A Multiplex TaqMan qPCR Assay for Detection and Quantification of Clade 1 and Clade 2 Isolates of and .

The ability to detect and quantify aerially dispersed plant pathogens is essential for developing effective disease control measures and epidemiological models that optimize the timing for control. There is an acute need for managing the downy mildew pathogens infecting cucurbits and hop incited by members of the genus ( clade 1 and 2 isolates and , respectively). A highly specific multiplex TaqMan quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting unique sequences in the pathogens' mitochondrial genomes was developed that enables detection of all three taxa in a single multiplexed amplification.

Assembly, annotation, and comparison of Macrophomina phaseolina isolates from strawberry and other hosts.

Background: Macrophomina phaseolina is a fungal plant pathogen with a broad host range, but one genotype was shown to exhibit host preference/specificity on strawberry. This pathogen lacked a high-quality genome assembly and annotation, and little was known about genomic differences among isolates from different hosts.

Results: We used PacBio sequencing and Hi-C scaffolding to provide nearly complete genome assemblies for M.

Detection of f. sp. from Infected Strawberry Plants.

Isolates of the species complex have been characterized as plant pathogens that commonly cause vascular wilt, stunting, and yellowing of the leaves in a variety of hosts. species complex isolates have been grouped into formae speciales based on their ability to cause disease on a specific host. f.

Development of Molecular Methods to Detect Macrophomina phaseolina from Strawberry Plants and Soil.

Macrophomina phaseolina is a broad-host-range fungus that shows some degree of host preference on strawberry, and causes symptoms that include crown rot and root rot. Recently, this pathogen has affected strawberry production as fumigation practices have changed, leaving many growers in California and around the world in need of accurate, rapid diagnostic tools for M. phaseolina in soil and infected plants.

Transcriptome and Small RNAome Dynamics during a Resistant and Susceptible Interaction between Cucumber and Downy Mildew.

Cucumber ( L.) downy mildew, caused by the obligate oomycete pathogen (Berk. and Curt.

Alternative Splicing in the Obligate Biotrophic Oomycete Pathogen Pseudoperonospora cubensis.

Pseudoperonospora cubensis is an obligate pathogen and causative agent of cucurbit downy mildew. To help advance our understanding of the pathogenicity of P. cubensis, we used RNA-Seq to improve the quality of its reference genome sequence.

Light and the circadian clock mediate time-specific changes in sensitivity to UV-B stress under light/dark cycles.

In Arabidopsis, the circadian clock regulates UV-B-mediated changes in gene expression. Here it is shown that circadian clock components are able to inhibit UV-B-induced gene expression in a gene-by-gene-specific manner and act downstream of the initial UV-B sensing by COP1 (CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1) and UVR8 (UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8). For example, the UV-B induction of ELIP1 (EARLY LIGHT INDUCIBLE PROTEIN 1) and PRR9 (PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR 9) is directly regulated by LUX (LUX ARRYTHMO), ELF4 (EARLY FLOWERING 4), and ELF3.

454 Genome sequencing of Pseudoperonospora cubensis reveals effector proteins with a QXLR translocation motif.

Pseudoperonospora cubensis is a biotrophic oomycete pathogen that causes downy mildew of cucurbits, a devastating foliar disease threatening cucurbit production worldwide. We sequenced P. cubensis genomic DNA using 454 pyrosequencing and obtained random genomic sequences covering approximately 14% of the genome, thus providing the first set of useful genomic sequence information for P.