Small secreted proteins in male flower development and pathogenicity in maize (A14*)

• Subject Area: Plant Cell and Developmental Biology
• Term: from 2019 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 170483403

Studies on different stages of maize male flower development implicate small proteins as coordinators of growth and cellular behaviour. A correct organ-developmental programme is also a prerequisite for the smut fungus Ustilago maydis to infect its host. This project aims to identify and characterize novel small apoplasmic proteins, which play pivotal roles in male flower development and resistance. In the long term, knowledge gained from this may provide new ways to control maize male fertility and pollen drift from genetically modified organisms but also to prevent Ustilago maydis infections.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 924: Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Yield and Yield Stability in Plants
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität München (TUM)
• Project Head: Dr. Karina Katharina van der Linde, since 7/2019