The Interaction Between Nonpathogenic Mutants of Colletotrichum and Fusarium, and the Plant Host Defense System

The intent of this proposal was to study the interaction between nonpathogenic mutants of Colletotrichum magna and Fusarium oxysporum, and the cucurbit host defense system. We had shown previously that a nonpathogenic endophytic mutant path- 1 of C. magna, caused no visible disease symptoms but protected watermelon seedlings from disease caused by the wildtype isolate and F. o. niveum. Objectives were: 1) Determine the microscopic, biochemical and molecular genetic interaction between "protected" (path- 1 colonized) cucurbit hosts and wildtype isolates of C. magna; 2) Isolate non-pathogenic mutants of F.o. melonis and test feasibility for protecting plants against fungal diseases. We found that path-1 caused no visible disease symptoms in cucurbit seedlings but conferred disease resistance against pathogenic isolates of C. magna, C. orbiculare, and F. oxysporum. Disease resistance conferred by path-1 correlated to a decrease in the time of activation of host defense systems after exposure of path-1 colonized plants to virulent pathogens. This was determined by monitoring the biochemical activity of PAL and peroxidase, and the deposition of lignin. It appears that path-1-conferred disease resistance is a multigenic phenomenon which should be more difficult for pathogen to overcome than single gene conferred resistance. Based on the benefits conferred by path-1, we have defined this mutant as expressing a mutualistic lifestyle. REMI (restriction enzyme-mediated integration) nonpathogenic mutants were also isolated using pHA1.3 plasmid linearized with Hind III and transformed into wildtype C. magna. The integrated vector and flanking genomic DNA sequences in REMI mutant R1 was re-isolated and cloned resulting in a product of approximately 11 kb designated pGMR1. Transformations of wildtype C. magna with pGMR1 resulted in the same non-pathogenic phenotype. A nonpathogenic mutant of F.o. melonis (pathogenic to melon) was isolated that colonized melon plants but elicited no disease symptoms in seedlings and conferred 25 - 50% disease protection against the virulent wildtype isolate. Subsequently, nonpathogenic mutant isolates of F.o. niveum (pathogenic to watermelon) were also isolated. Their protection capacity against the respective wildtype parent is currently under investigation. This research has provided information toward a better understanding of host-parasite interactions; specifically, endophytes, pathogens and their hosts. It will also allow us to assess the potential for utilizing nonpathogenic mutants as biological control agents against fungal pathogens and isolating molecular genetic factors of pathogenicity in Fusarium.