Study on the influence of nitroxyl (HNO) and nitric oxide (NO) bioactivity on potato defense against pathogens: on the lookout for improving the global food supply.

Informazioni relative al progetto

ONGUARD

ID dell’accordo di sovvenzione: 101107625

DOI

10.3030/101107625

Progetto concluso il 31 Agosto 2025

Data della firma CE 21 Marzo 2023

Data di avvio 1 Febbraio 2024

Data di completamento 31 Gennaio 2026

Finanziato da

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Costo totale

Nessun dato

Contributo UE

€ 155 793,60

Coordinato da

UNIWERSYTET IM. ADAMA MICKIEWICZA WPOZNANIU
Poland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ONGUARD (Study on the influence of nitroxyl (HNO) and nitric oxide (NO) bioactivity on potato defense against pathogens: on the lookout for improving the global food supply.)

Periodo di rendicontazione: 2024-02-01 al 2026-01-31

Sintesi del contesto e degli obiettivi generali del progetto

Plants face many environmental and biological threats that can damage their growth and productivity. In response, they activate protective systems based on signaling molecules like nitric oxide (NO), which help coordinate defense responses. Recently, a closely related molecule, nitroxyl (HNO), was detected in plants for the first time. Although HNO has been studied in medicine, its role in plant biology remains unknown. This project explored whether plants naturally produce HNO during a pathogen attack and whether this molecule plays a role in regulating plant immunity.
We developed a method to detect HNO in real time in potato leaves infected with a fungal-like pathogen that causes late blight, a devastating crop disease. Our findings showed that HNO levels increased during infection and were influenced by the plant's redox balance (its ability to control oxidation). We also found that applying HNO externally could reduce disease symptoms, suggesting it has a protective role. The project helps explain how plants coordinate internal chemical signals when attacked by pathogens.

Lavoro eseguito dall’inizio del progetto fino alla fine del periodo coperto dalla relazione e principali risultati finora ottenuti

This project aimed to understand whether plants produce the small molecule HNO during stress, and how it interacts with known plant signals like nitric oxide. We used potato plants infected with a known pathogen as a model system. The objectives were to: (1) detect and visualize HNO production in plant tissues during pathogen attack; (2) investigate the environmental and chemical conditions that influence its formation; and (3) evaluate whether adding HNO externally could help plants defend themselves. This work aimed to place HNO within the broader network of plant chemical defenses and open up new strategies for sustainable crop protection.

Progressi oltre lo stato dell’arte e potenziale impatto previsto (incluso l’impatto socioeconomico e le implicazioni sociali più ampie del progetto fino ad ora)

We successfully detected endogenous HNO in potato leaves during infection with Phytophthora infestans, showing for the first time that plants can produce this molecule in response to a pathogen. HNO levels changed over time and were linked to the plant’s redox state. We demonstrated that applying HNO donors reduced the severity of disease symptoms. We also observed that plant-derived molecules such as antioxidants and signaling compounds could modulate HNO production. These results suggest that HNO is not only produced naturally in plants but also plays a functional role in plant immunity.

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