Issue 4 •​ 2021​

InterConnections: Get to Know Hari Karki To identify the RB CC domain that does not interact with IPI-O4, Hari Karki et al. explored natural variations in the RB CC domain from different Solanaceae species. The study provides a clue about engineering new variants of known R genes that can further…

To identify the RB CC domain that does not interact with IPI-O4, Hari Karki et al. explored natural variations in the RB CC domain from different Solanaceae species. The study provides a clue about engineering new variants of known R genes that can further expand the resistance spectrum….

In recently published research, Maria Laura Malvino et al. studied Xanthomonas bacteria and how they have evolved to evade recognition by host plants. They found some Xanthomonas species demonstrated a responsive memory, supporting previous work showing that bacteria deploy different strategies to improve their long-term fitness under fluctuating environmental conditions….

Compared to their gram-negative peers, actinobacterial pathogens are greatly understudied, in part due to the limited number of genetic and biochemical tools. Work recently published in MPMI by Danielle Stevens et al. highlights new genetic tools adapted and developed for Clavibacter with potential application in orphan systems….

This project explored the development and pathogenesis of an understudied phytopathogen, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Although forward genetic approaches are often utilized to screen for mutants after random mutagenesis, Yan Xu et al. had to devise their own protocol for successful targeted gene disruption. Overcoming several obstacles, they created a forward genetic…