A method for reducing the concentrations of Fusarium graminearum trichothecenes in durum wheat grain with the use of Debaryomyces hansenii

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused mainly by Fusarium graminearum, is one of the most dangerous diseases of durum wheat. This hemibiotrophic pathogen transitions from the biotrophic phase, during which it penetrates host tissues and secretes trichothecenes, to the necrotrophic phase which leads to the destruction of host tissues. Yeasts applied to spikes often reduce mycotoxin concentrations, but the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the concentrations trichothecenes in durum wheat grain and changes in the F. graminearum transcriptome under the influence the Debaryomyces hansenii antagonistic yeast strain. Debaryomyces hansenii cells adhered to and formed cell aggregates/biofilm on the surface of spikes and pathogenic hyphae. Biological control suppressed the spread of F. graminearum by 90 % and decreased the content of deoxynivalenol (DON) in spikes by 31.2 %. Yeasts significantly reduced the expression of pathogen's genes encoding the rpaI subunit of RNA polymerase I and the activator of Hsp90 ATPase, but they had no effect on mRNA transcript levels of genes encoding the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of trichothecenes. The yeast treatment reduced the number of F. graminearum operational taxonomic units (OTUs) nearly five-fold and increased the number of D. hansenii OTUs more than six-fold in the spike mycobiome. The mechanisms that suppress infections should be explored to develop effective biological methods for reducing the concentrations mycotoxins in wheat grain.