Mycoparasite Metabolites for Managing Rust Diseases

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: If teliospores could be prematurely induced by the mycoparasite metabolite treatment, the rust disease cycle would be curtailed, thus blocking the spread of disease and lessening economic losses. The chemistry of the teliospore-inducing compound (TIC) and analogs would facilitate the control of cereal rusts. Knowledge of chemical structure of the TIC would also permit synthesis and testing of analogs. In addition, isolation of the teliospore-inducing compound(s) would greatly facilitate basic research efforts aimed at understanding the complex life cycles of the rusts. The PhytoMyco Research Corporation's (PMRC) strategic plan is to combine expertise in microbiology, plant pathology, biochemistry, and chemistry to provide environmentally safe bio-fungicides from natural products that can manage plant diseases.The market value for a well-defined mycoparasite metabolite with a novel mechanism of action could potentially be worth millions of dollars worldwide.