Understanding the Brassica napus - Sclerotinia sclerotiorum pathosystem

像油菜(Brassica Napus)这样的植物不断受到害虫和病原体的威胁。对加拿大来说，影响这种重要作物的最具破坏性的真菌病原体之一是菌核菌(白霉菌)，它是茎腐烂的原因。我正在调查油菜籽对真菌病原体的反应，因为a)油菜籽是食物和燃料的主要来源；b)油菜籽对核盘菌没有真正的遗传免疫力；c)新的油菜籽基因组资源可以用来洞察植物防御所需的调控过程，更具体地说，为基础和应用研究改善作物健康。我的研究计划的长期目标是：1)了解油菜菌核病病原系统中支撑植物微生物相互作用的遗传和分子系统；2)识别负责寄主植物免疫的基因；3)在开发新的植物保护方法时实施和整合这些基础知识。我们可以通过这些特定的短期目标来开始解决这些挑战：i)了解寄主植物如何在细胞界面上感知核盘菌，以及这些相互作用如何导致植物保护或敏感性；ii)从功能上表征免疫基因，以改善作物保护；以及iii)确定植物茎的细胞特征是否负责减缓感染过程。这种结合的方法将使人们能够全面了解植物如何检测和刺激负责保护和限制疾病进展的细胞免疫网络。分子数据将与对敏感和耐受品种的深入组织学分析相补充，这些品种显示出疾病严重程度的差异。这项假设驱动的研究将确定负责这种宿主-病原体相互作用的基因和全球磷酸化靶标。总体而言，NSERC探索助学金将促进实验室中一名博士后研究员、两名博士生、一名硕士学生和本科生的培训。我们将一起研究负责作物保护的免疫网络在经济和农业上重要的油籽油菜籽中的功能作用。这一开创性研究的结果将有助于那些对作物改良感兴趣的人了解寄主病原菌的相互作用，并促进技术转移。

Plants like Brassica napus (canola) are under constant threat from pests and pathogens. One of the most devastating fungal pathogens affecting this important crop for Canada is Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (white mold) the causal agent of stem rot. I am investigating how canola responds to fungal pathogens because a) canola is a major source of food and fuel; b) canola does not have true genetic immunity to S. sclerotiorum and; c) new canola genome resources can be used to gain insights into the regulatory processes required for plant defense and more specifically improved crop health for primary and applied research. The long-term objective of my research program is to 1) understand the genetic and molecular systems underpinning plant microbe interactions in the canola - Sclerotinia pathosystem 2) identify the genes responsible to host plant immunity and 3) implement and integrate this fundamental knowledge in the development of new plant protection methods. We can begin to address these challanges through these specific short-term objectives: i) to understand how the host plant perceives S. sclerotiorum at the cell interface and how these interactions result in plant protection or susceptibility; ii) to functionally characterize immunity genes to improve crop protection and iii) determine whether cellular features of the plant stem are responsible for slowing the infection process. This combined approach will allow for a comprehensive understanding of how the plant detects and stimulates cellular immunity networks responsible for protection and the limiting of disease progression. The molecular data will be complemented with in depth histological analysis of susceptible and tolerant varieties that show differences in disease severity. This hypothesis driven research will identify genes and global phosphorylation targets responsible for this host-pathogen interaction. Collectively, this NSERC Discovery Grant will promote the training of one Postdoctoral Fellow, two PhD students, one MSc student and undergraduate researchers in the lab. Together, we will examine the functional role of immunity networks responsible for crop protection in the economically and agriculturally important oilseed, canola. The results of this seminal research will contribute to the understanding of host pathogen interactions for those interested in crop improvement and facilitate technology transfer.