Emerging fungal and oomycete pathogens infect staple calorie crops and economically
important commodity crops, thereby posing a significant risk to global food security. Our …

The fungal kingdom comprises some of the most devastating plant pathogens. Sequencing
the genomes of fungal pathogens has shown a remarkable variability in genome size and …

Mutations are the source of genetic variation and the substrate for evolution. Genome-wide
mutation rates appear to be affected by selection and are probably adaptive. Mutation rates …

The hemibiotrophic fungus Zymoseptoria tritici causes Septoria tritici blotch disease of wheat
(Triticum aestivum). Pathogen reproduction on wheat occurs without cell penetration …

Previously, we identified long repeat sequences that are frequently associated with genome
rearrangements, including copy number variation (CNV), in many diverse isolates of the …

Plant–fungal interactions in the soil crucially impact crop productivity and can range from
highly beneficial to detrimental. Accumulating evidence suggests that some root-colonizing …

Background The gene content of a species largely governs its ecological interactions and
adaptive potential. A species is therefore defined by both core genes shared between all …

Fungi are ideal model organisms for dissecting the genomic bases of adaptive divergence in
eukaryotes. They have simple morphologies and small genomes, occupy contrasting, well …

During their life cycles, pathogens have to adapt to many biotic and abiotic environmental
stresses to maximize their overall fitness. Morphological transitions are one of the least …

Newly emerged wheat blast disease is a serious threat to global wheat production. Wheat
blast is caused by a distinct, exceptionally diverse lineage of the fungus causing rice blast …