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Adavance in understanding biology of a devastating fungus: Fusarium graminearum

Date:2015-07-16 Hits:490

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by the fungus Fusarium graminearum has devastating effects causing yield loss of various cereal crops and contaminating grain with mycotoxins that are harmful to the health of humans and livestock. Despite the high economic impact of FHB, efficient strategies for FHB management have not been well established. Understanding the fundamental biology of this fungal pathogen can provide the basis for sustainable, long-term disease management.
Phosphatases are known to play important roles in the regulation of various cellular processes in eukaryotes. However, systematic characterization of the phosphatome has not been reported in phytopathogenic fungi. Recently, Prof. Zhonghua Ma’s group at the Institute of Biotechnology, ZJU carried out a systematic gene deletion analysis of all putative phosphatase genes in F. graminearum. Phosphatases that are important for various aspects of hyphal growth and development, plant infection and secondary metabolism were identified in this study. This study was published in New Phytologist (207:119-134) entitled “Functional analysis of the Fusarium graminearum phosphatome”. A commentary hightlights this work was also published in the same issue.