Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2011) 77, 8382-8390

Adeline Picot, Christian Barreau, Laëtitia Pinson-Gadais, François Piraux, Daniel Caron, Christian Lannou and Florence Richard-Forget (2011)
The dent stage of maize kernels is the most conducive for fumonisin biosynthesis under field conditions
Applied and Environmental Microbiology 77 (23), 8382-8390
Abstract: The fungal pathogen Fusarium verticillioides infects maize ears and produces fumonisins, known for their adverse effects on human and animal health. Basic questions remain unanswered regarding the kernel stage(s) associated with fumonisin biosynthesis and the kernel components involved in fumonisin regulation during F. verticillioides-maize interaction under field conditions. In this 2-year field study, the time course of F. verticillioides growth and fumonisin accumulation in developing maize kernels, along with the variations in kernel pH and amylopectin content, were monitored using relevant and accurate analytical tools. In all experiments, the most significant increase in fumonisin accumulation or in fumonisin productivity (i.e., fumonisin production per unit of fungus) was shown to occur within a very short period of time, between 22/32 and 42 days after inoculation and corresponding to the dent stage. This stage was also characterized by acidification in the kernel pH and a maximum level of amylopectin content. Our data clearly support published results based on in vitro experiments suggesting that the physiological stages of the maize kernel play a major role in regulating fumonisin production. Here we have validated this result for in planta and field conditions, and we demonstrate that under such conditions the dent stage is the most conducive for fumonisin accumulation.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Christian Barreau, Christian Lannou

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
population dynamics/ epidemiology

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Fusarium verticillioides	Maize/corn (Zea mays)