TOXICITY OF SECONDARY METABOLITES OF THE FUNGUS F. culmorum IN RELATION TO RESISTANCE OF WINTER WHEAT CULTIVARS

• Published in: Cereal research communications 2001-01, Vol.29 (1/2), p.101-108
• Main Authors: ŠROBÁROVÁ, Antónia, PAVLOVÁ, Adriana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomass production; Fungi; Fusarium; Leaves; Metabolites; Pathogens; Pathology; Plant roots; Plants; Seedlings; Toxins
• ISSN: 0133-3720; 1788-9170
• DOI: 10.1007/bf03543648

The aim of this work was to relate the possible response of wheat seedlings to the metabolites of Fusarium culmorum with their resistance to the pathogen. We used the resistant cvs Hana (resistant), Samanta (medium resistance) and Barbara (susceptible). Seedlings were exposed to different concentrations of DON, DAS and culture filtrates of F. culmorum. Phytotoxicity was evaluated according to biomass production and level of free proline accumulation. Trichothecenes are the most potent specific inhibitors of protein synthesis known and cause free amino acids are accumulate in the tissue. Free proline was determined as indicator of this accumulation. The highest level of accumulation free proline was found in the susceptible cv. Barbara, accompanied by a reduction of biomass. Highly resistant to the toxins was the medium resistant cv. Samanta, but not cv. Hana which is most resistant to the fungus. Our results seem to support the theory that the four types of resistance (Mesterházy 1995) to the pathogen and its toxins also apply to seedling resistance. More detailed experiments should be done to answer the question whether the toxins are not translocated into the tissue (IV. Type of tolerance) or are degraded by special gene products (III. Type of resistance).