A Large-Scale Functional Analysis of Putative Target Genes of Mating-Type Loci Provides Insight into the Regulation of Sexual Development of the Cereal Pathogen Fusarium graminearum.

Fusarium graminearum, the causal agent of Fusarium head blight in cereal crops, produces sexual progeny (ascospore) as an important overwintering and dissemination strategy for completing the disease cycle. This homothallic ascomycetous species does not require a partner for sexual mating; instead, it carries two opposite mating-type (MAT) loci in a single nucleus to control sexual development. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the regulation of sexual development in F.

Functional roles of FgLaeA in controlling secondary metabolism, sexual development, and virulence in Fusarium graminearum.

Fusarium graminearum, the causal agent of Fusarium head blight in cereal crops, produces mycotoxins such as trichothecenes and zearalenone in infected plants. Here, we focused on the function of FgLaeA in F. graminearum, a homolog of Aspergillus nidulans LaeA encoding the global regulator for both secondary metabolism and sexual development.

A split luciferase complementation assay for studying in vivo protein-protein interactions in filamentous ascomycetes.

Protein-protein interactions play important roles in controlling many cellular events. To date, several techniques have been developed for detection of protein-protein interactions in living cells, among which split luciferase complementation has been applied in animal and plant cells. Here, we examined whether the split luciferase assay could be used in filamentous ascomycetes, such as Gibberella zeae and Cochliobolus heterostrophus.