Association of mating-type with mycelium growth rate and genetic variability of Fusarium culmorum

Abstract

Background: Barley is an important crop used widely in Europe for food production, feed and malting. Unfortunately it is often colonised by fungi from the Fusarium genus. Fusarium culmorum is a global pathogen causing root rot and crown rot in small-grain cereals, resulting in a reduction in yield and grain quality. F. culmorum produces the highly toxic chemicals trichothecenes. ExperimentalProcedures: Chemotypes and mating-type idiomorphs (MAT) were identified using Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR) and genetic diversity was determined using Sequence-related Amplified Polymorphism (SRAP) and Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Physiological features such as mycelium growth rate were also evaluated. Results: As many as 94% of isolates was classified as a 3ADON producing and only two isolates displayed NIV chemotype. The average growth rate at 15°C and 25°C equalled 5. 32 mm/day and 13. 5 mm/day, respectively. The MAT idiomorph amplification revealed that 60% of isolates possessed MAT1-2 idiomorph. Among 32 obtained SRAP and RAPD markers, eight were associated with mycelium growth rate. Conclusions: It was shown first time that F. culmorum isolates with MAT1-2 idiomorph in the genome grew slower than these with MAT1-1. High level of genetic variability was determined based on amplification of SRAP and RAPD markers. © 2013 Versita Warsaw and Springer-Verlag Wien.