Project Details
Projekt
Identification of genes of Colletotrichum graminicola involved in establishment and maintenance of compatibility
Applicant
Professor Dr. Holger B. Deising
Subject Area
Plant Breeding and Plant Pathology
Term
from 2006 to 2014
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 15847441
Colletotrichum graminicola is the causal agent of maize anthracnose. In a compatible interaction, this hemibiotrophic fungus sequentially establishes a biotrophic followed by a necrotrophic interaction. In order to identify genes that mediate compatibility with its host, two approaches will be taken: Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation will allow introducing non-targeted mutations, and selected candidate compatibility genes known from other Colletotrichum species will be inactivated in C. graminicola by homologous integration of a knock-out vector. The identified compatibility genes of C. graminicola will be functionally characterized. To understand redirection of carbon flow in different phases of pathogenesis, cDNAs corresponding to fungal hexose transporter genes will be cloned by complementation of a yeast mutant deficient in 20 sugar transporter genes. Hexose transporter mutants of C. graminicola will be produced and tested for their ability to colonize their host plant and to redirect carbon flow. Mutants produced by targeted or non-targeted mutagenesis, as well as hexose transporter mutants will also be tested for their ability to induce green islands , the occurrence of which can be taken as an indication of compatibility. In a cooperative effort using Affymetrix® Gene Arrays, changes in expression profiles in maize during fungal infection will be analyzed. We will provide C. graminicola-infected tissue to allow adding data for biotrophic and necrotrophic developmental phases of a hemibiotroph.
DFG Programme
Research Units
