Chemistry of plant-pathogen interactions

在种类繁多的植物微生物病害中，真菌病害是全世界造成作物损失最大的病害。虽然使用抗病植物品种可以减少产量损失，但为了使作物产量最大化，使用杀菌剂往往是必不可少的。对污染和农业生产可持续性的持续关注继续激励着我们的研究项目。我们的总体目标是利用环境和生态可持续的方法了解和控制植物真菌病害。在我们的研究中，特别强调的是一些最重要的加拿大油籽作物，油菜籽和油菜籽，以及花椰菜、西兰花、芜菁甘蓝等蔬菜，以及它们最具破坏性的真菌病原体。为此，我们正在分析受各种真菌病原体胁迫的植物，并比较产生的天然产物。例如，我们发现了油菜籽“黑腿”真菌，它能产生一种叫做植物毒素的强大化学武器，破坏植物细胞，让病原体获得营养。在其他情况下，油菜籽“锈病”真菌似乎更微妙，能够欺骗植物，使其产生效力较低的化合物，并使其迅速传播。此外，油菜和芥菜的许多病原体可以通过分解它们来克服植物的化学防御。重要的是，我们发现一些天然植物产品可以阻止这一过程，因此我们可能能够使用类似的生物制品来阻止病原体。另一方面，我们发现芥菜植物能够通过分解入侵者产生的植物毒素来抵抗真菌感染，从而防止定植。总之，我们的研究为油菜及相关植物真菌病害防治策略的制定提供了开创性的贡献。如果我们的工作能够有助于保护农作物和促进可持续农业实践，那么农业行业和所有公众（实际上是国际社会）都将受益。在进行这项研究的过程中，我们正在培养高素质的人才，这些人才在加拿大的许多机构中都是必不可少的，包括农业、制药和食品行业，这对我们的社区来说是一个巨大的额外利益。

Among the great variety of plant microbial diseases, fungal diseases cause the largest crop losses worldwide. Although yield losses are attenuated by the use of disease-tolerant plant varieties, application of fungicides is often essential to maximize crop yields. An ongoing concern about pollution and sustainability of agriculture production continues to inspire our research program. Our overall objective is to understand and control plant fungal diseases using environmentally and ecologically sustainable methods. Of particular emphasis in our studies are some of the most important Canadian oilseed crops, canola and rapeseed, as well as vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, rutabaga, and their most damaging fungal pathogens. Towards this end we are analyzing plants stressed by various types of fungal pathogens and comparing the natural products produced. For example, we have uncovered canola "blackleg" fungi that produce potent chemical weapons called phytotoxins to destroy plant cells and allow pathogens to obtain nutrients. In other cases, a canola "rust" fungus appears to be subtler and is able to trick the plant to make compounds that are less potent and allow their quick spread. Furthermore, many pathogens of canola and mustard can overcome the plants' chemical defences by breaking them down. Importantly, we found that a few natural plant products can stop this process, thus we may be able to stop the pathogen using similar bioproducts. On the other hand, we have discovered that mustard plants are able to counter attack fungal infection by breaking down the phytotoxins produced by the invader and thus prevent colonization. In summary, our research is providing ground-breaking contributions to the development of strategies for the control of fungal diseases of canola and related plants. The farming industry and all public (indeed the world community) will benefit if our work can contribute to protect agricultural crops and facilitate sustainable agriculture practices. In carrying out this research, we are training highly qualified people, essential in many Canadian institutions, including the agricultural, pharmaceutical, and food industries, a great additional benefit to our community.