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Efforts in my laboratory are focused in two areas. We are interested in isolating and characterizing genes from plant pathogens that have potential usefulness in the genetic engineering of disease-resistant plants. Our major effort is directed at developing strategies for engineering resistance to a group of fungal plant pathogens (Cercospora species) which parasitize plants by producing photoactivated, active-oxygen-producing toxins. We have developed several strategies to identify from the fungus, genes that encode resistance to the toxin. Isolated genes are being characterized for function and for their ability to impart resistance in transgenic plants. Efforts are also ongoing in the lab to isolate and characterize genes from bacteria that encode toxin degradation, as such genes may also be useful strategy for obtaining disease resistance. In addition, we are interested in active oxygen species, their varied roles in plant-pathogen interactions, and antioxidant defenses in plants. We are defining the role of pyridoxine (vitamin B6) in active oxygen resistance and the regulation of pyridoxine biosynthetic genes during plant biotic and abiotic stress responses using Arabidopsis and tobacco as models. We are also studying the possible importance of mannitol biosynthesis in protecting fungal plant pathogens against plant oxidative defenses.
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