A proteomics approach to Trichoderma biocontrol

01.02.2005 - 31.01.2007
Research funding project
Trichoderma atroviride has been shown to act as a mycoparasite and is therefore commercially applied as biocontrol agent against a number of plant pathogenic fungi. The mycoparasitic interaction is host-specific and not merely a contact response. It is thus likely that Trichoderma recognises multiple signals from the host such as lectins and /or diffusible low molecular-weight substances, which trigger the attack of the host fungus. The mycoparasitic attack is accompanied by morphological changes, secretion of hydrolytic enzymes and production of secondary metabolites such as antibiotics. In contrast to the current knowledge about these factors acting in mycoparasitism, still only little is known on the underlying signalling pathway(s). We generated and analysed knockout mutants of the tga1 and tga3 genes encoding  subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins from T. atroviride. Both Tga1 and Tga3 turned out to be involved in signal transduction pathways leading to mycoparasitism-related processes. The aim of the presented project is the identification of the respective targets affected by G protein signalling during mycoparasitism of T. atroviride. To this end, the proteome of the generated tga1 (showing reduced chitinase but enhanced secondary metabolite production) and tga3 (being completely avirulent) mutants shall be compared to that of the wild-type strain under several mycoparasitic conditions. Maps of extracted intracellular and extracellular proteins of the respective strains from a direct confrontation with a host fungus in the absence and the presence of a plant, and from conditions of simulated mycoparasitism (cultivation in liquid culture in the presence of respective inducers) shall be obtained using two-dimensional gel-electrophoresis in combination with sensitive staining methods. Differentially expressed protein spots shall subsequently be extracted and their masses and/or peptide sequences determined by mass spectrometry. Some of the most promising results shall then serve as basis for the isolation of the respective target genes by reverse genetics.

People

Project leader

Institute

Grant funds

  • Österr. Akademie der Wissenschaften (National) Austrian Academy of Sciences

Research focus

  • Beyond TUW-research focus: 100%

Keywords

GermanEnglish
Trichoderma atrovirideTrichoderma atroviride
Biokontrollebioconrol
Proteom-Analyseproteomics
Mycoparasitismusmycoparasitism
SignaltransduktionSignalling

External partner

  • Unievrsity of Napoli

Publications