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Imprint
Analysis of the interaction between plants and fungi during colonization
Project
Project code: MRI-OG-08-053
Contract period: 01.01.2001
- 31.12.2017
Purpose of research: Applied research
A. alternata is an important fungal contaminant of fruits and vegetables. A. alternata can produce a series of mycotoxins, among them alternariol, alternariol monomethylether and tenuazonic acid. During research work done at the MRI it could be shown, that in A. alternata wild type strains the production of alternariol is strongly regulated. With the the cooperative activity of the HOG- and the pacC/pal A-J signal transduction pathways it is ensured that A. alternata can produce alternariol in a broad pH-range. This supports the view that that the biosynthesis if alternariol plays an important role in the ecology of the fungus. Further analyses show that the regulation of the alternariol biosynthesis in A. alternata strains from cereals differ from those of tomatoes. Within this project the adaptation of A. alternata to different habitates will be analysed. Furthermore the peroduction of alternariol as a colonisation factor for fruits and vegetables will be elucidated. Similar approaches are also followed by other plant pathogenic fungi. For Penicillium expansum it could be shown, that the produced mycotoxins patulin and citrinin are also involved in the plant/fungus interaction.
A. alternata strains from cereals and tomatoes differ in their adaptation to substrates with different water activities and pH-values. Whereas lower water activity values have less influence on strains isolated from cereals, strains from tomatoes are less susceptible to changes in pH. Because of the activity of the pacC gene these strains can produce alternariol over a high pH range, also at extreme values. At lower water activity levels, the production of alternariol was immediately abolished in strains isolated from tomatoes. This is paralleled with an inactivation of the HOG MAP kinase system. Because of these strong regulation the role of alternariol as a possible colonisation factor for tomatopes will be further analysed. For P. expansum it could be shown by gene inactivation that the biosynthesis of mycotoxin is important for the colonization of Food matrices.
Section overview
Subjects
- Food Processing
- Biotechnology
- Toxicology
Framework programme
Funding programme
Excutive institution
MRI - Department of Safety and Quality of Fruit and Vegetables (MRI-OG)
