Emergence of a new disease as a result of interspecific virulence gene transfer

Timothy L. Friesen; Eva H. Stukenbrock; Zhaohui Liu; Steven Meinhardt; Hua Ling; Justin D. Faris; Jack B. Rasmussen; Peter S. Solomon; Bruce A. McDonald; Richard P. Oliver

doi:10.1038/ng1839

Emergence of a new disease as a result of interspecific virulence gene transfer

Timothy L. Friesen, Eva H. Stukenbrock, Zhaohui Liu, Steven Meinhardt, Hua Ling, Justin D. Faris, Jack B. Rasmussen, Peter S. Solomon, Bruce A. McDonald, Richard P. Oliver^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

593 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

New diseases of humans, animals and plants emerge regularly. Enhanced virulence on a new host can be facilitated by the acquisition of novel virulence factors. Interspecific gene transfer is known to be a source of such virulence factors in bacterial pathogens (often manifested as pathogenicity islands in the recipient organism) and it has been speculated that interspecific transfer of virulence factors may occur in fungal pathogens. Until now, no direct support has been available for this hypothesis. Here we present evidence that a gene encoding a critical virulence factor was transferred from one species of fungal pathogen to another. This gene transfer probably occurred just before 1941, creating a pathogen population with significantly enhanced virulence and leading to the emergence of a new damaging disease of wheat.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	953-956
Number of pages	4
Journal	Nature Genetics
Volume	38
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1839
Publication status	Published - Aug 2006
Externally published	Yes

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abstract = "New diseases of humans, animals and plants emerge regularly. Enhanced virulence on a new host can be facilitated by the acquisition of novel virulence factors. Interspecific gene transfer is known to be a source of such virulence factors in bacterial pathogens (often manifested as pathogenicity islands in the recipient organism) and it has been speculated that interspecific transfer of virulence factors may occur in fungal pathogens. Until now, no direct support has been available for this hypothesis. Here we present evidence that a gene encoding a critical virulence factor was transferred from one species of fungal pathogen to another. This gene transfer probably occurred just before 1941, creating a pathogen population with significantly enhanced virulence and leading to the emergence of a new damaging disease of wheat.",

author = "Friesen, {Timothy L.} and Stukenbrock, {Eva H.} and Zhaohui Liu and Steven Meinhardt and Hua Ling and Faris, {Justin D.} and Rasmussen, {Jack B.} and Solomon, {Peter S.} and McDonald, {Bruce A.} and Oliver, {Richard P.}",

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AU - Friesen, Timothy L.

AU - Stukenbrock, Eva H.

AU - Liu, Zhaohui

AU - Meinhardt, Steven

AU - Ling, Hua

AU - Faris, Justin D.

AU - Rasmussen, Jack B.

AU - Solomon, Peter S.

AU - McDonald, Bruce A.

AU - Oliver, Richard P.

PY - 2006/8

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Emergence of a new disease as a result of interspecific virulence gene transfer

Abstract

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