Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Description condensed from the NCCC-173 committee homepage: http://nimss.umd.edu/homepages/home.cfmtrackID=3074). The members of the NCCC-173 committee study a variety of important plant-pathogenic fungal genera including Colletotrichum, Alternaria, Fusarium, Sclerotinia, Cochliobolus, Pyrenophera, Monolinia, Ustilago, Magnaporthe, Aspergillus, Curvularia, and their hosts. These fungi represent the entire range of pathogenic lifestyles (biotrophy, hemibiotrophy, and necrotrophy), and occupy a variety of plant tissues and microhabitats. Many produce toxins and/or extracellular enzymes involved in pathogenicity. The goal of the committee is to share, compile, and analyze information in order to understand universal similarities and unique differences involved in fungal pathogenesis and plant responses to fungi. During the annual workshops, researchers present preliminary and current data in an environment of open discussion and constructive critique. Membership in NCCC-173, includes classical geneticists, population biologists, evolutionary biologists, molecular biologists, physiologists, mycotoxicologists, plant molecular biologists, field epidemiologists, and pest management scientists. Meetings are multidisciplinary and designed to foster collaborative interactions between basic and applied scientists representing land grant universities, private industry and government. The meetings inspire research progress from individual labs, establishment of numerous collaborations, coordination of research efforts to better define the disease process, unification of strain designations, use and expansion of fungal strain repositories, and training of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and technicians. The meetings have supported various coordinated efforts in the study of penetration, early signal transduction, colonization, and the communication that results in the expression of different fungal symbiotic lifestyles (parasitic, mutualistic, and commensalistic). The committee has helped to define future directions for individual labs and collaborative groups, with the goal of integrating research findings concerning the biology of plant-fungal interactions with new information about the basic resistance mechanisms in host plants. Annual meetings took place in Florida, New Mexico, Washington, and Wisconsin. I was able to attend most of these meetings. The meeting in 2007 had a special focus on the potential usefulness of model pathogenicity systems (i.e. Arabidopsis thaliana) for studies of plant-fungal interactions, and partly as a result, our lab has expanded its focus to include a model Colletotrichum fungus on Arabidopsis. Work with this model pathosystem has provided, and will continue to provide, new insights into the host-Colletotrichum disease interaction,. The on-going Colletotrichum genome project, for which I am the PI, was also a direct result of my participation in the group, since other members with prior experience in developing fungal genome projects were enormously helpful both as advisors and as participants in the Colletotrichum project. PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
The ability of fungi to develop fungicide resistance and overcome plant resistance continues to interfere with designing durable control measures for pathogenic fungi. A better understanding of plant-fungal interactions and of the response of plants to pathogens is critical for the development of effective and long-term control measures. The goal of the NCCC-173 multi-state committee is to enable individuals from several diverse disciplines and fungal systems to meet and share information, and to collaborate and cooperate on projects and grants, to better understand fungal-plant interactions. As a group, the committee has been enormously successful, and has published 21 collaborative papers and obtained more then 6 million dollars in collaborative grant funding just in the past five years. Collaborations have also been set up surrounding the development of a strain repository, and development and use of various vector systems incorporating fluorescent tags for cytological work. I benefitted enormously from my association with this group, not least from utilizing and adapting the fluorescent tags to my experiments, which gave us previously unimagined insights into the host-pathogen interaction. I also benefitted by adapting a sheath assay, developed by another member, to our experimental system and this, too, has provided enormous insights, including revealing the apparent presence of host-specific suppressors. In general, I have been able to develop many useful new protocols and tools, and developed new insights and collaborations, as a result of my participation in this group.
Publications
- Chanda, B., Venugopal, S., Kulshrestha, S., Navarre, D., Downie, B., Vaillancourt, L., Kachroo, A., and Kachroo P. (2008). Glycerol-3-phosphate levels are associated with basal resistance to the hemibiotrophic fungus Colletotrichum higginsianum in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology. 147: 2017-2029
- Venard, C., Kulshrestha, S., Sweigard, J., Nuckles, E., and Vaillancourt, L. (2008). The role of a FadA orthologue in the growth and development of Colletotrichum graminicola in vitro and in planta. Fungal Genetics and Biology 45: 973-983
- Du, M., Schardl., C.L., Nuckles, E.M., Vaillancourt, L.J.* (2005). Using mating-type gene sequences for improved phylogenetic resolution of Colletotrichum species complexes. Mycologia 97: 641-658
- Flowers, J. #, Vaillancourt, L.* (2005). Parameters affecting the efficiency of Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of Colletotrichum graminicola. Current Genetics 48: 380-388
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Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
(Description condensed from the NCCC-173 committee homepage: http://nimss.umd.edu/homepages/home.cfm?trackID=3074). The members of the NCCC-173 committee study a variety of important plant-pathogenic fungal genera including Colletotrichum, Alternaria, Fusarium, Sclerotinia, Cochliobolus, Pyrenophera, Monolinia, Ustilago, Magnaporthe, Aspergillus, Curvularia, and their hosts. These fungi represent the entire range of pathogenic lifestyles (biotrophy, hemibiotrophy, and necrotrophy), and occupy a variety of plant tissues and microhabitats. Many produce toxins and/or extracellular enzymes involved in pathogenicity. The goal of the committee is to share, compile, and analyze information in order to understand universal similarities and unique differences involved in fungal pathogenesis and plant responses to fungi. During the annual workshops, researchers present preliminary and current data in an environment of open discussion and constructive critique. Membership in
NCCC-173, includes classical geneticists, population biologists, evolutionary biologists, molecular biologists, physiologists, mycotoxicologists, plant molecular biologists, field epidemiologists, and pest management scientists. Meetings are multidisciplinary and designed to foster collaborative interactions between basic and applied scientists representing land grant universities, private industry and government. The meetings inspire research progress from individual labs, establishment of numerous collaborations, coordination of research efforts to better define the disease process, unification of strain designations, use and expansion of fungal strain repositories, and training of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and technicians. The meetings have supported various coordinated efforts in the study of penetration, early signal transduction, colonization, and the communication that results in the expression of different fungal symbiotic lifestyles (parasitic, mutualistic, and
commensalistic). The committee has helped to define future directions for individual labs and collaborative groups, with the goal of integrating research findings concerning the biology of plant-fungal interactions with new information about the basic resistance mechanisms in host plants. The meeting in 2007 took place in Seattle, WA. It was well attended and had a special focus on the potential usefulness of model pathogenicity systems (i.e. Arabidopsis thaliana) for studies of plant-fungal interactions.
Impacts
The ability of fungi to develop fungicide resistance and overcome plant resistance continues to interfere with designing durable control measures for pathogenic fungi. A better understanding of plant-fungal interactions and of the response of plants to pathogens is critical for the development of effective and long-term control measures. The goal of the NCCC-173 multi-state committee is to enable individuals from several diverse disciplines and fungal systems to meet and share information, and to collaborate and cooperate on projects and grants, to better understand fungal-plant interactions. As a group, the committee has been enormously successful, and has published 21 collaborative papers and obtained more then 6 million dollars in collaborative grant funding just in the past five years. Collaborations have also been set up surrounding the development of a strain repository, and development and use of various vector systems incorporating fluorescent tags for
cytological work.
Publications
- Venard, C., Vaillancourt L. (2007). Penetration and colonization of unwounded maize tissues by the maize anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola, and by the related non-pathogen C. sublineolum. Mycologia 99: 368-377
- Venard, C., Vaillancourt, L. (2007). Colonization of fiber cells by Colletotrichum graminicola in wounded maize stalks. Phytopathogy 97: 438-44
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
Plant diseases cause enormous losses to agriculture each year, and are a major limiting factor for food sustainability in the developing world. Controls often become less successful over time as pathogens adapt, and environmental degradation resulting from chemical pesticide use is a major concern. There is a continual need to develop safer, more effective ways to combat plant diseases. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate interactions between plants and pathogens will be essential for future disease management. Especially important are studies that can disclose underlying, unifying themes of pathogenesis, since these are likely to reveal information about the evolutionary forces that have shaped the various types of associations, and because controls targeted at these underlying mechanisms could be effective against a range of pathogens. NCCC-173 (was NCR-173) aims to promote research in this area by fostering collaborations among a diverse group of
fungal molecular and cellular biologists and biochemists. The group meets once each year to exchange new information and ideas, and to form new collaborative projects. In 2006 the meeting was held in November in New Mexico. Participation in the NCCC-173 group was instrumental in our research examining the cellular biology of the maize stalk rot fungus Colletotrichum graminicola. Constructs containing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene driven by the Pyrenophora tritici-repentis toxA promoter were used to label the pathogen for this study. It was discovered that the fungus is not a vascular wilt, as was widely believed, and that it moves through stalks via fibers. The toxA promoter/GFP cassette was inserted in a binary vector and used to establish Agrobacterium-mediated transformation for C. graminicola. The NCCC-173 group also provided isolates for a phylogenetic study of Colletotrichum species using MAT gene sequences. This study revealed that MAT sequences are a useful tool for
differentiating species within species complexes.
Impacts
Filamentous fungi cause diseases of agricultural crops worldwide, resulting in millions of tons and billions of dollars of losses annually. At the same time, controlling diseases is becoming more of a challenge as fungicides are subject to increasing regulation or even removal from the market. There is an urgent need for new, innovative control measures that are economically sound and environmentally friendly. A better understanding of plant-fungal interactions and the response of plants to pathogens is critical to the development of effective controls. Unfortuntately, knowledge in this area is still minimal, which has hindered the development of alternative disease control strategies. The goals of this endeavor include the following: facilitate communication through its website and annual meetings; coordinate and support research collaborations; enhance productivity of individual researchers by serving as a clearinghouse for methods and materials; standardization of
molecular protocols; and fostering joint publications.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
The NCR-173 committee hosts annual meetings designed to promote interactions among scientists from various disciplines who conduct research with several fungal systems. Committee members come from throughout the United States and the world. Membership in NCR-173 includes classical geneticists, population biologists, evolutionary biologists, molecular biologists, physiologists, mycotoxicologists, plant molecular biologists, field epidemiologists, and pest management scientists. Fungal species currently represented include Colletotrichum, Alternaria, Fusarium, Sclerotinia, Cochliobolus, Pyrenophora, Monilinia, and Ustilago. These fungi represent several different pathogenic lifestyles (biotrophy, hemibiotrophy, and necrotrophy), show tissue specificity and microhabitat preferences, and produce toxins and/or extracellular enzymes involved in pathogenicity. When it began in 1991, the NCR-173 group was centered on the genus Colletotrichum. By focusing on a single genus, an
enormous amount of information was quickly obtained and the collaboration and exchange of ideas significantly advanced understanding of the genetic and molecular bases of pathogenicity in Colletotrichum. Major areas of research have focused on classical genetic analysis, intercellular communication between fungal and plant cells, molecular systematics of this genus, chromosomal analysis, molecular transformation of these fungi, and genetic aspects of disease. Kentucky participates in the NCR-173 committee through the active membership of Lisa Vaillancourt, a Plant Pathology faculty member working with Colletotrichum fungi pathogenic on corn and Arabidopsis. At the most recent NCR-173 meeting, in Key West in November 2005, Vaillancourt made a presentation titled 'Our latest thoughts about the role of protein transport and secretion in virulence of C. graminicola to maize'.
Impacts
Filamentous fungi cause diseases of agricultural crops worldwide, resulting in millions of tons and billions of dollars of losses annually. At the same time, controlling diseases is becoming more of a challenge as fungicides are subject to increasing regulation or even removal from the market. There is an urgent need for new, innovative control measures that are economically sound and environmentally friendly. A better understanding of plant-fungal interactions and the response of plants to pathogens is critical to the development of effective controls. Unfortuntately, knowledge in this area is still minimal, which has hindered the development of alternative disease control strategies. The goals of this endeavor include the following: facilitate communication through its website and annual meetings; coordinate and support research collaborations; enhance productivity of individual researchers by serving as a clearinghouse for methods and materials; standardization of
molecular protocols; and fostering joint publication.
Publications
- Du, M., Schardl, C. L., Nuckles, E.M., and Vaillancourt, L.J. 2005. Using mating-type gene sequences for improved phylogenetic resolution of Colletotrichum species complexes. Mycologia 97: 641-658
- Flowers, J.L., and Vaillancourt, L.J. 2005. Parameters affecting the efficiency of Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of Colletotrichum graminicola. Current Genetics 48: 380-388
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
The NCR-173 committee hosts annual meetings designed to promote interactions among scientists from several fungal systems and disciplines. Committee members come from throughout the United States and the world. Membership in NCR-173 includes classical geneticists, population biologists, evolutionary biologists, molecular biologists, physiologists, mycotoxicologists, plant molecular biologists, field epidemiologists, and pest management scientists. Fungal species currently represented include Colletotrichum, Alternaria, Fusarium, Sclerotinia, Cochliobolus, Pyrenophera, Monolinia, and Ustilago. These fungi represent several different pathogenic lifestyles (biotrophy, hemibiotrophy, and necrotrophy), show tissue specificity and microhabitat preferences, and produce toxins and/or extracellular enzymes involved in pathogenicity. When it began in 1991, the NCR-173 group was centered on the genus Colletotrichum. By focusing on a single genus, an enormous amount of
information was quickly obtained and the collaboration and exchange of ideas significantly advanced understanding of the genetic and molecular bases of pathogenicity in Colletotrichum. Major areas of research have focused on classical genetic analysis, intercellular communication between fungal and plant cells, molecular systematics of this genus, chromosomal analysis, molecular transformation of these fungi, and genetic aspects of disease. Kentucky participates in the NCR 173 committee through the active membership of a Plant Pathology faculty member working with Colletotrichum fungi pathogenic on corn and Arabidopsis.
Impacts
Filamentous fungi cause diseases of agricultural crops worldwide, resulting in millions of tons and billions of dollars of losses annually. At the same time, controlling diseases is becoming more of a challenge as fungicides are subject to increasing regulation or even removal from the market. There is an urgent need for new, innovative control measures that are economically sound and environmentally friendly. A better understanding of plant-fungal interactions and the response of plants to pathogens is critical to the development of effective controls. Unfortuntately, knowledge in this area is still minimal, which has hindered the development of alternative disease control strategies. The NCR committee has as its goals the following: facilitate communication through its website and annual meetings; coordinate and support research collaborations; enhance productivity of individual researchers by serving as a clearinghouse for methods and materials; standardization of
molecular protocols; and fostering joint publication.
Publications
- Rodriguez, R.J., Redman R.S., and Henson, J.M. 2004, The Role of Fungal Symbioses in the Adaptation of Plants to High Stress Environments. in Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change. (9:261-272).Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
- Rodriguez, R.J., Redman R.S., and Henson, J.M. 2004. Symbiotic Lifestyle Expression by Fungal Endophytes and the Adaptation of Plants to Stress: Unraveling the Complexities of Intimacy. In "The Fungal Community: Its Organization And Role In The Ecosystem, Ed. J. Dighton, P Oudemans & J. White. In Press.
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