Download 83820 Molecular Plant Pathology

1. COURSE DECRIPTION – GENERAL INFORMATION
Assist. Prof. Martina Šeruga Musić,
1.1. Course teacher
PhD
1.2. Name of the course
Molecular Plant Pathology
1.3. Associate teachers
1.4. Study programme
(undergraduate, graduate,
integrated)
1.7. Credit value (ECTS)
1.8. Type of instruction (number of
hours L+E+S+e-learning)
graduate
1
6
2+2+1
15
1.9. Expected enrolment in the course
Elective
1.5. Status of the course
1.6. Year of study
1.10. Level of use of e-learning (1, 2, 3
level), percentage of instruction in
the course on line (20% maximum)
1
2. COURSE DESCRIPTION
2.1. Course objectives
2.2. Enrolment requirements and
required entry competences for
the course
2.3. Learning outcomes at the level
of the study programme to which
the course contributes
2.4. Expected learning outcomes at
the level of the course (4-10
learning outcomes)
To introduce students to molecular approach to research of plant diseases, their causing agents and plant-pathogen
interactions, and to give them information on newest findings in the field of molecular pathogenesis, epidemiology,
genetic and evolution of plant pathogenic microorganisms. To introduce students to the molecular methods for
detection and characterization of plant pathogens together with investigations on molecular variability and phylogeny
through the laboratory practical work. To initiate students to search scientific literature and study original research
articles and to master their presentation skills through the preparation and presentation of their seminar essay on
chosen topic.
Bacteriology and virology, fundamentals of biochemistry, molecular genetics and methods for nucleic acid analyses.
Knowledge and skills acquired from this course should enable students to understand the molecular biology of plant
pathogens and their hosts and complement their knowledge acquired from related courses. Acquired knowledge and
understanding of learned concepts as well as skills and molecular biology techniques mastered during practical
lessons should also be applicable in the wider area of scientific research in the future.
Students should be able to:
- recognize the significance of plant pathogy and the diversity of their causing agents
- understand infectious disease cycles of plants and the mechanisms of plant host response
- understand the role and importance of molecular biology in plant pathogen, plant disease and plant-pathogens
interaction research
- apply and implement different molecular biology techniques in detection and characterization of plant pathogens
- search scientific literature on given scientific topic
- analyze and present scientific work
1. Introduction to plant pathology. The concept of plant disease. The causal agents – fungi, the oomycota, bacteria,
viruses, other. The significance of plant diseases. The control of plant diseases. Molecular biology in plant pathology.
2. Fungal and Oomycetes diseases. Pathogenesis of diseases. Establishing of infection. Development of disease.
Effectors.
3. Fungal and Oomycetes genetics. Mechanisms for generating genetic variation. Chromosome instability. Horizontal
gene transfer. Role of transposable elements. Role of mycoviruses.
4. Bacterial diseases. Pathogenesis. Establishing of infection. Bacterial-bacterial communication – quorum sensing.
Penetration to plant hosts.
5. Bacterial diseases – determinants of host specificity. Concept of effector biology – avirulence factors and toxins;
elicitors. Type III secretion mechanism. Pathogenicity islands. The role of plasmids.
2.5. Course content broken down in
detail by weekly class schedule
(syllabus)
6. Phytoplasmas and spiroplasmas as plant disease causing agents. Diversity and reductive evolution. Pathogenicity
strategies.
7. Plant viruses as plant pathogens. Structure and replication.
8. Plant viruses – movement and interaction with plants.
9. Pathogens effects on plant physiological functions. Effects of environmental factors on development of infection
diseases of plant.
10. Resistance mechanisms in plants. Plant immunity. Classical concept of resistance. Preformed resistance. Indiced
defences. Gene-to-gene resistance.
11. Signalling in plat disase resistance mechanisms. PAMP- triggered immunity (PTI).. Effector triggered immunity
(ETI).
12. Genetics and molecular epidemiology of plant diseases.
13. Molecular dignostics of plant diseases.
14. Application of molecular biology to conventional disease control strategies.
15. Transgenic approaches fro crop protection. Pathogen-derived resistance. Platibodies. Overexpressing defence
genes. Expression of vaccines in plants.
Laboratory practicals (exercises):
1. Isolation of total nucleic acid (TNA) by using different methods and determination of TNA concentration (2x4 h).
2. Multilocus sequence analyses - PCR amplification of different pathogen gene regions (4 h).
3. Molecular characterization of pathogens by RFLP (4 h).
4. Pathogen detection by real-time PCR (4 h).
5. SSCP analyses for detection of molecular variability (2x4 h)
6. Phylogenetic seqeunce analyses (2 h)
Seminars:
1. Selection of seminar topics from the molecular plant pathology field (2 h)
2. Literature search (6 h)
2.6. Type of instruction
2.8. Student responsibilities
2.9. Screening of student’s work
(specify the proportion of ECTS
3. Oral presentation of seminars (7 h)
X lectures
2.7. Comments:
independent study
X seminars and workshops
multimedia and the internet
X exercises
X laboratory
online in entirety
work with the mentor
mixed e-learning
(other)
field work
Class and laboratory practicals attendance. Seminar essay writing and presentation. Tests.
Class attendance
1
Research
Practical training
Experimental work
Report
credits for each activity so that
the total number of CTS credits
is equal to the credit value of the
course)):
2.1. Grading and evaluation of
student work over the course of
instruction and at a final exam
Essay
Tests
2
Seminar essay
Oral exam
Written exam
1
Project
1
1
2.12. Optional literature (at the time
of the submission of the study
programme proposal)
2.13. Methods of monitoring quality
that ensure acquisition of exit
competences
(Other—describe)
Class atendance 10%
Tests 40%
Seminar essay 20%
Written exam 20%
Oral exam 10%
Title
2.2. Required literature (available at
the library and via other media)
(Other--describe)
(Other—describe)
Juretić N (2002) Osnove biljne virologije. Školska knjiga, Zagreb
Prescott LM, Harley JP, Klein DA (2002) Microbiology. McGraw-Hill, Boston.
Number of
copies at the
library
10
10
Dickinson M (2003) Molecular Plant Pathology. BIOS Scientific Publishers, London.
Agrios GN (2005) Plant Pathology (Fifth Edition). Academic Press, New York.
Students will be given a questionnaire to evaluate the course, the lecturers and assistants.
Availability via
other media