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Plant Sciences

Theses/Dissertations

Louisiana State University

Aflatoxin

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Resistance To Aflatoxin Accumulation In Maize Mediated By Host-Induced Gene Silencing Of Aspergillus Flavus Alkaline Protease And O-Methyltransferase-A Genes, Olanike Omotola Omolehin Jan 2021

Resistance To Aflatoxin Accumulation In Maize Mediated By Host-Induced Gene Silencing Of Aspergillus Flavus Alkaline Protease And O-Methyltransferase-A Genes, Olanike Omotola Omolehin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Aspergillus flavus is a soil-borne fungal pathogen that infects maize and produces aflatoxins. In the current study, portions of the alkaline protease (alk) and the O-methyl transferase (omtA) genes, which are key in A. flavus virulence and aflatoxin biosynthesis, respectively, were targeted for suppression through an RNAi (RNA interference) approach known as Host-Induced Gene Silencing (HIGS). Separate RNAi vectors were designed to carry regions of the alk and omtA gene fragments (Alk-RNAi and OmtA-RNAi) and introduced into B104 maize zygotic embryos. Eight and six transformation events were positive for the alk and omtA transgene, respectively. …


Transgenic Control Of Aflatoxin Contamination In Maize Through Host-Induced Gene Silencing Targeting Aspergillus Flavus Genes Encoding Polygalacturonase (P2c) And Versicolorin Dehydrogenase (Aflm), Yenjit Raruang Nov 2019

Transgenic Control Of Aflatoxin Contamination In Maize Through Host-Induced Gene Silencing Targeting Aspergillus Flavus Genes Encoding Polygalacturonase (P2c) And Versicolorin Dehydrogenase (Aflm), Yenjit Raruang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Maize (Zea mays L.) is susceptible to Aspergillus flavus infection and subsequent contamination with aflatoxins, the most potent naturally produced carcinogenic secondary metabolites. Here, the A. flavus gene aflM encoding the versicolorin dehydrogenase in aflatoxin biosynthesis and the p2c gene encoding the polygalacturonase that is involved in infection were selected as targets for suppression through host induced gene silencing (HIGS). A HIGS vector targeting these genes was constructed and introduced into immature B104 maize embryos. Thirteen out of fifteen p2c transformation events and six out of seven aflM events were confirmed positive by PCR. Kernels containing the p2c gene …


Investigations Into Aspergillus Flavus Infection Of Corn And Regulation Of Aflatoxin Production By Volatiles And Biocontrol Strains, Rebecca R. Sweany Jan 2019

Investigations Into Aspergillus Flavus Infection Of Corn And Regulation Of Aflatoxin Production By Volatiles And Biocontrol Strains, Rebecca R. Sweany

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Aspergillus flavus is an ascomycete fungus impacting agriculture, public and environmental health due to production of acutely-toxic, carcinogenic aflatoxins in oil seed crops, especially corn in Louisiana, and lung infections of immunocompromised patients resulting in a leading cause of AIDS patients’ deaths globally. The most effective aflatoxin mitigation strategy, biocontrol by atoxigenic A. flavus presents several concerns including: dissemination of a human pathogen, possible sexual reproduction and reliance on precise environmental conditions. Several aspects of A. flavus biology were investigated to potentially improve treatments. Studies investigated how genotypically diverse members within the A. flavus population interact with other population members …


Potential Roles Of Wrky Transcription Factors In Resistance To Aspergillus Flavus Colonization Of Immature Maize Kernels, Jake Clayton Fountain Jan 2013

Potential Roles Of Wrky Transcription Factors In Resistance To Aspergillus Flavus Colonization Of Immature Maize Kernels, Jake Clayton Fountain

LSU Master's Theses

The infection and colonization of maize (Zea mays L.) by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Aspergillus flavus results in contamination of kernel tissues with carcinogenic mycotoxins known as aflatoxins, resulting in severe economic losses as well as negative effects on human and animal health. Resistance to A. flavus is mediated by both inducible and constitutively expressed defense proteins; however the mechanism regulating the expression of these defenses is poorly understood. This study examined the potential roles of six maize WRKY transcription factors, ZmWRKY19, ZmWRKY21, ZmWRKY53, ZmWRKY53.1, ZmWRKY67, and ZmWRKY68, in regulating defense responses against …


Mechanism Of Intraspecific Toxin Inhibition In Aspergillus Flavus, Changwei Huang Jan 2007

Mechanism Of Intraspecific Toxin Inhibition In Aspergillus Flavus, Changwei Huang

LSU Master's Theses

Atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus was demonstrated by others as a promising biocontrol agent to minimize preharvest aflatoxins in susceptible crops. But the mechanism was unclear. A filter insert-well plate system was used to study the mechanism in lab. There was no inhibition when toxigenic A. flavus isolate 53 and inhibitory atoxigenic isolates were separated by 0.4 µm membrane, approximately 50% inhibition occurred when separated by 12 µm membrane, and complete inhibition occurred when a 74 µm membrane was used. This result suggested that touching or close physical interaction is needed for toxin inhibition and the nutrient competition hypothesis was not supported. …