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Genome info from 'plant destroyers' could save trees, beans and chocolate
September 05, 2006Rapidly evolving genes encode substances that may debilitate plants
An international team of scientists has published the first two genome sequences from a destructive group of plant pathogens called Phytophthora-a name that literally means "plant destroyer." The more than 80 species of fungus-like Phytophthora (pronounced "fy-TOFF-thor-uh") attack a broad range of plants and together cost the agriculture, forestry and nursery industries hundreds of billions of dollars each year.
Even though Phytophthora are similar to fungi, most fungicides are ineffective at controlling them. The information gained from studying the genomic sequences of P. ramorum and P. sojae will help scientists devise strategies to combat not only these two species, but also other disease-causing Phytophtora.
The study appears in the Sept. 1 issue of the journal Science.
Phytophthora sojae, an endemic pathogen of soybeans, is responsible for $1 billion to $2 billion in losses worldwide each year. Phytophthora ramorum is associated with sudden oak death, a disease that has devastated the nursery industry and oak ecosystems in California, Oregon and Washington.More than 1 million native oak and tanoak trees have been lost to the disease.
In addition to soybean and oak, Phytophthora species cause disease in avocado, coconut, papaya, pineapple, potato, strawberry and watermelon, to name a few. The pathogen also destroys an estimated 450,000 tons of cocoa beans with a resulting $400 million loss in chocolate production each year.
The researchers found the pathogens have nearly twice as many genes as other fungal pathogens, and that more than 40 percent of the genes in each of the two species are undergoing rapid change. Many of the rapidly evolving genes encode toxins and other proteins that may debilitate plants.
"We speculate that the rapidly changing genes are being driven to evolve by pressure from the defense systems of the pathogens' host plants," said Virginia Bioinformatics Institute's Brett Tyler, the project's principal investigator.
"The Phytophthoras, in addition to their great economic importance, are fascinating organisms with very distinct and interesting biology," said Maryanna Henkart, NSF's division director for molecular and cellular biosciences, which helped fund the work. "These new genome sequences will contribute to our basic understanding of normal plant-microbe relationships as well as their roles in disease," she said.
National Science Foundation
The study appears in the Sept. 1 issue of the journal Science.
Phytophthora sojae, an endemic pathogen of soybeans, is responsible for $1 billion to $2 billion in losses worldwide each year. Phytophthora ramorum is associated with sudden oak death, a disease that has devastated the nursery industry and oak ecosystems in California, Oregon and Washington.More than 1 million native oak and tanoak trees have been lost to the disease.
In addition to soybean and oak, Phytophthora species cause disease in avocado, coconut, papaya, pineapple, potato, strawberry and watermelon, to name a few. The pathogen also destroys an estimated 450,000 tons of cocoa beans with a resulting $400 million loss in chocolate production each year.
The researchers found the pathogens have nearly twice as many genes as other fungal pathogens, and that more than 40 percent of the genes in each of the two species are undergoing rapid change. Many of the rapidly evolving genes encode toxins and other proteins that may debilitate plants.
"We speculate that the rapidly changing genes are being driven to evolve by pressure from the defense systems of the pathogens' host plants," said Virginia Bioinformatics Institute's Brett Tyler, the project's principal investigator.
"The Phytophthoras, in addition to their great economic importance, are fascinating organisms with very distinct and interesting biology," said Maryanna Henkart, NSF's division director for molecular and cellular biosciences, which helped fund the work. "These new genome sequences will contribute to our basic understanding of normal plant-microbe relationships as well as their roles in disease," she said.
National Science Foundation
Phytophthora Current Events and Phytophthora News RSSDoes hotter mean healthier?
Phytophthora blight, caused by Phytophthora capsici, is a major plant disease that affects many crop species worldwide, including chile peppers in New Mexico. Farmers' observations suggested that Phytophthora capsici caused less damage in pepper crops of the hot pepper varieties than low-heat pepper varieties.
DOE Joint Genome Institute completes soybean genome
The U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) has released a complete draft assembly of the soybean (Glycine max) genetic code, making it widely available to the research community to advance new breeding strategies for one of the world's most valuable plant commodities.
Key to virulence protein entry into host cells discovered
Researchers from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech have identified the region of a large family of virulence proteins in oomycete plant pathogens that enables the proteins to enter the cells of their hosts.
Pathogen virulence proteins suppress plant immunity
Researchers from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and their colleagues have identified a key function of a large family of virulence proteins that play an important role in the production of infectious disease by the plant pathogen Phytophthora sojae.
Huge virulence gene superfamily responsible for devastating plant diseases
A research team from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech has identified an enormous superfamily of pathogen genes involved in the infection of plants.
Challenges remain in reintroducing American chestnut
Researchers have developed a breed of American chestnut that is resistant to the fungal blight that decimated its population in the early 1900s.
Humans fostering forest-destroying disease
Enjoying your August vacation? Well, (as they say in the summer movies) there's a killer in the woods. Its strike has been consistently quiet, sudden, and deadly.
Californians urged to help reduce spread of Sudden Oak Death
An update on the increased spread of Sudden Oak Death, a plant disease devastating many of California's coastal oak and tanoak trees, and information on what Californians can do to help reduce its spread will be presented during a news conference on plant diseases that are of importance to California's economy and agriculture.
Scientists expand microbe 'gene language'
An international group of scientists has expanded the universal language for the genes of both disease-causing and beneficial microbes and their hosts.
Sequences reveal benign origin of deadly plant pathogens
An international team of researchers has published the draft genome sequences of two deadly plant pathogens, Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora sojae.
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Phytophthora: Identifying Species by Morphology and DNA Fingerprints by Mannon E. Gallegly (Author) The genus Phytophthora, known as the plant destroyer , is one of the most important group of disease causing organisms. This genus contains the potato blight pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, and the sudden oak death pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum. Currently the latter species is classified as invasive, and a second one, Phytophthora kernoviae, is about to be placed in this category. Intensive surveys for the presence of these new potentially deadly pathogens have been underway and will continue with funding to search for the second invasive species. Whether or not additional new species with potential destructiveness are found, there are older known species which can erupt at any time and severely damage our crop plants. Correctly identifying them to species level is the first critical... |
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Phytophthora Diseases Worldwide by Donald C. Erwin (Author), Olaf K. Ribeiro (Author) This book presents an overview of Phytophthora diseases. Taking into account the needs of graduate students, scientists, and agricultural professionals, this volume integrates guides to literature, background information, physiology and genetics, the effect of environmental factors on disease, control by biological and cultural means, resistant cultivars, fungicides, and techniques for recognizing, identifying, and isolating Phytophthora pathogens. Featured are detailed descriptions of 59 species, including photomicrographs and drawings, and discussion of related diseases, their development and control, and distribution. Generously illustrated and printed on high-quality enamel stock, this volume will be welcome by plant scientists and libraries worldwide. | |
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Phytophthora: Its biology, taxonomy, ecology, and pathology by American Phytopathological Society (Publisher) | |
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Phytophthora: Webster's Timeline History, 1861 - 2007 by Icon Group International (Author) Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Phytophthora," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Phytophthora in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Phytophthora when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social... |
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Contributions a l'Etude du Phytophthora Cambivora, by A. ALLAIN (Author) | |
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Phytophthora Disease of Cocoa by Philip Herries Gregory (Author) | |
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Investigations Of The Potato Fungus Phytophthora Infestans by L.R.; Giddings, N.J. & Lutman, B.F. Jones (Author) | |
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Phytophthora (British Mycological Society Symposia) by J. A. Lucas (Editor), R. C. Shattock (Editor), D. S. Shaw (Editor), Louise R. Cook (Editor) The subject of this volume is Phytophthora, the organism responsible for many plant diseases, most notably potato blight. This wide-ranging book presents the results of a symposium, and incorporates chapters on the history of potato blight, host-pathogen reactions, systematics and intraspecific variation, molecular and genetic studies, and the development of effective control methods. |
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Potato and Potato Blight (Phytophthora infestans): An entry from Macmillan Reference USA's Encyclopedia of Irish History and Culture by Matthew Lynch (Author) This digital document is an article from Encyclopedia of Irish History and Culture, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses. The length of the article is 400 words. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Home to a fifth of the world's population and the largest democracy in the world, India holds a prominent place in current events yet remains misunderstood. Encyclopedia of India provides an authoritative source for information on this important region, encompassing the history, cultures, geography and religions of India from ancient times to the present day.... | |
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Tabular Key to the Species of Phytophthora: Mycological Papers by Cabi (Author) |
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