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Abstract
The ability of the corn pathogen Fusarium moniliforme to degrade 6-methoxy-benzoxazolinone (MBOA) and 2-benzoxazolinone (BOA), natural compounds associated with fungal and insect resistance in corn (Zea mays), was investigated in vitro. The fungus completely catabolized 2.5 mM concentrations of both MBOA and BOA within 24 hours after addition of the compounds to liquid Czapek-Dox medium. Shake cultures of the fungus degraded both compounds more rapidly than static cultures, and BOA was catabolized more rapidly than MBOA. All isolates of F. moniliforme that were isolated from sweet or field corn catabolized these compounds. However, an isolate from rice (Oryzae sativa) catabolized neither MBOA nor BOA under these conditions. This finding is particularly interesting since rice does not contain the benzoxazolinones.