Severe epidemics of leaf blotch and black leaf spot of oat (Avena sativa) caused by Drechslera avenae and Drechslera sp., respectively, are frequently observed in the State of Paraná, Brazil. Although some morphological differences between the isolates causing two different symptoms were noticed, the genetic relationship between them was not clear. Twenty-four isolates of D. avenae and Drechsle...

The Dothideomycete fungus Zymoseptoria tritici (previously known as Mycosphaerella graminicola and Septoria tritici) is the causative agent of Septoria tritici leaf blotch (STB) disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In Europe, STB is the most economically damaging disease of wheat, with an estimated ∼€1 billion per year in fungicide expenditure directed toward its control. Here, an overview ...

The mechanism leading to vector competence of thrips species to transmit tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is not well characterized. We investigated the interaction of TSWV and the non-vector species Frankliniella tritici. A monoclonal antibody to the non-structural protein (NSs) of the TSWV was used to detect TSWV replication within the thrips by immunofluorescence microscopy and enzyme-linked...

Rathayibacter tritici, which is a Gram positive, plant pathogenic, non-motile, and rod-shaped bacterium, causes spike blight in wheat and barley. For successful pathogenesis, R. tritici is associated with Anguina tritici, a nematode, which produces seed galls (ear cockles) in certain plant varieties and facilitates spread of infection. Despite significant efforts, little research is available o...

Race-specific resistance of wheat to Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici is primarily posthaustorial and often involves the induction of a hypersensitive response (HR). The aim of this study was to investigate host defense responses induced in interactions between P. graminis f. sp. tritici races and wheat lines carrying different race-specific stem rust resistance (Sr) genes. In incompatible inte...

Crops are attacked by many potential pathogens with differing life-history traits, which raises the question of whether or not the outcome of infection by one pathogen may be modulated by a change in the host environment brought on by infection by another pathogen. We investigated the host-mediated interaction between the biotroph Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici (Bgt), the powdery mildew pathog...

ABSTRACT Silicon (Si) amendments in the form of exogenously supplied nutrient solution or calcium silicate slag protect wheat plants from powdery mildew disease caused by the fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici. The most striking difference between Si- and Si+ plants challenged with B. graminis f. sp. tritici was the extent of epidermal cell infection and colonization by B. graminis f. sp. ...

The speciation of pathogens can be driven by divergent host specialization. Specialization to a new host is possible via the acquisition of advantageous mutations fixed by positive selection. Comparative genome analyses of closely related species allows for the identification of such key substitutions via inference of genome-wide signatures of positive selection. We previously used a comparativ...

The fungus Zymoseptoria tritici is a strictly apoplastic, host-specific pathogen of wheat leaves and causal agent of septoria tritici blotch (STB) disease. All other plants are considered nonhosts, but the mechanism of nonhost resistance (NHR) to Z. tritici has not been addressed previously. We sought to develop Nicotiana benthamiana as a system to study NHR against Z. tritici. Fluorescence mic...