Host Adaptation and Virulence in Heteroecious Rust Fungi

Rust fungi (Pucciniales, Basidiomycota) are obligate biotrophic pathogens that cause rust diseases in plants, inflicting severe damage to agricultural crops. Pucciniales possess the most complex life cycles known in fungi. These include an alternation of generations, the development of up to five di...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annual review of phytopathology 2021-08, Vol.59 (1), p.403-422
Main Authors: Duplessis, Sebastien, Lorrain, Cecile, Petre, Benjamin, Figueroa, Melania, Dodds, Peter N, Aime, M. Catherine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
effectors
heteroecism
life cycle
Life Sciences
pathogenesis
transcriptomics
Uredinales
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Summary:Rust fungi (Pucciniales, Basidiomycota) are obligate biotrophic pathogens that cause rust diseases in plants, inflicting severe damage to agricultural crops. Pucciniales possess the most complex life cycles known in fungi. These include an alternation of generations, the development of up to five different sporulating stages, and, for many species, the requirement of infecting two unrelated host plants during different parts of their life cycle, termed heteroecism. These fungi have been extensively studied in the past century through microscopy and inoculation studies, providing precise descriptions of their infection processes, although the molecular mechanisms underlying their unique biology are poorly understood. In this review, we cover recent genomic and life cycle transcriptomic studies in several heteroecious rust species, which provide insights into the genetic tool kits associated with host adaptation and virulence, opening new avenues for unraveling their unique evolution.
ISSN:0066-4286
1545-2107
DOI:10.1146/annurev-phyto-020620-121149