Annual Plant Sciences Institute Symposia

Plant Sciences Institute's 2010 Mini-symposium
Effectors of Plant Pathogens
Alliant Energy-Lee Liu Auditorium, Howe Hall
Iowa State University
4-5 October, 2010


Conference Videos
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Schedule:
Monday, October 4:
7:00 PM Brian Staskawicz, University of California, Berkeley; Bacterial Effectors
Title of talk: "Recognition of Pathogen Effector Proteins by Plant NLR Immune Receptors"

RECEPTION TO FOLLOW

Tuesday, October 5:
1:00 PM Sophien Kamoun, Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, England; Ommycete Effectors
Title of talk: "Suppression of Plant Immunity by Oomycete Effectors"
2:00 PM Steven P. Briggs, University of California San Diego; Nematode Effectors
Title of talk: "Nematode Effectors: Proteomic Characterization of the Meloidogyne Incognita Secretome and the Host Response to Infection"
2:45 - 3:15PM BREAK
3:15 PM Shou-Wei Ding, University of California, Riverside; Viral Effectors
Title of talk: "Viral Suppressors of RNA Silencing"
4:10PM Ralph Dean, North Carolina State University; Fungal Effectors
Title of talk: "Next Generation Biology: Novel Insights into Fungal Pathogenicity of the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae"

The study of effector proteins of plant pathogens is currently one of the most exciting areas in plant biology and includes aspects that frequently correlate with animal host-pathogen systems. Identification and characterization of effector functions is shedding light on the diverse infection strategies that successful pathogens use. This fundamental knowledge has practical applications in the development of long-term strategies for optimizing and protecting crop plant health. Plants are resistant to most potential pathogens - a diverse group encompassing viruses, bacteria, fungi, oomycetes and nematodes. Nevertheless, certain microbes overcome or thwart the layered defenses plant put up, establish successful infections and cause disease. The effector proteins encoded by such microbes provide a variety of offensive and counter-defensive weapons that enable pathogenesis. Effector proteins can suppress and weaken host defenses or they can modify host cells to provide optimal feeding sites for nutrient acquisition. In the never-ending struggle for life, plants have evolved resistance genes that provide the ability to recognize effectors or their biochemical activities. This recognition results in robust defense responses that frequently result in cell death and arrested pathogen growth. The study of effector proteins is providing important new insights into mechanisms of pathogenesis and, in addition, is leading to an improved understanding of what factors make plans vulnerable to pathogen attack.

NOTE: There will be no charge to attend, but registration is strongly encouraged.