Award details

202j: Transgenic approaches to phytoplasma resistance

Reference	BBS/E/H/00031424
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Derek Barbara
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	University of Warwick
Department	Warwick HRI
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	836,125
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1997
End date	31/03/2000
Duration	36 months

Abstract

Phytoplasmas are obligate plant pathogens, responsible for many important diseases in both tropicaland temperate crop species. In plants, phytoplasmas are confined to vascular tissues. They are spread by insects such as leaf hoppers and multiply within these vectors. No molecular studies have been made of the interactions between phytoplasmas and either plant or insect hosts. However, work on true mycoplasmas (which are human or animal pathogens) suggests that membrane- bound proteins (such as cytadhesins and adhesins) are often important in determining pathogenicity. By analogy, membrane- bound proteins may also be important in host specificity in phytoplasmas. A previous project raised polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to phytoplasma membrane proteins to assist in diagnosis and in studies on localisation and relationships. The current project aims to isolate genes coding for these phytoplasma membrane proteins and study the involvement of the proteins in host specificity (in both plant and insect) and in pathogenicity. This project constitutes fundamental research underpinning improvement of horticultural crops by elucidating mechanisms of host/parasite interactions. The work addresses the Technology Foresight Priorities under Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry, which call for greater investment in microbial biotechnology to underpin new products; BBSRC Agri-Food Committee; and BBSRC Plant and Microbial Sciences, microorganisms and their hosts. Partial sequencing of isolated membrane proteins has led to the isolation and sequencing of the major membrane protein from two phytoplasmas. We are now studying the properties of the proteins encoded by these genes. Putative acetate kinase genes have also been isolated from a range of phytoplasmas (this was the first cloned phytoplasma gene of known function other than rRNA genes) and used to examine the relationships of phytoplasmas. We are now starting to look for putative receptors in both plants and insects which may be important in host-pathogen interactions Elucidating the nature of the relationship between phytoplasma proteins and putative receptors in host plants and insects will allow design of strategies to interfere with specific interactions. This will result in host resistance and/or interference with vector transmission.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Plant & Microbial Sciences (PMS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

I accept the terms and conditions of use (opens in new window)

export PDF file

back to list new search