CELL DEATH AND ANTI-CELL DEATH IN TWO WHEAT CULTIVARS AND THE IMPLICATION OF THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN DISEASE RESPONSE

Abstract

Cell death occurs under various developmental and stress conditions. Its involvement in plant response to pathogen attacks has been well studied in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. In our present work, Fumonisin B1, a toxin from Fusarium verticillioides, a major fungal pathogen of cereals, was used as a biotic stressor to trigger responses in two wheat cultivars. Fumonisin B1 induced cell death in both Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistant and FHB susceptible cultivars (Frontana and Roblin, respectively). The treatment also triggered DNA smearing in both. However, the expression of two DNA repairing genes was enhanced in Frontana but not in Roblin. Our results have suggested potential regulatory differences in the response to FB1 toxin in FHB resistant and FHB susceptible cultivars.