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Lecture Series

Modern Molecular Technologies

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Lecture Series

Modern Molecular Technologies

Professor Dr. Richard Peter OliverThe Australian Centre for Necrotrophic Fungal Pathogens

Murdoch University, Perth (Western Australia)

GenXPro GmbH (FIZ)invites:

Professor Dr. Richard Peter Oliver

“Plant fungal pathogens: Deciphering their genomes by next-generation sequencing and identifying the underlying functions“

When? Tuesday November 24, 2009, 11:00 pm (c. t.) Where? Auditorium B2, Biocenter, Frankfurt University

The Pathogens

The Pleosporales is a large group of fungi that includes the Ascochyta legume pathogens and the cereal pathogens Stagonospora and Pyrenophora. The diseases are necrotrophic, causing rapid host-cell necrosis and favoured by agricultural practices (retaining stubble from season to season). I will focus on the wheat disease Stagonospora nodorum blotch. The Genome Sequence

We sequenced S. nodorum and released the preliminary annotation in 2007. Analysis of the sequence and use of functional genomics had a significant impact on our under-standing of the disease and opened a clear pathway for substantial control of losses. Whereas we had thought of S. nodorum as a relatively unsophisticated pathogen that interacted with wheat via a series of non-specific toxins and cell-wall degrading enzymes, we now recognise that the disease plays out via the interaction of numerous highly specific secreted fungal effectors and corresponding wheat receptors. Interaction of an effector with a receptor leads to host cell necrosis and an open feeding site for the pathogen. Effector-receptor Interaction(s)

We postulate that the disease is integral to all effector/receptor interactions. Disease control can therefore be achieved by identifying host receptors and removing their genes from current cultivars. We found that the easiest route to identifying host receptors is to isolate the fungal effectors.

Functional Genomics

Evidence suggests that this model applies to legume-infecting Pleosporales. Therefore we establish functional genomics tools for pea and chickpea diseases. Comparison with the other dothideomycetes revealed significant similarities between them, which will assist ana-lysis of the legume pathogens and identification of their effectors. Intriguing evolutionary relationships were identified which may explain the current status of these diseases.

Abstract

Plant fungal pathogens: Deciphering their genomes by next-generation sequencing and identifying the underlying

functions“

Professional Career of the Invitee:

Professor of Molecular Plant Pathology and Director ACNFP Richard Peter Oliver

Professional Experience (selection)

1976-1982 University of Bristol (UK), BSc/Ph.D. in Biochemistry: Chlorophyll Biosynthesis 1982-1984 Carlsberg Laboratory, Dept. Physiology (Denmark): Plastid Molecular Biology 1984-1996 University of East Anglia, School of Biological Sciences (UK): Molecular Biology 1996-1999 Carlsberg Laboratory (Denmark), Professor, Head of Department of Physiology 2000 Zeneca Agrochemicals, Jealott’s Hill (UK), Consultant Fungal Bioinformatics 2000-date Director, Australian Centre for Necrotrophic Fungal Pathogens Professor of Molecular Plant Pathology, Division of Health Sciences Murdoch University, (Australia)

Editorial Boards

1993-2005 Microbiological Research 1999-2002 Physiological & Molecular Plant Pathology 1999-2005 Molecular Plant Pathology, Founding Senior Editor 2005-2007 Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions; Senior Editor2008- Molecular Microbiology

Ad-hoc Reviewing

Nature, BBSRC, BARD US Israel research fund, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, National Science Foundation, Plant Cell, Molecular Microbiology, EU Frame-work 6, ERA, Australian Research Council, ANR (National Research Agency of France), ARC Ozreader 2009; ARC ERA Journals 2009.

Professional Activities (selection)

Organizer of 15 national and international conferencesConsultant in 31 national and international companies and projectsAuthor of more than 140 peer-reviewed publications and two books