Plant Pathology and Microbiology

The group gathers PLEN expertise in mycology, plant molecular biology and plant pathology, and boasts a unique position for Denmark in basic and applied science of plant-microbe interactions.

About the group

Fungal interactions range from beneficial to pathogenic. We study plant defences and endophytic fungal interactions. We wish to exploit fungal antagonists for biological control and stress amelioration in agricultural systems, to define and understand principles in crop protection and input to the development of transgenic disease resistance.

We combine genomics and transcriptomics assays and reporter gene technologies with advanced chemical analyses. We employ innovative isolation procedures to obtain microorganisms with optimal performance in different plant environments.

Group leader

Plant immunity, Blumeria graminis and transgenic resistance

Disease resistance is inarguably the best form of plant protection – when it works! Disease resistance is often limited in their action to a single species of pathogen and there are many pathogens, especially necrotrophs, where no sources of effective disease resistance are known.

The interaction between the biotrophic fungal pathogen and its host barley offers many advantages as model for studying defence mechanisms in plants. Our current efforts concern members of two families of genes involved in signal transduction and gene regulation which are activated in both barley and Arabidopsis by Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei, namely the CRK receptor-like protein kinase and NAC transcription factor HvNAC6/ATAF1 families. Members of both of these gene families have roles in the regulation of both pathogen defence, responses to abiotic stress and plant development and their manipulation can confer enhanced resistance.

Recent support from the Research Council FTP to the project.

Key papers

  • CRK Consortium: Bourdais G, Burdiak P, Gauthier A, Nitsch L, Salojärvi J, Rayapuram C, Idänheimo N, Oracz K, Kaufholdt D, Anggoro DT, Glow D, Zhou J, Albert  A, Ernst D, Durner J, Borst JW, Collinge DB, Karpinski S, Lyngkjær MF, Robatzek S, Wrzaczek M and Kangasjärvi J. Large-scale phenotyping of the CRK receptor-like protein kinase family in Arabidopsis reveals roles in plant development and stress response. (in prep)
  • Chen YJ, Perera V, Christiansen MW, Holme IB, Gregersen PL, Grant MR, Collinge DB, Lyngkjær MF (2013). The barley HvNAC6 transcription factor affects ABA accumulation and promotes basal resistance against powdery mildew. Plant.Mol.Biol. 83: 577-590
  • Rayapuram C, Jensen MK, Maiser F, Shanir JV, Hornshøj H, Rung JH, Gregersen PL, Schweizer P, Collinge DB, Lyngkjær MF (2012) Regulation of basal resistance by a powdery mildew-induced cysteine-rich receptor-like protein kinase in barley. Mol Plant Pathol 13: 135-147
  • Collinge DB, Jørgensen HJL, Lund OS, Lyngkjær MF. 2010. Engineering pathogen resistance in crop plants - current trends and future prospects. Annual Reviews of Phytopathology 48: 269-291. (doi: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-073009-114430).

Partners

  • Århus University
  • Helsinki University
  • Sainsbury Laboratory
  • Wageningen
  • Warsaw

Interactions between Fusarium, cereals and biological control organisms

Several species of fungi in the genus Fusarium cause severe losses in cereals, causing seedling- and head blight, infecting the developing ear. Whilst the former is primarily of interest through yield loss, the latter is particular of concern since the various species make a range of structurally diverse metabolites, some of which – the mycotoxins – are harmful to humans and livestock.

We have looked at the biology of infection and the conditions which lead to mycotoxin accumulation and found that stressed plants are more susceptible to Fusarium attack and that the levels of mycotoxins accumulating reflect the levels of infection. Current studies concern the natural role of mycotoxins in fungus-fungus (Fusarium-Clonostachys) and plant-fungus (cereal-Fusarium) interactions.

In the new Cerealpath Marie Curie ETN, our goals are to develop novel biological control tools for wheat diseases based on novel endophytic fungi isolated in the project and the extent to which silicon treatment can boost resistance. A cornerstone will be to take genetic variation in the host into account, an aspect which has received very little attention. We will utilise foliar diseases (Septoria blotch, powdery mildew and yellow rust) in these studies as well as Fusarium.

Recent support from the Research Council DFFE, PBD and FOBI via FTP to the project.

Current support: Horizon 2020 Marie Curie ETN “Cerealpath”. Partners: University College Dublin, Lantmännen, Århus University, Danish Technical University, Swedish Agricultural University. 

Key papers

  • Collinge DB (2016). Plant Pathogen Resistance Biotechnology.  
  • Kosawang C, Karlsson M, Vélëz H, Rasmussen PH, Collinge DB, Jensen B, Jensen DF (2014). Zearalenone detoxification by zearalenone hydrolase is important for the antagonistic ability of Clonostachys rosea against mycotoxigenic Fusarium graminearum. Fungal Biology. In press.
  • Kosawang C, Karlsson M, Jensen DF, Dilokpimol A, and Collinge DB (2014). Transcriptomic profiling to identify genes involved in Fusarium mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol and Zearalenone tolerance in the mycoparasitic fungus Clonostachys rosea BMC genomics. 15:55.
  • Yang F, Jacobsen S, Jørgensen HJL, Collinge DB, Svensson B, Finnie C (2013). Fusarium graminearum and its interactions with cereal heads: studies in the proteomics era. Frontiers in Plant Science 4. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2013.00037
  • Nielsen LK, Jensen JD, Nielsen GC, Jensen JE, Spliid NH, Thomsen IK, Justesen IF, Collinge DB, Jørgensen LN (2011) Fusarium Head Blight of Cereals in Denmark: Species Complex and Related Mycotoxins. Phytopathology 101: 960-969

Endophytic fungal interactions

We need to increase the crop yield while reducing pesticide and use of inorganic fertiliser to meet the challenges of world population growth and climate change. Plant endophytic microorganisms can improve plant yield and enhance plant tolerance to abiotic stress as well as to pathogens under experimental conditions, but these effects are often not sufficiently stable for practical application.

How do we boost the stability and reliability of the positive effects of endophytes on plants? We need to understand the genetic basis of beneficial interactions between crops and endophytes and extent this basis exhibits phenotypic plasticity at all interaction levels from the cellular to the field environment.

This requires increasing our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of endophytes, including intra and inter-kingdom exchange and distribution of resources (nutrients), signalling and possibly regulation between and inside the partners, the mutual induced production of secondary metabolites and the environmental cues which influence crop-endophyte interactions.

The genetic variation and its plasticity in host and microbe will be exploited in to establish crop breeding and inoculum production processes for boosting the establishment and stability of plant-microbe mutualisms to benefit crop development, stress tolerance, pathogen resistance and quality.

In this project we will provide fundamental biological as well as practical knowledge about interactions between endophytes and plants. This improved understanding will pave the way for increased use of endophytes to improve sustainability and plant productivity in a reliable way.

The participants in this project comprise many of the key institutions and industries working with these problems and provide a uniquely strong consortium to address the key issues. Furthermore, the consortium will train a new generation of scientists who have the insight and skills to continue this task in their careers.

Beneficiaries

More information about the beneficiaries

Partner organisations

Fungal disease in tropical cultivation systems

Tropical agricultural systems  span from large plantations to subsistence farmers attempting to eke a living with cash crops. The latter have little money to spend on expensive seed or chemical sprays but nevertheless need to do so.

We are working currently with two biological systems

  • Rice with Rhizoctonia solani where we have demonstrated that crude extracts prepared from Siam Weed, Chromolaena odorata canreduce infection levels against this and other important rice diseases. We are elucidating the mode of action and identifying the active factors. This is a collaboration with Can Tho University in the Mekon Delta of Vietnam.
  • Black Sikatoga disease of Banana caused by Mycosphaella fijiensis is a major constraint in banana production systems world wide. We are collaborating with Makarere University, Uganda to identify biololgical control agents which can be effective against this pathogen.

Selected publications

  • Rodriguez-Algaba J, Sørensen J, Sørensen H, Khoa NĐ,  Collinge DB, Jorgensen H (2014) Activity-guided separation of Chromolaena odorata leaf extract reveals fractions with rice disease-reducing properties. Eur J Plant Pathol 143: 331-341. DOI 10.1007/s10658-015-0684-x
  • Khoa, N. D., Thuy, P. T. H., Thuy, T. T. T., Collinge, D. B., and Jørgensen, H. J. L. 2010. Disease-reducing effect of Chromolaena odorata extract on sheath blight and other rice diseases. Phytopathology 101:231-240, doi:10.1094/PHYTO-04-10-0113

  • BestPass is an Innovative Training Network (ITN) funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 676480. The project produces knowledge about the use of endophytes to improve plant productivity in a sustainability way.
  • CerealPath: a doctoral programme delivering integrated, innovative, structured training in cereal disease control

The group has established close collaborations with other leading PLEN research groups in biochemistry and plant science, and has an extensive international network, especially through leading and participating in two European programmes, namely the Marie Curie Early Training Networks (ETN), BestPass and CerealPath, respectively.

Contact

David B. Collinge
Professor