Project Details
Projekt
The obligate biotrophic powdery mildew fungus - adaptation to the leaf epidermal cell niche by defending against other microbes
Applicant
Isabel Marie-Luise Saur, Ph.D.
Subject Area
Organismic Interactions, Chemical Ecology and Microbiomes of Plant Systems
Term
since 2024
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 520490591
The powdery mildew disease affects a wide range of plants. Mildew infections of cereals including barley and wheat as well as high-value fruit and vegetables such as tomato and grapes lead to significant yield losses. Previous and ongoing research on these fungi and their hosts aims to provide a thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease and this will further contribute to employment of durable powdery mildew disease-resistance of host plants. It has recently become evident that inter-microbial interactions play an important role in shaping the pathogen resistance of a host plant. This also includes host mechanisms such as improved nutrient uptake, upregulation of the plant's immune system and the acquisition of systemic resistance. Adapted microbial phytopathogens must therefore not only have developed mechanisms to overcome the plant immune system, but also to disrupt the protective effect of the host microbiome and defend their host niche against other microbial inhabitants of the same host. The strict host specificity, the adaptation to proliferate on a highly specific host niche, the epidermal cell, and the obligate biotrophic lifestyle of the barley powdery mildew fungus Blumeria hordei (Bh) demonstrates that this ascomycete has successfully adapted to defend the epidermal cell layer and underlaying tissue against other microbes that may colonize the barley host. In this project, we will investigate the molecular strategies that the barley powdery mildew fungus Bh employs to cooperate and compete with other host-associated microbes to successfully colonize its host niche.
DFG Programme
Research Units
