U.S.-Switzerland Cooperative Research: Characterization of Host-Selective Toxins from Plant Pathogenic Fungi

该奖项支持康奈尔大学博伊斯·汤普森研究所的Vladimir Macko博士对苏黎世瑞士联邦理工学院的几次研究访问，以便与Duilio Arigoni博士合作研究植物病原真菌中宿主选择性毒素的化学和生物学。与世界知名天然产物化学家Arigoni博士的合作，将加强Macko博士对这些毒素作用机制的长期国内研究，旨在更好地了解宿主-病原体在分子水平上的相互作用。他们提出的具体实验目的是：1)从植物病原真菌circinata （Periconia circinata， PC）中分离和表征宿主选择性毒素；2)建立PC毒素的构效关系；3)制备放射性标记的PC毒素，为其在寄主植物中的作用部位（受体）研究提供探针。大部分工作将在美国实验室进行。两个实验室将进行各种方法的光谱分析，Arigoni博士在解释生物活性化合物光谱方面的几乎独特的专业知识将非常有价值。Arigoni博士将对活性化合物及其前体的化学和生物合成进行平行研究，同时与Macko博士交换样品、想法和信息。尽管现代定量生物学对宿主-病原体相互作用的生理学和生物化学分析做出了贡献，但我们对毒素的特异性以及抗性和易感性的分子机制缺乏基本的了解。阐明宿主与病原菌相互作用特异性的分子基础是当代植物病理学研究的重要目标之一，因为这将有助于识别和操纵病害反应基因及其产物。由于生物活性天然产品在农业和生物技术方面的潜在应用，人们对它们的兴趣也越来越大。

This award supports several research visits by Dr. Vladimir Macko, Boyce Thompson Institute of Cornell University, to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich in order to collaborate with Dr. Duilio Arigoni in studies of the chemistry and biology of host-selective toxins from plant pathogenic fungi. Collaboration with Dr. Arigoni, a world reknowned natural products chemist, will enhance Dr. Macko's long-term domestic research on the mechanism of action of these toxins which is directed at gaining a better understanding of host-pathogen interactions at the molecular level. The specific experimental objectives of their proposed research are: 1) to isolate and characterize the host-selective toxins from the plant pathogenic fungus Periconia circinata (PC); 2) to establish the structure-activity relationship for the PC toxins: and 3) to prepare a radioactively labeled PC toxin that could serve as a probe in future studies of its site of action (receptor) in the host plant. Most of this work will be carried out in the U.S. laboratory. Spectral analysis by various methods will be carried out in both laboratories, and Dr. Arigoni's virtually unique expertise in interpreting spectra of the bioactive compounds will be extremely valuable. Dr. Arigoni will carry out parallel research on the chemical and biological synthesis of the active compounds and their precursors, with concomitant exchange of samples, ideas and information with Dr. Macko. Despite the contributions of modern, quantitative biology to advances in the analysis of the physiology and biochemistry of host-pathogen interactions, we lack a basic understanding of specificity in toxins and the molecular mechanisms of resistance and susceptibility. The elucidation of the molecular basis of specificity in host-pathogen interactions is one of the most important objectives in contemporary plant pathology, because it will help in identifying and manipulating the disease reaction genes and their products. There is also increasing interest in bioactive natural products because of their potential applications in agriculture and biotechnology.