Secondary metabolites from wild potato species with anti-oomycotic activity

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Sabine Rosahl
• Subject Area: Plant Breeding and Plant Pathology
• Term: from 2018 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 397106967

The oomycete Phytophthora infestans is the causal agent of late blight, the most devastating potato disease. To prevent pathogen entry, plants synthesize and secrete antimicrobial secondary metabolites onto their leaf surface. The project exploits the diversity of extracellular metabolites of resistant wild potato species to identify novel defense compounds with anti-oomycotic activity. Elucidation of the biosynthetic pathway and the export mechanism will enable the transfer to cultivated potato species, thus enhancing the defense potential against P. infestans.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants