FOR 546:  Analysis of Systemic Effects of Infections of Selected Brassicaceae by Soil-borne Microorganisms Considering Especially Multitrophic Interactions with Insects and Microbial Pathogens

• Subject Area: Biology ; Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine
• Term: from 2004 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5471048

Verticillium is a soil-borne fungal plant pathogen that colonises the xylem of infected plants. The goal is to understand the systemic influence of this colonisation. Furthermore we investigate whether the colonisation affects other biotic interactions of the infected plants. We are focussing on the interaction between Verticillium longisporum and Brassica napus and Arabidopsis thaliana, respectively. In this interaction, symptoms like growth inhibition and early senescence and flowering are not necessarily due to the direct damaging effect of the fungus. They are rather triggered by fungal signals that accelerate plant development. The main goals of the research are:
-- identification of "systemic signals" being released from the xylem into the remainder of the plant. Modern analytical tools are used to analyse xylem sap and the fluid of the apoplast;
-- characterisation of the hormone status, the generation of signalling molecules and the pattern of gene expression of the host plant;
-- characterisation of the alteration of the fungal gene expression pattern;
-- characterisation of the volatiles and root exudates potentially influencing the interaction with insects.
This project combines the complementary expertises of eight Research Units from three different faculties (Biology, Agronomy, Forestry) of the University of Göttingen.

• DFG Programme: Research Units

Projects

• Analysis of Verticillium longisporum-induced gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana (Applicant Gatz, Christiane )
• Central project (Applicant Gatz, Christiane )
• Charakterisierung von Resistenzgenen gegen Verticillium longisporum in Brassicaceen (Applicant Diederichsen, Elke )
• Effects of Verticillium factors on cell biology and development of Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica napus roots (Applicant Teichmann, Thomas )
• Elucidation of chemical interactions of Verticillium longisporum with Brassica napus (Applicant Karlovsky, Petr )
• Expression profiling in Brassica napus L. infected with Verticililium longisporum (Applicant von Tiedemann, Andreas )
• Identification of differentially expressed biomarkers in the host-parasite interaction in the Brassica napus - Verticillium longisporum system (Applicant Braus, Gerhard H. )
• Multitrophische Interaktionen zwischen wurzelbürtigen Pilzen, Pflanzen, herbivoren Insekten und deren Parasitoiden (Applicant Vidal, Stefan )
• Screens to identify genes and mutants determining Verticillium - Arabidopsis interaction (Applicant Dröge-Laser, Wolfgang )
• Signals between Verticillium and Arabidopsis (Applicant Feußner, Ivo )
• Untersuchung infektionsspezifischer pflanzlicher Volatile nach einer Pilzinfektion auf Wahrnehmbarkeit und Wahlverhalten durch herbivore Insekten sowie deren Antagonisten (Applicant Schütz, Stefan )
• Verticillium longisporum induced changes in the extracellular compartment in Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica napus (Applicant Polle, Andrea )

• Spokesperson: Professorin Dr. Christiane Gatz