Deciphering the molecular mechanisms involved in the interaction sugarcane, Diatraea saccharalis, Colletotrichum falcatum and Fusarium verticillioides

• Grant number: 21/06565-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: October 01, 2021
• End date: December 15, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy
• Principal Investigator: Márcio de Castro Silva Filho
• Grantee: Diego Zanardo Gallan
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/01945-0 - Deciphering molecular mechanisms involved in the interaction of banana, Cosmopolites sordidus and Fusarium oxysporum, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

The colonization of sugarcane stems by opportunistic fungi, such as Fusarium verticillioides and Colletotrichum falcatum, is directly linked to the attack of the Diatraea saccharalis caterpillar. Previous studies carried out by the group identified that defense proteins with antifungal effect on F. verticillioides and C. falcatum can be previously induced by the attack of the D. saccharalis borer on sugarcane, indicating an important association between insect and opportunistic fungi. Deepening the study of this interaction showed that both the fungus F. verticillioides and C. falcatum are able to attract and stimulate the feeding of D. saccharalis caterpillars due to the release of volatile compounds. In other high-impact work, we showed that F. verticillioides modulates the responses of sugarcane and sugarcane borer to promote their dissemination, so that, once the adult stage of the insect is reached, the fungus is vertically transmitted to its offspring, which continues the cycle by inoculating the fungus into healthy plants. Another evidence is that females of D. saccharalis that do not carry F. verticillioides prefer to lay their eggs on plants infected with the fungus than on healthy plants, on the other hand, females that carry the fungus prefer to lay their eggs in healthy plants to infected plants. These data guide the present work in search of a deeper and more comprehensive knowledge of these organisms, aiming to explore the interaction between cane-borer-C. falcatum-F. verticillioides evaluating: 1) how the vertical transfer of F. verticillioides into D. saccharalis is mediated; 2) how and where fungi F. verticillioides and C. falcatum lodge in the development of D. saccharalis; 3) morphological and cellular changes resulting from the insect-fungus interaction; 4) sugarcane defense machinery under attack by pathogens and the borer. (AU)

Scientific publications

(The scientific publications listed on this page originate from the Web of Science or SciELO databases. Their authors have cited FAPESP grant or fellowship project numbers awarded to Principal Investigators or Fellowship Recipients, whether or not they are among the authors. This information is collected automatically and retrieved directly from those bibliometric databases.)

GALLAN, DIEGO Z.; HENRIQUE, MARESSA O.; SILVA-FILHO, MARCIO C.. The Phytopathogen Fusarium verticillioides Modifies the Intestinal Morphology of the Sugarcane Borer. PATHOGENS, v. 12, n. 3, p. 12-pg., 2023-03-01. (21/06565-6, 19/15488-5)

DIEGO Z. GALLAN; AUGUSTO B. PENTERICHE; MARESSA O. HENRIQUE; MARCIO C. SILVA-FILHO. Sugarcane multitrophic interactions: Integrating belowground and aboveground organisms. GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, v. 46, n. 1, 2022-12-09. (21/06565-6, 19/15488-5)

PENTERICHE, AUGUSTO B.; GALLAN, DIEGO Z.; SILVA-FILHO, MARCIO C.. Is it time to shift towards multifactorial biotic stress in plant research?. PLANT STRESS, v. 17, p. 9-pg., 2025-09-01. (19/15488-5, 21/06565-6, 23/01945-0, 22/09473-8)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

GALLAN, Diego Zanardo. Chemical signaling, microbial reconfiguration, and behavioral modulation in plantinsect-pathogen interactions. 2025. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC) Piracicaba.