Transgenic Wheat Expressing a Barley UDP-Glucosyltransferase Detoxifies Deoxynivalenol and Provides High Levels of Resistance to Fusarium graminearum

Authors

Xi Li, University of Minnesota
Sanghyun Shin, University of Minnesota
Shane Heinen, University of MinnesotaFollow
Ruth Dill-Macky, University of MinnesotaFollow
Franz Berthiller, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
Natalya Nersesian, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Thomas Clemente, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Susan McCormick, USDA-ARSFollow
Gary J. Muehbauer, University of MinnesotaFollow

ORCID IDs

Thomas Clemente

Date of this Version

2015

Citation

Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions Nov 2015, Volume 28, Number 11, pp. 1237–1246. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-03-15-0062-R

Comments

U.S. government work.

Abstract

Fusarium head blight (FHB), mainly caused by Fusarium graminearum, is a devastating disease of wheat that results in economic losses worldwide. During infection, F. graminearum produces trichothecene mycotoxins, including deoxynivalenol (DON), that increase fungal virulence and reduce grain quality. Transgenic wheat expressing a barley UDP-glucosyltransferase (HvUGT13248) were developed and evaluated for FHB resistance, DON accumulation, and the ability to metabolize DON to the less toxic DON-3-O-glucoside (D3G). Pointinoculation tests in the greenhouse showed that transgenic wheat carrying HvUGT13248 exhibited significantly higher resistance to disease spread in the spike (type II resistance) compared with nontransformed controls. Two transgenic events displayed complete suppression of disease spread in the spikes. Expression of HvUGT13248 in transgenic wheat rapidly and efficiently conjugated DON to D3G, suggesting that the enzymatic rate of DON detoxification translates to type II resistance. Under field conditions, FHB severity was variable; nonetheless, transgenic events showed significantly less-severe disease phenotypes compared with the nontransformed controls. In addition, a seedling assay demonstrated that the transformed plants had a higher tolerance to DON-inhibited root growth than nontransformed plants. These results demonstrate the utility of detoxifying DON as a FHB control strategy in wheat.