Induction of Antimicrobial 3-Deoxyflavonoids in Pome Fruit Trees Controls Fire Blight

Heidrun Halbwirth; Thilo C. Fischer; Susanne Roemmelt; Francesco Spinelli; Karin Schlangen; Silke Peterek; Emidio Sabatini; Christian Messina; John-Bryan Speakman; Carlo Andreotti; Wilhelm Rademacher; Carlo Bazzi; Guglielmo Costa; Dieter Treutter; Gert Forkmann; Karl Stich

doi:10.1515/znc-2003-11-1201

Open Access Published by De Gruyter June 2, 2014

Induction of Antimicrobial 3-Deoxyflavonoids in Pome Fruit Trees Controls Fire Blight

Heidrun Halbwirth , Thilo C. Fischer , Susanne Roemmelt , Francesco Spinelli , Karin Schlangen , Silke Peterek , Emidio Sabatini , Christian Messina , John-Bryan Speakman , Carlo Andreotti , Wilhelm Rademacher , Carlo Bazzi , Guglielmo Costa , Dieter Treutter , Gert Forkmann and Karl Stich

From the journal Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C

https://doi.org/10.1515/znc-2003-11-1201

Abstract

Fire blight, a devastating bacterial disease in pome fruits, causes severe economic losses worldwide. Hitherto, an effective control could only be achieved by using antibiotics, but this implies potential risks for human health, livestock and environment. A new approach allows transient inhibition of a step in the flavonoid pathway, thereby inducing the formation of a novel antimicrobial 3-deoxyflavonoid controlling fire blight in apple and pear leaves. This compound is closely related to natural phytoalexins in sorghum. The approach does not only provide a safe method to control fire blight: Resistance against different pathogens is also induced in other crop plants.

Keywords : Fire Blight (Erwinia amylovora); Luteoforol; Enhanced Resistance

Received: 2003-8-1

Published Online: 2014-6-2

Published in Print: 2003-12-1

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Induction of Antimicrobial 3-Deoxyflavonoids in Pome Fruit Trees Controls Fire Blight

Abstract

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