Genome info from 'plant destroyers' could save trees, beans and chocolateSeptember 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 | ||||||||||
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Related Phytophthora News Articles 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. Malaria, potato famine pathogen share surprising trait Two wildly different pathogens — one that infects vegetables, the other infecting humans—essentially use the same protein code to get their disease-causing proteins into the cells of their respective hosts. Virginia Bioinformatics Institute launches microbial database Researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have launched a publicly-available microbial database to host a range of microbial genome sequences. New research approach required to combat more aggressive and adaptable Phytophthora The potato late blight pathogen has become more aggressive since the arrival of a new type of Phytophthora in Europe circa 1976. Moreover, it is able to genetically adapt to new conditions more rapidly. As a consequence, research aimed at solving the problems caused by this disease must be on a larger scale and involve even greater cooperation than was previously the case. This is proven by the thesis with which Wilbert Flier recently obtained his doctorate at Wageningen University. Flier's findings support the initiatives taken by the Wagenningen University and Researchcentre to arrive at a ten-year plan for collaboration with government and industry. This plan aims to design compatible t More Phytophthora News Articles |
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