oomycetes
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyInvertases in Phytophthora infestans Localize to Haustoria and Are Programmed for Infection-Specific ExpressionOomycetes cause hundreds of diseases in economically and environmentally significant plants. How these microbes acquire host nutrients is not well understood. Many oomycetes insert specialized hyphae called haustoria into plant cells, but unlike their fungal counterparts, a role in nutrition has remained unproven. The discovery that Phytophthora invertases localize to haustoria provides the first strong evidence that these...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceGenome-Wide Increased Copy Number is Associated with Emergence of Dominant Clones of the Irish Potato Famine Pathogen Phytophthora infestansThe plant pathogen implicated in the Irish potato famine, Phytophthora infestans, continues to reemerge globally. Understanding changes in the genome during emergence can provide insights useful for managing this pathogen. Previous work has relied on studying individuals from the United States, South America, Europe, and China reporting that these can occur as...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHydrodynamic Shape Changes Underpin Nuclear Rerouting in Branched Hyphae of an Oomycete PathogenDespite their fungal morphology, oomycetes constitute a distinct group of protists related to brown algae and diatoms. Many oomycetes are pathogens and cause diseases of plants, insects, mammals, and humans. Extensive efforts have been made to understand the molecular basis of oomycete infection, but durable protection against these pathogens is yet to be achieved. We use a plant-pathogenic oomycete to decipher a key physiological...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMetabolic Model of the Phytophthora infestans-Tomato Interaction Reveals Metabolic Switches during Host ColonizationLate blight disease caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans leads to extensive yield losses in tomato and potato cultivation worldwide. To effectively control this pathogen, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms shaping the interaction with its hosts is paramount. While considerable work has focused on exploring host defense mechanisms and identifying P. infestans proteins contributing to virulence...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceMitotic Recombination and Rapid Genome Evolution in the Invasive Forest Pathogen Phytophthora ramorumAlien species are often successful invaders in new environments, despite the introduction of a few isolates with a reduced genetic pool. This is called the genetic paradox of invasion. We found two mechanisms by which the invasive forest pathogen causing sudden oak and sudden larch death can evolve. Extensive mitotic recombination producing runs of homozygosity generates genotypic diversity even in the absence of sexual reproduction,...