Research report 2012 - Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research

Cooperative threat: How interactions with associated organisms increase plant pathogen fitness

Authors
Kemen, Eric
Departments
Max Planck Research Group Evolution of Obligate Parasitism and Biodiversity
Summary
New plant diseases emerge regularly being a threat for food security. Some pathogens cause epidemics on living plants only and are called biotrophs. Comparative genomics revealed a loss of essential metabolic pathways leading to biotrophy. However, gene loss is only possible due to the ability to suppress host defense. Defense suppression and adaptability requires a large gene pool that is acquired by sexual recombination or interaction with other organisms. To get a comprehensive view on how new pathogens emerge it is important to dissect their interaction within natural habitats.

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