| Summary: | <i>Fusarium culmorum</i> is a ubiquitous soil pathogen with a wide host range. In flax (<i>Linum ussitatissimum</i>), it causes foot and root rot and accumulation of mycotoxins in flax products. Fungal infections lead to huge losses in the flax industry. Moreover, due to mycotoxin accumulation, flax products constitute a potential threat to the consumers. We discovered that the defense against this pathogen in flax is based on early oxidative burst among others. In flax plants infected with <i>F. culmorum</i>, the most affected genes are connected with ROS production and processing, callose synthesis and ABA production. We hypothesize that ABA triggers defense mechanism in flax and is a significant player in a successful response to infection.
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