Extracellular vesicles in the pathogenesis of fungal plant disease. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane bound sacs that carry information between cells in essentially all organisms. EVs are also produced by bacterial and fungal pathogens and have a crucial role in infection in mammals . We propose that fungal EVs are key players in the establishment of fungal diseases in plants. We have isolated EVs from the cereal pathogen Fusarium graminearum which decreases yield and quality of gr ....Extracellular vesicles in the pathogenesis of fungal plant disease. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane bound sacs that carry information between cells in essentially all organisms. EVs are also produced by bacterial and fungal pathogens and have a crucial role in infection in mammals . We propose that fungal EVs are key players in the establishment of fungal diseases in plants. We have isolated EVs from the cereal pathogen Fusarium graminearum which decreases yield and quality of grain in major food crops such as wheat, barley and corn. This project will focus on the cargo that EVs transport through the fungal cell wall and into the plant host and will establish the role of this cargo in disease progression. Ultimately, this knowledge will be used to design new strategies for disease control.Read moreRead less
Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development - Grant ID: DI0668388
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$87,458.00
Summary
The genetic basis for bioactivity in the traditional medicine plants of Australia. A plant species that produces a bioactive compound usually produce the compound in very small amounts. To allow for marketable levels of production of the bioactive compound, numerous amounts of plants would need to be removed from the environment. This not only removes the limited supply of possibly rare types of plants from the environment but also denies the use of this plant by traditional people. Locating and ....The genetic basis for bioactivity in the traditional medicine plants of Australia. A plant species that produces a bioactive compound usually produce the compound in very small amounts. To allow for marketable levels of production of the bioactive compound, numerous amounts of plants would need to be removed from the environment. This not only removes the limited supply of possibly rare types of plants from the environment but also denies the use of this plant by traditional people. Locating and using the genes responsible for producing these bioactive compounds will allow their sustainable biosynthesis.Read moreRead less
Undermining fungal defences by targeting their functional amyloid armour. This project will determine how a protective protein coating forms on the surface of fungal spores and infectious structures. This coating is comprised of amyloid protein fibrils and is used by fungi to improve efficiency of infection and to avoid detection by the host plant or animal. We have discovered novel small molecules that prevent the fibrils from forming. This project will use these molecules to reveal the details ....Undermining fungal defences by targeting their functional amyloid armour. This project will determine how a protective protein coating forms on the surface of fungal spores and infectious structures. This coating is comprised of amyloid protein fibrils and is used by fungi to improve efficiency of infection and to avoid detection by the host plant or animal. We have discovered novel small molecules that prevent the fibrils from forming. This project will use these molecules to reveal the details of the fibril assembly mechanism and find the best way to undermine this fungal defence system. This knowledge will enable the development of potent small molecule inhibitors to treat fungal infections that blight crops and harm animals, and the production of new layered biomaterials for nanotechnology applications.Read moreRead less
Epidemiology and pathogenesis of chytridiomycosis in Australian frogs. Strong evidence exists that chytridiomycosis is an introduced disease of amphibians that has caused mass mortality resulting in amphibian population declines and extinctions. Epidemiologic studies will include i) field and experimental studies to determine mortality rates, transmission rates, differences in species susceptibility, and persistence of the pathogen as a saprobe, and ii) molecular epidemiology of fungal strains t ....Epidemiology and pathogenesis of chytridiomycosis in Australian frogs. Strong evidence exists that chytridiomycosis is an introduced disease of amphibians that has caused mass mortality resulting in amphibian population declines and extinctions. Epidemiologic studies will include i) field and experimental studies to determine mortality rates, transmission rates, differences in species susceptibility, and persistence of the pathogen as a saprobe, and ii) molecular epidemiology of fungal strains to examine spread and origin. Pathogenicity studies will be aimed at how chytridiomycosis causes death in frogs. The results will be significant for the conservation of amphibians worldwide and in improving our understanding of diseases in free-living animals.Read moreRead less
Switching partners: a driving force for tree productivity in a changing environment? Eucalypts take part in a mutually beneficial association with diverse communities of mycorrhizal fungi to satisfy nutrient demands. The fungi that eucalypts interact with change as they grow but the reasons for this shift are not known. To improve forestry management strategies, the project will determine why and how this shift occurs.
Understanding mycorrhizal phenotypes using functional traits. This project aims to develop a new framework linked to tangible, measurable traits of beneficial plant-fungal partnerships that lead to empirical predictions. The project expects to deliver an understanding of how ecological strategies of plant-fungal partnerships control plant productivity and soil nutrient cycling. Expected outcomes include new methods for predicting whether beneficial partnerships can be realised and knowledge that ....Understanding mycorrhizal phenotypes using functional traits. This project aims to develop a new framework linked to tangible, measurable traits of beneficial plant-fungal partnerships that lead to empirical predictions. The project expects to deliver an understanding of how ecological strategies of plant-fungal partnerships control plant productivity and soil nutrient cycling. Expected outcomes include new methods for predicting whether beneficial partnerships can be realised and knowledge that can be transformed into recommendations for practitioners. This should lead to significant impact associated with trustworthy assessments of commercial products and of management recommendations, supporting economic and environmental benefits linked with more productive soils and improved ecosystem health.Read moreRead less
Getting to the root of the matter: predicting plant benefits from arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses. Massive efforts are underway to select beneficial root traits that enhance resource acquisition and productivity. These efforts are usually conducted while excluding mutually beneficial mycorrhizal partnerships, which include two-thirds of higher plants. These efforts are likely to lead to artifactual outcomes unless the modifying effects of these partnerships are considered. While mycorrhization ....Getting to the root of the matter: predicting plant benefits from arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses. Massive efforts are underway to select beneficial root traits that enhance resource acquisition and productivity. These efforts are usually conducted while excluding mutually beneficial mycorrhizal partnerships, which include two-thirds of higher plants. These efforts are likely to lead to artifactual outcomes unless the modifying effects of these partnerships are considered. While mycorrhization can substantially enhance plant vigour, results are often difficult to replicate due to widespread 'context-dependence'. This research will identify plant and fungal traits that predict how mycorrhizal plants benefit under a variety of contexts, which will improve varietal selection and productivity gains in marginal environments.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100408
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$393,416.00
Summary
Understanding plant:fungal communication to increase plant productivity. Relationships between mutualistic fungi and plants are exploited as they foster plant productivity and vigour. One significant problem facing the agro-forestry and agricultural industries is that the ability of beneficial fungi to colonise plant hosts is highly dependent on the genetic background of the host. Ultimately, this means that if fungal inoculants are not matched with the appropriate plant host, maximal benefits f ....Understanding plant:fungal communication to increase plant productivity. Relationships between mutualistic fungi and plants are exploited as they foster plant productivity and vigour. One significant problem facing the agro-forestry and agricultural industries is that the ability of beneficial fungi to colonise plant hosts is highly dependent on the genetic background of the host. Ultimately, this means that if fungal inoculants are not matched with the appropriate plant host, maximal benefits from these relationships are not achieved. This project aims to identify the first genetic markers to be used for matching plants with appropriate fungal isolates, thereby guaranteeing optimal plant performance. This will add a critical component to the global effort of increasing the productivity of our natural resources.Read moreRead less
Factors controlling ectomycorrhizal contributions to plant N nutrition. This project aims to define the mechanistic link between nitrogen metabolism in symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungi and its effect on the quantity of nitrogen shared with a plant host. Using a genetically diverse population of a key Australian fungal species, the project expects to uncover genetic features related to nitrogen metabolism that correlate to improved support of plant nutrition. Expected outcomes include better under ....Factors controlling ectomycorrhizal contributions to plant N nutrition. This project aims to define the mechanistic link between nitrogen metabolism in symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungi and its effect on the quantity of nitrogen shared with a plant host. Using a genetically diverse population of a key Australian fungal species, the project expects to uncover genetic features related to nitrogen metabolism that correlate to improved support of plant nutrition. Expected outcomes include better understanding of plant-microbe interactions, groundwork for tools to better model the role of fungi in soil nutrient cycling and guidelines for plant:fungal pairings in reforestation practices. Overall, these should provide significant benefit to the global effort in understanding the role of soil microbes in plant nutrition.Read moreRead less
Characterising controls of carbon flow from trees into mycorrhizal fungi. This project aims to improve our understanding of below-ground carbon sequestration. A significant portion of plant photosynthate is shuttled to root-associated mutualistic ectomycorrhizal fungi in forest ecosystems. Therefore, fungal partners of forest trees are valuable carbon sinks. One problem impeding below-ground carbon accounting in forest soils is a lack of understanding concerning the genetic control of how photos ....Characterising controls of carbon flow from trees into mycorrhizal fungi. This project aims to improve our understanding of below-ground carbon sequestration. A significant portion of plant photosynthate is shuttled to root-associated mutualistic ectomycorrhizal fungi in forest ecosystems. Therefore, fungal partners of forest trees are valuable carbon sinks. One problem impeding below-ground carbon accounting in forest soils is a lack of understanding concerning the genetic control of how photosynthetically fixed sugars are passed to root-associated microbes. This project aims to identify and characterise the sugar transporters that shuttle carbon in ectomycorrhizal plant–fungal interactions and investigate how these are affected by elevated carbon dioxide. It may also identify isolates of mutualistic fungi that could be paired with eucalypt hosts to maximise carbon sequestration and forest productivity.Read moreRead less