Characterization of Fusarium graminearum salicylate hydroxylases and their potential role in wheat pathogenesis
Guixia Hao: USDA-ARS
<div>Fusarium graminearum is the major causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB), which reduces crop yield and can contaminate grains with various mycotoxins. The phytohormones including salicylic acid (SA) plays an important role in regulating plant resistance against pathogens. Comparative genomic analyses of three North American F. graminearum populations (NA1, NA2 and NA3), identified six putative salicylate hydroxylase (Sah) homologs present in all three populations, and one unique Sah homolog, designated FgSahA, only present in strains belonging to the NA2 population. Wheat FHB assays with FgSahA deletion mutants (Fg∆SahA) indicate that FgShaA plays a modest but significant role in virulence. Gene expression data showed that transcription of SA defense signaling marker genes including PR1, PR1a and PR2 were significantly upregulated in wheat heads inoculated with Fg∆SahA compared to the wild type strain, although no significant differences in SA concentrations were observed. Attempts to determine if FgSahA is an active salicylate hydroxylase by enzyme assay have been inconclusive. Recombinant FgSahA did not degrade SA using colorimetric plate assay, but this may be due to its inability to fold correctly as indicated by its poor solubility. Expression studies also showed that the FgSahA and another homolog (FgSahB) were highly induced by addition of SA in media. Functional characterization of salicylate hydroxylases in F. graminearum will improve our understanding of how these pathogens manipulate plant defenses and cause FHB. Furthermore, understanding population differences may reveal population specific adaptions and novel control measures.</div>
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