Polysaccharides cell wall dynamics and wall-related resistance in the cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) / Phytophthora megakarya interaction disease

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is an important economical crop cultivated in tropical countries. Cocoa black pod disease, caused by Phytophthora megakarya, an oomycete, is the most economically important threat of cacao in Cameroon. Upon infection, oomycetes pathogens develop various strategies to gain access to the nutrients and eventually causing the death of the tissue, including the physical penetration through cell wall. To the best of our knowledge, cocoa pods cell wall polysaccharides have not been described so far. Therefore, this project aims to analyses the composition of cocoa pods cell wall polysaccharides. Secondly, in order to evaluate the possibility that cell wall structural features in cocoa pods may contribute to the resistance to P. megakarya infection and black pod formation, we would analyze the enzymatic systems associated to cell wall polysaccharides from pods of cocoa cultivars susceptible (SNK10) and resistant (SNK413) to infection by Phytophtora megakarya in healthy, infected pods or infected pods treated with calcium base formulation recently developped in our lab.

Faculty Supervisor:

Carole Beaulieu

Student:

Partner:

Université de Yaoundé 1

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Agriculture and Food; Biotechnology; Life Sciences (not health)

University:

Université de Sherbrooke

Program: