Transcriptome profiling of Phytophthora pathogenicity genes: regulation of cell wall degrading enzyme synthesis during plant infection. This project will catalogue the repertoire of enzymes produced by plant pathogens to break down plant cell walls during initial penetration and later establishment of disease. This project will determine how production of these enzymes is regulated and how their function is optimised to achieve successful plant infection.
Transcriptome analysis of Phytophthora–plant interactions: characterisation of plant inhibitor proteins targeting Phytophthora extracellular effectors. A critical aspect of plant defence is protection of plant cell walls against pathogen penetration. Plants achieve this through the activity of inhibitors that specifically target pathogen cell wall degrading enzymes. These inhibitor proteins have great potential in engineering improved plant resistance to disease but their use is hampered by limi ....Transcriptome analysis of Phytophthora–plant interactions: characterisation of plant inhibitor proteins targeting Phytophthora extracellular effectors. A critical aspect of plant defence is protection of plant cell walls against pathogen penetration. Plants achieve this through the activity of inhibitors that specifically target pathogen cell wall degrading enzymes. These inhibitor proteins have great potential in engineering improved plant resistance to disease but their use is hampered by limited knowledge of their deployment and specificity. This project will produce an in-depth understanding of the identity, regulation and role of plant inhibitors that combat attack by destructive pathogens in the genus Phytophthora. It will not only address the serious problem of Phytophthora diseases in Australia but will also apply to plant defence against other pathogens.Read moreRead less
Biogenesis of secretory organelles and the function of adhesins secreted during the establishment of plant disease. Many agriculturally important crops and Australian native plants are susceptible to diseases caused by species of Phytophthora, a fungus-like organism that lives in the soil. Economic losses due to Phytophthora diseases are estimated to exceed $200 million per annum and the scale of environmental damage in natural ecosystems is huge. Currently, control of Phytophthora diseases la ....Biogenesis of secretory organelles and the function of adhesins secreted during the establishment of plant disease. Many agriculturally important crops and Australian native plants are susceptible to diseases caused by species of Phytophthora, a fungus-like organism that lives in the soil. Economic losses due to Phytophthora diseases are estimated to exceed $200 million per annum and the scale of environmental damage in natural ecosystems is huge. Currently, control of Phytophthora diseases largely depends on a very small number of effective chemicals and there is an imminent risk of the development of pathogen resistance. This research will increase our understanding of how Phytophthora spores infect host plants and will identify suitable targets for the development of novel, environmentally safe chemicals that inhibit disease development.Read moreRead less
Selective secretion: a novel mechanism of protein trafficking and its role in Phytophthora pathogenicity. Agriculturally important crops and over 3,000 Australian native plants are susceptible to diseases caused by Phytophthora, fungus-like pathogens that live in the soil. Economic losses exceed $200m pa and natural ecosystems are being destroyed on a vast scale. Phytophthora control depends upon a limited number of chemical inhibitors to which resistance has already emerged. New control stra ....Selective secretion: a novel mechanism of protein trafficking and its role in Phytophthora pathogenicity. Agriculturally important crops and over 3,000 Australian native plants are susceptible to diseases caused by Phytophthora, fungus-like pathogens that live in the soil. Economic losses exceed $200m pa and natural ecosystems are being destroyed on a vast scale. Phytophthora control depends upon a limited number of chemical inhibitors to which resistance has already emerged. New control strategies are urgently needed. This research will investigate a novel mechanism for release of infection material recently discovered in Phytophthora cells, and will increase our understanding of how Phytophthora infects host plants, providing vital information required for the development of new, environmentally-safe inhibitors. Read moreRead less