Identification and characzerization of expressed genes involved in Fusarium head blight resistance of wheat

Fusarium head blight (FHB, scab) is a fungal disease of wheat that occurs in many cereal growing regions of the world. Fungi of the group Fusarium spp. may attack cereal plants at all stages, but most critical is the infection of the ears. The main threat associated with the disease is the contamination of cereals with mycotoxins. The cultivation of resistant varieties would contribute significantly to the integrated control of this disease. However, most currently grown wheat cultivars are susceptible to the disease. The genetics of FHB resistance in genotypes tracing to the cultivar `Sumai3` has been studied extensively in recent years. Despite that several chromosomal regions with quantitative effects on resistance (quantitative trait loci, QTL) were identified, the actual position, sequence and function of the resistance genes is yet unknown. With the proposed project we aim to identify expressed genes involved in the resistance reaction of wheat against Fusarium head blight to contribute to the functional clarification of the resistance reaction. Near isogenic lines differing in one or two QTL regions (Qfhs.ndsu-3BS and Qfhs.ifa-5A) will be challenged by inoculation with Fusarium graminearum. We will use the cDNA-AFLP method, a gel-based transcript profiling system, to study differential gene expression and/or DNA polymorphisms in transcripts between near isogenic lines at several time points after Fusarium inoculation. Differentially expressed transcripts will be recovered, cloned, sequenced and further functionally characterized.

Fusarium head blight (FHB, scab) is a fungal disease of wheat that occurs in many cereal growing regions of the world. Fungi of the group Fusarium spp. may attack cereal plants at all stages, but most critical is the infection of the ears. The main threat associated with the disease is the contamination of cereals with mycotoxins. The cultivation of resistant varieties would contribute significantly to the integrated control of this disease. However, most currently grown wheat cultivars are susceptible to the disease. The genetics of FHB resistance in genotypes tracing to the cultivar `Sumai3` has been studied extensively in recent years. Despite that several chromosomal regions with quantitative effects on resistance (quantitative trait loci, QTL) were identified, the actual position, sequence and function of the resistance genes is yet unknown. With the proposed project we aim to identify expressed genes involved in the resistance reaction of wheat against Fusarium head blight to contribute to the functional clarification of the resistance reaction. Near isogenic lines differing in one or two QTL regions (Qfhs.ndsu-3BS and Qfhs.ifa-5A) will be challenged by inoculation with Fusarium graminearum. We will use the cDNA-AFLP method, a gel-based transcript profiling system, to study differential gene expression and/or DNA polymorphisms in transcripts between near isogenic lines at several time points after Fusarium inoculation. Differentially expressed transcripts will be recovered, cloned, sequenced and further functionally characterized.