Institut für Pflanzenschutz in Obst- und Weinbau
The effect of phytoplasma infections on function of the phloem and the resulting disease received little attention in the past. The following proposal comprises research activities to further understand disease development and changes caused by the pathogen in the plant, but also by a direct action of the phytoplasma within the sieve tubes. The experiments focus on sieve tubes of infected and non-infected natural and experimental plant hosts, in particular on the integrity of the plasmalemma, sieve tube occlusion, transport and signal transduction. A chemical analysis of sieve tube sap for phytohormones, phloem proteins and micro RNAs will be conducted from sap collected by stylectomy and other methods. The role of integral phytoplasmal AAA+ membrane proteins on disease development and severity will be conducted. The natural host plant, Malus domestica, and experimental hosts (Catharanthus roseus and Nicotiana tabacum) are available for experiments. We expect results showing biochemical and molecular differences between infected and non-infected plants which improve our knowledge on how phytoplasmas induce disease.
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture