Project Number: 1275-22000-246-01
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 21, 2003
End Date: Sep 20, 2008

Objective:
Identify and characterize genes involved in niche survival and host-pathogen interactions of phytoplasma and spiroplasma mollicutes and their evolution. Determine and analyze nucleotide sequences of mollicute genomic DNA; identify gene sequences encoding protein products as potential targets for molecular control of plant diseases.

Approach:
The overall goal of this cooperative project is to gain new knowledge of the mechanisms responsible for pathogenicity and virulence in phytoplasmas and their evolution. The research will involve nucleotide sequencing, sequence analysis, prediction of protein products, and comparative genomic and proteomic analyses in silico with focus on genes and gene products playing roles in pathogen survival, host defense avoidance, and virulence. BL-1 2/4/05