Article
Microbiology
Juan Tian, Mengli Pu, Bin Chen, Guangda Wang, Chunli Li, Xiaxia Zhang, Yanjun Yu, Zhi Wang, Zhaosheng Kong
Summary: It has been discovered that the VdAsp1 gene, encoding an inositol polyphosphate kinase, is essential for the pathogenicity of Verticillium dahliae. Loss of function of VdAsp1 does not affect host invasion but impairs colonization and proliferation in vascular tissues. This study reveals that VdAsp1 regulates the transition from vegetative growth to asexual reproduction by modulating microtubule dynamic organization, which is crucial for V. dahliae to colonize and proliferate in vascular tissues.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Huan Li, Dan Wang, Dan-Dan Zhang, Qi Geng, Jun-Jiao Li, Ruo-Cheng Sheng, Hui-Shan Xue, He Zhu, Zhi-Qiang Kong, Xiao-Feng Dai, Steven J. Klosterman, Krishna Subbarao, Feng-Mao Chen, Jie-Yin Chen
Summary: The VdPKS9 gene in the pathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae has been found to negatively regulate melanin biosynthesis and microsclerotia formation, providing insight into the mechanism of how the fungus maintains vegetative hyphal growth during infection and colonization of plant hosts, and offering potential targets for controlling melanin-producing filamentous fungi.
Article
Plant Sciences
Tao Liu, Jun Qin, Wenjing Shang, Jieyin Chen, Krishna. V. V. Subbarao, Xiaoping Hu
Summary: Type 2C protein phosphatases play important roles in various biological processes in eukaryotes. This study identified several homologs of these phosphatases in Verticillium dahliae, with VdPtc3 being the most versatile and involved in key processes such as conidium development and pathogenicity. Furthermore, VdPtc3 interacts with VdAtg1, which modulates melanin and microsclerotium formation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luyao Xiao, Chen Tang, Steven J. Klosterman, Yonglin Wang
Summary: The trehalose biosynthesis pathway is important for the fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae, with VdTps2 playing a critical role in hyphal growth, microsclerotia formation, stress resistance, and disease development.
MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Wei-Liang Kong, Hang Ni, Wei-Yu Wang, Xiao-Qin Wu
Summary: The study found that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by Trichoderma koningiopsis T2 have a significant inhibitory effect on Verticillium dahliae, reducing the severity of Verticillium wilt in tobacco and cotton. The VOCs inhibit microsclerotia formation and certain enzyme activities in V. dahliae, and downregulate the expression levels of genes related to melanin synthesis.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Yu Wen, Jinglong Zhou, Hongjie Feng, Wanqing Sun, Yalin Zhang, Lihong Zhao, Yong Cheng, Zili Feng, Heqin Zhu, Feng Wei
Summary: This study demonstrates that alpha-galactosidase VdGAL4 from V. dahliae is involved in activating plant immune response and plays a crucial role in conidial morphology and yield, formation of microsclerotia, and mycelial penetration. Deletion mutants of VdGAL4 show significantly reduced pathogenicity. These findings contribute to a better understanding of pathogenic virulence factors and the infection mechanism of pathogenic fungi, which may lead to the development of new strategies for effective control of plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Hang Ni, Wei-Liang Kong, Yu Zhang, Xiao-Qin Wu
Summary: The study showed that volatile organic compounds produced by Pseudomonas aurantiaca strain ST-TJ4 have significant inhibitory effects on the growth of Verticillium dahliae, as well as on spore germination and microsclerotia formation. Additionally, these VOCs reduced the expression of genes related to melanin synthesis in V. dahliae. Compounds such as 2-undecanone and 1-nonanol from the volatile profile of strain ST-TJ4 were found to have a significant inhibitory effect on V. dahliae mycelial radial growth.
Article
Microbiology
Alexandra Nagel, Miriam Leonard, Isabel Maurus, Jessica Starke, Kerstin Schmitt, Oliver Valerius, Rebekka Harting, Gerhard H. Braus
Summary: The study investigates the molecular functions and interactions of the Frequency (Frq) and Frq-interacting RNA helicase (Frh) in controlling the development of conidia or microsclerotia in the vascular plant pathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae. The results suggest that the Frq-Frh complex promotes conidiation but suppresses microsclerotia formation in response to light. The study also explores the possible link between the negative element Frq and the positive regulator Suppressor of flocculation 1 (Sfl1) in microsclerotia formation, providing insights into the regulatory molecular mechanism.
Article
Biology
Huan Li, Ruo-Cheng Sheng, Chen-Ning Zhang, Li-Chao Wang, Min Li, Ya-Hong Wang, Yu-Hang Qiao, Steven J. Klosterman, Jie-Yin Chen, Zhi-Qiang Kong, Krishna V. Subbarao, Feng-Mao Chen, Dan-Dan Zhang
Summary: This study reveals that VdZFP1 and VdZFP2 positively regulate VdCmr1 to promote melanin deposition during microsclerotia development, providing new insights into the regulation of melanin biosynthesis in V. dahliae.
Article
Microbiology
Meijun Lai, Zhuo Cheng, Luyao Xiao, Steven J. Klosterman, Yonglin Wang
Summary: The bZip transcription factor VdMRTF1 plays important roles in melanin biosynthesis, microsclerotial development, resistance to elevated Ca2+ levels, and fungal virulence in Verticillium dahliae.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Beata Kowalska
Summary: Vascular wilt diseases caused by Verticillium dahliae Kleb. are difficult to control and lead to increasing losses of many crops worldwide, due to reasons such as the accumulation of the pathogen in monoculture production, lack of efficient soil fumigation methods, and resistance of survival structures to degradation. Biological control, especially using microorganisms with mycoparasitic activity towards V. dahliae, is a significant focus for research in this area.
JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yilin Zhang, Wei Chen, Xiaohui Sang, Ting Wang, Haiyan Gong, Yunlei Zhao, Pei Zhao, Hongmei Wang
Summary: The study identified 90 TLP genes in the G. barbadense genome, with 13 GbTLPs being upregulated in response to Verticillium dahliae infection. The findings provide valuable insights into the GbTLP gene family and offer candidate genes for future research on disease resistance.
Article
Cell Biology
Xiaofeng Su, Siyuan Wu, Lu Liu, Guoqing Lu, Haiyang Liu, Xi Jin, Yi Wang, Huiming Guo, Chen Wang, Hongmei Cheng
Summary: The study identified bacterial strains isolated from cotton rhizosphere soil that effectively inhibited Verticillium dahliae, reducing disease index and fungal biomass in cotton plants. These bacteria enhanced cotton defense responses against the pathogen by secreting cell-wall-degrading enzymes and antimicrobial peptides, demonstrating their potential as biocontrol fungicides.
Article
Biology
Ran Li, Xi-Yue Ma, Ye-Jing Zhang, Yong-Jun Zhang, He Zhu, Sheng-Nan Shao, Dan-Dan Zhang, Steven J. Klosterman, Xiao-Feng Dai, Krishna V. Subbarao, Jie-Yin Chen
Summary: This study investigated the role of the cotton secretome in disease resistance against Verticillium wilt. Gene analysis revealed that the cotton genome encodes 2085 secreted proteins, which are involved in extracellular stress responses. Gene silencing experiments confirmed the importance of the secretome in Verticillium wilt resistance in cotton.
Article
Plant Sciences
Claudia Pisuttu, Sabrina Sarrocco, Lorenzo Cotrozzi, Riccardo Baroncelli, Giacomo Lorenzini
Summary: Verticillium species are plant pathogens that cause wilt diseases in dicotyledon plants and crops worldwide. This study sequenced the genome of Verticillium dahliae isolated from Ailanthus altissima in Italy and identified candidate genes related to pathogenicity. The newly sequenced genome provides a valuable resource for future research on Verticillium genetics, biology, and control of A. altissima.
Article
Agronomy
Angela Berrie, Tom Passey, Xiangming Xu
Summary: Research has shown that integrating biopesticides and biostimulants with a decision-based management programme in strawberry production can significantly reduce fungicide use, save costs, and have no negative impacts on yield, fruit quality, or disease control.
Article
Agronomy
Sophia Bellamy, Michael Shaw, Xiangming Xu
Summary: This study assessed the reduction in post-harvest rot of cherry by applying two biocontrol strains pre-harvest. The results showed that both strains significantly reduced the incidence of post-harvest rots, which could help reduce reliance on fungicides.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jing Liu, Lu-yao Zhang, Hua-yu Wang, Na Liu, Sen Lian, Xiang-ming Xu, Bao-hua Li
Summary: This study examined the colonization and infection process of Botryosphaeria dothidea on apple trees, and found that temperature, humidity, and host surface washates have an impact on these processes. Under optimal conditions, hyphae can colonize the host surface and form pseudoparenchyma to infect apple tissues.
Article
Agronomy
Ruth Murunde, Gideon Ringo, Louisa Robinson-Boyer, Xiangming Xu
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of commercial biopesticides on rice blast disease and yield in Africa. The results showed that using biopesticides not only controlled the disease, but also increased grain yield, especially in low-production regions. Dipping treatment alone was effective in suppressing the disease and improving yield, unless disease pressure was high. The findings suggest that applying biopesticides in rice production is important, particularly in subsistence farming.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qiang Wang, Rui Song, Sanhong Fan, Jeffrey J. Coleman, Xiangming Xu, Xiaoping Hu
Summary: This study investigated the Fusarium community in diseased wheat heads sampled from different geographical sites in China, and found that the diversity of Fusarium significantly influenced mycotoxin accumulation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xueren Cao, Qun Zhang, Yongxiang He, Haiyan Che, Yating Lin, Daquan Luo, Jonathan S. West, Xiangming Xu
Summary: This study analyzed the genotypes of 112 isolates of Colletotrichum siamense and found significant genetic differentiation among three clusters, regardless of host, location, and year. This suggests that C. siamense infecting rubber tree, areca palm, and coffee in Hainan can be considered as one disease and should be controlled simultaneously.
Article
Plant Sciences
Thomas Heaven, Helen M. M. Cockerton, Xiangming Xu, Matthew Goddard, Andrew D. D. Armitage
Summary: This study presents the first genome assembly for Podosphaera aphanis, the causal agent of powdery mildew on strawberry. The assembled genome consists of 12,357 contigs and has 17,239 predicted genes encoding 17,328 proteins. This annotated genome provides a molecular resource for investigating host-pathogen interactions in the strawberry powdery mildew pathosystem.
Article
Agronomy
Gurkan Tut, Naresh Magan, Xiangming Xu
Summary: This study investigates the impact of temperature, relative humidity, and vapor pressure deficit on the viable populations of Bacillus subtilis QST 713 and Gliocladium catenulatum J1446. The results show a slight decline in the population size of both biocontrol organisms on strawberry and lettuce leaves, but this decline is not statistically significant under general UK agronomy climates. However, the viable populations increase significantly at optimal growth temperatures with high relative humidity. Temperature and dew point have a significant effect on the rate of temporal changes in the viable biocontrol population size.
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
E. Malusa, N. Vassilev, D. Neri, X. Xu
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Amanda Karlstrom, Matevz Papp-Rupar, Tom A. J. Passey, Greg Deakin, Xiangming Xu
Summary: The composition of bacterial and fungal endophytes within the phyllosphere of apple trees is influenced by host genetics and environment. A study on apple trees infected with the fungal pathogen Neonectria ditissima showed that multiple loci have a significant effect on the abundance of individual endophytic taxa. Some of these loci are associated with tolerance to Neonectria ditissima. These findings suggest that apple endophyte composition has a genetic basis and can be modified through breeding.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Matevz Papp-Rupar, Leone Olivieri, Robert Saville, Thomas Passey, Jennifer Kingsnorth, Georgina Fagg, Hamish McLean, Xiangming Xu
Summary: Apple canker, caused by Neonectria ditissima, is a major disease of apples worldwide. This study found that Epicoccum nigrum B14-1, isolated from healthy apple trees, can effectively control N. ditissima without causing harm to the apple trees. This discovery suggests that E. nigrum B14-1 could be a potential biocontrol agent for managing apple canker in commercial apple production.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zheng Ma, Hongjie Feng, Chuanzhen Yang, Xiaojie Ma, Peng Li, Zili Feng, Yalin Zhang, Lihong Zhao, Jinglong Zhou, Xiangming Xu, Heqin Zhu, Feng Wei
Summary: This study aimed to assess the effects of fludioxonil and metalaxyl-M: fludioxonil, azoxystrobin, on cotton seed endophytes, rhizosphere soil enzymatic activities, microbiome, and metabolites. The seed coating agents significantly changed the seed endophytic bacterial and fungal communities. The coated seeds inhibited soil catalase activity and decreased bacterial and fungal biomass, but increased rhizosphere bacterial alpha diversity. The seed coating reduced the abundance of beneficial microorganisms but enriched potential pollutant-degrading microorganisms. Furthermore, there were strong links between soil microbial communities, metabolites, and enzymatic activities.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Lauren Helen Farwell, Greg Deakin, Adrian Lee Harris, Georgina Fagg, Thomas Passey, Carol Verheecke-Vaessen, Naresh Magan, Xiangming Xu
Summary: Raspberry production in the U.K. has increased under polythene cultivation in the past decade, leading to a rise in previously less common diseases such as Cladosporium. This study identified Cladosporium cladosporioides as the predominant species responsible for infecting raspberry fruit, particularly close to harvest in the U.K. and Spain. Only ripe raspberries were found to be susceptible to Cladosporium, resulting in skin lesions. Further research is needed to determine if early stigmata infections could lead to subsequent skin lesion infections.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Chris Cook, Naresh Magan, Louisa Robinson-Boyer, Xiangming Xu
Summary: We studied the effect of different temperatures and CO2 levels on the microbiome of apple orchard soil under conventional and organic management. The key difference between the two orchards was the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The differences between the two orchards had the most significant impact on the bacterial and fungal communities, contributing to a large portion of the variance in Bray-Curtis beta diversity. Elevated CO2 concentration and temperature affected the microbial diversity of organic orchard more than the conventionally managed orchard.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Matevz Papp-Rupar, Amanda Karlstrom, Thomas Passey, Greg Deakin, Xiangming Xu
Summary: Bacterial and fungal endophytes can help improve the tolerance and growth of host plants. This study investigated the correlation between apple endophytes and the development of European apple canker. The results showed that certain bacterial groups were positively associated with canker tolerance, while some fungal groups may facilitate canker development and others may compete with it.
PHYTOBIOMES JOURNAL
(2022)