Infection mechanisms and colonization patterns of fungi on soybean

Authors: PAWLOWSKI, MICHELLE - University Of Illinois; Hartman, Glen

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/29/2016
Publication Date: 6/15/2016
Citation: Pawlowski, M.M., Hartman, G.L. 2016. Infection mechanisms and colonization patterns of fungi on soybean. In: S. Sultan, editor. Fungal Pathogenicity. InTech. p. 25-33. Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/fungal-pathogenicity/infection-mechanisms-and-colonization-patterns-of-fungi-associated-with-soybean.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fungi have many kinds of unique associations with plants. These associations can benefit both the fungus and plant, or can be detrimental to plants and cause disease and even death of the plant. Land plants evolved over 425 million years ago, and fungi have been associated with their evolution over the millennia. In general, fungal associations with plants are biotrophic, necrotrophic, or a mixture of these types. Biotrophs usually grow only on living plant tissue extracting nutrients from living plant cells. They can be pathogenic or symbiotic. In a symbiotic relationship, fungi gain carbon from the plant in exchange for nutrients and water unattainable by the plant. Necrotrophs promote host cell death to acquire nutrients for growth and reproduction. Each type of association is equipped with its own unique collection of biochemical and mechanical infection and colonization mechanisms. In turn, plants have evolved to have a complex network of genes to defend themselves from a broad range of fungi. This chapter will provide an overview of three different types of fungal associations with plants including biotrophic, necrotrophic, and hemibiotrophic, with a focus on fungi associated with soybeans.