Fusarium fujikuroi Species Complex Associated with Rice, Maize, and Soybean from Jiangsu Province, China: Phylogenetic, Pathogenic, and Toxigenic Analysis

Species belonging to the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) are of vital importance and are a major concern for food quantity and quality worldwide, as they not only cause serious diseases in crops but also produce various mycotoxins. To characterize the population structure and evaluate the risk of poisonous secondary metabolites, a total of 237 candidate strains were isolated from rice, maize, and soybean samples in Jiangsu Province, China. Species identification of the individual strain was accomplished by sequencing the translation elongation factor 1a gene (TEF-1a) and the fumonisin (FB) synthetic gene (FUM1). The distribution of Fusarium species among the different crops was observed. The maize seeds were dominated by F. proliferatum (teleomorph, Gibberella intermedia) and F. verticillioides (teleomorph, G. moniliformis), whereas F. fujikuroi (teleomorph, G. fujikuroi) was the most frequently isolated species from rice and soybean samples. In addition, phylogenetic analyses of these strains were performed, and the results suggested clear groups showing no obvious relationship with the origin source. FFSC species pathogenicity and toxigenicity were studied. All of the species reduced the rice seed germination rate, with no significant differences. F. fujikuroi showed two distinct patterns of influencing the length of rice seedlings, which were correlated with FBs and gibberellic acid synthesis. FBs were mainly produced by F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum. F. proliferatum and F. fujikuroi also produced moniliformin and beauvericin. The toxigenicity of F. andiyazi (teleomorph, G. andiyazi) was extremely low. Further analysis indicated that the sequence variations in TEF-1a and the differences in the expression levels of the toxin synthesis genes were associated with the diversity of secondary metabolites in F. fujikuroi strains. These findings provide insight into the population-level characterization of the FFSC and might be helpful in the development of strategies for the management of diseases and mycotoxins.