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Special Issue "Fungal Pathogens and Host Plants"

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A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungi in Agriculture and Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2023 | Viewed by 4352

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Dr. Liliana Santos

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Guest Editor

CESAM (Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: mycology; systematics; taxonomy; phylogeny; chemotyping; mycotoxicology; food mycology; bioactive compounds
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Dear Colleagues,

In natural ecosystems, the interaction between plants and fungi leads to a co‑evolutionary dynamic where both adapt to each other. Therefore, it is of major importance to have a notion of how several factors influence fungi–plant interactions. This is even more important if we consider that the distinction between a pathogenic fungus and a non-pathogenic one can be challenging because plants harbor a variety of fungi, with nearly 10,000 fungal species that can range from endophytic to pathogenic plant hosts.

Given that there is a great diversity of fungal pathogens, it is often almost impossible to circumscribe the host range of a pathogen. Even so, as we study the true diversity of these fungi, we can understand how their pathogenicity evolves and identify their threats. An important premise when studying the interaction between fungal pathogens and host plants is climate change scenarios, since they can lead to alterations in the host range of pathogens and increase their aggressiveness.

Therefore, it is paramount to improve plant disease management strategies based on knowledge of the pathogen–host range and its correct identification.

With this Special Issue, we want to improve the awareness of mycologists and plant pathologists to study fungal pathogens and their evolutionary associations with plants, based on integrative techniques or approaches.

Therefore, we encourage authors to contribute original research papers, reviews, or short communications that approach any aspect of the interaction of fungal pathogens and host plants, including new methods for fungal detection and identification, pathogenesis, epidemiology, or studies of the effects of environmental stresses on disease development.

Dr. Liliana Santos
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

mycology
taxonomy
plant physiology
phytopathology
agriculture
climate changes

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 2985 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Potential of Wild Yeasts as Promising Biocontrol Agents against Pine Canker Diseases

Eugenia Iturritxa

Nebai Mesanza

and

María-Jesús Torija

J. Fungi 2023, 9(8), 840; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9080840 - 11 Aug 2023

Viewed by 591

Abstract

Native wild yeasts from forest ecosystems represent an interesting potential source of biocontrol organisms in synergy with disease-tolerant forest materials. Yeasts have a combination of competitive mechanisms and low requirements for their biotechnological application as biocontrol agents. The current study aimed to increase the number of biocontrol candidates against Fusarium circinatum and Diplodia sapinea. The enzymatic and antagonistic activities of the biocontrol candidates were evaluated using different screening methods, in which the direct impact on the growth of the pathogen was measured as well as some properties such as cellulose and lignin degradation, tolerance to biocides, volatile compound production, or iron effect, which may be of interest in biotechnological processes related to the management of forest diseases. A total of 58 yeast strains belonging to 21 different species were obtained from oak forest and vineyard ecosystems and evaluated. The application of yeast treatment behaved differently depending on the pathogen and the plant clone. The 2g isolate (Torulaspora delbrueckii) showed the highest inhibitory activity for D. sapinea and 25q and 90q (Saccharomyces paradoxus) for F. circinatum. Clones IN416 and IN216 were the most susceptible and the most tolerant to D. sapinea, respectively, while the opposite was observed for F. circinatum. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pathogens and Host Plants)

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12 pages, 2373 KiB

Open AccessArticle

LtGAPR1 Is a Novel Secreted Effector from Lasiodiplodia theobromae That Interacts with NbPsQ2 to Negatively Regulate Infection

and

J. Fungi 2023, 9(2), 188; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9020188 - 31 Jan 2023

Viewed by 939

Abstract

The effector proteins secreted by a pathogen not only promote the virulence and infection of the pathogen but also trigger plant defense response. Lasiodiplodia theobromae secretes many effectors that modulate and hijack grape processes to colonize host cells, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we report LtGAPR1, which has been proven to be a secreted protein. In our study, LtGAPR1 played a negative role in virulence. By co-immunoprecipitation, 23 kDa oxygen-evolving enhancer 2 (NbPsbQ2) was identified as a host target of LtGAPR1. The overexpression of NbPsbQ2 in Nicotiana benthamiana reduced susceptibility to L. theobromae, and the silencing of NbPsbQ2 enhanced L. theobromae infection. LtGAPR1 and NbPsbQ2 were confirmed to interact with each other. Transiently, expressed LtGAPR1 activated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in N. benthamiana leaves. However, in NbPsbQ2-silenced leaves, ROS production was impaired. Overall, our report revealed that LtGAPR1 promotes ROS accumulation by interacting with NbPsbQ2, thereby triggering plant defenses that negatively regulate infection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pathogens and Host Plants)

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16 pages, 1435 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temporal and Spatial Variation in the Population Structure of Spanish Fusarium circinatum Infecting Pine Stands

David Fariña-Flores

Mónica Berbegal

Eugenia Iturritxa

Laura Hernandez-Escribano

Olga Aguín

and

Rosa Raposo

J. Fungi 2023, 9(2), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9020159 - 24 Jan 2023

Viewed by 946

Abstract

Fusarium circinatum is an introduced fungal pathogen extended to the northern regions of Spain that causes Pine Pitch Canker (PPC) disease. In this work, we analyzed the pathogen’s genetic diversity to study changes over time and space since the first outbreak occurred in Spain. Using six polymorphic SSR markers, 15 MLGs were identified in 66 isolates, and only three haplotypes were found with frequencies higher than one. In general, genotypic diversity was low and decreased shortly over time in the northwestern regions while maintained at País Vasco, where only one haplotype (MLG32) was detected 10 years. This population also included isolates of a single mating type (MAT-2) and VCGs identified in only two groups, while isolates from NW regions were of both mating types and VCGs represented in 11 groups. The existence of haplotype MLG32 maintained on time and widely distributed suggests its good adaptation to the environment and the host. Results showed that the pathogen in País Vasco remains clearly differentiated from other northwestern populations. This fact was supported with no evidence of migration among regions. Results are explained by the asexual reproduction, but also selfing at least to a lesser extent that leads to identification of two new haplotypes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pathogens and Host Plants)

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Review

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22 pages, 3777 KiB

Open AccessReview

Insights into Diversity, Distribution, and Systematics of Rust Genus Puccinia

Samantha C. Karunarathna

Ashwani Kumar

and

Nakarin Suwannarach

J. Fungi 2023, 9(6), 639; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9060639 - 31 May 2023

Viewed by 1374

Abstract

Puccinia, which comprises 4000 species, is the largest genus of rust fungi and one of the destructive plant pathogenic rust genera that are reported to infect both agricultural and nonagricultural plants with severe illnesses. The presence of bi-celled teliospores is one of the major features of these rust fungi that differentiated them from Uromyces, which is another largest genus of rust fungi. In the present study, an overview of the current knowledge on the general taxonomy and ecology of the rust genus Puccinia is presented. The status of the molecular identification of this genus along with updated species numbers and their current statuses in the 21st century are also presented, in addition to their threats to both agricultural and nonagricultural plants. Furthermore, a phylogenetic analysis based on ITS and LSU DNA sequence data available in GenBank and the published literature was performed to examine the intergeneric relationships of Puccinia. The obtained results revealed the worldwide distribution of Puccinia. Compared with other nations, a reasonable increase in research publications over the current century was demonstrated in Asian countries. The plant families Asteraceae and Poaceae were observed as the most infected in the 21st century. The phylogenetic studies of the LSU and ITS sequence data revealed the polyphyletic nature of Puccinia. In addition, the presences of too short, too lengthy, and incomplete sequences in the NCBI database demonstrate the need for extensive DNA-based analyses for a better understanding of the taxonomic placement of Puccinia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pathogens and Host Plants)

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