scholarly journals Emergence of Resistance to Fungicides: The Role of Fungicide Dose

2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (5) ◽  
pp. 545-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexey Mikaberidze ◽  
Neil Paveley ◽  
Sebastian Bonhoeffer ◽  
Frank van den Bosch
Keyword(s):  
Dose Response ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Resistant Mutant ◽  
Emergence Time ◽  
Zymoseptoria Tritici ◽  
Antimicrobial Drugs ◽  
Response Data ◽  
Fungal Plant Pathogens ◽  
Resistant Mutants ◽  
High Doses

Resistance to antimicrobial drugs allows pathogens to survive drug treatment. The time taken for a new resistant mutant to reach a population size that is unlikely to die out by chance is called “emergence time.” Prolonging emergence time would delay loss of control. We investigate the effect of fungicide dose on the emergence time in fungal plant pathogens. A population dynamical model is combined with dose-response data for Zymoseptoria tritici, an important wheat pathogen. Fungicides suppress sensitive pathogen population. This has two effects. First, the rate of appearance of resistant mutants is reduced, hence the emergence takes longer. Second, more healthy host tissue becomes available for resistant mutants, increasing their chances to invade and accelerates emergence. In theory, the two competing effects may lead to a non-monotonic dependence of the emergence time on fungicide dose that exhibits a minimum. But according to field data, fungicides are unable to reduce the fungicide-sensitive population strongly enough even at high doses. Hence, for full resistance over realistic ranges of pathogen’s life history and fungicide dose-response parameters, emergence time decreases monotonically with increasing dose. For partial resistance, there can be cases within a limited parameter range, when emergence decelerates at higher doses.

scholarly journals Antibacterial activity and mode of action of potassium tetraborate tetrahydrate against soft-rot bacterial plant pathogens

Microbiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 166 (9) ◽  
pp. 837-848
Author(s):  
Yingyu Liu ◽  
Melanie J. Filiatrault
Keyword(s):  
Type Species ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Resistant Mutant ◽  
Soft Rot ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Resistant Mutants

Bacterial soft rot caused by the bacteria Dickeya and Pectobacterium is a destructive disease of vegetables, as well as ornamental plants. Several management options exist to help control these pathogens. Because of the limited success of these approaches, there is a need for the development of alternative methods to reduce losses. In this study, we evaluated the effect of potassium tetraborate tetrahydrate (PTB) on the growth of six Dickeya and Pectobacterium spp. Disc diffusion assays showed that Dickeya spp. and Pectobacterium spp. differ in their sensitivity to PTB. Spontaneous PTB-resistant mutants of Pectobacterium were identified and further investigation of the mechanism of PTB resistance was conducted by full genome sequencing. Point mutations in genes cpdB and supK were found in a single Pectobacterium atrosepticum PTB-resistant mutant. Additionally, point mutations in genes prfB (synonym supK) and prmC were found in two independent Pectobacterium brasiliense PTB-resistant mutants. prfB and prmC encode peptide chain release factor 2 and its methyltransferase, respectively. We propose the disruption of translation activity due to PTB leads to Pectobacterium growth inhibition. The P. atrosepticum PTB-resistant mutant showed altered swimming motility. Disease severity was reduced for P. atrosepticum -inoculated potato stems sprayed with PTB. We discuss the potential risk of selecting for bacterial resistance to this chemical.

scholarly journals Chromatin Dynamics Contribute to the Spatiotemporal Expression Pattern of Virulence Genes in a Fungal Plant Pathogen

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Meile ◽  
Jules Peter ◽  
Guido Puccetti ◽  
Julien Alassimone ◽  
Bruce A. McDonald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Pathogen ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Chromatin Modifications ◽  
Zymoseptoria Tritici ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spatiotemporal Expression ◽  
Effector Genes ◽  
Fungal Plant Pathogens ◽  
Fungal Plant Pathogen

ABSTRACT Dynamic changes in transcription profiles are key for the success of pathogens in colonizing their hosts. In many pathogens, genes associated with virulence, such as effector genes, are located in regions of the genome that are rich in transposable elements and heterochromatin. The contribution of chromatin modifications to gene expression in pathogens remains largely unknown. Using a combination of a reporter gene-based approach and chromatin immunoprecipitation, we show that the heterochromatic environment of effector genes in the fungal plant pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici is a key regulator of their specific spatiotemporal expression patterns. Enrichment in trimethylated lysine 27 of histone H3 dictates the repression of effector genes in the absence of the host. Chromatin decondensation during host colonization, featuring a reduction in this repressive modification, indicates a major role for epigenetics in effector gene induction. Our results illustrate that chromatin modifications triggered during host colonization determine the specific expression profile of effector genes at the cellular level and, hence, provide new insights into the regulation of virulence in fungal plant pathogens. IMPORTANCE Fungal plant pathogens possess a large repertoire of genes encoding putative effectors, which are crucial for infection. Many of these genes are expressed at low levels in the absence of the host but are strongly induced at specific stages of the infection. The mechanisms underlying this transcriptional reprogramming remain largely unknown. We investigated the role of the genomic environment and associated chromatin modifications of effector genes in controlling their expression pattern in the fungal wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici. Depending on their genomic location, effector genes are epigenetically repressed in the absence of the host and during the initial stages of infection. Derepression of effector genes occurs mainly during and after penetration of plant leaves and is associated with changes in histone modifications. Our work demonstrates the role of chromatin in shaping the expression of virulence components and, thereby, the interaction between fungal pathogens and their plant hosts.

scholarly journals Dynamics of transposable elements in recently diverged fungal pathogens: lineage-specific transposable element content and efficiency of genome defenses

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cécile Lorrain ◽  
Alice Feurtey ◽  
Mareike Möller ◽  
Janine Haueisen ◽  
Eva Stukenbrock
Keyword(s):  
Transposable Elements ◽  
Related Species ◽  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Zymoseptoria Tritici ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Fungal Plant Pathogens ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Transposable elements (TEs) impact genome plasticity, architecture, and evolution in fungal plant pathogens. The wide range of TE content observed in fungal genomes reflects diverse efficacy of host-genome defense mechanisms that can counter-balance TE expansion and spread. Closely related species can harbor drastically different TE repertoires. The evolution of fungal effectors, which are crucial determinants of pathogenicity, has been linked to the activity of TEs in pathogen genomes. Here, we describe how TEs have shaped genome evolution of the fungal wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici and four closely related species. We compared de novo TE annotations and repeat-induced point mutation signatures in 26 genomes from the Zymoseptoria species-complex. Then, we assessed the relative insertion ages of TEs using a comparative genomics approach. Finally, we explored the impact of TE insertions on genome architecture and plasticity. The 26 genomes of Zymoseptoria species reflect different TE dynamics with a majority of recent insertions. TEs associate with accessory genome compartments, with chromosomal rearrangements, with gene presence/absence variation, and with effectors in all Zymoseptoria species. We find that the extent of RIP-like signatures varies among Z. tritici genomes compared to genomes of the sister species. The detection of a reduction of RIP-like signatures and TE recent insertions in Z. tritici reflects ongoing but still moderate TE mobility.

scholarly journals Coping with stress: morphological changes in response to environmental stimuli in a fungal plant pathogen

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Sardinha Francisco ◽  
Xin Ma ◽  
Maria Manuela Zwyssig ◽  
Bruce A. McDonald ◽  
Javier Palma-Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Environmental Stresses ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Zymoseptoria Tritici ◽  
Transcription Analysis ◽  
Disease Epidemiology ◽  
Changing Environments ◽  
Fungal Plant Pathogens

AbstractDuring their life cycles, pathogens have to adapt to many biotic and abiotic environmental stresses to maximize their overall fitness. Morphological transitions are one of the least understood of the many strategies employed by fungal plant pathogens to adapt to constantly changing environments, even though different morphotypes may play important biological roles. We characterized the responses of the wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici to a series of environmental stresses in order to understand the effects of changing environments on fungal morphology and adaptation. We found that all tested stresses induced morphological changes, but different responses were found among four different strains. A transcription analysis showed that morphogenesis and virulence factors are co-regulated. We discovered that Z. tritici forms chlamydospores and demonstrated that these structures are better able to survive extreme cold, heat and drought than other cell types. We also show that blastospores (the “yeast-like” form of the pathogen typically found only in laboratory conditions) can form from germinated pycnidiospores on the surface of wheat leaves, suggesting that this morphotype can play an important role in the natural history of Z. tritici. Our findings illustrate how changing environmental conditions can affect cellular morphology and lead to the formation of new morphotypes, with each morphotype having a potential impact on both pathogen survival and disease epidemiology.

scholarly journals Comparison of fine-scale recombination maps in fungal plant pathogens reveals dynamic recombination landscapes and intragenic hotspots

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva H. Stukenbrock ◽  
Julien Y. Dutheil
Keyword(s):  
Recombination Rate ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Population Genomics ◽  
Gene Evolution ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Recombination Rates ◽  
Zymoseptoria Tritici ◽  
Sequence Composition ◽  
Recombination Hotspots ◽  
Fungal Plant Pathogens

AbstractMeiotic recombination is an important driver of evolution. Variability in the intensity of recombination across chromosomes can affect sequence composition, nucleotide variation and rates of adaptation. In many organisms recombination events are concentrated within short segments termed recombination hotspots. The variation in recombination rate and positions of recombination hotspot can be studied using population genomics data and statistical methods. In this study, we conducted population genomics analyses to address the evolution of recombination in two closely related fungal plant pathogens: the prominent wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici and a sister species infecting wild grasses Zymoseptoria ardabiliae. We specifically addressed whether recombination landscapes, including hotspot positions, are conserved in the two recently diverged species and if recombination contributes to rapid evolution of pathogenicity traits. We conducted a detailed simulation analysis to assess the performance of methods of recombination rate estimation based on patterns of linkage disequilibrium, in particular in the context of high nucleotide diversity. Our analyses reveal overall high recombination rates, a lack of suppressed recombination in centromeres and significantly lower recombination rates on chromosomes that are known to be accessory. The comparison of the recombination landscapes of the two species reveals a strong correlation of recombination rate at the megabase scale, but little correlation at smaller scales. The recombination landscapes in both pathogen species are dominated by frequent recombination hotspots across the genome including coding regions, suggesting a strong impact of recombination on gene evolution. A significant but small fraction of these hotspots co-localize between the two species, suggesting that hotspots dynamics contribute to the overall pattern of fast evolving recombination in these species.

scholarly journals Dynamics of transposable elements in recently diverged fungal pathogens: lineage-specific transposable element content and efficiency of genome defences

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cécile Lorrain ◽  
Alice Feurtey ◽  
Mareike Möller ◽  
Janine Haueisen ◽  
Eva Stukenbrock
Keyword(s):  
Transposable Elements ◽  
Genome Evolution ◽  
Related Species ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Zymoseptoria Tritici ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Fungal Plant Pathogens ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

AbstractTransposable elements (TEs) impact genome plasticity, architecture and evolution in fungal plant pathogens. The wide range of TE content observed in fungal genomes reflects diverse efficacy of host-genome defence mechanisms that can counter-balance TE expansion and spread. Closely related species can harbour drastically different TE repertoires, suggesting variation in the efficacy of genome defences. The evolution of fungal effectors, which are crucial determinants of pathogenicity, has been linked to the activity of TEs in pathogen genomes. Here we describe how TEs have shaped genome evolution of the fungal wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici and four closely related species. We compared de novo TE annotations and Repeat-Induced Point mutation signatures in thirteen genomes from the Zymoseptoria species-complex. Then, we assessed the relative insertion ages of TEs using a comparative genomics approach. Finally, we explored the impact of TE insertions on genome architecture and plasticity. The thirteen genomes of Zymoseptoria species reflect different TE dynamics with a majority of recent insertions. TEs associate with distinct genome compartments in all Zymoseptoria species, including chromosomal rearrangements, genes showing presence/absence variation and effectors. European Z. tritici isolates have reduced signatures of Repeat-Induced Point mutations compared to Iranian isolates and closely related species. Our study supports the hypothesis that ongoing but moderate TE mobility in Zymoseptoria species shapes pathogen genome evolution.

Morphological, biochemical and molecular identification of rhizobacteria isolates with potential for biocontrol of fungal plant pathogens

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Stephen Larbi-Koranteng ◽  
Richard Tuyee Awuah ◽  
Fredrick Kankam ◽  
Muntala Abdulai ◽  
Marian Dorcas Quain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Identification ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Fungal Plant Pathogens

scholarly journals The carbon source-dependent pattern of antimicrobial activity and gene expression in Pseudomonas donghuensis P482

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Matuszewska ◽  
Tomasz Maciąg ◽  
Magdalena Rajewska ◽  
Aldona Wierzbicka ◽  
Sylwia Jafra
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Antimicrobial Activity ◽  
Carbon Source ◽  
Reference Genes ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Unknown Compound ◽  
Fungal Plant Pathogens ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPseudomonas donghuensis P482 is a tomato rhizosphere isolate with the ability to inhibit growth of bacterial and fungal plant pathogens. Herein, we analysed the impact of the carbon source on the antibacterial activity of P482 and expression of the selected genes of three genomic regions in the P482 genome. These regions are involved in the synthesis of pyoverdine, 7-hydroxytropolone (7-HT) and an unknown compound (“cluster 17”) and are responsible for the antimicrobial activity of P482. We showed that the P482 mutants, defective in these regions, show variations and contrasting patterns of growth inhibition of the target pathogen under given nutritional conditions (with glucose or glycerol as a carbon source). We also selected and validated the reference genes for gene expression studies in P. donghuensis P482. Amongst ten candidate genes, we found gyrB, rpoD and mrdA the most stably expressed. Using selected reference genes in RT-qPCR, we assessed the expression of the genes of interest under minimal medium conditions with glucose or glycerol as carbon sources. Glycerol was shown to negatively affect the expression of genes necessary for 7-HT synthesis. The significance of this finding in the light of the role of nutrient (carbon) availability in biological plant protection is discussed.

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