Insights from Grain Fungus' Gene Sequence

Evil forces thrive in unstable environments, according to preliminary results gathered from the genome sequence of the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum. The sequencing has provided scientists a roadmap to someday combat the fungus which infects barley and wheat crops, rendering them unfit for animal and human consumption and causing millions of dollars loss in crop yield worldwide.  

In a study published by the journal Science, scientists from the Michigan State University discovered that most of the genes and promoters responsible for disease and toxins lie in unstable areas of Fusarium chromosomes. “Those unstable areas are places where the organism is ready to evolve,” author Frances Trail said. “In those genes there’s a lot of mutation. They can change a lot without killing the fungus.” The flexibility in the pathogenic-holding parts of the chromosome might be the reason this fungus can produce so many different mycotoxins – including zearalenone, which can mimic sex hormones in mammals, including possibly people, and potentially cause developmental and reproductive problems. 

A total of 14,000 Fusarium genes have been sequenced, including those responsible for toxin formation. Trail’s team figures that there are 2,000 genes dedicated to making the spores. Decoding and expression profiling of the genes will be the first step in discovering the fungus’ mode of pathogenicity. Understanding genetic interaction and makeup, where the genes are unstable and ready to change strategy, will be the next important step.

Read more at http://newsroom.msu.edu/site/indexer/3165/content.htm or contact Frances Trail at trail@msu.edu.