Projects

Elite grapevine cultivars often lack durable resistance to diseases, especially grapevine yellows diseases caused by phytoplasmas. As a result, EU countries spend millions annually to offset losses from grapevine yellows. Since direct control of phytoplasmas in plants is not possible, growers rely on indirect methods such as spraying insect vectors, pruning infected parts, and replanting. Both of the phytoplasma that cause grapevine yellows (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’ (causing Bois noir) and Flavescence dorée) can only be managed by frequent pesticide use to control the insects that spread them. However, many effective chemicals have been banned, leaving no highly effective treatment currently available. The need for resistant cultivars and alternative disease management is imperative.

In this project we want to advance our knowledge about the plant-phytoplasma disease interactions with a focus on phytoplasma effector proteins, which are believed to be a crucial factor in symptom development. We hope this knowledge will help to advance strategies for prevention grapevine yellows diseases.

The main objective of this project is to study phytoplasma interactions in grapevines and model plants through the collaboration of an international project team with expertise in different aspects of phytoplasma research. By using a variety of innovative methods, including different transformation procedures, detection methods, OMICs analyzes, and sequence analyzes available in our laboratories, we aim to comprehensively investigate the role of both already identified and newly discovered effector proteins of ‘Ca. P. solani’ in grapevines infected by the pathogen.

Confirmation of the precise role played by the effectors studied is expected to provide valuable insights and offer numerous opportunities to advance research in the important field of plant immunity. In addition, it has the potential to contribute to the development of innovative strategies for the effective control of BN and other phytoplasma-induced diseases.

If we identify the most important effector proteins and their interactors, the results will open a plethora of new possibilities in research of breeding and disease management.

To achieve the main aim of this project we have set the following specific objectives:

- Characterize known and novel effectors from ‘Ca. P. solani’ strains.

- Analyze effector-host interactions, especially with plant transcription factors.

- Compare infected vs. healthy grapevines (including gene-edited variants).

- Use transformation and OMICs tools to explore symptom development mechanisms and effector function.

SICRIS

Link to the project