Scientists Identify Gene Family Associated with Fungal Pathogenicity

Fungi and oomycetes are responsible for many of the world’s devastating plant diseases; from Phytopthora infestans which was the culprit behind the Irish potato famine to the rice seedling blight that is responsible for billions of dollars lost in harvest. Devising an effective strategy to control these microorganisms poses a difficult challenge because of their diversity. The availability of complete genome sequences of numerous phytopathogenic fungi, like Gibberella, Sclerotinia and Botrytis, has provided researchers an invaluable tool for the identification of molecular mechanisms underlying their pathogenesis.

By comparing the genomes of 36 fungal species, scientists from the University of Exeter, University of Manchester and Cambridge University identified a new gene family overrepresented in the genome of phytopathogenic fungi. The gene family appears to have expanded during the evolution of the pathogens and may therefore serve important roles in plant disease development. Ongoing studies now focus on the characterization of the products of these genes.

The researchers also characterized the predicted set of secreted proteins encoded by each genome and identified a protein family overrepresented in pathogenic strains. These proteins could potentially suppress plant defenses and perturb host cell biology during infection.

Read the paper published by PlosOne at http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0002300