Differential Gene Expression in Fusarium Head Blight Pathogens Facilitates Root Infection of Wheat, Maize, and Soybean
2025
Rukun Li | Huahao Sun | Huilin He | Xinyao Cheng | Mei Deng | Qiantao Jiang | Qiang Xu | Yuming Wei | Yazhou Zhang
Global food security relies on wheat, maize, and soybean, yet their cultivation faces escalating threats from Fusarium head blight (FHB) pathogens. We demonstrate that agricultural intensification enables cross-kingdom root infections by <i>Fusarium graminearum</i> and <i>F. asiaticum</i> across these crops. Screening of 180 <i>Fusarium</i> strains revealed tripartite host infectivity, with transcriptomics uncovering host-adapted virulence strategies. Transcriptome analysis identified distinct gene expression patterns during the infection of each crop, with <i>F. graminearum</i> employing host-specific genes, such as <i>FgPPDT1</i> (a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent transferase), for maize root infection. The <i>FgPPDT1</i> knockout mutant (Δ<i>fgppdt1</i>) exhibited severely impaired root colonization. Our findings establish differential gene expression as a regulatory axis for cross-host adaptation, directly linking FHB transmission risks to wheat–maize intercropping and wheat-soybean rotations.
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