Preventing Fusarium Head Blight of Wheat and Cob Rot of Maize by Inhibition of Fungal Deoxyhypusine Synthase

• Published in: Molecular plant-microbe interactions Vol. 24; no. 5; pp. 619 - 627
• Main Authors: Woriedh, Mayada, Hauber, Ilona, Martinez-Rocha, Ana Lilia, Voigt, Christian, Maier, Frank J, Schröder, Marcus, Meier, Chris, Hauber, Joachim, Schäfer, Wilhelm
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: St. Paul, MN APS Press 01.05.2011; The American Phytopathological Society
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cloning, Molecular; corn; enzymatic reactions; Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 5A; flowers; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; fungi; Fusarium - drug effects; Fusarium - enzymology; Fusarium - genetics; Fusarium - pathogenicity; Fusarium graminearum; Fusarium head blight; Genes, Fungal - genetics; Genes, Plant - genetics; Germination - drug effects; humans; Hydrazones - pharmacology; lysine; messenger RNA; microbial growth; Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors - antagonists & inhibitors; Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors - genetics; Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors - metabolism; pathogens; Peptide Initiation Factors - drug effects; Peptide Initiation Factors - metabolism; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Plant Diseases - microbiology; plant growth; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism; ribosomes; RNA-Binding Proteins - drug effects; RNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; seed development; Spores, Fungal - drug effects; Spores, Fungal - physiology; translation (genetics); Triticum - enzymology; Triticum - genetics; Triticum - microbiology; wheat; Zea mays - enzymology; Zea mays - genetics; Zea mays - microbiology; Fungi; Monocotyledones; Zea mays; Enzyme; Gramineae; Angiospermae; Fusarium; Spermatophyta; Fungi Imperfecti; Synthase; Cereal crop; Triticum aestivum
• ISSN: 0894-0282; 1943-7706
• DOI: 10.1094/MPMI-03-10-0068

Upon posttranslational activation, the eukaryotic initiation factor-5A (eIF-5A) transports a subset of mRNAs out of the nucleus to the ribosomes for translation. Activation of the protein is an evolutionary highly conserved process that is unique to eIF-5A, the conversion of a lysine to a hypusine. Instrumental for the synthesis of hypusine is the first of two enzymatic reactions mediated by deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS). We show that DHS of wheat and the pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum, which causes one of the most destructive crop diseases worldwide, are transcriptionally upregulated during their pathogenic interaction. Although DHS of wheat, fungus, and human can be equally inhibited by the inhibitor CNI-1493 in vitro, application during infection of wheat and maize flowers results in strong inhibition of the pathogen without interference with kernel development. Our studies provide a novel strategy to selectively inhibit fungal growth without affecting plant growth. We identified fungal DHS as a target for the development of new inhibitors, for which CNI-1493 may serve as a lead substance.