Biology of Erysiphales

  THE CUCURBIT POWDERY MILDEW PROJECT

Despite the great efforts invested by plant breeding and chemical companies, powdery mildew fungi (Erysiphales) continues to be one of the most important limiting factors for many horticultural and ornamental crops. Among of these problems, the cucurbit powdery mildew (Podosphaera xanthii) stands as one of the most important threats for the cucurbit production worldwide. The expansion of genomics and the advancement of technologies to exploit this information, provide a novel platform from which new routes can be developed to obtain the future arsenal of crop protection tools, especially against powdery mildews. In this research project, we use the genomics information available for P. xanthii and other powdery mildews to achieve the following objectives: 1) Define the secretome of P. xanthii by combining sequencing data from epiphytic and haustorial transcriptomes. 2) Identify fungal proteins with key role in pathogenesis by functional analysis of candidate effectors and conserved secreted proteins. 3) Identify the molecular targets of selected Podosphaera effectors; attention will be paid to effectors that might be likely involved in manipulation of host responses. If we succeed, the results of this project should provide the basis for discovery of new fungicides and development of new resistant varieties, this way contributing to the development of a more sustainable and productive agriculture. 

Principal Investigator: ALEJANDRO PÉREZ GARCÍA    ResearcherID: D-9373-2013

Members
Alejandro Pérez García
Antonio de Vicente Moreno
Juan A. Torés Montosa (IHSM-CSIC)
Diego F. Romero Hinojosa
Dolores Fernández Ortuño
Jesús Martínez Cruz
Álvaro Acisclo Polonio Escalona

PUBLICATIONS

Pirondi A, D Vela-Corcía, L Dondini, A Brunelli, A Pérez-García, M Collina (2015) Genetic diversity analysis of the cucurbit powdery mildew fungus Podosphaera xanthii suggests a clonal population structure. FUNGAL BIOLOGY (en prensa)

Pirondi A, A Pérez-García, G Battistini, E Muzzi, A Brunelli, M Collina (2015) Seasonal variations in the occurrence of Golovinomyces orontii and Podosphaera xanthii, causal agents of cucurbit powdery mildew in Northern Italy. ANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY (en prensa)

Pirondi A, A Pérez-García, I Portillo, G Battistini, C Turan, A Brunelli, M Collina (2015) Occurrence of chasmothecia and mating type distribution of Podosphaera xanthii, a causal agent of cucurbit powdery mildew in Northern Italy. JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY (en prensa)

Bellón-Gómez D, D Vela-Corcía, A Pérez-García, JA Torés (2015) Sensitivity of Podosphaera xanthii populations to anti-powdery mildew fungicides in Spain. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (en prensa)

Vela-Corcía D, D Romero, JA Torés, A de Vicente, A Pérez-García (2015) Transient transformation of Podosphaerea xanthii by electroporation of condia. BMC MICROBIOLOGY 15:20 

Martínez-Cruz J, Romero D, Dávila JC, Pérez-García A (2014) The Podosphaera xanthii haustorium, the fungal Trojan horse of cucurbit-powdery mildew interactions. FUNGAL GENETICS AND BIOLOGY 71: 21-31

Vela-Corcía D, Bellón-Gómez D, Torés JA, Pérez-García A (2014) The Podosphaera fusca TUB2 gene, a molecular “Swiss Army knife” with multiple applications in powdery mildew research. FUNGAL BIOLOGY 118: 228-241

López-Ruiz F, Pérez-García A, Fernández-Ortuño D, Romero D, García E, de Vicente A, Brown JKM, Torés JA (2010) Sensitivities to DMI fungicides in populations of Podosphaera fusca in south central Spain. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 66: 801-808

Pérez-García A, Romero D, Fernández-Ortuño D, Ruiz-López F, de Vicente A, Torés JA (2009) The powdery mildew fungus Podosphaera fusca (synonym Podosphaera xanthii), a constant threat to cucurbits. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 10: 153-160

Romero D, Rivera ME, Cazorla FM, Codina JC, Fernández-Ortuño D, Torés JA, Pérez-García A, de Vicente A (2008) Comparative histochemical analyses of oxidative burst and cell wall reinforcement in compatible and incompatible melon-powdery mildew (Podosphaera fusca) interactions. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 165: 1895-1905

Fernández-Ortuño D, Torés JA, de Vicente A, Pérez-García A (2008) Mechanisms of resistance to QoI fungicides in phytopathogenic fungi. INTERNATIONAL MICROBIOLOGY 11:1-9

Fernández-Ortuño D, Torés JA, de Vicente A, Pérez-García A (2008) Field resistance to QoI fungicides in Podosphaera fusca is not supported by typical mutations in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 64: 694-702

Fernández-Ortuño D, Torés JA, de Vicente A, Pérez-García A (2007) Multiple displacement amplification, a powerful tool for molecular genetic analysis of powdery mildew fungi. CURRENT GENETICS 51: 209-219

Fernández-Ortuño D, Pérez-García A, López-Ruiz F, Romero D, de Vicente A, Torés JA (2006) Occurrence and distribution of resistance to QoI fungicides in populations of Podosphaera fusca in south central Spain. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY 115: 215-222

Pérez-García A, Mingorance E, Rivera ME, del Pino D, Romero D, Torés JA, de Vicente A (2006) Long-term preservation of Podosphaera fusca using silica gel. JOURNAL OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY 154: 190-192

Rivera ME, Codina JC, Olea F, de Vicente A, Pérez-García A (2002) Differential expression of β-1,3-glucanase in susceptible and resistant melon cultivars in response to infection by Sphaerotheca fusca. PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 61: 257-265

Del Pino D, Olalla L, Pérez-García A, Rivera ME, García S, Moreno R, de Vicente A, Torés JA (2002) Occurrence of races and pathotypes of cucurbit powdery mildew in south-eastern Spain. PHYTOPARASITICA 30: 459-466

Pérez-García A, Olalla L, Rivera E, del Pino D, Cánovas I, de Vicente A, Torés JA (2001) Development of Sphaerotheca fusca on susceptible, resistant, and temperature-sensitive resistant melon cultivars. MYCOLOGICAL RESEARCH 105: 1216-1222