A genome-wide analysis of parasitic fitness in the Dutch elm disease fungus Ophiostoma novo-ulmi

自20世纪初以来，连续两次荷兰榆病(DED)大流行已导致超过10亿只榆树死亡。高度侵袭性的真菌Ophiostoma novo-ulmi是目前DED大流行的罪魁祸首，并对北美分布最广泛的本土榆树--美洲榆树的种群产生了巨大影响。了解导致DED的宿主-病原体相互作用的遗传基础是开发涉及操纵病原体或其宿主的控制方法的基础。这项拟议研究的总体目标是识别、表征和操纵有助于新生稻瘟病菌整体寄生适合度的基因。更具体地说，我们的目标是参与致病的基因，以及控制DED真菌在宿主中发育时在两种生长形式(酵母和菌丝体)之间转换的基因。

More than one billion elms have been killed by two successive pandemics of Dutch elm disease (DED) since the early 20th century. The highly aggressive fungus Ophiostoma novo-ulmi is responsible for the current DED pandemic and has had a dramatic impact on populations of Ulmus americana, the most widespread native elm species in North America. Understanding the genetic basis of the host-pathogen interaction leading to DED is basic to developing control methods involving manipulation of the pathogen or its host. The general objective of the proposed research is to identify, characterize and manipulate genes that contribute to overall parasitic fitness in O. novo-ulmi. More specifically, we are targeting genes involved in pathogenicity, as well as genes that control the transition between the two growth forms (yeast and mycelium) observed in the DED fungi when they develop in their host.