Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is a devastating fungal disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and results in significant economic losses due to reductions in grain yield and the accumulation of mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol (DON) and nivalenol (NIV). As a result, breeding programs have been working to identify resistance genes in wheat varieties known to be resistant to FHB. Some of the major quantitative trait loci (QTL) for FHB resistance identified to date have been from exotic sources such as 'Sumai3' and the Chinese landrace Wangshuibai, and native resistance has been identified in North American cultivars such as Ernie and Truman which are being used in breeding programs. This study was conducted to characterize and map QTL for resistance to FHB in the soft red winter wheat cultivar Jamestown and to identify tightly linked DNA markers associated with those QTL so that marker-assisted selection (MAS) can be used in pyramiding these and other known QTL into elite backgrounds. Types of resistance assessed in this study include: Type I (resistance to initial infection; incidence), Type II (resistance to spread in wheat spike; severity), and decreases in mycotoxin accumulation (DON) and percentage of Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK). A population composed of 186 F5:7 recombinant-inbred lines (RILs) from the cross Pioneer Brand '25R47'/Jamestown were used to evaluate these traits in six environments (MD, NC, and VA in 2011 and 2012). This study identified a QTL for resistance to DON accumulation and FHB severity on the wheat chromosome 1B. The QTL accounted for 12.7% to 13.3% of the phenotypic variation in DON accumulation and 26.1% of the phenotypic variation in FHB severity. The most diagnostic marker for the QTL on chromosome 1B associated with resistance to FHB severity and DON accumulation is Xwmc500.6 located 7.2 cM from the QTL peak and flanked by markers Xwmc500.7 and Xgwm273.2 (28.2 cM interval). / Master of Science

Stink bugs, including native brown stink bug (Euschistus servus) and invasive brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys), cause damage to a variety of crops including field corn (Zea mays). Frequency and size of stink bug infestations have increased in corn fields in the Mid-Atlantic U.S., and there are growing concerns that these infestations may contribute to reductions in grain quality including increased mycotoxin concentrations. Prior research on native and invasive stink bugs has focused on understanding their biology, the damage they cause, and elucidating effective and economic management strategies. However, few studies examined the potential for stink bugs to facilitate fungal infection and mycotoxin contamination of corn grain. Thus, the objectives of this research were to: 1) assess the relationship between invasive brown marmorated stink bug (H. halys) feeding injuries and fumonisin contamination of field corn in the Mid-Atlantic U.S., 2) determine if stink bugs are a vector for mycotoxigenic Fusarium spp. in corn, and 3) evaluate the efficacy of pesticides for mitigating stink bug feeding injury and associated mycotoxin contamination in field corn. A correlation between H. halys feeding injury and fumonisin concentrations was identified, and the ability of H. halys to increase F. verticillioides infection and fumonisin concentrations in corn was demonstrated in field experiments. Fusarium species including fumonisin-producing F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum were isolated from field-collected stink bugs, and in laboratory experiments, E. servus was able to transmit F. verticillioides to non-infected corn ears after feeding on F. verticillioides-infected corn. In field studies, both fungicide and insecticide reduced stink bug-associated mycotoxin concentrations in corn, but levels of control were inconsistent. Thus, additional tactics that target both the stink bug and Fusarium should be implemented to mitigate risks of mycotoxin contamination in corn. / Doctor of Philosophy / Native and invasive stink bugs can severely damage crops including field corn. Frequency and size of stink bug infestations in Mid-Atlantic U.S. corn fields have increased, and there is growing concern that this may contribute to reductions in grain quality. Insect feeding injury is a risk factor for fungal infection and mycotoxin contamination in corn. Mycotoxins are toxic chemicals produced by certain fungi that have detrimental health effects on animals including livestock and humans. The relationship between stink bug feeding injuries and mycotoxin contamination in corn grain is not well understood, and management strategies to minimize the risk of mycotoxin contamination in corn need to be identified. The main goal of this research was to characterize interactions between stink bugs and mycotoxin-producing fungi and identify tactics for controlling both the insect pest and pathogen. Specific objectives were to: 1) assess the relationship between invasive brown marmorated stink bug (H. halys) feeding injuries and fumonisin contamination of field corn in the Mid-Atlantic U.S., 2) determine if stink bugs are a vector for mycotoxin-producing Fusarium spp. in corn, and 3) evaluate the efficacy of pesticides for mitigating stink bug feeding injury and associated mycotoxin contamination in field corn. Results from this work indicated that stink bugs have the ability to cause feeding injuries which facilitate invasion of mycotoxin-producing Fusarium species, leading to increases in mycotoxin concentrations in corn grain. Studies also demonstrated that stink bugs can vector Fusarium species during feeding and increase Fusarium infection of corn resulting in subsequent mycotoxin contamination. Field studies indicated that pesticide applications targeting both the stink bugs and mycotoxigenic fungi may be needed to minimize risk of mycotoxin contamination in corn. However, under low pest pressure, application of pesticides is unlikely to be profitable.

La fusariose est une des maladies les plus importantes altérant le blé en Bourgogne. L’espèce fongique Fusarium graminearum est l’un des agents principaux de la maladie. L’interaction hôte-pathogène peut entrainer la production de mycotoxines toxiques pour l’homme et l’animal.La seule alternative pour prévenir le développement de la maladie est de contrôler l’inoculum primaire dans son habitat naturel : les adventices, le sol et les résidus de culture. En raison de la tendance à la réduction du travail du sol, une attention particulière doit être portée au rôle des résidus de culture dans la survie et le développement de F. graminearum. Dans ce travail de thèse, deux approches ont été choisies pour mieux comprendre le développement saprotrophe du champignon et ses conséquences. La première, à travers un essai en champ dans le contexte pédoclimatique Bourguignon, avait pour but de définir la part relative des différentes sources d’inoculum dans le développement de la fusariose et l’accumulation des mycotoxines dans les grains. Cet essai devait en outre permettre de déterminer si des indicateurs précoces du développement de la maladie sur épi et de l’accumulation de mycotoxines pouvaient être identifiés. La seconde, à travers un essai en microcosmes, avait pour but de suivre le développement de F. graminearum dans le sol et les résidus.Ce travail a permis de souligner l’importance de la gestion des résidus de culture dans le développement de la fusariose du blé. Favoriser une décomposition biologique rapide des résidus de culture et/ou introduire des cultures intermédiaires assainissantes constituent des perspectives de recherche sur lesquelles doivent porter nos efforts / Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), mainly caused by the fungal species Fusarium graminearum, is one of the most important disease altering wheat crops in Burgundy. Moreover the plant-pathogen interaction leads to the production of mycotoxins potentially toxic for humans and animals.The only alternative to date to prevent the development of the disease is to control the saprotrophic development of F. graminearum in its natural habitat, i.e. weeds, soil and crops residues. Due to the trend of reduced tillage, special attention should be paid to the role of crop residues in the survival and development of F. graminearum.Two approaches were chosen to better understand the saprotrophic development of F. graminearum and its consequences towards FHB. i) The first through a field experiment in the Burgundian pedoclimatic context aimed at defining the relative importance of the different sources of inoculum in the development of FHB and the accumulation of mycotoxins in grains. The field experiment was also to determine whether early indicators of disease development on ears and accumulation of mycotoxins could be identified. ii) The second, through test microcosms, was to follow the development of F. graminearum in the soil and crop residues.This work highlighted the importance of crop residues management in the development of FHB and gave new understanding about the survival of the fungus on these residues. Improve the biological decomposition of crop residues at the soil surface or/and using suppressive intermediate crops could be the next prospective to investigate to limit the soil inoculum potential of saprotrophic F. graminearum

No description available.

No description available.

La fusariose est une des maladies les plus importantes altérant le blé en Bourgogne. L'espèce fongique Fusarium graminearum est l'un des agents principaux de la maladie. L'interaction hôte-pathogène peut entrainer la production de mycotoxines toxiques pour l'homme et l'animal.La seule alternative pour prévenir le développement de la maladie est de contrôler l'inoculum primaire dans son habitat naturel : les adventices, le sol et les résidus de culture. En raison de la tendance à la réduction du travail du sol, une attention particulière doit être portée au rôle des résidus de culture dans la survie et le développement de F. graminearum. Dans ce travail de thèse, deux approches ont été choisies pour mieux comprendre le développement saprotrophe du champignon et ses conséquences. La première, à travers un essai en champ dans le contexte pédoclimatique Bourguignon, avait pour but de définir la part relative des différentes sources d'inoculum dans le développement de la fusariose et l'accumulation des mycotoxines dans les grains. Cet essai devait en outre permettre de déterminer si des indicateurs précoces du développement de la maladie sur épi et de l'accumulation de mycotoxines pouvaient être identifiés. La seconde, à travers un essai en microcosmes, avait pour but de suivre le développement de F. graminearum dans le sol et les résidus.Ce travail a permis de souligner l'importance de la gestion des résidus de culture dans le développement de la fusariose du blé. Favoriser une décomposition biologique rapide des résidus de culture et/ou introduire des cultures intermédiaires assainissantes constituent des perspectives de recherche sur lesquelles doivent porter nos efforts

No description available.

No description available.

Fusarium graminearum est un champignon phytopathogène responsable de la fusariose de l'épi, maladie affectant les céréales telles que le blé ou le maïs. Le champignon peut également produire des métabolites secondaires toxiques ou mycotoxines, tels que les trichothécènes de type B qui sont stables d'un point de vue chimique et thermique. Ces mycotoxines peuvent contaminer les grains avant récolte. Aucun procédé à l'heure actuelle ne permet de les éliminer ou de limiter leur toxicité. Un moyen de lutte efficace est donc de limiter la biosynthèse de ces toxines. Cette voie implique les gènes Tri qui sont regroupés dans un cluster dont la régulation est complexe. Lors de l'infection de la plante hôte, le champignon se retrouve potentiellement en contact avec des molécules pro ou antioxydantes intervenant dans les mécanismes de défense de la plante. In vitro, ces molécules prooxydantesactivent la production de trichothécènes via la surexpression des gènes Tri alors que les composés antioxydants la répriment, via la répression des gènes Tri.Le facteur de transcription Fgap1, homologue au facteur Yap1 de levure impliqué dans la réponse austress oxydant, a été identifié chez F. graminearum et son rôle potentiel dans la régulation de labiosynthèse des trichothecenes a été étudié. Des souches recombinantes ont été construites et ontpermis de montrer l'implication de ce facteur non seulement dans l'activation de l'expression des gènes de détoxification, mais aussi dans la modulation de la production de trichothécènes en réponseau stress oxydant. Ce facteur n'intervient cependant pas dans la réponse aux composés antioxydants.Une analyse RNA-seq a été entreprise pour identifier plus globalement les réseaux de régulation impliqués en réponse aux variations redox.

The fungal plant pathogen Fusarium graminearum Schwabe (teleomorph Gibberella zeae¬) produces a dangerous trichothecene mycotoxin called deoxynivalenol (DON) and causes a devastating disease of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) called Fusarium head blight (FHB). Food and feed products derived from barley, such as dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), may be contaminated with DON and pose a threat to the health of humans and domestic animals. New methods to mitigate the threat of DON in barley need to be developed and implemented. TRI101 and TRI201 are trichothecene 3-O-acetyltransferases that modify DON and reduce its toxicity. The first objective of this research was to isolate unique TRI101 and TRI201 enzymes that modify DON efficiently. We hypothesized that TRI101/TRI201 enzymes from different species of Fusarium would have varying rates and abilities to modify DON. Using degenerate primers, an internal portion of TRI101 or TRI201 was identified in 54 strains of Fusarium. Full-length sequences of seven TRI101 or TRI201 genes were cloned and expressed in yeast. All seven genes acetylated DON, but at different rates. The second objective of this research was to utilize transformed yeast expressing TRI101 or TRI201 to reduce DON levels in barley mashes and ultimately in DDGS. We hypothesized that DON levels would be reduced in DDGS derived from mashes prepared with transformed yeast. Five different barley genotypes were used to prepare the fermentation mashes and DON levels were reduced in all DDGS samples derived from mashes prepared with transformed yeast. The third objective of this study was to characterize barley genotypes developed at Virginia Tech for resistance to FHB and DON. We hypothesized that significant differences in resistance would be observed among barley genotypes and FHB resistance would be associated with reduced DON accumulation. From 2006 to 2010, FHB resistance was assessed in hulled (22 to 37) and hulless (13 to 32) barley genotypes by measuring incidence and index, and DON resistance was determined by quantifying DON levels in ground grain using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our study showed that FHB and DON resistance is significantly determined by genotype. The final objective of this study was to develop a robust tissue culture system necessary for future development of transformed barley plants with FHB resistance gene(s). We hypothesized that callus production would vary among barley genotypes. In our analysis of 47 Virginia barley genotypes, 76% (36/47) of the genotypes produced callus tissue and there were significant differences in callus size. Our work sets the stage for identifying and characterizing DON detoxification genes in the future. The development of commercial barley lines that do not accumulate DON and that are resistant to FHB will directly impact growers and producers of small grains in the eastern U.S. / Ph. D.