Author
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Dunkle, Larry |
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Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 3/11/2005 Publication Date: 6/10/2005 Citation: Dunkle, L.D. 2005. Fungal phytotoxins: perspectives and promises. Phytopathology. 95(6):S134. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Fungal phytotoxins have facilitated advances in our understanding of numerous phenomena in plant and fungal physiology, biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology. During the past few decades, phytotoxins have been employed as tools contributing to fundamental discoveries in plant pathogenesis, host specificity, mechanisms of resistance and susceptibility, secondary metabolism, fungal genome organization, plant cell and organelle functions, and fungal ecology. Their application to fundamental questions has followed the development of prevalent biological concepts. As components of molecular approaches, phytotoxins will allow investigators to make substantial progress toward defining: signaling pathways in defense responses; evolution of pathogen races; virulence and avirulence factors; the role of programmed cell death in plant disease; phenomena that distinguish resistant and susceptible phenotypes; evidence for horizontal gene transfer; disease management strategies, and countless others. Some of the hallmarks of phytotoxin research and those who contributed them will be reviewed, and future promises of phytotoxin research will be discussed. |
