FaNPR3 Members of the NPR1-like Gene Family Negatively Modulate Strawberry Fruit Resistance against .

Strawberry fruit is highly appreciated worldwide for its organoleptic and healthy properties. However, this plant is attacked by many pathogenic fungi, which significantly affect fruit production and quality at pre- and post-harvest stages, making chemical applications the most effective but undesirable strategy to control diseases that has been found so far. Alternatively, genetic manipulation, employing plant key genes involved in defense, such as members of the NPR-like gene family, has been successful in many crops to improve resistance.

The soil-borne white root rot pathogen Rosellinia necatrix expresses antimicrobial proteins during host colonization.

Rosellinia necatrix is a prevalent soil-borne plant-pathogenic fungus that is the causal agent of white root rot disease in a broad range of host plants. The limited availability of genomic resources for R. necatrix has complicated a thorough understanding of its infection biology.

Duplex Real-Time PCR Assays for the Simultaneous Detection and Quantification of Species Causing Canker Diseases in Woody Crops.

Woody canker diseases caused by fungi of the family are producing increasing losses in many economically important woody crops, including almond. To develop a molecular tool for the detection and quantification of the most aggressive and threatening species is of main importance. This will help to prevent the introduction of these pathogens in new orchards and to conveniently apply the appropriate control measures.

Susceptibility of Novel Promising Citrus Rootstocks to White Root Rot.

Citrus is one of the most important fruit crops in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, which is one of the main citrus-producing countries worldwide. Soil-borne pathogens, such as , are relevant limiting biotic factors in fruit trees, due to their tricky management. This fungus is a polyphagous plant pathogen with worldwide distribution, causing white root rot in woody crops, including citrus trees in Spain.

Three-Layered Complex Interactions among Capsidless (+)ssRNA Yadokariviruses, dsRNA Viruses, and a Fungus.

We have previously discovered a virus neo-lifestyle exhibited by a capsidless positive-sense (+), single-stranded (ss) RNA virus YkV1 (family ) and an unrelated double-stranded (ds) RNA virus YnV1 (proposed family "") in a phytopathogenic ascomycete, . YkV1 has been proposed to replicate in the capsid provided by YnV1 as if it were a dsRNA virus and enhance YnV1 replication in return. Recently, viruses related to YkV1 (yadokariviruses) have been isolated from diverse ascomycetous fungi.

A moderate level of hypovirulence conferred by a hypovirus in the avocado white root rot fungus, Rosellinia necatrix.

Two isolates of Rosellinia necatrix (Rn118-8 and Rn480) have previously obtained from diseased avocado trees in commercial orchards of the coastal area in southern Spain. Rn118-8 and Rn480 have weak virulence on avocado plants, and are infected by R. necatrix hypovirus 2 (RnHV2).

Diverse Partitiviruses From the Phytopathogenic Fungus, .

Partitiviruses (dsRNA viruses, family ) are ubiquitously detected in plants and fungi. Although previous surveys suggested their omnipresence in the white root rot fungus, , only a few of them have been molecularly and biologically characterized thus far. We report the characterization of a total of 20 partitiviruses from 16 strains belonging to 15 new species, for which "-" were proposed, and 5 previously reported species.

Two novel partitiviruses that accumulate differentially in Rosellinia necatrix and Entoleuca sp. infecting avocado.

Rosellinia necatrix is responsible for the white rot root disease of avocado in Southern Spain. Entoleuca sp. is a fungus isolated from roots of these same trees, but it is not pathogenic in avocado.

Heterologous Expression of the Gene in Olive and Its Effects on Fungal Tolerance.

The gene encodes a key component of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) signaling mediated by salicylic acid (SA). Overexpression of confers resistance to biotrophic and hemibiotrophic fungi in several plant species. The gene has also been shown to be involved in the crosstalk between SAR signaling and the jasmonic acid-ethylene (JA/Et) pathway, which is involved in the response to necrotrophic fungi.

The Strawberry FaWRKY1 Transcription Factor Negatively Regulates Resistance to in Fruit Upon Infection.

Strawberry ( ×) is a major food crop worldwide, due to the flavor, aroma and health benefits of the fruit, but its productivity and quality are seriously limited by a large variety of phytopathogens, including spp. So far, key factors regulating strawberry immune response remain unknown. The gene has been previously proposed as an important element mediating defense responses in strawberry to .

Viromes in Xylariaceae fungi infecting avocado in Spain.

Four isolates of Entoleuca sp., family Xylariaceae, Ascomycota, recovered from avocado rhizosphere in Spain were analyzed for mycoviruses presence. For that, the dsRNAs from the mycelia were extracted and subjected to metagenomics analysis that revealed the presence of eleven viruses putatively belonging to families Partitiviridae, Hypoviridae, Megabirnaviridae, and orders Tymovirales and Bunyavirales, in addition to one ourmia-like virus plus other two unclassified virus species.

Usage of the Heterologous Expression of the Antimicrobial Gene From for Increasing Fungal Resistance in Olive.

The antifungal protein (AFP) produced by , encoded by the gene, has been used to confer resistance against a broad range of fungal pathogens in several crops. In this research, transgenic olive plants expressing the gene under the control of the constitutive promoter CaMV35S were generated and their disease response against two root infecting fungal pathogens, and , was evaluated. Embryogenic cultures derived from a mature zygotic embryo of cv.

A Novel Hypovirus Species From Xylariaceae Fungi Infecting Avocado.

The white rot root disease caused by is a major concern for avocado cultivation in Spain. Healthy escapes of avocado trees surrounded by diseased trees prompted us to hypothesize the presence of hypovirulent due to mycovirus infections. Recently, we reported the presence of another fungal species, sp.

Novel, diverse RNA viruses from Mediterranean isolates of the phytopathogenic fungus, Rosellinia necatrix: insights into evolutionary biology of fungal viruses.

To reveal mycovirus diversity, we conducted a search of as-yet-unexplored Mediterranean isolates of the phytopathogenic ascomycete Rosellinia necatrix for virus infections. Of seventy-nine, eleven fungal isolates tested RNA virus-positive, with many showing coinfections, indicating a virus incidence of 14%, which is slightly lower than that (approximately 20%) previously reported for extensive surveys of over 1000 Japanese R. necatrix isolates.

Expression of the β-1,3-glucanase gene bgn13.1 from Trichoderma harzianum in strawberry increases tolerance to crown rot diseases but interferes with plant growth.

The expression of antifungal genes from Trichoderma harzianum, mainly chitinases, has been used to confer plant resistance to fungal diseases. However, the biotechnological potential of glucanase genes from Trichoderma has been scarcely assessed. In this research, transgenic strawberry plants expressing the β-1,3-glucanase gene bgn13.

Cerinolactone, a hydroxy-lactone derivative from Trichoderma cerinum.

A novel metabolite, 3-hydroxy-5-(6-isopropyl-3-methylene-3,4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydronaphthalen-2-yl)dihydrofuran-2-one, trivially named cerinolactone (1), has been isolated from culture filtrates of Trichoderma cerinum together with three known butenolides containing the 3,4-dialkylfuran-2(5H)-one nucleus, harzianolide (2), T39butenolide (3), and dehydroharzianolide (4). The structure of 1 was determined by spectroscopic methods, including UV, MS, and 1D and 2D NMR analyses. In vitro tests with the purified compound exhibited activity against Pythium ultimum, Rhizoctonia solani, and Botrytis cinerea.

Developing tools to unravel the biological secrets of Rosellinia necatrix, an emergent threat to woody crops.

Unlabelled: White root rot caused by Rosellinia necatrix is one of the most destructive diseases of many woody plants in the temperate regions of the world, particularly in Europe and Asia. Recent outbreaks of R. necatrix around the globe have increased the interest in this pathogen.