Forest Phytopathobiomes

Welcome to the Forest Phytopathobiomes Lab!

I am Dr. Chhana Ullah and I hold the Junior Professorship (tenure-track) of Forest Phytopathobiomes at the University of Göttingen. My work explores the complex interactions between forest trees and their associated microbial communities – from pathogens to mutualists – and how these relationships shape forest health and resilience in changing environments.

The Department of Forest Phytopathobiomes is inovled in research and teaching on plant-microbe interactions. Our research bridges forest pathology, microbial ecology, chemical ecology, plant biochemsistry and molecular biology to better understand the mechanisms of plant defense and pathogen’s counter defense under natural and anthropogenically influenced environments.

Key publications

  • Lahari Z, van Boerdonk S, Omoboye OO, Reichelt M, Höfte M, Gershenzon J, Gheysen G, Ullah C* (2024). Strigolactone deficiency induces jasmonate, sugar and flavonoid phytoalexin accumulation enhancing rice defense against the blast fungus Pyricularia oryzae. New Phytologist 241: 827-844. [*corresponding author].

  • Ullah C, Chen Y-H, Ortega MA, Tsai CJ. (2023). The diversity of salicylic acid biosynthesis and defense signaling in plants: Knowledge gaps and future opportunities. Current Opinion in Plant Biology 72: 102349. # Cover Page.

  • Ullah C*, Schmidt A, Reichelt M, Tsai CJ, Gershenzon J (2022). Lack of antagonism between salicylic acid and jasmonate signalling pathways in poplar. New Phytologist 235: 701-717. [*corresponding author]. # Press Release by Max Planck Society and Picked by 7 news outlets.

  • Gershenzon J, Ullah C (2022). Plants protect themselves from herbivores by optimizing the distribution of chemical defenses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119(4): e2120277119.

  • Chen J, Ullah C, Reichelt M, Beran F, Yang Z-L, Gershenzon J, Hammerbacher A, Vassão DG (2020). The phytopathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum detoxifies plant glucosinolate hydrolysis products via an isothiocyanate hydrolase. Nature Communications 11: 3090.

  • Ullah C*, Unsicker SB, Reichelt M, Gershenzon J, Hammerbacher A (2019). Accumulation of catechin and proanthocyanidins in black poplar stems after infection by Plectosphaerella populi: hormonal regulation, biosynthesis and antifungal activity. Frontiers in Plant Science 10: 1441. [*corresponding author].

  • Lahari Z, Ullah C, Kyndt T, Gershenzon J, Gheysen G (2019). Strigolactones enhance root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne graminicola) infection in rice by antagonizing the jasmonate pathway. New Phytologist 224: 454-465.

  • Ullah C, Tsai CJ, Unsicker SB, Xue L, Reichelt M, Gershenzon J, Hammerbacher A (2019). Salicylic acid activates poplar defense against the biotrophic rust fungus Melampsora larici-populina via increased biosynthesis of catechin and proanthocyanidins. New Phytologist 221: 960-975.

  • Luu VT, Weinhold A, Ullah C, Dressel S, Schoettner M, Gase K, Gaquerel E, Xu S, Baldwin IT (2017). O-acyl sugars protect a wild tobacco from both native fungal pathogens and a specialist herbivore. Plant Physiology 174: 370-386.

  • Ullah C, Unsicker SB, Fellenberg C, Constabel CP, Schmidt A, Gershenzon J, Hammerbacher A (2017). Flavan-3-ols are an effective chemical defense against rust infection. Plant Physiology 175: 1560-1578.