Project description:Z. tritici is a fungal pathogen causing the disease septoria tritici blotch, one of the most economically devastating foliar diseases in wheat. The molecular basis underlying Z. tritici growth, development and pathogenicity is not fully understood yet. Compared to the genomic investigations in this fungus, little is known about the protein expression at a systematic level. The aim of the project is to construct a comprehensive protein database of Z. tritici growing in nutrient-limiting and rich media and in vivo at a late stage of wheat infection by using 1D gel-based and SCX-based proteomics and subproteomics (intracellular and extracellular) approaches.
Project description:Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici is the cause of wheat stem rust. A microarray was designed from genes predicted from the P. graminis f. sp. tritici genome assembly, and gene expression measured for four conditions which include wheat or barley infecting growth stages initiated by urediniospores. mRNA was prepared from fresh urediniospores, uredinospores germinated for 24 hr, wheat seedlings infected with urediniospores for 8 days, and barley seedlings infected with urediniospores for 8 days. The asexual uredinial infection cycle on wheat produces additional urediniospores, which can start new cycles of wheat infection and are readily spread by aerial transport. This expression data is further described in Duplessis et al, Obligate Biotrophy Features Unraveled by the Genomic Analysis of the Rust Fungi, Melampsora larici-populina and Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici