Quantification of Fungal Colonization, Sporogenesis, and Production of Mycotoxins Using Kernel Bioassays
Summary
The devastation of cereal crops by seed-infecting fungi has prompted numerous research efforts to better understand plant-pathogen interactions. To study seed-fungal interactions in a laboratory setting, we developed a robust method for the quantification of fungal reproduction, biomass, and mycotoxin contamination using kernel bioassays.
Abstract
The rotting of grains by seed-infecting fungi poses one of the greatest economic challenges to cereal production worldwide, not to mention serious risks to human and animal health. Among cereal production, maize is arguably the most affected crop, due to pathogen-induced losses in grain integrity and mycotoxin seed contamination. The two most prevalent and problematic mycotoxins for maize growers and food and feed processors are aflatoxin and fumonisin, produced by Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides, respectively.
Recent studies in molecular plant-pathogen interactions have demonstrated promise in understanding specific mechanisms associated with plant responses to fungal infection and mycotoxin contamination1,2,3,4,5,6. Because many labs are using kernel assays to study plant-pathogen interactions, there is a need for a standardized method for quantifying different biological parameters, so results from different laboratories can be cross-interpreted. For a robust and reproducible means for quantitative analyses on seeds, we have developed in-lab kernel assays and subsequent methods to quantify fungal growth, biomass, and mycotoxin contamination. Four sterilized maize kernels are inoculated in glass vials with a fungal suspension (106) and incubated for a predetermined period. Sample vials are then selected for enumeration of conidia by hemocytometer, ergosterol-based biomass analysis by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), aflatoxin quantification using an AflaTest fluorometer method, and fumonisin quantification by HPLC.
Protocol
Discussion
The methods described here have been tested extensively and proven to be robust in the generation of quantifiable results for fungal colonization, sporogenesis, and production of mycotoxins. Moreover, these methods should be applicable to seeds from other plant species that are susceptible to contamination with mycotoxigenic fungi (e.g. peanuts, wheat, cotton, pistachios, etc.). For competent plant-pathogen interaction analyses, it is imperative that the seeds be kept alive. A small wound site on the embryo side of the …
Disclosures
The authors have nothing to disclose.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Brandon Hassett and Carlos Ortiz for their technical assistance. This work was supported by the NSF grants IOB-0544428, IOS-0951272, and IOS-0925561 to Dr. Michael Kolomiets, and by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), AFRI Plant Breeding and Education Grant #2010-85117-20539 to Drs. Seth Murray, Thomas Isakeit, and Michael Kolomiets.
Materials
| Name of the reagent | Company | Catalog # |
| Potato Dextrose Agar | Fisher Scientifc | S71659A |
| Tween-20 | Fisher Scientifc | BP337-100 |
| Plastic incubation container | Sterilite | 1713LAB06 |
| Blender | Vicam | 20200 |
| 24 cm Fluted Filter Papers | Vicam | 31240 |
| 1.5 μm glass microfibre | Vicam | 31955 |
| Afla Test column | Vicam | G1024 |
| Afrla Test Developer | Vicam | 32010 |
| Methanol | Vicam | 35016 |
| Acetonitrile | Fisher Scientifc | AC14952-0025 |
| Ethanol | Fisher Scientifc | AC39769-0025 |
| C-18 solid phase extraction column (Prep SEP SPE C18 Column) | Fisher Scientifc | 60108-304 |
| O-phthalaldehyde (OPA) | Sigma Chemical Co | 79760-5g |
| Boric acid | Fisher Scientifc | BP168-500 |
| Sodium borate | Fisher Scientifc | RDCS0330500 |
| Mercaptoethanol | Fisher Scientifc | 45-000-231 |
| Shimadzu HPLC LC-20AT (Pump) | Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc. | LC-20AT |
| Zorbax ODS column (4.6x150mm) | Agilent Technologies | 443905-902 |
| Shimatzu RF-10Axl fluorescence detector | Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc. | RF-10AXL |
| Sodium phosphate | Fisher Scientifc | AC38987-0010 |
| FB1 standards | Sigma Chemical Co. | F1147-1mg |
| Chloroform | VWR | MK444410 |
| 13 mm syringe filter with 0.45 um nylon membrane (HPLC) | Pall Life Science | 4426 |
| Ergosterol | Sigma-Aldrich | 45480-50G-F |
| Scintillation vials | VWR | 66021-602 |
| Sodium Chloride | Vicam | G1124 |
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