Proteomic analysis of Fusarium graminearum sexual development
EMSL Project ID
5590
Abstract
Fusarium graminearum is a major pathogen and the cause of mycotoxin contamination of cereal crops including corn, wheat and barley. The economic impact of F. graminearum infection of these crops is enormous. The sexual stage of this organism has been implicated as the major agent of infection by this fungus; work has shown that the ascospores (sexual spores) serve as the primary inoculum for infection of these crops. Recently, the genome of F. graminearum was sequenced by the Whitehead Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research/ Fungal Genome Initiative, supported by NSF/USDA. As with other fungal genomes, a large percentage of genes identified through genome sequencing are “hypothetical” or “putative”. In this study, we will make use of the genome database and PNNL global proteomics strategies to identify peptides associated with the sexual cycle of F. graminearum. This approach should identify both previously identified (known proteins) and novel proteins. Because we will have collected thelatter, previously undescribed, proteins from the sexual stage of the fungus, we will be able to tentatively assign a role in sexual development to these proteins. Initially, extracts of the whole perithecia (sexual fruiting bodies) will be made and used for peptide identification. We will also extract peptides from vegetatively (asexual) growing F. graminearum as a control for contamination of perithecial preparations. After gross identification of peptides from whole perithecia, extracts will be prepared from substructures/stages of the sexual cycle, including protoperithecia, ascospores, perithecial walls and perithecial contents. Using the global proteomics approach, we hope to identify novel peptides involved in the various stages and structures of F. graminearum sexual development, which will be candidate targets for disease control.
Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2003-12-01
End Date
2005-04-11
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members