Objective
Root and butt rot of conifers caused by Heterobasidion is one of the most important tree diseases in the northern hemisphere. Despite the high impact of Heterobasidion, ability to control the disease in forests with a long history of management is very limited. Traits associated with resistance to pathogen growth appear to be highly heritable, and could be exploited in selection and breeding programmes. However, neither the molecular control nor the biochemical basis for this resistance is known in Picea species. This project will utilise state-of-the art metabolomics and genomics methods to elucidate biochemistry and gene regulation in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) challenged with Heterobasidion annosum, in relation to lesion development and extension growth of the pathogen in bark tissues. Responses of six mature Sitka spruce clones differing in susceptibility/resistance will be assessed after wounding and artificial inoculation with three isolates of H. annosum differing in virulence at 0, 3, 7, 21 and 35 days after treatment. Bark tissues surrounding the wounding and inoculation points will be analyzed for phenolic and terpenoid components using LC-MS-based metabolomic techniques to identify changes in the metabolome of spruce bark and pinpoint key constitutive and induced differences between resistant and susceptible host genotypes. Key genes in metabolic pathways identified as upregulated in metabolomics will be examined in detail using gene expression analyses based on quantitative PCR. This project will increase our knowledge of the physiological processes involved in resistance of spruce to infection by Heterobasidion, enabling accurate and rapid identification of host genotypes showing greater resistance to the pathogen. Such resistant clones will be of very high value in breeding programmes, in forests having high incidence of Heterobasidion and in the extensive afforestations now planned on agricultural land taken out of food production.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry metabolomes
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA transcriptomes
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
AB24 3FX Aberdeen
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.