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Fungal threats to ecosystem and plant health Charlie Cairns [email protected] Fungi have a broad range of morphologies, life cycles and ecological niches Candida albicans Amillaria spp. Aspergillus fumigatus Arthrobotrys oligospora Nee, 2004. Nature 429, 804-805 Gow et al, 2012. Microbiology Today Fungal research has played essential roles in reducing human morbidity and mortality worldwide Alexander Fleming, 1928 Penicillium chrysogenum Penicillin Akira Endo, 1971 Aspergillus terreus Lovastatin Fungi are important pathogens in a diverse range of organisms Greater than 99% chance of being locally extinct in next 16 years Comparison of yearly deaths in sub-Saharan Africa due to HIV-related cryptococcosis and common infectious diseases excluding HIV. Myotis lucifugus Disease alerts in the for pathogenic fungi of animals and plants Geographical distribution of disease 40% decline in alerts Panama with ecosystem level changes Alytes obstetricans Park et al. 2009, Aids;23:525–530. Relative proportion of extinction events for major classes of infectious agents Gorgonia ventalina 90% mortality of specific coral species in Caribbean Fisher et al. 2012, Nature 484, 186–194 Fungi: devastating plant pathogens Rice Symptoms of Magnaporthe oryzae on leaves (10 – 30% loss of annual harvest) Wheat Mycosphaerella graminicola infected wheat Bananas Colletotrichum infected bananas Maize Ustilago maydis on corn Why are fungi such successful plant pathogens? • Ability to survive independently outside of their host, as a free-living saprophyte or as durable spores in the environment • The latent period of infection, i.e., the time between infection and the production of further infectious propagules may be rapid and/or cryptic • Spores may be spread as high-density inoculum in surface water or in droplets by rainsplash. Alternatively, nonwettable spores may be carried long distances by the wind. • They have a plethora of molecular tricks for evading, suppressing and exploiting plant immune responses • Development of resistance to antifungals M. graminicola latent period of infection M. graminicola spores resistant to: • low temperatures • starvation • U.V light 50 µM Day 1-10 Day 11 Fungi threaten food security post harvest Grain contamination Food spoilage Aspergilli, Fusarium: wheat, barley and maize Aflatoxin contamination may cause 150 000 cases (32%) of liver cancer worldwide, mainly in developing world (Liu and Wu, Environ Health Perspect. 2010) Botrytis cinerea on rasberry (Williamson et al 2007 Mol. Plant Pathol.) Exeter University is a world class fungal research institute Exeter University is a world class fungal research institute Asking questions regarding basic cell biology, genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, host-fungal interactions, epidemiology and community structure. Rice Symptoms of Magnaporthe oryzae on leaves (10 – 30% loss of annual harvest) Wheat Mycosphaerella graminicola infected wheat Bananas Colletotrichum infected bananas Maize Ustilago maydis on corn Haynes Laboratory: Mycosphaerella graminicola- development of a molecular toolkit Wheat Mycosphaerella graminicola infected wheat Yaadwinder Sidu Interrogation of essential genes for potential drug targets High throughput transformation system for gene deletion Energy? Cellular processes? Genetic regulation? Yogesh Chaudhari Construction of an M. graminicola ORFeome Thanks for listening Charlie Cairns [email protected]