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Microarray analysis of transcript accumulation during perithecium development in the filamentous fungus Gibberella zeae (anamorph Fusarium graminearum)

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Abstract

Gibberella zeae (anamorph Fusarium graminearum) is the causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat and barley in the United States. Ascospores forcibly discharged from mature fruiting bodies, the perithecia, serve as the primary inoculum for FHB epidemics. To identify genes important for perithecium development and function, a cDNA microarray that covered 11% of the G. zeae genome was constructed. The microarray was used to measure changes in transcription levels of genes expressed during three successive stages of perithecium development. When compared with vegetative mycelia, 651 (31%) cDNA clones showed changes in transcript levels in at least one of the three developmental stages. During perithecium development, 263 (13%) cDNA clones showed temporal changes in transcript profiles. Transcripts that showed the greatest changes in levels in maturing perithecia belonged to genes in the FunCat main functional categories of cell rescue, metabolism, cell type differentiation, energy, and cellular transport. For genes related to metabolism and cell type differentiation, transcripts showed the highest levels in immature perithecia, whereas for cellular transport-related genes, transcripts showed the highest levels in mature perithecia. This study represents the first large-scale investigation of both spatial and temporal changes in transcript levels during perithecium development. It provides clear evidence that the sexual development in fungi is a complex, multigenic process and identifies genes involved in sexual development of this agriculturally important fungus.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr Jeff Landgraf for his guidance throughout the microarray experiments and Dr Annette Thelen for her helpful advice about the real-time RT-PCR. We appreciate Dr Heather Hallen, Mr John Guenther, and Dr Lukas Wick for reviewing the manuscript. This material is based upon work supported by the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and the US Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. (58-3640-2-138) to F.T. This is a cooperative project with the US Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative.

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  1. Weihong Qi

    Present address: National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

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  1. Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Weihong Qi, Chil Kwon & Frances Trail

  2. Department of Plant Pathology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Frances Trail

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Correspondence to Frances Trail.

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Communicated by J. Perez-Martin

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Qi, W., Kwon, C. & Trail, F. Microarray analysis of transcript accumulation during perithecium development in the filamentous fungus Gibberella zeae (anamorph Fusarium graminearum). Mol Genet Genomics 276, 87–100 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-006-0125-9

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