NSF PRFB Fellow Duke University Durham, North Carolina
The “Disease Triangle” concept states that plant disease outbreaks require not only a susceptible plant and a virulent pathogen, but also conducive environmental conditions. Molecular studies in the past four decades have made major strides in understanding the mechanistic bases of plant resistance and pathogen virulence. However, less effort has been devoted to addressing an increasingly important question - why climatic conditions, such as humidity and temperature, have a profound effect on host susceptibility and disease development. Moreover, current studies often ignore the potentially pervasive effect a plant’s endogenous microbiome may have on host-pathogen interactions. In this talk, I will give an example of interplay between disease, environment and microbiota during Pseudomonas syringae infection of host plants. Results suggest that future studies should increasingly consider the multi-dimensional nature of “plant-pathogen-environment” interactions, which are likely more reflective of what occur in natural ecosystems.