Plant Powdery Mildews: Host-Pathogen Interactions, Co-evolution, and Disease Control

Dear Colleagues,
Powdery mildew diseases are caused by many different species of fungi in the order Erysiphales. These pathogens can infect a wide range of plants that display white powdery spots on the surface of leaves, buds, young shoots, fruits, and flowers. Powdery mildews are among the most destructive plant diseases and can cause significant yield losses in agricultural fields. Deployment of effective powdery mildew resistance (Pm) genes in plant varieties is an important approach to reduce disease losses. Furthermore, regulation of resistance pathways by certain compounds (e.g. BTH and glycerol) was also shown to improve resistance to powdery mildew in several plant species.

Plants developed multifaceted innate immunity systems during their long co-evolution alongside their pathogens. Various plant resistance mechanisms have been demonstrated to be activated by specific surface-localized or cytoplasmic receptors in response to infection by powdery mildew. After recognition, several downstream signaling events can be elicited, such as accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), activation of various resistance signaling cascades, and interaction with plant hormones (e.g. salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, auxin, etc.).

In this exciting context, Pathogens is launching a Special Issue devoted to ‘Plant Powdery Mildews: Host-Pathogen Interactions, Co-evolution, and Disease Control’. Both original research and review articles are welcome. Potential topics include, but are not limited to the following:

(i) The molecular mechanisms and related pathways involved in plant immunity to powdery mildew.
(ii) Identification of Pm genes/QRLs/R-proteins that confer resistance to powdery mildew.
(iii) Identification of pathogen effectors, their interaction with host proteins, and their role in pathogenicity.
(iv) Allelic diversity, population genetic, and co-evolution of host resistance and pathogen virulence.
(v) Resistance breeding and/or pyramiding R-genes for improving resistance to powdery mildew.
(vi) New strategies and perspectives for disease control, including biological control.

Prof. Tzion Fahima
Dr. Yinghui Li
Guest Editors

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