Cereal diseases caused by Fusarium graminearum: from biology of the pathogen to oxidative burst-related host defense responses

Abstract

Fusarium graminearum Schwabe<br><br>(teleomorph: Gibberella zeae) is a destructive fungus,<br><br>causing economically important diseases such as seedling<br><br>blight, root and crown rot and head blight on small<br><br>grain cereals, in particular wheat and barley. It is a devastating<br><br>phytopathogen, not only due to causing significant<br><br>yield losses, but also because of contaminating plant<br><br>tissues with trichothecenes and other types of mycotoxins,<br><br>which are harmful for human animal health.<br><br>Several disease management strategies are used to decrease<br><br>yield losses and mycotoxin production in cereals<br><br>caused by this pathogenic fungus. Among various disease<br><br>control methods, use of resistant cultivars could be<br><br>the most effective way to combat diseases caused by<br><br>F. graminearum in cereals. However, any plant cultivar<br><br>with complete resistance against this pathogen was not<br><br>reported worldwide and only some of the host cultivars<br><br>with partial resistance against F. graminearum were identified,<br><br>so far. Therefore, understanding biochemical and<br><br>cytomolecular aspects of interaction in F. graminearumcereals<br><br>pathosystems would be valuable for designing<br><br>novel management strategies against various diseases<br><br>caused by this hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen on economically<br><br>important cereals. This review is focused on<br><br>biology, pathogenicity, and genetic structure of<br><br>F. graminearum populations together with the role of<br><br>reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant systems<br><br>in association with plant cell wall in defense responses of<br><br>cereals, as the main resistance mechanisms against this<br><br>destructive fungus.