A bio-control agent that induces resistance to biotic and abiotic stress
Ilan Chet
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
: J Plant Physiol Pathol
Abstract
Triochoderma is a fungus acting as a biocontrol agent. Biological control, the use of specific organisms that interfere with plant pathogens is a nature-friendly, ecological approach to overcome the problems caused by hazardous chemical methods in plant protection. Mycoparasitism is an efficient biocontrol mechanism evolving extracellular chitinases, β-1-3 glucanases and proteases. Cloning these genes into plants can induce their resistance to diseases. Moreover, these fungi can induce systemic resistance (ISR) to diseases by priming the expression of several plant defense related genes which enables Trichoderma- treated plants to be more resistant to subsequent pathogen infection. Root colonization by Trichoderma strains results in massive changes in plant metabolism leading to accumulation of antimicrobial compounds in the whole plant. Recent studies demonstrate that Trichoderma can also include resistance to plants in the presence of various abiotic stresses like drought and salinity. Understanding the molecular basis of the diverse modes of action of these versatile beneficial fungi is a central goal of our research.
Biography
