NCCC207: Biochemistry and Genetics of Plant-Fungal Interactions
Statement of Issues and Justification
Title: NCCC-173, 2007 Biochemistry and Genetics of Plant-Fungal Interactions (NCCC173)Statement of Issues and Justification:
Filamentous fungal pathogens cause diseases on all agricultural crops resulting in millions of tons of crop losses and billions of dollars in lost revenue annually. Strategies to combat fungal diseases include fungicides, crop rotation, plant resistance, and disease-free seed all of which have had limited success in controlling disease. The ability of fungi to develop fungicide resistance and overcome plant resistance continues to interfere with designing long term control measures for pathogenic fungi. For many decades, liberal fungicide application regimes was the main strategy for fungal disease control. However, in recent years, disease control in agriculture has become challenging due to the removal and/or federal regulations concerning the registration and application of fungicides. With the loss of this traditional disease control measures the need for new, innovative control measures that are economically sound, and environmentally friendly, become more important than ever to address future needs. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of knowledge concerning the biochemical and genetic bases of fungal pathogenicity which has hindered the development of alternative disease control strategies.
A better understanding of the biochemical, molecular and genetic basis of plant-fungal symbiotic interactions (from parasitism to mutualism), and the response of plants to these microbes, is critical to the development of effective long term control measures. For example, phytopathogenic fungi express several different pathogenic lifestyles including biotrophy, hemibiotrophy, and necrotrophy, and may express a pathogenic or mutualistic symbiotic lifestyle depending upon the plant host they interact with, and may show tissue specificity or microhabitat preferences, and lifestyle expression correlated to the production of toxins and/or extracellular enzymes. Clearly, plant-fungal interactions are complex and the level of complexity surrounding such studies is exacerbated by the fact that there are numerous species of fungi of agricultural importance, namely the pathogens. In order to realistically make advances in understanding how and why fungi cause disease, and hence, provide insightful information for the development of management tools, the multi-disciplinary complexities involved in host-pathogen interactions must be simultaneous studied with several fungal genera. If granted a renewal, the goal of the NCCC-173 committee will be to design meetings in which individuals from several diverse disciplines and fungal systems will be able to interact, share information (via a website based platform), establish collaborations, foster an interactive environment for students and mentors alike, to better understand the academic basis of plant-fungal interactions, which can then be applied to agriculture.
Initiated in 1991 (first meeting - January 1992), and renewed in 1994, 1998 and 2003, the group was originally designated NCR-173 and the focus of the meetings was the genetics and biochemistry of host-parasite interactions in the genus Colletotrichum. Colletotrichum was chosen because it is a model fungal system for the study of phytopathogenesis. Collectively, Colletotrichum species are easy to maintain and manipulate in culture, numerous research laboratories worldwide study this genus, and plant bio-assays, biochemical, molecular, and genetic protocols have been optimized in several of these species. By focusing our efforts on a single genus, an enormous amount of information was quickly obtained from the various labs. The exchange of ideas, information and collaborations established in subsequent meetings allowed us to begin building the foundation for understanding the basis of plant-fungal interactions.
Through collaborative interactions made possible by this NCR committee, understanding the genetic and molecular bases of pathogenicity in the fungal genus Colletotrichum was largely advanced. Major areas of research 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. Significant advances in these areas of study occurred, in large part, as a result of concerted interactions among the participants of NCR-173 both during and subsequent to our annual meetings. We have met annually and these sessions have fostered scientific information exchange and an opportunity to coordinate research efforts and management strategies into host-fungal interactions encompassing the genus Colletotrichum and in 2003, expanded to encompass other fungal genera of importance as well.
Over time we have found that the inclusion of scientists studying plant-fungal interactions in other fugal systems has been of tremendous value. As a result of this increasing scientific diversity in our membership and as noted in our 2002 administrative review, in 2003, we changed to the title of our group to more accurately reflect the extended focus of our committee. The change in title of NCR-173 to The Biochemistry and Genetics of Plant-Fungal Interactions reflects the shift in emphasis from Colletotrichum sp., to include a wide range of fungal genera such as Alternaria, Fusarium, Curvularia, Sclerotinia, Cochliobolus, Pyrenophora, Monolinia, Ustilago, to name a few. In addition, in 2005, the name of our committee was changed from NCR-173 (North Central Region) to NCCC-173 (North Central Coordinating Committee) to better reflect the make-up and aims of our group.
The above mentioned fungal systems were chosen because they represent diverse genera in which major areas of research from labs worldwide are focused. Collectively, these fungi express different symbiotic lifestyles ranging from mutualism to parasitism, may show tissue specificity or microhabitat preferences, and produce toxins, avirulence proteins and/or extracellular enzymes. In addition, classical genetic analysis, genomic sequencing, proteomics and biochemical, molecular, and applied field studies addressing plant-fungal interactions are presently being addressed in these systems. By widening our scope to encompass several model fungal systems along side emerging tractable systems, the information shared in the last several years has allowed us to compile and analyze a great deal of information regarding the universal similarities and unique differences involved in plant-fungal interactions. In so doing, what was once an individualistic and often laboriously lengthy approach has now take on a quickened synergetic momentum.
We have continually stressed interdisciplinary activities which are clearly reflected in the make up of our participants. Membership in NCCC-173 includes classical geneticists, population biologists, evolutionary biologists, molecular biologists, physiologists, mycotoxicologists, plant molecular biologists, field epidemiologists, and pest management scientists. Thus, this is an exceptional collaborative interaction between a blend of basic and applied scientists representing land grant universities, private industry and government. We also have committee members from throughout the region, the country, and other countries. The interdisciplinary nature of the NCCC-173 meetings has allowed several laboratories to make greater advances than if the group was restricted to specific labs or systems.
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