Role of maize silks flavonoids compounds in response to Fusarium verticillioides infection

FAUGUEL CM; CAMPOS BERMUDEZ VA; PRESELLO DA; FERNANDEZ M; ANDREO CS

Congreso; 50 Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biologia Molecular; 2014

Fusarium verticillioides is the major causative agent of ear rot in maize crop in Argentina. The fungus penetrates mostly silks or wounded ears, contaminated them with human and animal harmful mycotoxins. Since silk is usually the first tissue with which the pathogen comes in contact, it is reasonable to hypothesize that in resistant materials, the initial barrier to infection would be in these tissues. The purpose of this study was to determine if flavonoids compounds from maize silks influence F. verticillioides infection. Two maize inbreed lines of contrasting resistance under field conditions were used. The in vitro effect of silks flavonoids extracts was assayed. Significant differences in F. verticillioides growth were observed for extracts that appeared to stimulate or inhibit fungal growth. A HPLC analysis of silks extracts was carried out. A quantitative real time PCR of seven important genes related to the flavonoid synthesis pathways were studied. On the other hand spectral analysis indicates an increment in flavonoids content in the susceptible line after fungal inoculation, indicating a positive influence of these compounds in fungal growth. The results of this study indicate that flavonoids compounds might be involved in F. verticillioides-maize interaction