Research Group: Plant Signalling

• Fungal compounds as plant biologicals: We explore the possibilities for a biotechnological utilization of fungal compounds targeting the plasma membrane H⁺-ATPase, an essential enzyme for the plant.

• Small signaling peptides: We work specifically with RALF and PSY1 peptides, their receptors and down-stream signalling.

• Cellular ion fluxes: We study the role of H⁺ and Ca²⁺ -fluxes in plant and fungal cells as response to both biotic and abiotic stimuli.
  

For students wishing to work within these topics M.Sc. and B.Sc. projects are currently available. Please contact Anja Fuglsang atf@plen.ku.dk

Developing plant peptide hormones as biologicals to increase crop yield. A Novo Nordisk Foundation Pioneer Innovator project.

EcoPep: Pioneering Plant peptide hormones for sustainable agriculture. An Innovation Fund Denmark InnoExplorer project.

Using plant peptide hormones to increase agricultural yields. We have already demonstrated the effect on maize root growth; now we want to extend the plant growth trials to other crops, for the first time showcasing the immense possibilities of these peptides. We have engineered a special bacterial strain that allows mass-production of these complex peptides that enhance root growth, a trait which allows the plant to increase the nutrient and water uptake. In addition, they are highly specific towards a specific plant receptor family, meaning that there are no non-plant targets, making the peptides safe for the environment. Previously, the bottleneck in using these peptides was a modified amino acid that hindered mass production.

Live detection of secreted plant peptides. A Research Fund Denmark, fields of ‘Technology and Production Sciences (FTP)’ project.

Excessive utilization of chemical fertilizers and growth enhancers in modern farming has become a key focus area for sustainable agriculture due to their negative environmental impact and there is an urgent demand for development of new sustainable growth enhancers. Plant growth promoting peptides (PGPP) are endogenous plant peptides that facilitate and enhance the growth of plants, e.g., by triggering growth of specific cells or stimulating nutrient uptake. These peptides could potentially be utilized as biological growth enhancers, under the concept of ‘biologicals’. Examples of PGPPs are the tyrosine-sulfated peptides PSK (Phytosulfokine) and PSY1 (plant peptide containing tyrosine sulfation).

Addition of these peptides to plant growth media increases growth when tested on a petri-dish scale. The effect has so far not been fully exploited in a larger scale due to the chemical complexity of the peptides. They are difficult to characterize because they act like paracrine signalling molecules, by being present in nanomolar concentrations and able to move over long distances. However, the huge growth promoting potential of these small peptides relies to a large extent on the understanding of their mode of action. This is best studied in a system mimicking its natural conditions, but until now studies of these peptides have been restricted to biochemical and recombinant protein analyses, due to their elusive nature, and knowledge of their action under natural conditions has remained limited.

In this project, we will develop a peptide-receptor sensing system for live imaging of the specific perception mechanisms for the peptides PSY and PSK, which requires knowledge about their target site and signalling, with the long term applied goal to expand the use of growth promoting peptides to a variety of crop plants to test for growth promoting effects.

Fungaffine drugs: Exploring high-affinity peptides as anti-fungal agents. A Research Fund Denmark, fields of ‘Technology and Production Sciences (FTP)’ project.

Fungal pathogens significantly influence animals, plants, ecosystems, and human health causing extinctions of species, disturbances as well as a threat to food security. Fungal infections constitute a major health concern, and it is estimated that one billion people acquire such every year, with 1.7 million deadly outcomes despite the availability of antifungal drugs. Still, fungi remain underestimated as pathogens. All current antifungal drugs cause severe side effects and resistant strains have developed. Consequently, antifungal agents with high selectivity and that are less prone to development of resistance are urgently needed. The commercial potential of anti-fungal medicine is high. Recent reports estimate the antifungal drug market to USD $14.8 billion with a projected annual growth rate of 3.7-3.9 % until 2030, reaching a projected $25 billion. A broad-spectrum anti-fungal agent without side effects has the potential to outcompete current drugs and gain a significant market share. Our vision is to provide new selective antifungal leads for the pharmaceutical industry to address this unmet medical need.

PlantsGoImmune A new paradigm for disease-free crops of tomorrow. A Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge project.

Fungal pathogens secrete hundreds of effector proteins to promote disease. By using a yeast-based screen, we aim at identifying molecular effector targets and elucidate the mechanism of the effectors. Identification of effector mechanisms will be used in the development of crops with improved resistance towards pathogens.

Plant Growth Promoting Peptides (PGPPs) – production and test of nutritional uptake  A 'Promilleafgiftsfonden for landbrug' project.

The purpose of this project is to produce small sulfated plant peptides in yeast and evaluate their potential as new plant growth promoting peptides.