Gene expression during early infection of the susceptible spring wheat cultivar Roblin with Fusarium graminearum strains producing or not DON.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a major disease of cereal crops caused by the fungus Fusarium graminearum (Fg). FHB affects the flowering heads (or spikes). This study compare the gene expression profile in wheat spikelets from the very susceptible spring wheat cultivar Roblin inoculated with either water (H2O), a Fg strain (GZ3639) producing the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (+DON), or a GZ3639-derived Fg strain which has been inactivated at the Tri5 locus (-DON). We used the Affymetrix wheat array to compare wheat spikelets from the very susceptible spring wheat cultivar Roblin inoculated with either water (H), a Fg strain (GZ3639; also called DAOM 233423) producing the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (+DON,) or a GZ3639-derived Fg strain (Tri5-; also called DAOM 221141) which has been inactivated at the Tri5 locus (-DON), using the point inoculation method; samplings were done at 2 and 4 days (d) after inoculation, for 2 (H) or 3 (+DON and -DON) biological replicates.