PRJNA273659
Triticum aestivum Transcriptome or Gene expression
The fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum infects wheat spikes and causes Fusarium head blight (FHB). During infection the fungus produces a set of trichothecene mycotoxins (e.g. deoxynivalenol or DON) that increase the virulence of the fungus and result in reduced grain quality. The Fhb1 resistant allele confers type II resistance (reduced spread of symptoms on the spike) to F. graminearum infection. This study examined differentially expressed genes from a wheat near-isogenic line pair carrying resistant and susceptible alleles for the Fhb1 locus. The NIL pair for Fhb1 was derived from self pollinating a F7-derived line that was heterozygous for the Fhb1 region and identifying Fhb1+ (resistant) and Fhb1- (susceptible) lines. The wheat NIL pair 260-1-1-2 (Fhb1+) and 260-1-1-4 (Fhb1-) was used for this study. Spikelet and rachis tissue was sampled after inoculation with F. graminearum, DON, or water. For the F. graminearum-inoculated samples, wheat spikes were point inoculated with F. graminearum (10µl of 100,000 macroconidia per ml) in the four central spikelets and the inoculated spikelet and corresponding rachis were sampled at 96 hours after inoculation (hai). For the DON- and water-inoculated samples, wheat spikes were point inoculated with DON (2ug) and water on the four central spikelets, and the inoculated spikelets were sampled at 12 hai. The goal of this study was to identify plant and fungal genes that are differentially expressed between plants carrying the resistant and susceptible alleles for the Fhb1 locus.