Project description:The hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola is the causal agent of anthracnose disease on maize stalks and leaves. After the formation of appressoria the host cell wall is penetrated by the conversion of appressorial turgor pressure into forceful ejection of a penetration peg. Subsequently, C. graminicola establishes biotrophic hyphae in the penetrated epidermis cell at around 36 hours post inoculation (hpi) until a switch of hyphal morphology and lifestyle takes place during the colonization of neighboring host cells at around 72 hpi. During the ensuing necrotrophic growth, dark necrotic lesions are formed that are visible as anthracnose symptoms. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression during the infection process of Colletotrichum graminicola in its host plant to get insight into the defense response of this compatible interaction and into the metabolic reprogramming needed to supply the fungus with nutrients. In three independent experiments, maize plants were infected with conidia of the Colletotrichum graminicola strain CgM2 by spray inoculation of leaves. Samples from infected leaves were taken at 36 and 96 hours post infection, corresponding to initial biotrophic and necrotrophic phase, respectively. Samples from uninfected control plants were taken at the same time points.
Project description:The hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola is the causal agent of anthracnose disease on maize stalks and leaves. After the formation of appressoria the host cell wall is penetrated by the conversion of appressorial turgor pressure into forceful ejection of a penetration peg. Subsequently, C. graminicola establishes biotrophic hyphae in the penetrated epidermis cell at around 36 hours post inoculation (hpi) until a switch of hyphal morphology and lifestyle takes place during the colonization of neighboring host cells at around 72 hpi. During the ensuing necrotrophic growth, dark necrotic lesions are formed that are visible as anthracnose symptoms. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression during the infection process of Colletotrichum graminicola in its host plant to get insight into the defense response of this compatible interaction and into the metabolic reprogramming needed to supply the fungus with nutrients.
Project description:Transcriptome of 3 developmental stages of Colletotrichum graminicola during infection of Zea mays leaf sheaths 3 biological replicates per stage. The three stages are: pre-penetration appressoria (PA), early biotrophic phase (BP), and the switch from biotrophy to necrotrophy (NP). Each biological replicate of the first stage, the pre-penetration appressoria, was sequenced to a 2-fold greater depth due to its lower representation in the samples.
Project description:Anthracnose caused by the ascomycete Colletotrichum graminicola is one of the most severe fungal diseases of Zea maize. Cultivars with different levels of resistance have been described. However, which genes contribute to cultivar-specific constitutive and/or induced defense in this economically important pathosystem is still elusive. Transcriptome analyses of infected maize leaves of varieties Golden Jubilee (GJ) and B73 by RNA-Seq was performed for the penetration, biotrophic and necrotrophic phases.
