A5040390235- Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity
- Fungal and yeast genetics research
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Mycotoxins in Agriculture and Food
- Plant Disease Resistance and Genetics
- Fungal Biology and Applications
- Yeasts and Rust Fungi Studies
- Biofuel production and bioconversion
- Plant tissue culture and regeneration
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Plant Reproductive Biology
- Plant Pathogens and Resistance
- Plant Molecular Biology Research
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Enterobacteriaceae and Cronobacter Research
- Plant Pathogenic Bacteria Studies
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism
- Microbial Natural Products and Biosynthesis
- Plant and Fungal Interactions Research
- Meat and Animal Product Quality
- Spectroscopy and Chemometric Analyses
- Plant and fungal interactions
U.S. National Poultry Research Center
2017-2025
Agricultural Research Service
2012-2025
United States Department of Agriculture
2012-2025
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
2024
University of Georgia
2007-2020
Utrecht University
2010
GTx (United States)
2009
University of Minnesota
2005
University of California, San Diego
2000
Torrey Pines Institute For Molecular Studies
2000
In plants, flowering is triggered by endogenous and environmental signals. CONSTANS (CO) promotes of Arabidopsis in response to day length. Four early target genes CO were identified using a steroid-inducible version the protein. Two these genes, SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION 1 ( SOC1 ) FLOWERING LOCUS T FT ), are required for promote flowering; others involved proline or ethylene biosynthesis. The also regulated second flowering-time pathway that acts independently CO. Thus, define common...
Ustilago maydis is an important fungal pathogen of maize, causing corn smut. It well adapted to its host and proliferates in living plant tissue without inducing a defence response. The genome sequence U. has now been determined, the first for biotrophic parasite. Several gene clusters that encode secreted proteins unknown function were identified: genome-wide expression analysis shows clustered genes are upregulated during disease. Mutations these frequently affect virulence, ranging from...
Changes in genes encoding transcriptional regulators can alter development and are important components of the molecular mechanisms morphological evolution. MADS-box encode diverse biological functions. In plants, regulate flower, fruit, leaf, root development. Recent sequencing efforts Arabidopsis have allowed a nearly complete sampling gene family from single plant, something that was lacking previous phylogenetic studies. To test long-suspected parallel between evolution plant form,...
The vascular wilt fungi Verticillium dahliae and V. albo-atrum infect over 200 plant species, causing billions of dollars in annual crop losses. characteristic symptoms are a result colonization proliferation the pathogens xylem vessels, which undergo fluctuations osmolarity. To gain insights into mechanisms that confer organisms' pathogenicity enable them to proliferate unique ecological niche system, we sequenced genomes compared each other, genome Fusarium oxysporum, another fungal...
Scientific communication is facilitated by a data-driven, scientifically sound taxonomy that considers the end-user's needs and established successful practice. In 2013, Fusarium community voiced near unanimous support for concept of represented clade comprising all agriculturally clinically important species, including F. solani species complex (FSSC). Subsequently, this was challenged in 2015 one research group who proposed dividing genus into seven genera, FSSC described as members...
MADS-box genes encode transcriptional regulators involved in diverse aspects of plant development. Here we describe the cloning and mRNA spatio-temporal expression patterns five new from Arabidopsis: AGL16, AGL18, AGL19, AGL27 AGL31. These will probably become important molecular tools for both evolutionary functional analyses vegetative structures. We mapped our data previous onto a phylogeny. suggest that evolution family has rapid simultaneous diversification as well reproductive The...
Ustilago maydis , the causal agent of corn smut disease, displays dimorphic growth in which it alternates between a budding haploid saprophyte and filamentous dikaryotic pathogen. We are interested identifying genetic determinants pathogenicity U. maydis. To do this, we have taken forward approach. Previously, showed that adenylate cyclase ( uac1 ) mutants display constitutively phenotype. Mutagenesis disruption strain allowed isolation large number suppressor mutants. These named ubc for U...
In the plant, filamentous growth is required for pathogenicity of corn smut pathogen Ustilago maydis. Earlier, we identified a role cAMP signal transduction pathway in switch between budding and this fungus. A gene designated ubc1 (for bypass cyclase) was found to be encode regulatory subunit cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Here, show that important virulence pathogen. Specifically, mutants are able colonize maize plants and, like wild-type pathogen, cause localized symptoms association...
The pelA and pelC genes from Erwinia chrysanthemi EC16 were sequenced overexpressed in Escherichia coli cells. These two others the same strain that characterized previously encode catalytically related pectate lyase proteins are involved with maceration soft-rotting of plant tissue. pel organized as loosely linked clusters, structurally homologous each. pelA/E cluster also contained remains an additional gene, 5' portion which had been removed by a prior deletion event. Each four functional...
This article is part of the Top 10 Unanswered Questions in MPMI invited review series. The past few decades have seen major discoveries field molecular plant-microbe interactions. As result technological and intellectual advances, we are now able to answer questions at a level mechanistic detail that could not imagined possible 20 years ago. Editorial Board felt it was time take stock reassess. What big remain unanswered? We knew identify fundamental, overarching drive our research, needed...
Summary Nutrient sensing plays important roles in fungal development general, and specifically critical aspects of pathogenicity virulence, for both animal plant pathogens. Dimorphic pathogens such as the phytopathogenic smut fungi, Ustilago maydis Microbotryum violaceum , must switch from a yeast‐like to filamentous form order cause disease. Two genes encoding methylammonium permeases (MEPs) were identified each these latter fungi all encoded proteins most similar Mep2p, high‐affinity...
Autophagy is a complex degradative process in which cytosolic material, including organelles, randomly sequestered within double-membrane vesicles termed autophagosomes. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the autophagy genes ATG1 and ATG8 are crucial for induction autophagosome assembly, respectively, their deletion has an impact on autophagic potential of corresponding mutant strains. We were interested role development virulence U. maydis. Using reverse genetic approach, we showed that maydis...
The mycotoxigenic fungi, Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides, commonly co-colonize maize in the field, yet their direct interactions at chemical communication level have not been well characterized. Here, we examined if how two most infamous mycotoxins produced by these species, aflatoxin fumonisin, respectively, govern interspecies growth mycotoxin production. We showed that fumonisin producing strains of F. verticillioides suppressed A. while non-producers did not....
Fusarium verticillioides-a mycotoxigenic fungus and food safety threat-coinhabits maize kernels with Sarocladium zeae. This protective endophyte produces secondary metabolites of interest, pyrrocidines A B, which inhibit the growth F. verticillioides specifically block fumonisin biosynthesis. Previous transcriptomic analyses found FvZBD1 (FVEG_00314), a gene adjacent to biosynthetic cluster, be induced over 4,000-fold in response pyrrocidine challenge. Deletion resulted dramatic increases...
Ustilago maydis, the causal agent of corn smut disease, displays dimorphic growth in which it alternates between a budding haploid saprophyte and filamentous dikaryotic pathogen. We are interested identifying genetic determinants pathogenicity U. maydis. To do this we have taken forward approach. Earlier, showed that adenylate cyclase (uac1) mutants display constitutively phenotype. Mutagenesis uac1 disruption strain allowed isolation large number suppressor mutants. These named ubc, for...
Fusarium verticillioides is a fungus of significant economic importance because its deleterious effects on plant and animal health the quality their products. Corn (Zea mays) primary host for F. verticillioides, we have investigated impact plant's antimicrobial compounds (DIMBOA, DIBOA, MBOA, BOA) fungal virulence systemic colonization. able to metabolize these antimicrobials, genetic analyses indicated two loci, Fdb1 Fdb2, were involved in detoxification. Mutation at either locus caused...
Pathogenicity of the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis involves formation a filamentous, infectious dikaryon by fusion compatible, yeastlike haploid cells. The mating-type loci, and b, regulate cell establishment dikaryotic type, respectively. On solid medium, compatibility at in particular heterozygosity b locus, is manifested aerial hyphae on colonies formed mating We have employed this "fuzzy" phenotype to identify mutants that constitutively form hyphal filaments forego division budding....