A Putative Role for Fusaric Acid in Biocontrol of the Parasitic Angiosperm <i>Orobanche ramosa</i>

    May 2006 in “ Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions ”
    Brahim Bouizgarne, Hayat El‐Maarouf‐Bouteau, Karine Madiona, Bernadette Biligui, M. Monestiez, Anne Marie Pennarun, Zahia Amiar, J.P. Rona, Yedir Ouhdouch, I. El Hadrami, François Bouteau
    TLDR Fusaric acid may help control Orobanche ramosa by activating plant defenses.
    The study investigated the role of fusaric acid (FA), a toxin produced by Fusarium spp., in the biocontrol of the parasitic angiosperm Orobanche ramosa. It was found that while large concentrations of FA inhibited root and root-hair growth, nanomolar concentrations induced a transient membrane hyperpolarization in root hairs, suggesting activation of a signal transduction pathway. Although FA at 10^-7 M did not trigger defense-related genes, it inhibited the germination of Orobanche ramosa when in contact with FA-pretreated Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. These findings suggested that FA at nontoxic levels could activate plant-defense responses, potentially contributing to the biocontrol capabilities of Fusarium spp.
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