The role of phytohormone biosynthesis in the Ergot fungus Claviceps purpurea

植物病原真菌已被证明产生所有主要的植物激素;它们在宿主-病原体相互作用中的功能已被假定，但这种作用的明确证据仍然缺乏。在大多数情况下，生物合成基因被确定，它表明，真菌的途径是特殊的，不同于植物。细胞分裂素已被暗示在几个宿主-病原体系统中，但真菌途径和相应的基因尚未确定。我们可以证明麦角菌麦角菌在无菌培养中产生CK，并鉴定出第一个真菌CK生物合成基因。CK突变体的分析首次证实了这些真菌激素在宿主-病原体相互作用中的作用，而且在真菌本身的营养生长和分化中，这是一个新的有趣的方面。本项目的重点是阐明真菌CK生物合成途径，并确认和详细分析这些激素在真菌毒力和营养发育中的作用。

Plant-pathogenic fungi have been shown to produce all major phytohormones; their function in host-pathogen interaction has been postulated, but unequivocal proof for this role is still lacking. In most cases where the biosynthetic genes were identified, it was shown that the fungal pathways are special and different from plants. Cytokinins have been implied in several host-pathogen systems, but sofar the fungal pathways and the respective genes have not been identified. We could show that the Ergot fungus Claviceps purpurea produces CKs in axenic culture and identify the first fungal CK biosynthesis genes. The analysis of CK mutants for the first time substantiated a role of these fungal hormones in host-pathogen interaction, and moreover in vegetative growth and differentiation of the fungus itself, a new and interesting aspect. This project focuses on unraveling the fungal CK biosynthetic pathway, and on confirmation and detailed analysis of the role of these hormones in virulence and vegetative development of the fungus .