We have found that potato plants with reduced levels of phytate are more susceptible to virus attack. Phytate (inositol hexakisphosphate) occurs in all living cells but accumulates to high levels in certain plant tissues including potato tubers, where it is thought to function as a phosphate store. There is considerable interest in generating low-phytate plants for animal feed because most animals cannot digest phytate making it a major contributor to phosphate contamination of rivers (that permits excessive microbial growth and destruction of aquatic ecosystems). Thus the generation of low phytate crops may have benefits for the environment, but it may also depress a plants innate ability to resist viral infection.

Povzetek: Fitat, ki služi kot zaloga fosfata v rastlinah, se nahaja v vseh rastlinskih celicah, v večji količini pa se kopiči v nekaterih tkivih kot so npr. gomolji. Ker ga večina živali ne more prebaviti, znatno prispeva k onesnaženju rek, zato je težnja po vzgoji  kmetijskih rastlin z manj fitata vse večja. Raziskave pa so pokazale, da so rastline krompirja z zmanjšo vsebnostjo fitata bolj dovzetne za virusno okužbo.)