Project description:Crown rot of wheat, caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum and other Fusarium species is an important disease globally. To understand the host response to challenge by Fp, we examined gene exression changes in the stem base of the wheat variety Kennedy, following inoculation with macroconidia using the Affymetrix GeneChip Wheat Genome Array. Induced genes included mainly those with defensive functions such as genes encoding anti-microbial proteins as well as oxidative stress-related proteins, signalling molecules, and proteins involved in both primary and secondary metabolism. This study is the first comprehensive analysis of the wheat transcriptome during crown rot infection and provides new insights into the host processes involved in plant defence against this pathogen.
Project description:Crown rot of wheat, caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum and other Fusarium species is an important disease globally. To understand the host response to challenge by Fp, we examined gene exression changes in the stem base of the wheat variety Kennedy, following inoculation with macroconidia using the Affymetrix GeneChip Wheat Genome Array. Induced genes included mainly those with defensive functions such as genes encoding anti-microbial proteins as well as oxidative stress-related proteins, signalling molecules, and proteins involved in both primary and secondary metabolism. This study is the first comprehensive analysis of the wheat transcriptome during crown rot infection and provides new insights into the host processes involved in plant defence against this pathogen. Experiment Overall Design: There are six samples, three F. pseudograminearum inoculated samples and three mock inoculated samples. Each sample consists of 2cm of stem base from approximately 20 plants.
Project description:<p>Background</p><p>Wheat crown rot (WCR) caused by Fusarium spp. lacks durable, sustainable control. Engineering the rhizosphere with defined synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) offers a route to combined disease suppression and growth promotion. We aimed to build a cross-kingdom SynCom and evaluate its impacts on plant performance and the soil–microbiome system.</p><p>Results</p><p>We assembled a two-member SynCom comprising an antagonistic fungus (Trichoderma harzianum) and a growth-promoting bacterium (Bacillus rugosus). In greenhouse trials, SynCom inoculation reduced WCR severity by ~71% and improved vigor, more than doubling shoot and root biomass and increasing grain weight by ~13% versus non-inoculated controls. SynCom-treated plants maintained higher chlorophyll and antioxidant enzyme activities under pathogen challenge, with reduced oxidative stress markers relative to pathogen-only plants. Amplicon sequencing showed increased rhizosphere microbial diversity, enrichment of beneficial taxa (e.g., Mortierella), and suppression of Fusarium. SynCom also enhanced soil enzyme activities and nutrient availability and promoted accumulation of defense-related metabolites in the rhizosphere.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>A tailored cross-kingdom SynCom establishes a disease-suppressive, growth-promoting soil environment that mitigates wheat crown rot while improving yield components. These findings support microbiome engineering as a practical, sustainable strategy for wheat production and warrant field-scale validation and formulation development.</p>
