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

禾谷镰刀菌侵染小麦前的虫害和取食会增加小麦赤霉病的严重程度和籽粒中的真菌毒素。脱氧雪腐镰刀菌是一种脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇产生者，寄主感染后产生的挥发物对蚜虫具有驱避作用，病虫相互作用导致害虫死亡率增加，繁殖力下降。相反，雪腐镰刀菌醇产生的挥发物对蚜虫有吸引力，但这种相互作用对害虫和病原菌适合性的影响尚不清楚。与禾谷镰刀菌不同，镰刀菌主要产生雪腐镰刀菌烯醇，我们假设这种病原菌将从与害虫的直接相互作用中获得比禾谷镰刀菌更多的好处。该项目旨在确定不同镰刀菌种的雪腐镰刀菌烯醇或脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇产生者与病虫害、真菌毒素和病虫害适合度之间的寄主介导的相互作用的结果。学生将进行与传播和通过昆虫媒介传播有关的赤霉病的流行病学研究。进一步的生化和分子研究将了解寄主对病原物和病虫害的免疫反应。由于田间小麦作物上同时发生病虫害，本项目对作物保护具有实际意义。因此，调查结果将提供有关持续存在的实地威胁的新知识，并为今后改进虫害和疾病控制措施的解决办法奠定基础。

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.