SzMBL1, a metallo-β-lactamase gene in Sarocladium zeae, confers tolerance to the maize phytoanticipin 2-benzoxazolinone.

SzMBL1 gene in Sarocladium zeae enables detoxification of maize antimicrobial compound BOA, with some strains showing enhanced tolerance and growth at high concentrations.

• Why it matters: Understanding how fungi tolerate maize's defensive metabolites like BOA reveals mechanisms of fungal adaptation and interactions within the maize microbiome, impacting plant health and disease resistance.
• What they did: Researchers deleted and complemented SzMBL1 in S. zeae, demonstrating its role in hydrolyzing BOA into a non-toxic metabolite, with some complemented strains exhibiting increased gene copies and expression.
• The result: The findings confirm SzMBL1's function in BOA detoxification, suggesting horizontal gene transfer of the FDB1 cluster among maize-associated fungi, which influences fungal survival and host interactions.