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qPCR quantification of Sphaerodes mycoparasitica biotrophic mycoparasite interaction with Fusarium graminearum: in vitro and in planta assays

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Abstract

Sphaerodes mycoparasitica, a biotrophic mycoparasite of Fusarium species, improved wheat seed germination and seedling growth in vitro compared to Trichoderma harzianum, a necrotrophic mycoparasite. However, under phytotron conditions, both S. mycoparasitica and T. harzianum had positive impact on wheat seedlings growth in the presence of F. graminearum. Once exposed to the mycoparasites, the DNA quantity of F. graminearum in wheat root decreased. Observed shifts in DNA quantity using qPCR, a set of newly designed Sphaerodes-specific SmyITS primers, as well as Trichoderma-TGP4 and Fusarium-Fg16 N primers, demonstrated the mycoparasite’s biocontrol effectiveness in planta. In the presence of F. graminearum, the concentration of S. mycoparasitica DNA remained stable in the root, whereas the amount of T. harzianum DNA decreased. The toxicity assays indicated that S. mycoparasitica’s mycelia withstand higher concentrations of deoxynivalenol, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, and zearalenone mycotoxins than T. harzianum mycelia. This study compares the ability of two fungi to improve the wheat growth, decrease the root colonization of Fusarium, and withstand mycotoxins.

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Acknowledgments

This project was financially supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)—Discovery and Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF)—Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) granted to Dr. V. Vujanovic. The authors would like to thank Dr. P. Daida for technical assistance and Dr. Pierre Hucl (Crop Development Centre) for providing wheat seeds.

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  1. Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8, Canada

    Vladimir Vujanovic & Yit Kheng Goh

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  1. Vladimir Vujanovic
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  2. Yit Kheng Goh
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Correspondence to Vladimir Vujanovic.

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Communicated by Axel Brakhage.

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Vujanovic, V., Goh, Y.K. qPCR quantification of Sphaerodes mycoparasitica biotrophic mycoparasite interaction with Fusarium graminearum: in vitro and in planta assays. Arch Microbiol 194, 707–717 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-012-0807-0

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