Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
C
HAPTER
13
Role of Pathogenic Genes
of
Fusarium oxysporum,
Coding
Cell Wall Degrading Enzymes
during Wilt Infection in Plants
Vijai Kumar Gupta,* Maria Tuohy and A. Manimaran
Abstract
Fusarium
spp. is a fi lamentous fungus widely distributed on plants and soil, caus-
ing an important economic loss in the agro-feeding industry. Among
Fusarium
spp.,
Fusarium oxysporum
is one of the most important fungal agent causing vascular
wilt disease in a variety of crops. Fungal secondary metabolites/bio-molecules
like cell wall degrading enzymes that are related to virulence of fungal agents
would lead to identifi cation of genes involved in controlling pathogenicity. These
genes are responsible for production of extra-cellular enzymes in plant pathogenic
fungi, which degrades the cell wall components of plants to provide entry of
fungal infection in to the host cell. These fungi do not only digest plant cell wall
polymers to obtain an important nutrient source but also degrade the cell wall
enabling cell penetration and spread through plant tissue.
INTRODUCTION
Fusarium oxysporum
is a causative agent of wilt disease in a wide range
of economically important crops (Booth, 1984).
Fusarium oxysporum
Schlechtend. Fr. is an anamorphic species circumscribed by different
morphological criteria: principally the shape and size of the macroconidium,
