Scientists are reporting identification of the cluster of genes responsible
for the toxins produced by "gray mold," a devastating plant disease that
kills almost 200 different food and ornamental plants including tomatoes,
strawberries and roses. Their findings could lead to genetically engineered
crops or new fungicides to fight this disease, which frustrates backyard
gardeners and commercial farmers alike, the researchers say. The study is in
the current online issue issue of ACS Chemical Biology, a monthly journal.

David Cane, Isidro Collado, Muriel Viaud and colleagues note that gray mold
is so-named because it covers infected plants with fuzzy gray spores that
can ultimately kill plants. A fungus named Botrytis cinerea causes the
disease. Studies show that the fungus kills by producing two main plant
toxins, botrydial and botcinic acid. Conventional fungicides are largely
ineffective in destroying the fungus, which can easily spread to other
plants.

In the new study, the scientists describe the identification of five genes
involved in producing the enzymes that are responsible for making the toxins
produced by the fungus. In lab studies, the researchers showed that
inactivating one of the genes, called BcBOT2, blocked the gene cluster's
ability to make the botrydial toxin. The finding could help the development
of new, more effective fungicides or other resistance strategies, that
target the ability of B. cinerea to make botrydial, the researchers suggest.

"Sesquiterpene Synthase from the Botrydial Biosynthetic Gene Cluster of the
Phytopathogen Botrytis cinerea" DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ARTICLE

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