Phytotoxic metabolites produced by Botryosphaeriaceae involved in cultivated and forest plants diseases

Species of Botryosphaeriaceae occur in most parts of the world under various ecological niches, and are found as endophytes, parasites and saprophytes on a vast number of both annual and perennial plants. Several species of this family are significant plant pathogens causing important symptoms and eventual death in economically important woody perennial crops and ornamental plants as well as both in native and introduced forest tree species. The interaction between plant pathogens and their hosts is extremely complex. There are many factors affecting the plant disease development. Phytopathogenic fungi employ an array of strategies to distress, weaken or kill the host plant in order to gain access to nutrients. One of these strategies is the production of secondary metabolites. The aim of the present thesis was the study of Botryosphaeriaceae species involved in GTDs and canker and dieback in forest plants, by chemical and biological characterization of the phytotoxins produced in order to understand the role of these natural products in the phatogenesis process and therefore to use them against specific diseases.