Application of dsRNA of FgPMA1 for disease control on Fusarium graminearum

Fusarium graminearum is a fungal plant pathogen which causes Fusarium head blight (FHB), a devastating disease on cereal crops. Here we report that FgPMA1 could be a new target to control FHB by the application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of FgPMA1. FgPMA1 was divided into 6 segments to generated RNA interference (RNAi) constructs (FgPMA1RNAi-1, -2, -3, -4, -5, and -6), and these constructs were transformed in F. graminearum strain PH-1. The expression of FgPMA1 reduced by 18.48, 33.48 and 56.93% in FgPMA1RNAi-1, FgPMA1RNAi-2 and FgPMA1RNAi-5, respectively. FgPMA1RNAi-1, -2, and -5 mutants inhibited fungal development, including mycelium growth, mycelial morphology, asexual and sexual development, and toxin production. The length of lesions on wheat leaves, wheat coleoptiles and wheat ears were shorter after infection with FgPMA1RNAi-1, -2, and -5 mutants than wild type PH-1. These results showed that three segments (FgPMA1RNAi-1, -2, and -5) exhibited effective silencing effects. After treatment with 25 ng µL^–1 dsRNA of these segments in vitro, the growth rate of mycelium growth was significant decreased, mycelium became deformed with bulbous structure at the tip, and the mycelium lost the ability to produce conidia in F. graminearum strain PH-1, Fusarium asiacitum strain 2021 and phenamacril-resistant strain YP-1. After application of FgPMA1RNAi-1-dsRNA and FgPMA1RNAi-2-dsRNA to wheat ears, pathogenicity reduced 34.21–35.40%.