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Click What's NEW Henrik U. Stotz |
PATHOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Necrotrophic
pathogens, which cause diseases and major losses of fruits, vegetables,
and flowers both before and after harvest, are the research emphasis
of my laboratory group. We are specifically interested in two closely
related fungi, Botrytis cinerea (gray mold) and Sclerotinia
sclerotiorum (white mold), each of which attacks hundreds of
plant species. Infection mechanisms include the production of non-selective
toxins and cell wall degrading enzymes to kill host cells and macerate
plant tissues prior to colonization. There are currently no viable
strategies to protect crops against either of these pathogens. We
tackle this problem by using two different approaches: Project 2: We use S. sclerotiorum as a model to discover mechanisms of oxalate-initiated diseases. In addition to the goals stated above, we maintain an interest in induced plant defenses, antimicrobial peptides, and pectin metabolism.
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