Molecular Characterization of Kohn Shows Intraspecific Variability and Suggests Transcontinental Movement of the Pathogen.

Kohn is the causal agent of camellia flower blight. The fungus infects only the flowers of camellias. isolates obtained from symptomatic samples, collected in 13 different localities worldwide, were characterized by Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) using the following: (i) a nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer; (ii) subunit 2 of β-tubulin (β-TUB II), (iii) elongation factor 1-α (EF1α); and (iv) glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH).

Exploration of Novel Scaffolds Targeting Cytochrome of .

The fulfilment of the European "Farm to Fork" strategy requires a drastic reduction in the use of "at risk" synthetic pesticides; this exposes vulnerable agricultural sectors-among which is the European risiculture-to the lack of efficient means for the management of devastating diseases, thus endangering food security. Therefore, novel scaffolds need to be identified for the synthesis of new and more environmentally friendly fungicides. In the present work, we employed our previously developed 3D model of cytochrome (cyt ) complex to perform a high-throughput virtual screening of two commercially available compound libraries.

A Genome Resource for the Causal Agent of Camellia Flower Blight.

Kohn is a camellia pathogen belonging to family Sclerotiniaceae, infecting only flowers of camellias. To better understand the virulence mechanism in this species, the draft genome sequence of the Italian strain of was obtained with a hybrid approach, combining Illumina HiSeq paired reads and MinIon Nanopore long-read sequencing. This combination improved significantly the existing National Center for Biotechnology Information reference genome.

Wheat Seed Coating with sp. Strain DEF39 Spores Protects against Head Blight.

Streptomycetes are promising candidates for the biological control of Head Blight (FHB) in wheat. Studies involving the use of streptomycetes as biological control agents (BCAs) have been limited to the application when the wheat plant is developed, close to the infection on the spike during flowering. Here, we tested the effects of seed treatment with the sp.

Exploring Mitogenomes Diversity of from Banana Fruits and Human Patients.

has recently been described as a cross-kingdom pathogen causing post-harvest disease in bananas and systemic and superficial infection in humans. The taxonomic identity of fungal cross-kingdom pathogens is essential for confirming the identification of the species on distant infected hosts. Understanding the level of variability within the species is essential to decipher the population homogeneity infecting human and plant hosts.

The First Mitochondrial Genome of and Its Position in the Sclerotiniaceae Family.

is the causal agent of camellia flower blight (CFB). It is a hemibiotrophic pathogen, inoperculate Discomycete of the family Sclerotiniaceae. It shows host and organ specificity infecting only flowers of species belonging to the genus , causing serious damage to the ornamental component of the plant.

Telomere to Telomere Genome Assembly of F31, Causal Agent of Crown Rot Disease of Banana.

causes crown rot of banana and it is also associated to clinical fusariosis. A chromosome-level genome assembly of F31 obtained combining Nanopore long reads and Illumina paired-end reads resulted in 12 chromosomes plus one contig with overall N of 4.36 Mb, and is presented together with its mitochondrial genome (58,072 bp).

Grapevine Powdery Mildew: Fungicides for Its Management and Advances in Molecular Detection of Markers Associated with Resistance.

Grapevine powdery mildew is a principal fungal disease of grapevine worldwide. Even though it usually does not cause plant death directly, heavy infections can lead to extensive yield losses, and even low levels of the disease can negatively affect the quality of the wine. Therefore, intensive spraying programs are commonly applied to control the disease, which often leads to the emergence and spread of powdery mildew strains resistant to different fungicides.

Structural Investigation and Molecular Modeling Studies of Strobilurin-Based Fungicides Active against the Rice Blast Pathogen .

The increasing emergence of fungicide-resistant pathogens requires urgent solutions for crop disease management. Here, we describe a structural investigation of new fungicides obtained by combining strobilurin and succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor pharmacophores. We identified compounds endowed with very good activity against wild-type , combined in some cases with promising activity against strobilurin-resistant strains.

Investigating Useful Properties of Four Strains Active against Growth and Deoxynivalenol Production on Wheat Grains by qPCR.

spp. can be exploited as biocontrol agents (BCAs) against plant pathogens such as , the main causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB) and against the contamination of grains with deoxynivalenol (DON). In the present research, four strains active against in dual plate assays were characterized for their ability to colonize detached wheat grains in the presence of and to limit DON production.

Critical Assessment of spp. Able to Control Toxigenic Fusaria in Cereals: A Literature and Patent Review.

Mycotoxins produced by species on cereals represent a major concern for food safety worldwide. Fusarium toxins that are currently under regulation for their content in food include trichothecenes, fumonisins, and zearalenone. Biological control of spp.

Selection of an Endophytic sp. Strain DEF09 From Wheat Roots as a Biocontrol Agent Against .

Selection of biological control agents (BCA) profits from an integrated study of the tripartite interactions occurring among the BCA, the plant and the pathogen. The environment plays a crucial role in the efficacy of BCA, therefore, the selection process shall utmost mimic naturally occurring conditions. To identify effective biocontrol strains against , the major cause of Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat and deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation in grains, a workflow consisting of and assays was set up.

Dual-active antifungal agents containing strobilurin and SDHI-based pharmacophores.

Crop disease management often implies repeated application of fungicides. However, the increasing emergence of fungicide-resistant pathogens requires their rotation or combined use. Tank-mix combinations using fungicides with different modes of action are often hard to manage by farmers.

Evaluation of in-vitro methods to select effective streptomycetes against toxigenic fusaria.

Biocontrol microorganisms are emerging as an effective alternative to pesticides. Ideally, biocontrol agents (BCAs) for the control of fungal plant pathogens should be selected by an in vitro method that is high-throughput and is predictive of in planta efficacy, possibly considering environmental factors, and the natural diversity of the pathogen. The purpose of our study was (1) to assess the effects of strain diversity ( = 5) and culture media ( = 6) on the identification of biological control activity of strains ( = 20) against pathogens of wheat in vitro and (2) to verify the ability of our in vitro screening methods to simulate the activity in planta.

Fungal Biofilms: Targets for the Development of Novel Strategies in Plant Disease Management.

The global food supply has been facing increasing challenges during the first decades of the 21 century. Disease in plants is an important constraint to worldwide crop production, accounting for 20-40% of its annual harvest loss. Although the use of resistant varieties, good water management and agronomic practices are valid management tools in counteracting plant diseases, there are still many pathosystems where fungicides are widely used for disease management.

Selection of Streptomyces against soil borne fungal pathogens by a standardized dual culture assay and evaluation of their effects on seed germination and plant growth.

Background: In the search for new natural resources for crop protection, streptomycetes are gaining interest in agriculture as plant growth promoting bacteria and/or biological control agents. Because of their peculiar life cycle, in which the production of secondary metabolites is synchronized with the development of aerial hyphae and sporulation, the commonly used methods to screen for bacterial antagonists need to be adapted.

Results: The dual culture assay was standardized in terms of inoculation timing of Streptomyces antagonist and pathogen, and growth rate of different fungal pathogens.

Biological Control of Lettuce Drop and Host Plant Colonization by Rhizospheric and Endophytic Streptomycetes.

Lettuce drop, caused by the soil borne pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is one of the most common and serious diseases of lettuce worldwide. Increased concerns about the side effects of chemical pesticides have resulted in greater interest in developing biocontrol strategies against S. sclerotiorum.

Metrafenone resistance in a population of Erysiphe necator in northern Italy.

Background: Metrafenone has been used in Europe in integrated pest management programmes since 2006 to control powdery mildews, including Erysiphe necator. Its exact mode of action is not known, but it is unique among fungicide classes used in powdery mildew management. Recently, resistance to metrafenone was reported in Blumeria graminis f.

Colonization of lettuce rhizosphere and roots by tagged Streptomyces.

Beneficial microorganisms are increasingly used in agriculture, but their efficacy often fails due to limited knowledge of their interactions with plants and other microorganisms present in rhizosphere. We studied spatio-temporal colonization dynamics of lettuce roots and rhizosphere by genetically modified Streptomyces spp. Five Streptomyces strains, strongly inhibiting in vitro the major soil-borne pathogen of horticultural crops, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, were transformed with pIJ8641 plasmid harboring an enhanced green fluorescent protein marker and resistance to apramycin.

Sensitivity of Nonexposed and Exposed Populations of Magnaporthe oryzae from Rice to Tricyclazole and Azoxystrobin.

Magnaporthe oryzae is the major pathogen of cultivated rice worldwide, which can cause substantial losses to rice production. Rice blast management is based predominantly on the application of fungicides; however, only a little is known about responses of pathogen populations to the most widely used fungicides. In this work, the baseline sensitivity of the Italian M.

Impact of tricyclazole and azoxystrobin on growth, sporulation and secondary infection of the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae.

Background: Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae B. Couch sp. nov.

De novo DNA methylation activity of methyltransferase 1 (MET1) partially restores body methylation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Arabidopsis METHYLTRANSFERASE 1 (MET1) controls faithful maintenance of cytosine methylation at CG sites in repetitive regions and central body regions of active genes. If MET1 is removed in a mutant background, CG methylation is lost and is only restored in specific heterochromatic regions that have maintained competence for re-methylation due to the presence of small RNAs and the RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway that controls de novo DNA methylation functions. We analysed re-methylation at a locus that loses body methylation in an met1 mutant.

A pair of partially overlapping Arabidopsis genes with antagonistic circadian expression.

A large number of plant genes are aligned with partially overlapping genes in antisense orientation. Transcription of both genes would therefore favour the formation of double-stranded RNA, providing a substrate for the RNAi machinery, and enhanced antisense transcription should therefore reduce sense transcript levels. We have identified a gene pair that resembles a model for antisense-based gene regulation as a T-DNA insertion into the antisense gene causes a reduction in antisense transcript levels and an increase in sense transcript levels.

Sense and antisense transcripts of convergent gene pairs in Arabidopsis thaliana can share a common polyadenylation region.

The Arabidopsis genome contains a large number of gene pairs that encode sense and antisense transcripts with overlapping 3' regions, indicative for a potential role of natural antisense transcription in regulating sense gene expression or transcript processing. When we mapped poly(A) transcripts of three plant gene pairs with long overlapping antisense transcripts, we identified an unusual transcript composition for two of the three gene pairs. Both genes pairs encoded a class of long sense transcripts and a class of short sense transcripts that terminate within the same polyadenylation region as the antisense transcripts encoded by the opposite strand.