Metabolomics to Decipher the Chemical Defense of Cereals against Fusarium graminearum and Deoxynivalenol Accumulation

Abstract

Fusarium graminearum is the causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB) and Gibberella ear rot (GER), two devastating diseases of wheat, barley, and maize. Furthermore, F. graminearum species can produce type B trichothecene mycotoxins that accumulate in grains. Use of FHB and GER resistant cultivars is one of the most promising strategies to reduce damage induced by F. graminearum. Combined with genetic approaches, metabolomic ones can provide powerful opportunities for plant breeding through the identification of resistant biomarker metabolites which have the advantage of integrating the genetic background and the influence of the environment. In the past decade, several metabolomics attempts have been made to decipher the chemical defense that cereals employ to counteract F. graminearum. By covering the major classes of metabolites that have been highlighted and addressing their potential role, this review demonstrates the complex and integrated network of events that cereals can orchestrate to resist to F. graminearum.

Metabolomics Approaches and their Hidden Potential for Explaining the Mycotoxin Contamination Problem

“…This is crucial in order to understand the metabolite pathway, since they can be interesting intermediates or final secondary metabolites. In this particular topic of mycotoxin contamination, hundreds of metabolites related to FHB resistance have been putatively identified so far by metabolomics strategies [4]. It was already mentioned that the number and chemical structures of metabolites significantly vary according to the experimental design and the applied analytical strategy.…”

“…In addition, phenolic acids have been reported as inhibitory agents towards mycotoxin biosynthesis in vitro [48,49]. Among phenolic acids, hydroxycinnamic acid (HCA) derivatives, such as ferulic and caffeic acids, have been reported as important contributors to FHB resistance [4], probably on account of the high antioxidant properties [50].…”

“…In fact, The International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC) has formally classified a number of mycotoxins. For example, four aflatoxins are classified in Group 1 (AFB 1 , AFB 2 , AFG 1 and AFG 2 ) while ochratoxin A (OTA) is classified in Group 2B [4,5].…”

Effect of preventive and curative fungicide treatment on Fusarium proliferatum infected maize — a field trial

“…These metabolites origin from the primary and the secondary metabolisms of plants and are very diverse. Amino acids, fatty acids, and their derivatives, carbohydrates, amines, terpenoids and phenylpropanoids are the best-known compounds (Gauthier et al, 2015). The last two groups with antioxidant properties are among the most frequently reported metabolites to take part in the plant defense mechanisms and some of them especially interfere with mycotoxin biosynthesis (Gauthier et al, 2015).…”

“…Amino acids, fatty acids, and their derivatives, carbohydrates, amines, terpenoids and phenylpropanoids are the best-known compounds (Gauthier et al, 2015). The last two groups with antioxidant properties are among the most frequently reported metabolites to take part in the plant defense mechanisms and some of them especially interfere with mycotoxin biosynthesis (Gauthier et al, 2015). Maize grains contain high level in total flavonoids followed by wheat, rice, and oat (Adom and Liu, 2002), and the most frequently cited flavonoids are the flavonols kaempferol and quercetin (Das and Singh, 2015).…”