Brandpilz mit Pep: Ustilago maydis und das pflanzliche Immunsystem

摘要

The basidiomycete Ustilago maydis causes smut disease on maize, which is characterized by plant tumors that develop on all aerial parts of the host plant. As a biotrophic pathogen, U. maydis exclusively colonizes living host tissue and therefore depends on the efficient suppression of plant defense responses. Our research aims to understand this modulation of the plant immune system both by endogenous plant factors as well as by secreted fungal virulence factors, termed effector proteins.