Plantjacking: how vascular pathogens avoid starvation in the xylem

Roos Bex (PhD researcher) 

Verticillium wilt is a vascular disease caused by the fungus Verticillium dahliae, which affects over 200 host plants. The fungus resides in the xylem of the plant, leading to drought stress and accompanying wilting symptoms. The survival mechanisms of vascular pathogens in the nutrient-poor environment of the xylem remain unclear. One theory suggests that V. dahliae hijacks the plant ethylene biosynthesis pathway, converting one of the precursors into nutrients for itself. Another hypothesis proposes that the plant actively transports sugars into the xylem as part of its drought stress repair mechanism. These theories are examined using a wide range of techniques, including plant infection experiments, sensor measurements, microscopy, molecular analyses and mutant production.