Plant-Pathogen Interactions: Annual Plant Reviews, Volume Eleven

Plant diseases are destructive and threaten virtually any crop grown on a commercial scale. They are kept in check by plant breeding strategies that have introgressed disease resistance genes into many important crops, and by the deployment of costly control measures, such as antibiotics and fungicides. However, the capacity for the agents of plant disease - viruses, bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes - to adapt to new conditions, overcoming disease resistance and becoming resistant to pesticides, is very great. For these reasons, understanding the biology of plant diseases is essential for the development of durable control strategies. Plant-Pathogen Interactions provides and overview of our current knowledge of plant-pathogen interactions and the establishment of plant disease, drawing together fundamental new information on plant infection mechanisms and host responses. The role of molecular signals, gene regulation, and the physiology of pathogenic organisms are emphasized, but the role of the prevailing environment in the conditioning of disease is also discussed. Emphasizing the broader understanding that has emerged from the use of molecular genetics and genomics, Plant-Pathogen Interactions highlights those interactions that have been most widely studied and those in which genome information has provided a new level of understanding.

Table of Contents:
EMERGING THEMES IN PLANT-PATHOGEN INTERACTIONS N.J. Talbot Introduction Breaching the Host Cuticle Invading Host Tissue Subverting Host Metabolism and Defense Perception of Pathogens Genome-Level Analysis of Pathogens The Future References TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS J.P. Carr Introduction Tobacco Mosaic Virus: Virion and Genome Structure TMV Replication and the Synthesis of Subgenomic mRNAs Movement of TMV Within the Host Host Reactions to TMV Future Directions for TMV Research: Making an Old Foe Into a New Friend? Acknowledgements References INFECTION WITH POTYVIRUSES M-L. Rajamäki, T. Mäki-Valkama, K. Mäkinen, and J.P.T. Valkonen Infection Cycle (General Summary) Architecture of Virions Entry of Virions into the Cell, Disassembly and Assembly Translation and Polyprotein Processing RNA Synthesis and Viral Genome Replication Virus Movement Induction of Symptoms Transmission Variability and Evolution Acknowledgements References THE RALSTONIA SOLANACEARUM-PLANT INTERACTION C. Boucher and S. Genin The Pathogen Molecular Studies of Pathogenicity Determinants Acknowledgements References THE PSEUDOMONAS SYRINGAE-BEAN SYSTEM S.S. Hirano and C.D. Upper Introduction The System Population Sizes of Pss on Populations of Leaf Habitats Population Processes: Searching for Causes of Variability in Pathogen Population Sizes Pss Population Sizes and the Likelihood of Disease Development How Does Pss Cause Brown Spot Lesions? Summary References FUNGAL PATHOGENESIS IN THE RICE BLAST FUNGUS MAGNAPORTHE GRISEA C. Xue, L. Li, K. Seong, and J-R. Xu Introduction Life Cycle of Magnaporthe Grisea Conidium Attachment and Germination Appressorium Morphogenesis Penetration Infectious Growth and Lesion Formation Conidiation Genomics Studies Future Perspectives References THE USTILAGO MAYDIS-MAIZE INTERACTION M.D. Garcia-Pedrajas, S. J. Klosterman, D.L. Andrews, and S.E. Gold Introduction Teliospore Germination and Meiosis Mating and Dikaryon Formation Penetration Colonization of Maize Tissue Gall Formation and Teliosporogenesis Survival Genetic Diversity in U. Maydis Host Resistance Conclusions Acknowledgements References BLUMERIA GRAMINIS F. SP. HORDEI, AN OBLIGATE PATHOGEN OF BARLEY M. Both and P.D. Spanu Introduction Life Cycle-An Overview Conidia and Germination Surface Perception and Early Events Following Contact With the Surface Signal Transduction During Early Development of B. Graminis F. Sp. Hordei Penetration The Haustorium Vegetative Growth and Sporulation Outlook References THE PHYTOPHTHORA INFESTANS-POTATO INTERACTION P. Van West and V.G.A.A. Vleeshouwers Introduction History of Late Blight Economic and Social Impact of Phytophthora Plant Pathogens The Disease Cycle of Phytophthora Infestans The Plant Response Future Perspectives Acknowledgements References INDEX

Review :
This neat collection of nine strong and competent reviews brings together recent studies . There is sufficient background material for readers to obtain a good understanding of the parasite and its infection process, and the reviews are illustrated by figures that are clear and strategically placed. I find that this volume will be very useful for both inspired undergraduates who plan on initiating honors studies or independent research, and for beginning graduate students. I am requiring this textbook for ecological and evolutionary geneticists. This primer will help young biologists learn the nuts and bolts of ecological genetics, as well as its practical applications.