusarium oxysporum R1, and Fox R1 load quantification. This study is the first study of its kind on the bidirectional pathogenesis from corm to roots and vice-versa, as the literature only reports unidirectional upward movement from roots to other parts of the plant. In addition, the colonization pattern of Fox R1 in saffron corms and roots was studied. The present study involved a systematic elucidation of the mode and mechanism of pathogenesis in the saffron Fusarium oxysporum strain R1 pathosystem. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Pathogenic Fusarium Species)

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12 pages, 1611 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans Race 1 in Northern China Samples

by Jian Ling, Xin Dong, Xingxing Ping, Yan Li, Yuhong Yang, Jianlong Zhao, Xiaofei Lu, Bingyan Xie and Zhenchuan Mao

J. Fungi 2022, 8(10), 1089; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8101089 - 16 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1675

Abstract

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans (FOC), the causal agent of cabbage fusarium wilt, is a serious threat to cabbage production in northern China, and most Chinese FOC isolates were identified as FOC race 1 (FOC1). To better understand the genetic diversity of FOC1 [...] Read more.

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans (FOC), the causal agent of cabbage fusarium wilt, is a serious threat to cabbage production in northern China, and most Chinese FOC isolates were identified as FOC race 1 (FOC1). To better understand the genetic diversity of FOC1 in northern China, we collected FOC isolates from five provinces in northern China and identified them as FOC1 through pathogenicity and race test. To evaluate the genome-level diversity of FOC1, we performed a genome assembly for a FOC1 isolate (FoYQ-1) collected from Yanqing, Beijing, where cabbage fusarium wilt was first reported in China. Using resequencing data of FOC1 isolates, we conducted a genome-wide SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) analysis to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of FOC1 isolates in northern China. Our study indicated that Chinese FOC1 can be grouped into four populations and revealed that the genetic diversity of FOC1 were closely associated with geographical locations. Our study further suggests that genetic differentiation occurred when FOC1 spread to the northwest provinces from Beijing Province in China. The FOC1 genetic diversity based on whole-genome SNPs could deepen our understanding of FOC1 variation and provide clues for the control of cabbage fusarium wilt in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Pathogenic Fusarium Species)

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15 pages, 1489 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Insights on KP4 Killer Toxin-like Proteins of Fusarium Species in Interspecific Interactions

by Isabel Vicente, Giuseppe Quaratiello, Riccardo Baroncelli, Giovanni Vannacci and Sabrina Sarrocco

J. Fungi 2022, 8(9), 968; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8090968 - 16 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2055

Abstract

KP4 killer toxins are secreted proteins that inhibit cell growth and induce cell death in target organisms. In Fusarium graminearum, KP4-like (KP4L) proteins contribute to fungal virulence in wheat seedling rot and are expressed during Fusarium head blight development. However, fungal KP4L [...] Read more.

KP4 killer toxins are secreted proteins that inhibit cell growth and induce cell death in target organisms. In Fusarium graminearum, KP4-like (KP4L) proteins contribute to fungal virulence in wheat seedling rot and are expressed during Fusarium head blight development. However, fungal KP4L proteins are also hypothesized to support fungal antagonism by permeabilizing cell walls of competing fungi to enable penetration of toxic compounds. Here, we report the differential expression patterns of F. graminearum KP4L genes (Fgkp4l-1, -2, -3 and -4) in a competitive interaction, using Trichoderma gamsii as the antagonist. The results from dual cultures indicate that Fgkp4l-3 and Fgkp4l-4 could participate in the recognition at the distance of the antagonist, while all Fgkp4l genes were highly activated in the pathogen during the physical interaction of both fungi. Only Fgkp4l-4 was up-regulated during the interaction with T. gamsii in wheat spikes. This suggests the KP4L proteins could participate in supporting F. graminearum interspecific interactions, even in living plant tissues. The distribution of KP4L orthologous within the genus Fusarium revealed they are more represented in species with broad host-plant range than in host-specific species. Phylogeny inferred provides evidence that KP4L genes evolved through gene duplications, gene loss and sequence diversification in the genus Fusarium. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Pathogenic Fusarium Species)

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19 pages, 6078 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Two Fusarium solani Species Complex Isolates from the Ambrosia Beetle Xylosandrus morigerus

by Nohemí Carreras-Villaseñor, José B. Rodríguez-Haas, Luis A. Martínez-Rodríguez, Alan J. Pérez-Lira, Enrique Ibarra-Laclette, Emanuel Villafán, Ana P. Castillo-Díaz, Luis A. Ibarra-Juárez, Edgar D. Carrillo-Hernández and Diana Sánchez-Rangel

J. Fungi 2022, 8(3), 231; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8030231 - 26 Feb 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4596

Abstract

Ambrosia beetles are insect vectors of important plant diseases and have been considered as a threat to forest ecosystems, agriculture, and the timber industry. Several factors have been suggested as promoters of the pathogenic behavior of ambrosia beetles; one of them is the [...] Read more.

Ambrosia beetles are insect vectors of important plant diseases and have been considered as a threat to forest ecosystems, agriculture, and the timber industry. Several factors have been suggested as promoters of the pathogenic behavior of ambrosia beetles; one of them is the nature of the fungal mutualist and its ability to establish an infectious process. In Mexico, Xylosandrus morigerus is an invasive ambrosia beetle that damages many agroecosystems. Herein, two different isolates from the X. morigerus ambrosia beetle belonging to the Fusarium genus are reported. Both isolates belong to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) but not to the Ambrosia Fusarium clade (AFC). The two closely related Fusarium isolates are pathogenic to different forest and agronomic species, and the morphological differences between them and the extracellular protease profile suggest intraspecific variability. This study shows the importance of considering these beetles as vectors of different species of fungal plant pathogens, with some of them even being phylogenetically closely related and having different pathogenic abilities, highlighting the relevance of the fungal mutualist as a factor for the ambrosia complex becoming a pest. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Pathogenic Fusarium Species)

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15 pages, 2188 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ca²⁺ Signalling Differentially Regulates Germ-Tube Formation and Cell Fusion in Fusarium oxysporum

by Smija M. Kurian, Alexander Lichius and Nick D. Read

J. Fungi 2022, 8(1), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8010090 - 17 Jan 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3022

Abstract

Fusarium oxysporum is an important plant pathogen and an emerging opportunistic human pathogen. Germination of conidial spores and their fusion via conidial anastomosis tubes (CATs) are significant events during colony establishment in culture and on host plants and, hence, very likely on human [...] Read more.

Fusarium oxysporum is an important plant pathogen and an emerging opportunistic human pathogen. Germination of conidial spores and their fusion via conidial anastomosis tubes (CATs) are significant events during colony establishment in culture and on host plants and, hence, very likely on human epithelia. CAT fusion exhibited by conidial germlings of Fusarium species has been postulated to facilitate mitotic recombination, leading to heterokaryon formation and strains with varied genotypes and potentially increased virulence. Ca²⁺ signalling is key to many of the important physiological processes in filamentous fungi. Here, we tested pharmacological agents with defined modes of action in modulation of the mammalian Ca²⁺ signalling machinery for their effect on germination and CAT-mediated cell fusion in F. oxysporum. We found various drug-specific and dose-dependent effects. Inhibition of calcineurin by FK506 or cyclosporin A, as well as chelation of extracellular Ca²⁺ by BAPTA, exclusively inhibit CAT induction but not germ-tube formation. On the other hand, inhibition of Ca2+ channels by verapamil, calmodulin inhibition by calmidazolium, and inhibition of mitochondrial calcium uniporters by RU360 inhibited both CAT induction and germ-tube formation. Thapsigargin, an inhibitor of mammalian sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ ATPase (SERCA), partially inhibited CAT induction but had no effect on germ-tube formation. These results provide initial evidence for morphologically defining roles of Ca²⁺-signalling components in the early developmental stages of F. oxysporum colony establishment—most notably, the indication that calcium ions act as self-signalling molecules in this process. Our findings contribute an important first step towards the identification of Ca²⁺ inhibitors with fungas-specific effects that could be exploited for the treatment of infected plants and humans. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Pathogenic Fusarium Species)

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18 pages, 1172 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synergistic Impact of Bioactive Byproduct Extract Leads to Anti-Fusarium and Anti-Mycotoxin Secretion

by Ahmed Noah Badr, Lukasz Stepien, Kinga Drzewiecka, Salman S. Alharthi, Khaled Selim and Adel Gabr Abdel-Razek

J. Fungi 2022, 8(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8010030 - 29 Dec 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1569

Abstract

Fruit byproducts are considered a high source of bioactive molecules, which possess antioxidant activities. These antioxidants play principal functions in mycotoxin reduction. This study aimed to evaluate crude mandarin byproduct extract for its chemical interaction with fungal growth and suppression of mycotoxin production, [...] Read more.

Fruit byproducts are considered a high source of bioactive molecules, which possess antioxidant activities. These antioxidants play principal functions in mycotoxin reduction. This study aimed to evaluate crude mandarin byproduct extract for its chemical interaction with fungal growth and suppression of mycotoxin production, and to illustrate whether the impact was regarding individual molecules or a synergistic antioxidation process. Extract contents were analyzed for their phenolic, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. The fatty acid composition and volatile components were determined using the GC apparatus. The influence of the extract evaluated versus the standard phenolics of trans-ferulic and hesperidin were evaluated. The liposome technique was applied to prevent the antioxidant properties of the bioactive extract. The anti-mycotoxigenic effects of the liposomal and non-liposomal extract were determined in fungal media against the standard phenolics. The results manifested ferulic (235.54 ± 3.34 mg/100 g) and hesperidin (492.11 ± 1.15 mg/100 g) as high phenolics in the extract. Limonene was the main volatile (67.54 ± 1.74%), as well antioxidant activities determined in considerable values. The crude extract recorded efficiency as an anti-Fusarium agent, but less than the standard hesperidin applied in fungal media. The bioactive extract recorded possessed a reduction influence on mycotoxin production. The impact may be joining with its fungal inhibition or its component activity with the active groups on the mycotoxin molecule. The formation of liposomal extract enhanced its efficacy in mycotoxin reduction. This enhancement may illustrate its protective properties for antioxidant components of the bioactive extract. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Pathogenic Fusarium Species)

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14 pages, 3596 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Geographical Origin Does Not Modulate Pathogenicity or Response to Climatic Variables of Fusarium oxysporum Associated with Vascular Wilt on Asparagus

by Alexandri María Brizuela, Justyna Lalak-Kańczugowska, Grzegorz Koczyk, Łukasz Stępień, Michał Kawaliło and Daniel Palmero

J. Fungi 2021, 7(12), 1056; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof7121056 - 09 Dec 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2336

Abstract

Asparagus crop is distributed worldwide, covering very different climatic regions. Among the different diseases that affect asparagus, vascular Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. aparagi (Foa), stands out. It is not only the cause of large economic losses due [...] Read more.

Asparagus crop is distributed worldwide, covering very different climatic regions. Among the different diseases that affect asparagus, vascular Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. aparagi (Foa), stands out. It is not only the cause of large economic losses due to a decrease in yield and shortened longevity of the plantation, but also prevents replanting. This work aimed to determine if F. oxysporum isolates associated with vascular wilt on asparagus have adapted differentially to the different agro-environmental conditions. The potential correlation between origin and mycelial growth under different temperatures and humidity conditions was analysed for isolates from asparagus fields cultivated in northern and southern Europe. The genetic and pathogenic variability were also analysed. While a clear effect of water activity on mycelial growth was observed, all isolates responded in a similar way to changes in water activity in the medium, regardless of their geographical origin. The results revealed a low genetic variability of F. oxysporum isolates associated with vascular wilt on asparagus without signs of differentiation correlated to geographical origin. The southernmost isolates of the two cultivated varieties inoculated did not express more pathogenicity than those isolated from the colder region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Pathogenic Fusarium Species)

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11 pages, 2718 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Secondary Metabolites from Pea on Fusarium Growth and Mycotoxin Biosynthesis

by Lakshmipriya Perincherry, Natalia Witaszak, Monika Urbaniak, Agnieszka Waśkiewicz and Łukasz Stępień

J. Fungi 2021, 7(12), 1004; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof7121004 - 24 Nov 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2069

Abstract

Fusarium species present ubiquitously in the environment are capable of infecting a wide range of plant species. They produce several mycotoxins targeted to weaken the host plant. While infecting some resistant plants, the host can alter the expression of toxin-related genes and accumulate [...] Read more.

Fusarium species present ubiquitously in the environment are capable of infecting a wide range of plant species. They produce several mycotoxins targeted to weaken the host plant. While infecting some resistant plants, the host can alter the expression of toxin-related genes and accumulate no/very low amounts of mycotoxins. The ability of the host plant to modulate the biosynthesis of these toxins is entirely depending on the secondary metabolites produced by the plant, often as a part of systemic acquired resistance (SAR). A major role plays in the family of metabolites called phenyl propanoids, consisting of thousands of natural products, synthesized from the phenylalanine or tyrosine amino acids through a cascade of enzymatic reactions. They are also famous for inhibiting or limiting infection through their antioxidant characteristics. The current study was aimed at identifying the differentially expressed secondary metabolites in resistant (Sokolik) and susceptible (Santana) cultivars of pea (Pisum sativum L.) and understanding their roles in the growth and mycotoxin biosynthesis of two different Fusarium species. Although metabolites such as coumarin, spermidine, p-coumaric acid, isoorientin, and quercetin reduced the growth of the pathogen, a higher level of p-coumaric acid was found to enhance the growth of F. proliferatum strain PEA1. It was also noticeable that the growth of the pathogen did not depend on their ability to produce mycotoxins, as all the metabolites were able to highly inhibit the biosynthesis of fumonisin B₁ and beauvericin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Pathogenic Fusarium Species)

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16 pages, 2582 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioinformatics and Transcriptome Analysis of CFEM Proteins in Fusarium graminearum

by Lingqiao Chen, Haoyu Wang, Junhua Yang, Xianli Yang, Mengyuan Zhang, Zhihui Zhao, Yingying Fan, Cheng Wang and Jianhua Wang

J. Fungi 2021, 7(10), 871; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof7100871 - 16 Oct 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2289

Abstract

Fusarium blight of wheat is usually caused by Fusarium graminearum, and the pathogenic fungi will secrete effectors into the host plant tissue to affect its normal physiological process, so as to make it pathogenic. The CFEM (Common in Fungal Extracellular Membrane) protein [...] Read more.

Fusarium blight of wheat is usually caused by Fusarium graminearum, and the pathogenic fungi will secrete effectors into the host plant tissue to affect its normal physiological process, so as to make it pathogenic. The CFEM (Common in Fungal Extracellular Membrane) protein domain is unique to fungi, but it is not found in all fungi. The CFEM protein contained in F. graminearum may be closely related to pathogenicity. In this study, 23 FgCFEM proteins were identified from the F. graminearum genome. Then, features of these proteins, such as signal peptide, subcellular localization, and transmembrane domains, etc., were analyzed and candidate effectors were screened out. Sequence alignment results revealed that each FgCFEM protein contains one CFEM domain. The amino acids of the CFEM domain are highly conserved and contain eight spaced cysteines, with the exception that FgCFEM8, 9, and 15 lack two cysteines and three cysteines were missed in FgCFEM18 and FgCFEM22. A recently identified CFEM_DR motif was detected in 11 FgCFEMs, and importantly we identified two new conserved motifs containing about 29 and 18 amino acids (CFEM_WR and CFEM_KF), respectively, in some of FgCFEM proteins. Transcriptome analysis of the genes encoding CFEM proteins indicated that all the CFEM-containing genes were expressed during wheat infection, with seven and six genes significantly up- and down-regulated, respectively, compared with in planta and in vitro. Based on the above analysis, FgCFEM11 and FgCFEM23 were predicted to be F. graminearum effectors. This study provides the basis for future functional analyses of CFEM proteins in F. graminearum. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Pathogenic Fusarium Species)

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13 pages, 2974 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular Insights into Defense Responses of Vietnamese Maize Varieties to Fusarium verticillioides Isolates

by Trang Minh Tran, Maarten Ameye, Sofie Landschoot, Frank Devlieghere, Sarah De Saeger, Mia Eeckhout and Kris Audenaert

J. Fungi 2021, 7(9), 724; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof7090724 - 04 Sep 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2251

Abstract

Fusarium ear rot (FER) caused by Fusarium verticillioides is one of the main fungal diseases in maize worldwide. To develop a pathogen-tailored FER resistant maize line for local implementation, insights into the virulence variability of a residing F. verticillioides population are crucial for [...] Read more.

Fusarium ear rot (FER) caused by Fusarium verticillioides is one of the main fungal diseases in maize worldwide. To develop a pathogen-tailored FER resistant maize line for local implementation, insights into the virulence variability of a residing F. verticillioides population are crucial for developing customized maize varieties, but remain unexplored. Moreover, little information is currently available on the involvement of the archetypal defense pathways in the F. verticillioides–maize interaction using local isolates and germplasm, respectively. Therefore, this study aims to fill these knowledge gaps. We used a collection of 12 F. verticillioides isolates randomly gathered from diseased maize fields in the Vietnamese central highlands. To assess the plant’s defense responses against the pathogens, two of the most important maize hybrid genotypes grown in this agro-ecological zone, lines CP888 and Bt/GT NK7328, were used. Based on two assays, a germination and an in-planta assay, we found that line CP888 was more susceptible to the F. verticillioides isolates when compared to line Bt/GT NK7328. Using the most aggressive isolate, we monitored disease severity and gene expression profiles related to biosynthesis pathways of salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), abscisic acid (ABA), benzoxazinoids (BXs), and pathogenesis-related proteins (PRs). As a result, a stronger induction of SA, JA, ABA, BXs, and PRs synthesizing genes might be linked to the higher resistance of line Bt/GT NK7328 compared to the susceptible line CP888. All these findings could supply valuable knowledge in the selection of suitable FER resistant lines against the local F. verticllioides population and in the development of new FER resistant germplasms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Pathogenic Fusarium Species)

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