PhD student Leann Vinson (University of Canterbury)
In the world of forest ecosystems and agriculture, amidst lush landscapes and thriving crops, lies a silent threat: Phytophthora cinnamomi. This pathogen thrives at the expense of over 5,000 known host plants worldwide.
Phytophthora cinnamomi favours environments characterised by warm conditions and damp soil. As temperatures rise due to climate change, the reach of Phytophthora cinnamomi is predicted to expand.
As a soil-borne pathogen, Phytophthora cinnamomi spreads through water run off within the soil, infecting host plants along the way. Its harmful effects cause damage to various forest ecosystems, including orchards.
This global problem has prompted renewed investment and research in forest pathology, especially in Aotearoa New Zealand, to understand Phytophthora cinnamomi’s effects on host species.
However, Dr Claudia Meisrimler, a senior plant biology lecturer at the University of Canterbury, points out a significant gap in our understanding of Phytophthora cinnamomi as an organism in isolation.
“We have a limited understanding on what is happening in Phytophthora associated to abiotic stress. There are three papers in total associated to Phytophthora stress on a molecular level.”
With funding from Bioprotection Aotearoa, Claudia enlisted PhD student Leann Vinson to delve deep into the workings of Phytophthora cinnamomi. Their goal: to uncover how it reacts to its environment, responds to drought stress, and adapts to its surroundings.
Though seemingly niche, this investigation into the pathogen’s resilience promises to reveal hidden mysteries encoded within its RNA, proteins and metabolites.
By understanding how the pathogen navigates environmental pressures and evades plant defences, Leann’s work offers crucial insights into its transition from a dormant state to a pervasive threat to agriculture and ecosystems.
Leann’s approach is straightforward: she exposes the organism to drought stress to observe its behaviour. By analysing changes in the pathogen’s RNA, proteins and metabolites, she aims to understand how it copes with stress, repairs itself and evolves its respective virulence.
This foundational information lays the groundwork for the next phase of the project: inoculating the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana with Phytophthora cinnamomi and observing the pathogen’s response at the molecular level.
One aspect of interest is whether Phytophthora cinnamomi initiates its own defence mechanism by producing enzymes to counteract hydrogen peroxide produced by host plants.
Leann compares the pathogen’s behaviour under three conditions: alone, exposed to drought stress, and interacting with a host plant. This allows her to establish a control, eliminating the effects of the pathogen and drought stress, and observe environmental influences during interactions with a plant.
By pinpointing changes in protein production within Phytophthora cinnamomi, the research sheds light on its adaptation mechanisms in response to environmental conditions.
This research is part of a broader strategy that integrates various scientific disciplines to understand Phytophthora cinnamomi. Claudia explains, “We hypothesise that Phytophthora cinnamomi might serve as an initial infector, paving the way for other Phytophthora such as Phytophthora agathdicidia to cause widespread damage to trees.”
Phytophthora agathdicidia is famously known in Aotearoa New Zealand as the pathogen responsible for kauri dieback, devastating kauri forests. Therefore, Leann’s research may provide valuable insights for conservation efforts to protect these cherished species.
Overall, this research offers foundational knowledge to understand how the pathogen perceives and responds to environmental cues. Understanding these processes is crucial for enhancing plant defences against pathogens and developing innovative solutions to address the agricultural and socioeconomic challenges posed by Phytophthora cinnamomi.
More Information
Learn more about Leann’s research here > Understanding phytophthora cinnamomi from within
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