YIA-PGR: The Alternaria-Brassicaceae Pathosystem as a Model for Necrotrophic Fungal-Plant Interactions

由坏死营养型真菌引起的植物病害具有世界范围的经济重要性，并且每年导致数百万美元的作物损失。与表现出活体营养生活方式的生物体相反，坏死营养型真菌通常通过分泌有毒物质在定植之前主动杀死宿主组织。 坏死性病害不能很好地被抗性植物品种控制。现代杀真菌剂可以帮助控制坏死性病原体，但许多人认为这些化学品在环境和经济上都是不可取的。该项目的最终目标是确定和开发针对这些类型的真菌病原体的改进的抗病策略。本项目的重点是开发一个理想的模式病理系统，探索植物和坏死营养真菌之间的相互作用。该致病系统由在植物科油菜科中发现的选择物种和坏死营养型产毒素真菌芸苔链格孢（Alternaria brassicicicola）组成。本项目将通过首先识别一组与相容性相互作用相关的EST，进一步了解拟南芥科中寄主-坏死性病原体的关系。病原体诱导的防御反应在抗性和易感主机的比较基因组学研究将使用拟南芥全基因组微阵列进行，并将提供关键的洞察特定基因的作用和信号通路参与这些反应。一个功能基因组学的方法，使用敲除突变将进行阐明致病机制的真菌。 将创建一个可公开访问的该信息数据库。 该项目还包括一个主要的教育组成部分，涉及一个外展计划，将使用从这项研究中获得的知识和材料，作为教育K-12学生有关基因组学的援助。 该项目将向本科生、研究生和博士后科学家提供教育和科学培训，并将侧重于包容代表性不足的群体。

Plant diseases caused by necrotrophic fungi are of world wide economic importance and result in millions of dollars in crop losses annually. In contrast to organisms exhibiting a biotrophic lifestyle, necrotrophic fungi actively kill host tissue prior to colonization usually through the secretion of toxic substances. Necrotrophic diseases are not well controlled by resistant plant cultivars. Modern fungicides can help to control necrotrophic pathogens, but many consider these chemicals to be both environmentally and economically undesirable. The ultimate goal of this project is to identify and develop improved disease resistance strategies for these types of fungal pathogens. This project is focused on the development of an ideal model pathosystem for exploring interactions between plants and necrotrophic fungi. This pathosystem consists of select species found within the plant family Brassicaceae and the necrotrophic, toxin producing fungus, Alternaria brassicicola. This project will further our understanding of host-necrotrophic pathogen relationships in Brassicaceae by first identifying a set of ESTs related to a compatible interaction. A comparative genomics study of pathogen-induced defense responses in resistant and susceptible hosts will be performed using Arabidopsis full-genome microarrays and will give critical insight into the role of specific genes and signaling pathways involved in these responses. A functional genomics approach using knockout mutatgenesis will be performed to elucidate pathogenicity mechanisms in the fungus. A publicly accessible database for this information will be created. This project also includes a major educational component involving an outreach program that will use knowledge and materials obtained from this research as an aid in educating K-12 students about genomics. This project will provide education and scientific training to undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral scientists and will focus on the inclusion of underrepresented groups.