FcMgv1, FcStuA and FcVeA Based Genetic Characterization in Fusarium culmorum (W.G. Smith)

Fusarium culmorum (W.G. Smith) causes economic losses in wheat and barley fields in Turkey and many other countries through head blight and crown rot. This study investigated the in vitro growth capacity of 33 F. culmorum isolates from Turkey and the relationship between phenotypic characteristics and genetic similarities based on the FcMgv1, FcStuA and FcVeA genes. Linear growth rates were recorded after 4 and 7 days of incubation and ranged from 7.58 ± 1.06 to 14.7 ± 1.26 mm/day. Isolates F2 and 18F, with relatively high growth rates, and isolates 12F and F19, with relatively low rates, were selected for multilocus genotyping. The FcMgv1, FcStuA and FcVeA genes were amplified at lengths of 1,733, 2,001 and 1,898 bp, respectively. The sequences were aligned and analysed using BLASTn and maximum-likelihood topology. Each gene showed maximum similarity to the corresponding genes deposited in NCBI, with E-values of 0.0 and bit scores ranging from 1,188 to 3,256. Alignment analysis yielded at least 89% bootstrap support, and isolates with similar linear growth rates clustered together in the phylogenetic analysis. These findings indicate that the three genes, which are essential for fungal survival, can be used to genetically characterize isolates and examine associations between genetic and phenotypic traits.