Impact of proquinazid on appressorial development of the barley powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis f.sp hordei

The effect of a novel mildew-specific quinazolinone fungicide, proquinazid, on the barley powdery mildew fungus, Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei, has been studied using scanning electron microscopy and quantitative RT-PCR. Proquinazid has previously been shown to perturb conidial morphogenesis, similar to quinoxyfen, a currently widely used mildewicide. In this study, we confirm an effect of proquinazid on appressorial differentiation. By comparison to quinoxyfen, however, proquinazid affects this highly coordinated process differently, with more deformed appressorial germ tubes observed, often growing away from the leaf surface. Comparison of the expression of genes involved in the transduction of signals directing conidial development has also suggested differences in the affects of proquinazid and quinoxyfen. In particular, the expression of the Ras-type GTPase activating gene, previously implicated in quinoxyfen resistance, is distinctly affected by proquinazid treatment at time points critical to normal conidial morphogenesis. Together, these data indicate differences in the mechanisms by which proquinazid perturbs appressorial differentiation in comparison with quinoxyfen.