Enhanced overall resistance to Fusarium seedling blight and Fusarium head blight in transgenic wheat by co-expression of anti-fungal peptides

Eur J Plant Pathol (2012) 134:721732 DOI 10.1007/s10658-012-0048-8

Enhanced overall resistance to Fusarium seedling blight and Fusarium head blight in transgenic wheatby co-expression of anti-fungal peptides

Zheng-Wei Liu & He-Ping Li & Wei Cheng &

Peng Yang & Jing-Bo Zhang & An-Dong Gong &

Yan-Ni Feng & W. G. Dilantha Fernando &

Yu-Cai Liao

Accepted: 26 July 2012 /Published online: 12 August 2012 # KNPV 2012

Abstract Introduction of alien genes into wheat has been proposed as a strategy to breed cultivars with improved resistance to Fusarium seedling blight (FSB) and Fusarium head blight (FHB). In this study, we co-transformed different anti-fungal peptides (AFPs) into an elite wheat cultivar Yangmai11. We identified the genetically stable transgenic wheat lines carrying single or multiple genes by PCR, qRT-PCR and Southern blot analyses. Transgenic wheat lines 451 and 513

expressing two AFPs displayed a consistent, significantly improved overall resistance to FSB and FHB, whereas only FHB resistance was observed from other lines. Furthermore, crude proteins extracted from the lines 451 and 513 showed a clear inhibitory activity against F. graminearum in vitro. Taken together, it was essential to properly combine and express AFPs in transgenic wheat in order to obtain an improved overall resistance to Fusarium pathogens.

Z.-W. Liu : H.-P. Li : W. Cheng : P. Yang : J.-B. Zhang :

A.-D. Gong : Y.-N. Feng : Y.-C. LiaoMolecular Biotechnology Laboratory of Triticeae Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University,Wuhan 430070 Hubei, Peoples Republic of China

Z.-W. Liue-mail: [email protected]

H.-P. Lie-mail: [email protected]

W. Chenge-mail: [email protected]

P. Yange-mail: [email protected]

J.-B. Zhange-mail: [email protected]

A.-D. Gonge-mail: [email protected]

Y.-N. Fenge-mail: [email protected]

Z.-W. Liu : W. Cheng : P. Yang : J.-B. Zhang :

A.-D. Gong : Y.-C. LiaoCollege of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University,Wuhan 430070 Hubei, Peoples Republic of China

H.-P. Li : Y.-N. FengCollege of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University,Wuhan 430070 Hubei, Peoples Republic of China

W. G. D. FernandoDepartment of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canadae-mail: [email protected]

Y.-C. Liao (*)

National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Wuhan 430070, Peoples Republic of China e-mail: [email protected]

Y.-C. Liaoe-mail: [email protected]

722 Eur J Plant Pathol (2012) 134:721732

Keywords Anti-fungal peptide . Fusarium head blight . Fusarium seedling blight . Overall resistance . Transgenic wheat

Introduction

Fusarium...