The Impact of Glucosinolates on Phytopathogenic Fungi

Successful pathogens have different approaches to coping with phytochemicals—avoidance, tolerance or detoxification. Our research focuses on revealing the underlying mechanisms involved in phytochemical-mediated dialogues between plants and pathogens.

Glucosinolates are a class of preformed phytochemicals. Their breakdown products (mustard oils) have various biologically and nutritionally important effects, ranging from plant defense to cancer prevention. The main objective of this research is to delineate the impact of glucosinolate on the broad-spectrum host pathogen Botrytis cinerea as compared to the Brassicaceae pathogen Alternaria brassicicola. Another aspect of this research involves screening for genes that regulate glucosinolate resistance in B. cinerea. This research will advance our understanding of the role of phytochemicals in plant defense, as a means for developing new disease-control strategies such as metabolic engieniring.

 

 The specific biological questions asked in this research project are:

•  How do different glucosinolate profiles affect the outcome of plant-fungus interactions?

•  How does B. cinerea defend itself against glucosinolates?