Trichoderma atroviride triggers alterations at epigenetics, transcripts, oxidative stress, and apoptosis levels on Fusarium graminearum
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Date
2022
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Abstract
Fusarium graminearum is a phytopathogenic fungus causing head blight and crown rot diseases of cereals worldwide. The use of organisms with antagonistic effects against F. graminearum is one of the promising disease management strategies. In this study, the biocontrol agent potential of Trichoderma atroviride against F. graminearum was tested. The radial growth rate and the cell proliferation capacities of F. graminearum PH-1 treated with T. atroviride TR8 (FGvsTA) decreased in comparison to F. graminearum not treated with T. atroviride (FGc). The decrease in linear growth rate (LGR) and cytotoxicity values were as %50 and %45, respectively. Genomic template stability (GTS) and epigenetic alterations were investigated via RAPD and CRED-RA methods. GTS was recorded as 66.6%, and polymorphism % for MspI and HapII digested FGvsTA set were as 26% and 13.88%. In gene expression analysis, alterations in genes related to oxidative stress (cat), apoptosis-like process (mst20), and deoxynivalenol production (tri4) were revealed. While expression of gene mst20 was upregulated, downregulation in cat and tri4 expressions were recorded (p < 0.05). Fluorescence microscopy analysis, including acridine orange/ethidium bromide (Ao/Eb) and dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) also confirmed the presence of apoptosis and oxidative stress in FGvsTA. This is the first report with findings that T. atroviride could strongly affect F. graminearum growth in different ways, including physiological, genomics, epigenetics, oxidative stress, and apoptosis-like process levels. © 2022, The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Patologia Vegetale (S.I.Pa.V.).