Evolution of Benzimidazole Resistance Caused by Multiple Double Mutations of β-Tubulin in Corynespora cassiicola

Unveiling the resistance risk and resistance mechanism of florylpicoxamid in Corynespora cassiicola from cucumber

Florylpicoxamid, a QiI fungicide, demonstrates broad-spectrum activity against a wide range of phytopathogenic organisms belonging to the phyla Basidiomycota and Ascomycota. Nevertheless, the potential for resistance and the underlying resistance mechanisms of Corynespora cassiicola against florylpicoxamid are still not fully understood. We determined the baseline sensitivity levels of 101 C. cassiicola isolates to florylpicoxamid. The EC50 values varied from 0.01 to 1.18 μg/mL with an average of 0.50 μg/mL. Laboratory-induced fungicide adaptation of nine wild-type isolates generated seven C. cassiicola mutants exhibiting high level of resistance to florylpicoxamid, all originating from a single parental isolate. The mutants maintained their resistance even after undergoing ten successive cultivations on a medium devoid of fungicides. No cross-resistance was detected between florylpicoxamid and pyraclostrobin, fluopyram, prochloraz, or propineb. Five of the resistant mutants showed an improved compound fitness index (CFI) relative to their parental isolate, whereas the remainder displayed either a reduced or comparable CFI. All seven of the resistant mutants displayed an A37V substitution within the CcCytb protein, which was responsible for the resistance to florylpicoxamid, as validated through molecular docking analysis. Furthermore, an allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) method for detecting the CcCytbA37V mutation was successfully established. In summarize, the findings of this study indicate a moderate risk of C. cassiicola developing resistance to florylpicoxamid, with the A37V substitution in CcCytb playing a key role in this resistance, detectable through the use of specific AS-PCR primers.

Resistance risk and mechanism of Ustilaginoidea virens to pydiflumetofen

Rice false smut, caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, is a devastating fungal disease in rice that not only leads to yield reduction but also poses a serious threat to food safety and human health due to the production of numerous mycotoxins. Pydiflumetofen, one of the most promising SDHI fungicides widely used for controlling various plant diseases, lacks available information regarding its antifungal activity against U. virens and the potential risk of resistance development in this pathogen. In this study, we evaluated the sensitivity of 33 field-isolated strains of U. virens to pydiflumetofen using mycelial growth inhibition method and assessed the potential for resistance development. The EC50 values for pydiflumetofen against the tested strains ranged from 0.0032 to 0.0123 μg/mL, with an average EC50 value of 0.0056 ± 0.0025 μg/mL. In addition, four strains of U. virens were randomly selected for chemical taming to evaluate their resistance risk to pydiflumetofen, resulting in the successful generation of eight stable and inheritable resistant mutants at a frequency of 1 %. These mutants exhibited significant differences in biological fitness compared to their respective parental strains. Cross-resistance tests revealed a correlation between pydiflumetofen and fluxapyroxad as well as fluopyram, but no evidence of cross-resistance was observed between pydiflumetofen and boscalid or tebuconazole. Therefore, we can conclude that the risk of resistance development in U. virens to pydiflumetofen is moderate. Finally, the target genes SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD in U. virens were initially identified, cloned, and sequenced to elucidate the mechanism underlying U. virens resistance to pydiflumetofen. Three mutation genotypes were found in the mutants: SDHB-H239Y, SDHB-H239L, and SDHC-A77V. The mutants carrying SDHB-H239Y exhibited low resistance, while SDHC-A77V showed moderate resistance, but the mutants with SDHB-H239L demonstrated high resistance. These findings contribute significantly to our comprehensive understanding of molecular mechanisms involved in the resistance of U. virens to pydiflumetofen, and provide an important reference for chemical control strategies against rice false smut in the field.

Overexpression of the CcCYP51A and CcCYP51B genes confer Corynespora cassiicola resistance to prochloraz

Cucumber Corynespora leaf spot caused by Corynespora cassiicola is the primary disease responsible for reducing cucumber yield, and prochloraz is the main fungicide used to control C. cassiicola. This study investigated the sensitivity and resistance mechanism of C. cassiicola isolates to prochloraz, and found that C. cassiicola has developed resistance to prochloraz. The prochloraz EC50 values ranged from 0.02 to 2.33 μg/mL, with a mean of 0.436 ± 0.447 μg/mL. In total, 36 of 146 isolates exhibited prochloraz resistance. The resistant isolates had no fitness cost and could not be completely controlled by 50 μg/mL prochloraz on detached leaves. Prochloraz exhibited positive cross-resistance with propiconazole and tebuconazole but not with difenoconazole, carbendazim, trifloxystrobin and pydiflumetofen. The sensitive isolates had significantly lower ergosterol content than the resistant isolates after prochloraz treatment. Compared to sensitive isolates, prochloraz-resistant isolates had no CcCYP51 gene mutation, but the CcCYP51A and CcCYP51B gene expression levels were significantly higher under the treatment of prochloraz. The overexpression of CcCYP51A and CcCYP51B were associated with prochloraz resistance in C. cassiicola.

Expanding the Structural Diversity of Tubulin-Targeting Agents: Development of Highly Potent Benzimidazoles for Treating Fungal Diseases

Benzimidazoles, the representative pharmacophore of fungicides, have excellent antifungal potency, but their simple structure and single site of action have hindered their wider application in agriculture. In order to extend the structural diversity of tubulin-targeted benzimidazoles, novel benzimidazole derivatives were prepared by introducing the attractive pyrimidine pharmacophore. 2-((6-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy)pyrimidin-4-yl)thio)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole (A25) exhibited optimal antifungal activity against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (S. s.), affording an excellent half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) of 0.158 μg/mL, which was higher than that of the reference agent carbendazim (EC50 = 0.594 μg/mL). Pot experiments revealed that compound A25 (200 μg/mL) had acceptable protective activity (84.7%) and curative activity (78.1%), which were comparable with that of carbendazim (protective activity: 90.8%; curative activity: 69.9%). Molecular docking displayed that multiple hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions could be formed between A25 and β-tubulin, resulting in a stronger bonding effect than carbendazim. Fluorescence imaging revealed that the structure of intracellular microtubules can be changed significantly after A25 treatment. Overall, these remarkable antifungal profiles of constructed novel benzimidazole derivatives could facilitate the application of novel microtubule-targeting agents.

Resistance Risk and Molecular Mechanism of Tomato Wilt Pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici to Pyraclostrobin

Tomato wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) results in a decrease in tomato yield and quality. Pyraclostrobin, a typical quinone outside inhibitor (QoI), inhibits the cytochrome bc1 complex to block energy transfer. However, there is currently limited research on the effectiveness of pyraclostrobin against Fol. In this study, we determined the activity of pyraclostrobin against Fol and found the EC50 values for pyraclostrobin against 100 Fol strains (which have never been exposed to QoIs before). The average EC50 value is 0.3739 ± 0.2413 μg/mL, indicating a strong antifungal activity of pyraclostrobin against Fol, as shown by unimodal curves of the EC50 values. Furthermore, we generated five resistant mutants through chemical taming and identified four mutants with high-level resistance due to the Cytb-G143S mutation and one mutant with medium-level resistance due to the Cytb-G137R mutation. The molecular docking results indicate that the Cytb-G143S or Cytb-G137R mutations of Fol lead to a change in the binding mode of Cytb to pyraclostrobin, resulting in a decrease in affinity. The resistant mutants exhibit reduced fitness in terms of mycelial growth (25 and 30 °C), virulence, and sporulation. Moreover, the mutants carrying the Cytb-G143S mutation suffer a more severe fitness penalty compared to those carrying the Cytb-G137R mutation. There is a positive correlation observed among azoxystrobin, picoxystrobin, fluoxastrobin, and pyraclostrobin for resistant mutants; however, no cross-resistance was detected between pyraclostrobin and pydiflumetofen, prochloraz, or cyazofamid. Thus, we conclude that the potential risk of resistance development in Fol toward pyraclostrobin can be categorized as ranging from low to moderate.

Monitoring Corynespora cassiicola Resistance to Boscalid, Trifloxystrobin, and Carbendazim in China

Cucumber leaf spot (CLS), caused by Corynespora cassiicola, is a serious disease of greenhouse cucumbers. With frequent use of existing fungicides, C. cassiicola has developed resistance to some of them, with serious implications for the control of CLS in the field. With a lack of new fungicides, it is necessary to use existing fungicides for effective control. Therefore, this study monitored the resistance of C. cassiicola to three commonly used and effective fungicides, boscalid, trifloxystrobin, and carbendazim, from 2017 to 2021. The frequency of resistance to boscalid showed an increasing trend, and the highest frequency was 85.85% in 2020. The frequency of resistance to trifloxystrobin was greater than 85%, and resistance to carbendazim was maintained at 100%. Among these fungicides, strains with multiple resistance to boscalid, trifloxystrobin, and carbendazim were found, accounting for 32.00, 25.25, 33.33, 43.06, and 37.24%, respectively. Of the strains that were resistant to boscalid, 87% had CcSdh mutations, including seven genotypes: B-H278L/Y, B-I280V, C-N75S, C-S73P, D-D95E, and D-G109V. Also, six mutation patterns of the Ccβ-tubulin gene were detected: E198A, F167Y, E198A&M163I, E198A&F167Y, M163I&F167Y, and E198A&F200C. Detection of mutations of the CcCytb gene in resistant strains showed that 98.8% were found to have only the G143A mutation. A total of 27 mutation combinations were found and divided into 14 groups for analysis. The resistance levels differed according to genotype. The development of genotypes showed a complex trend, increasing from 4 in 2017 to 13 in 2021 and varying by region. Multiple fungicide resistance is gradually increasing. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the types of mutations and the trend of resistance to guide the use of fungicides to achieve disease control.

Resistance risk assessment of mefentrifluconazole in Corynespora cassiicola and the control of cucumber target spot by a two-way mixture of mefentrifluconazole and prochloraz

The cucumber target spot, caused by Corynespora cassiicola, is a major cucumber disease in China. Mefentrifluconazole, a new triazole fungicide, exhibits remarkable efficacy in controlling cucumber target spot. However, the resistance risk and mechanism remain unclear. In this study, the inhibitory activity of mefentrifluconazole against 101 C. cassiicola isolates was determined, and the results indicated that the EC50 values ranged between 0.15 and 12.85 μg/mL, with a mean of 4.76 μg/mL. Fourteen mefentrifluconazole-resistant mutants of C. cassiicola were generated from six parental isolates in the laboratory through fungicide adaptation or UV irradiation. The resistance was relatively stable after ten consecutive transfers on a fungicide-free medium. No cross-resistance was observed between mefentrifluconazole and pyraclostrobin, fluopyram, prochloraz, mancozeb, or difenoconazole. Investigations into the biological characteristics of the resistant mutants revealed that six resistant mutants exhibited an enhanced compound fitness index (CFI) compared to the parental isolates, while others displayed a reduced or comparable CFI. The overexpression of CcCYP51A and CcCYP51B was detected in the resistant mutants, regardless of the presence or absence of mefentrifluconazole. Additionally, a two-way mixture of mefentrifluconazole and prochloraz at a concentration of 7:3 demonstrated superior control efficacy against the cucumber target spot, achieving a protection rate of 80%. In conclusion, this study suggests that the risk of C. cassiicola developing resistance to mefentrifluconazole is medium, and the overexpression of CcCYP51A and CcCYP51B might be associated with mefentrifluconazole resistance in C. cassiicola. The mefentrifluconazole and prochloraz two-way mixture presented promising control efficacy against the cucumber target spot.

Risk assessment for resistance to fludioxonil in Corynespora cassiicola in Liaoning China

Cucumber corynespora leaf spot, caused by Corynespora cassiicola, is the primary disease of cucumber leaves in greenhouses in China. Fludioxonil is a phenylpyrrole fungicide that inhibits C. cassiicola growth. We studied the sensitivity of 170 isolates of C. cassiicola to fludioxonil and evaluated resistance risk. All of the isolates were sensitive to fludioxonil. The EC50 values ranged from 0.082 to 0.539 μg/mL with a mean of 0.207 ± 0.0053 μg/mL. Laboratory-created mutants with a high resistance factor to fludioxonil were genetically stable after 10 transfers and showed positive cross-resistance to iprodione and procymidone but not to azoxystrobin, carbendazim, pydiflumetofen, and prochloraz. There was no significant difference in mycelial growth and temperature adaptation between the mutant s and the sensitive isolates, except for pathogenicity and sporulation. The resistant isolates accumulated less glycerol than their parental isolates and were more sensitive to osmotic stress. The histidine kinase activity of the sensitive isolates was significantly inhibited compared to that of the resistant mutants. Sequence alignment of the histidine kinase gene CCos revealed that the mutants RTL4, RXM5, and RFS102 had point mutations at different sites that resulted in amino acid changes at G934E, S739F, and A825P in the CCos protein. The mutant RFS102 had an alanine deletion at site 824. After fludioxonil treatment, CCos expression by RFS20 was significantly lower than that of the parental isolate. Our findings demonstrate that C. cassiicola exhibits moderate resistance to fludioxonil.

Sensitivity to 12 Fungicides and Resistance Mechanism to Trifloxystrobin, Carbendazim, and Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors in Cucumber Corynespora Leaf Spot (Corynespora cassiicola)

Corynespora cassiicola is the causal agent of cucumber Corynespora leaf spot, which affects many economically important plant species. Chemical control of this disease is hampered by the common development of fungicide resistance. In this study, 100 isolates from Liaoning Province were collected, and their sensitivity to 12 fungicides was determined. All the isolates (100%) were resistant to trifloxystrobin and carbendazim, and 98% were resistant to fluopyram, boscalid, pydiflumetofen, isopyrazam, and fluxapyroxad. However, none were resistant to propiconazole, prochloraz, tebuconazole, difenoconazole, and fludioxonil. The Cytb gene of trifloxystrobin-resistant isolates encoded the G143A mutation, whereas the β-tubulin gene of carbendazim-resistant isolates encoded the E198A and E198A and M163I mutations. Mutations in SdhB-I280V, SdhC-S73P, SdhC-H134R, SdhD-D95E, and SdhD-G109V were associated with resistance to the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs). Trifloxystrobin, carbendazim, and fluopyram were barely effective on the resistant isolates, whereas fludioxonil and prochloraz were effective on the isolates that were resistant to the quinone outside inhibitors (QoIs), SDHIs, and benzimidazoles. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that fungicide resistance seriously threatens the effective control of Corynespora leaf spot.

The intrinsic resistance of Fusarium solani to the Fusarium-specific fungicide phenamacril is attributed to the natural variation of both T218S and K376M in myosin5

Fusarium solani is responsible for causing root rot in various crops, resulting in wilting and eventual demise. Phenamacril, a specific inhibitor of myosin5 protein, has gained recognition as an effective fungicide against a broad spectrum of Fusarium species. It has been officially registered for controlling Fusarium diseases through spray application, root irrigation, and seed dipping. In this study, phenamacril was observed to exhibit negligible inhibitory effects on F. solani causing crop root rot, despite the absence of prior exposure to phenamacril. Considering the high selectivity of phenamacril, this phenomenon was attributed to intrinsic resistance and further investigated for its underlying mechanism. Sequence alignment analysis of myosin5 proteins across different Fusarium species revealed significant differences at positions 218 and 376. Subsequent homology modeling and molecular docking results indicated that substitutions T218S, K376M, and T218S&K376M impaired the binding affinity between phenamacril and myosin5 in F. solani. Mutants carrying these substitutions were generated via site-directed mutagenesis. A phenamacril-sensitivity test showed that the EC50 values of mutants carrying T218S, K376M, and T218S&K376M were reduced by at least 6.13-fold, 9.66-fold, and 761.90-fold respectively compared to the wild-type strain. Fitness testing indicated that mutants carrying K376M or T218S&K376M had reduced sporulation compared to the wild-type strain. Additionally, mutants carrying T218S exhibited an enhanced virulence compared to the wild-type strain. However, there were no significant differences observed in mycelial growth rates between the mutants and the wild-type strain. Thus, the intrinsic differences observed at positions 218 and 376 in myosin5 between F. solani and other Fusarium species are specifically associated with phenamacril resistance. The identification of these resistance-associated positions in myosin5 of F. solani has significantly contributed to the understanding of phenamacril resistance mechanisms, thereby discouraging the use of phenamacril for controlling F. solani.