The filamentous fungus Pyricularia oryzae is the main causal agent of the rice blast disease, which accounts for 10-30% yield losses per year globally. The objective of this project, which is part of the Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement between the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam, is to identify new pathogen targets and new molecules to control rice blast disease. P. oryzae uses a large number of degrading enzymes active on cell wall polysaccharides and lignin to penetrate and invade the rice plant tissues. Since these enzymes could be potential targets for plant inhibitors, candidate P. oryzae genes encoding enzymes particularly expressed during the infection process have been deleted from the fungal genome and the characterization of the obtained mutants is in progress to identify enzymes essential for fungal virulence on rice. In addition, new ecofriendly antimicrobial peptides, analogs of the natural Trichoderma longibrachiatum peptaibol, have been synthesized and tested in vitro against several P. oryzae strains from different geographic origin. The screening has allowed to identify some peptides very effective in inhibiting spore germination and fungal growth that could be used in vivo to confirm their efficacy in protecting rice from the blast disease.

Looking for novel control measures against the rice fungal pathogen Pyricularia oryzae

Sella L.;Quarantin A.;Castiglioni C.;BOLZONELLO, ANGELA;De Zotti M.;Favaron F.;GOVIND, RAKSHITA;Tundo, Silvio;Odorizzi S.;
2018

Abstract

The filamentous fungus Pyricularia oryzae is the main causal agent of the rice blast disease, which accounts for 10-30% yield losses per year globally. The objective of this project, which is part of the Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement between the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam, is to identify new pathogen targets and new molecules to control rice blast disease. P. oryzae uses a large number of degrading enzymes active on cell wall polysaccharides and lignin to penetrate and invade the rice plant tissues. Since these enzymes could be potential targets for plant inhibitors, candidate P. oryzae genes encoding enzymes particularly expressed during the infection process have been deleted from the fungal genome and the characterization of the obtained mutants is in progress to identify enzymes essential for fungal virulence on rice. In addition, new ecofriendly antimicrobial peptides, analogs of the natural Trichoderma longibrachiatum peptaibol, have been synthesized and tested in vitro against several P. oryzae strains from different geographic origin. The screening has allowed to identify some peptides very effective in inhibiting spore germination and fungal growth that could be used in vivo to confirm their efficacy in protecting rice from the blast disease.
2018
Journal of Plant Pathology
XXIV National Meeting of the Italian Society for Plant Pathology (SIPAV)
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11577/3473126
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
  • OpenAlex ND
social impact