Fusarium oxysporum: evaluation of intraspecific molecular biodiversity among the different formae speciales

Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC) includes the most widespread soil-borne fungal pathogens that pose a threat to food quality and safety due to their ability to produce toxic secondary metabolites, such as mycotoxins. In FOSC, species belonging to this complex have been reported as able to produce the so-called emerging mycotoxins, such as enniatins and beauvericin, which exhibit phytotoxic effects and contribute to the virulence of the producing strains, together with fusaric acid, another phytotoxic metabolite produced by this species. A distinctive feature of FOSC is the classification of strains into formae speciales based on host specificity, but there is still a knowledge gap between most and less studied. This new project aims to investigate the currently uncharacterized formae speciales from both genomic and metabolic point of view, since these traits have been shown to be the most informative in explaining variability among formae speciales. Genomic analysis will be focused on effectors, small proteins produced by fungi during host-plant interaction, which represent major pathogenicity determinants across different F. oxysporum formae speciales. The literature shows that strains belonging to the same forma specialis encode similar repertoires of effectors, suggesting that they can be used for more rapid discrimination of the different formae speciales. In addition, we will characterize the metabolic profiles of a selected group of strains using analysis of both targeted and untargeted metabolites, to explore potential correlations between host specificity, geographic origin, and metabolite production. The results obtained through different approaches will provide new genomic and metabolomic data, improving our understanding of toxigenic strain distribution within FOSC. This knowledge will enhance the resolution of evolutionary relationships among formae speciales and their association with host and environmental factors. Additionally, the identification of more reliable molecular markers for discrimination may lead to innovative strategies for crop protection, sustainable agriculture and food-safety