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Author Spotlight: Evaluation of Entomopathogenic Fungi in Wild Monochamus alternatus Populations for Biocontrol Applications in Forest Wood Borers
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Author Spotlight: Evaluation of Entomopathogenic Fungi in Wild Monochamus alternatus Populations for Biocontrol Applications in Forest Wood Borers

Published on: September 29, 2023

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Evolution of pathogenicity in obligate fungal pathogens and allied genera

Moytri RoyChowdhury1, Jake Sternhagen2, Ya Xin3

  • 1Infectious Diseases Program, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California, United States of America.

Peerj
|August 31, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Fungal pathogens (Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes) and oomycetes share similar strategies to infect cereal crops by bypassing host immunity. Understanding these convergent adaptations can improve disease resistance breeding.

Area of Science:

  • Plant pathology
  • Mycology
  • Oomycete research

Background:

  • Obligate pathogens, including Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes, and oomycetes, cause significant diseases in cereal crops.
  • These pathogens are biotrophs, feeding on living host cells and evading plant immune responses.

Approach:

  • This review analyzes pathogenicity factors in Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes, and oomycetes affecting crop plants.
  • It compares their strategies, highlighting convergent evolution towards an obligate parasitic lifestyle.

Key Points:

  • Convergent evolution is evident in the independent development of pathogenicity mechanisms across these distinct fungal and oomycete lineages.
  • Shared strategies for host immune system evasion are crucial for obligate biotrophic lifestyles.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding pathogen adaptation and population dynamics is key to developing durable crop resistance.
  • This knowledge can enhance breeding strategies for stable, long-term disease resistance in cereals.
Keywords:
BiotrophyEvolutionObligate PathogensParasitismPathogenicityVirulance

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