Journal of Phytopathology (2009) 157, 446-456

Susanne von Bargen, Oliver Martinez, Ines Schadock, Anne-Mareen Eisold, Monika Gossmann and Carmen Büttner (2009)
Genetic variability of phytopathogenic Fusarium proliferatum associated with crown rot in Asparagus officinalis
Journal of Phytopathology 157 (7-8), 446-456
Abstract: Fusarium proliferatum (teleomorph: Gibberella intermedia) is a causal agent of crown rot of Asparagus officinalis and is one potential fumonisin-producing species within the genus Fusarium. It colonizes roots and crowns of asparagus plants, but could also be isolated from symptomless asparagus spears. Fusarium proliferatum isolates obtained from perennial asparagus plantings from Austria and Germany were included in a study on detectability and variability of two essential genes of the fumonisin-gene cluster. Genetic fingerprinting of 45 isolates revealed 14 different fingerprint groups, indicating genetic heterogenicity of F. proliferatum. Most isolates differentiated into three main fingerprint clusters, but no association was found between fingerprint group and origin of the isolates. By gene-specific PCR it was shown that, in 25 isolates tested, both initial genes of the fumonisin biosynthetic pathway -FUM1, encoding a polyketide synthase and FUM8, a gene for a putative aminoacyl transferase - were detectable. This suggests that these isolates were able to produce fumonisins and could contribute to the detected contamination in originating asparagus spears with this mycotoxin. Thus, early detection of FUM-genes in F. proliferatum-colonized asparagus may be suited to prevent uptake of fumonisin contaminated food with the human diet. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PCR-RFLP) of the amplified FUM gene fragments revealed little sequence variability, suggesting a conserved structure of these genes within this species. However, sequence analysis confirmed intraspecific nucleotide polymorphisms of these genes.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Susanne von Bargen, Carmen Büttner

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Fusarium proliferatum	Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)	Austria
	Fusarium proliferatum	Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)	Germany