Pulsed electric field (PEF) has previously been recognized as a method of gentle food processing, and its use has been shown to be helpful in reducing the levels of toxigenic Fusarium micromycetes developed during malting. The aim of this study was to describe the effects of PEF on gene expression and metabolite production at the pre-finishing stage of barley malting by using a novel multi-omics data-driven approach. The study helps to uncover the processes occurring in the germinated grain and discusses the up-/downregulation of genes and metabolites in relation to fungal infection and/or PEF-induced abiotic stress. Among the factors upregulated by PEF and previously described as supportive against Fusarium diseases, we identified the increased expression of genes encoding vegetative gp1-like protein, which positively correlated with flavonoids, (methylsulfanyl)prop-2-enoates, triterpenoid glycosides, and indole alkaloids. On the other hand, some genes associated with barley resistance to fungal infection were also overexpressed in the untreated control (in particular, genes encoding ethylene response factor 3-like, putrescine hydroxycinnamoyltransferase 3-like, and dirigent protein 21-like). This study provides the first 'data-driven' basic research results that contribute to the understanding of the role of PEF as an effective fungal decontamination strategy and allows the formulation of new hypotheses related to Fusarium pathogen crosstalk.

• Klíčová slova
• Fusarium micromycetes, abiotic stress, barley, metabolomics, multi-omics, pulsed electric field, transcriptomics,
• MeSH
• dekontaminace * metody   MeSH
• elektřina * MeSH
• Fusarium * patogenita   MeSH
• ječmen (rod) * mikrobiologie   genetika   metabolismus   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• jedlá semena * mikrobiologie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• multiomika MeSH
• nemoci rostlin mikrobiologie   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u rostlin MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Fusarium fungi are widespread pathogens of food crops, primarily associated with the formation of mycotoxins. Therefore, effective mitigation strategies for these toxicogenic microorganisms are required. In this study, the potential of pulsed electric field (PEF) as an advanced technology of increasing use in the food processing industry was investigated to minimize the viability of Fusarium pathogens and to characterize the PEF-induced changes at the metabolomic level. Spores of four Fusarium species (Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium poae, and Fusarium sporotrichioides) were treated with PEF and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates. The viability of the Fusarium species was assessed by counting the colony-forming units, and changes in the mycotoxin content and metabolomic fingerprints were evaluated by using UHPLC-HRMS/MS instrumental analysis. For metabolomic data processing and compound identification, the MS-DIAL (v. 4.80)-MS-CleanR-MS-Finder (v. 3.52) software platform was used. As we found out, both fungal viability and the ability to produce mycotoxins significantly decreased after the PEF treatment for all of the species tested. The metabolomes of the treated and untreated fungi showed statistically significant differences, and PEF-associated biomarkers from the classes oxidized fatty acid derivatives, cyclic hexapeptides, macrolides, pyranocoumarins, carbazoles, and guanidines were identified.

• Klíčová slova
• Fusarium, UHPLC-HRMS/MS, biomarkers, food pathogens, metabolomic fingerprinting, mycotoxins, pulsed electric field, spore viability,
• MeSH
• elektřina * MeSH
• Fusarium * metabolismus   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• metabolom * MeSH
• metabolomika MeSH
• mikrobiální viabilita MeSH
• mykotoxiny * metabolismus   MeSH
• spory hub metabolismus   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• mykotoxiny * MeSH