Dwarf bunt of wheat, caused by Tilletia controversa Kühn (TCK), is a destructive disease on wheat, as well as an important international quarantine disease. The traditional methods for diagnosis and detection of the disease were mostly based on the morphological characteristics, germination test of teliospores, and the symptom of disease in the field, resulting in a long procedure and low accur...

To investigate the role of Peroxidase and its physiological significance under Karnal Bunt (KB) were determined in resistant (HD-29) and susceptible genotype (WH-542) of wheat during different developmental stages. The enzymes were expressed constitutively in both the susceptible and resistant genotype. In gel assay and differential expression analysis of POD was significantly higher (p >0.05) ...

Alteration of genetic make-up of the isolates and monosporidial strains of Tilletia indica causing Karnal bunt (KB) disease in wheat was analyzed using DNA markers and SDS-PAGE. The generation of new variation with different growth characteristics is not a generalized feature and is not only dependant on the original genetic make up of the base isolate/monosporidial strains but also on interact...

The order Tilletiales (Ustilaginomycetes, Basidiomycota) includes six genera (Conidiosporomyces, Erratomyces, Ingoldiomyces, Neovossia, Oberwinkleria and Tilletia) and approximately 150 species. All members of Tilletiales infect hosts in the grass family Poaceae with the exception of Erratomyces spp., which occur on hosts in the Fabaceae. Morphological features including teliospore ornamentatio...

A shipment of Fults alkaligrass seed (Puccinellia distans) grown in Washington state containing bunted florets was intercepted by quarantine officials at China's Tianjin Entry-Exit Quarantine and Inspection Bureau. The bunted florets were filled with irregularly shaped, reticulately ornamented teliospores that germinated in a manner characteristic of systemically infecting Tilletia spp. on gras...

Signaling pathways that activate different mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in response to certain environmental conditions, play important role in mating type switching (Fus3) and pathogenicity (Pmk1) in many fungi. In order to determine the roles of such regulatory genes in Tilletia indica, the causal pathogen of Karnal bunt (KB) of wheat, semi-quantitative and quantitative RT-PCR wa...

Volatile organic compounds produced by the fungus Muscodor albus inhibit or kill numerous fungi. The effect of these volatiles was tested on dormant and physiologically active teliospores of the smut fungi Tilletia horrida, Tilletia indica, and Tilletia tritici, which cause kernel smut of rice, Karnal bunt of wheat, and common bunt of wheat, respectively. Reactivated rye grain culture of M. alb...

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based RAPD profiles, in conjunction with six primers, of Karnal bunt of wheat and rice bunt exhibiting distinct polymorphic DNA. A total of 84 RAPD loci were observed on polyacrylamide gel for both Tilletia sps. Out of 84, 16 loci were found monomorphic, while other 68 loci were unique. Usefulness of random primers was also checked with other seed borne fungal pa...

Tilletia horrida is the most destructive fungal pathogen of rice (Oryza sativa L.). The 20,105,270-bp draft genome sequence of T. horrida strain QB-1 is reported here. Genes encoding proteins associated with key virulence factors were predicted, and this can provide information for understanding the pathogenic mechanisms in T. horrida.