Accepted Article Synthesis and testing of novel alternative oxidase (AOX) inhibitors with antifungal activity against Moniliophthora perniciosa (Stahel), the causal agent of witches’ broom disease of cocoa, and other phytopathogens Running title: new AOX inhibitors with antifungal activity Mario RO Barsottini 1,2 , Bárbara A Pires 1 , Maria L Vieira 2 , José GC Pereira 2 , Paulo CS Costa 2,3 , Jaqueline Sanitá 2 , Alessandro Coradini 1 , Fellipe Mello 1 , Cidnei Marschalk 1 , Eder M Silva 4 , Daniele Paschoal 4 , Antonio Figueira 4 , Fábio HS Rodrigues 5 , Artur T Cordeiro 2 , Paulo CML Miranda 3 , Paulo SL Oliveira 2 , Maurício L Sforça 2 , Marcelo F Carazzolle 1 , Silvana A Rocco 2 , Gonçalo AG Pereira 1,* 1 Genomics and bioEnergy Laboratory, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil 2 Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil 3 Institute of Chemistry, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil 4 Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil 5 Current address: School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick - Gibbet Hill Campus, Coventry, United Kingdom * Corresponding author E-mail: goncalo@unicamp.br (GAGP) Abstract BACKGROUND: Moniliophthora perniciosa (Stahel) Aime & Phillips-Mora is the causal agent of witches‟ broom disease (WBD) of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) and a threat to the chocolate industry. The membrane- bound enzyme alternative oxidase (AOX) is critical for M. perniciosa virulence and resistance to fungicides, This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as doi: 10.1002/ps.5243