© Benaki Phytopathological Institute
Abstracts - 16th Hellenic Phytopathological Congress
13
ed isolates to the fungicide pencycuron was
tested
in vitro
(EC
50
values 0.013-0.222 μg/
ml). Furthermore, the pathogenicity and ag-
gressiveness of 30 isolates was evaluated
in vitro
on seedlings of barley, lettuce, mel-
on, vetch and wheat. The aforementioned
seedlings were chosen based on rotation
systems routinely followed by local farmers.
The AG-4-HG-II isolates were the most ag-
gressive in all plant species studied, while
the AG-3 group showed the lowest levels of
aggressiveness. The most susceptible plant
was barley for group AG-4-HG-I, melon and
lettuce for group AG-4-HG-II and melon for
AG-3 isolates. In contrast, the least suscep-
tible were vetch and melon for groups AG-
4-HG-I, AG-4-HG-II and AG-3, respectively.
The results of the present study could sup-
port the development of integrated man-
agement programmes for potato infesta-
tions by
R. solani
in Cyprus.
Characterization of new genetic regulators of the
Arabidopsis thaliana
innate immune system with homology to programmed cell death genes in
mammals
S.D. K
OUNTOURI
1
, M.D. K
AMINIARIS
1
, J.D.G. J
ONES
2
and D.I. T
SITSIGIANNIS
1
1
Agricultural University of Athens, Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Department of
Crop Science, 75 Iera Odos Str., GR-118 55 Athens, Greece.
2
The Sainsbury Laboratory,
John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom
Programmed cell death (PCD) is a process
that normally takes place during develop-
ment and defence of multicellular organisms.
Research in recent years has demonstrated
the existence of common biochemical path-
ways of PCD among plant, animal and micro-
bial cells, and a possible link to serious diseas-
es like cancer and degenerative diseases in
humans. The plant hypersensitive response
(HR), a form of PCD with many common char-
acteristics with mammalian apoptosis, is as-
sociated with the rapid death of host cells
triggered during the entrance of the patho-
gen into plant tissues. Two interesting fami-
lies of genes likely involved in the activation
of the plant defence system are the ortho-
logues of the mammalian
AIF
(Apoptosis In-
ducing Factor) gene and the DAP (Death As-
sociated Protein) genes that play a crucial
role in mammalian PCD. In animals, AIF and
DAP genes are associated with diseases re-
lated to increased apoptotic events such as
infection with HIV, neurodegeneration, and
heart attacks. The genetic model
A. thaliana
has five different putative AIF-like proteins
and 8 DAP like proteins with regions similar
to “Death Domains”. We will present the role
of
At-AIF
genes in plant-host interactions, in
the activation of the plant innate immune
system, and in plant resistance or susceptibil-
ity to the pathogens
Verticillium dahliae, Hy-
aloperonospora arabidopsidis, Alternaria bras-
sicicola, Fusariumoxysporum f.sp. raphani
, and
Pseudomonas syringae
pv.
tomato
.
The role of ethylene perception in plant resistance against
Fusarium
oxysporum
I.S. P
ANTELIDES
1,2
, S. P
APPA
1
, M. K
ARGAKIS
1
, S E. T
JAMOS
1
and E.J. P
APLOMATAS
1
1
Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Str.,
GR-118 55 Athens, Greece.
2
Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and
Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, CY-3603 Lemesos, Cyprus
The plant fungal pathogen
Fusariumoxyspo-
rum
is the causal agent of root rot or wilt dis-
eases in several plant species and compris-
es more than 100
formae specialis
. The aim
of the present research was to provide an in-
sight into the host plant-microbe molecular
