The Phytophthora infestans avirulence gene Avr4 encodes an RXLR-dEER effector.

Resistance in potato against the oomycete Phytophthora infestans is conditioned by resistance (R) genes that are introgressed from wild Solanum spp. into cultivated potato. According to the gene-for-gene model, proteins encoded by R genes recognize race-specific effectors resulting in a hypersensitive response (HR).

Amplification generates modular diversity at an avirulence locus in the pathogen Phytophthora.

The destructive late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans is notorious for its rapid adaptation to circumvent detection mediated by plant resistance (R) genes. We performed comparative genomic hybridization on microarrays (array-CGH) in a near genome-wide survey to identify genome rearrangements related to changes in virulence. Six loci with copy number variation were found, one of which involves an amplification colocalizing with a previously identified locus that confers avirulence in combination with either R gene R3b, R10, or R11.

Downstream targets of the Phytophthora infestans Galpha subunit PiGPA1 revealed by cDNA-AFLP.

SUMMARY In many plant pathogens heterotrimeric G-proteins are essential signalling components involved in development and pathogenicity. In the late blight oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans the G-protein alpha subunit PiGPA1 controls zoospore motility and is required for virulence. To identify G-protein targets and signalling pathways downstream of PiGPA1, we used an optimized cDNA-AFLP protocol for analysing gene expression profiles in hypovirulent P.