Fusarium and aphids, friends or foes on their shared wheat host

在小麦被F.禾谷镰刀菌导致谷物中镰刀菌头枯病和真菌毒素的严重性增加。寄主受F.作为脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇生产者的禾谷镰刀菌对蚜虫具有驱避性，并且病原体-害虫相互作用导致害虫的死亡率增加和繁殖力降低。与此相反，雪腐镰刀菌烯醇生产者的挥发物对蚜虫具有吸引力，然而这种相互作用对害虫和病原体适合度的影响仍然未知。禾谷镰刀菌主要产生雪腐镰刀菌烯醇，我们假设这种病原体比F.与害虫的直接相互作用。该项目旨在确定不同镰刀菌属物种的雪腐镰刀菌烯醇或脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇生产者与蚜虫之间宿主介导的相互作用对疾病、真菌毒素和害虫/病原体适合度的影响。该学生将进行F. Poae与昆虫媒介传播和扩散有关。进一步的生物化学和分子生物学研究将有助于了解寄主对病原菌和害虫的免疫反应，对小麦田间害虫和病原菌同时发生的作物保护具有实际意义。因此，研究结果将为持续的田间威胁提供新的知识，并为未来改进病虫害控制措施的解决方案提供基础。

Aphid infestation and feeding prior to infection of wheat by F. graminearium results in increased severity of Fusarium head blight disease and mycotoxins in grain. Volatiles produced by the host when is infected by F. graminearum, that is a deoxynivalenol producer, are repellent to aphids and the pathogen-pest interaction results in increased mortality and reduced fecundity of the pest. In contrast, volatiles by a nivalenol producer are attractive to the aphid, however the consequences of this interaction for the pest and the pathogen fitness remain unknown.Fusarium poae, in contrast to F. graminearium, produces predominantly nivalenol and we hypothesise that this pathogen will benefit more than F. graminearum from the direct interaction with the pest. This project will aim to determine the outcome of host-mediated interactions between nivalenol or deoxynivalenol producers of different Fusarium species and aphids for disease, mycotoxins and pest/pathogen fitness. The student will carry out studies on the epidemiology of F. poae in relation to transmission and spread by insect vectors. Further biochemical and molecular studies will be performed to understand the host immune response to the pathogen and the pest.This project has practical significance for crop protection as the pest and the pathogen occur simultaneously on wheat crops in field. Therefore findings will provide new knowledge of persistent field threats and the basis for future solutions for improved pest and disease control measures.