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Understanding the influence of polyacetylenes on pathogenic fungi involved in carrot storage diseases
Project
Project code: JKI-ZGO-08-4187
Contract period: 01.11.2018
- 31.10.2022
Purpose of research: Experimental development
Keywords: vegetable gardening, sustainable plant protection, phytopharmaceutical ressources
Untersuchungen zum Einfluss von Polyacetylenen auf pilzliche Erreger von Lagerkrankheiten der Möhre Polyacetylenes (PAs) are a group of natural compounds primarily produced by higher plants of the families Apiaceae and Araliaceae both belonging to the Order Apiales. PAs of the falcarinol-type have been shown to contribute to the undesirable bitter Taste of certain carrot cultivars and products. On the other hand, PAs have been shown to exhibit potent anti-microbial and anti-cancer effects and are currently discussed for possible applications in pharmacy. There is increasing evidence that PAs are involved in plant defence mechanisms which make these chemical compounds relevant subjects for studies of the interaction between PA contents of carrots and several fungi involved in carrot storage diseases. To understand the role of PAs in the development of fungi involved in major carrot storage diseases, the research project will be focused on two main necrotrophic fungal species, Botrytis cinerea (gray mold), and Mycocentrospora acerina (liquorice rot disease). To study the influence of PAs on these two carrot diseases, we plan to analyse a large carrot collection consisting of wild relatives, breeding material as well as carrot cultivars for their PA contents. Pathogen-specific resistance screening methods will be developed for both fungi and applied to the same plant material with the aim to reveal putative antifungal effects of PA compounds. The same carrot genotypes will also be used for genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approaches followed by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). This combined strategy is expected to allow the detection of genomic regions (QTLs) and candidate genes involved in PA biosynthesis and tolerance/resistance. Functional molecular studies will be focused on fatty acid desaturase (FAD2) candidate genes that might be involved in the production and metabolism of the main PA precursor crepenynic acid.
Section overview
Subjects
- Plant Breeding
- Crop Protection
- Vegetable Gardening
Framework programme
Funding programme
Excutive institution
Institute for Breeding Research on Horticultural Crops (JKI-ZG)