Diversity, Pathogenicity, and Management of Verticillium Species

Abstract

The genus Verticillium encompasses phytopathogenic species that cause vascular wilts of plants. In this review, we focus on Verticillium dahliae, placing emphasis on the controversy surrounding the elevation of a long-spored variant as a new species, recent advances in the analysis of compatible and incompatible interactions, highlighted by the use of strains expressing fluorescent proteins, and the genetic diversity among Verticillium spp. A synthesis of the approaches to explore genetic diversity, gene flow, and the potential for cryptic recombination is provided. Control of Verticillium wilt has relied on a panoply of chemical and nonchemical strategies, but is beset with environmental or site-specific efficacy problems. Host resistance remains the most logical choice, but is unavailable in most crops. The genetic basis of resistance to Verticillium wilt is unknown in most crops, as are the subcellular signaling mechanisms associated with Ve-mediated, race-specific resistance. Increased understanding in each of these areas promises to facilitate management of Verticillium wilts across a broad range of crops.

Cotton WRKY1 Mediates the Plant Defense-to-Development Transition during Infection of Cotton by Verticillium dahliae by Activating JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN1 Expression

“…Statistical analyses were performed using Student's t test: *P , 0.05 and **P , 0.01. [See online article for color version of this figure. ] potato (Solanum tuberosum; Zhou et al, 2006;Klosterman et al, 2009). Typical symptoms caused by V. dahliae include leaf necrosis, premature defoliation, altered flowering time, and severe growth stunting (Veronese et al, 2003;Fradin et al, 2009;Xu et al, 2011b).…”

Genome-wide profiling of sRNAs in the Verticillium dahliae-infected Arabidopsis roots

“…Many plant pathogens cause severe crop disease and significant yield loss every year (Klosterman et al 2009). As a representative of soil-borne fungal pathogens and the causing agent of vascular wilt disease, Verticillium dahliae poses a threat to over 400 plant species worldwide, including economically important crops such as cotton, potato and sunflowers (Klosterman et al 2009).…”

“…As a representative of soil-borne fungal pathogens and the causing agent of vascular wilt disease, Verticillium dahliae poses a threat to over 400 plant species worldwide, including economically important crops such as cotton, potato and sunflowers (Klosterman et al 2009). Due to the long-term survival in the soil and colonisation inside host plants, V. dahliae cannot be controlled by fungicides (Zhao et al 2014; Zhang et al 2016a).…”

Proteomics-based analysis reveals that Verticillium dahliae toxin induces cell death by modifying the synthesis of host proteins

“…Typical disease symptoms may comprise wilting, stunting, leaf necrosis, vascular plugging and brown vascular discoloration (Fradin and Thomma 2006). There are currently no fungicides available to control Verticillium wilt once plants have been infected (Klosterman et al 2009).…”

“…Despite the economic importance of Verticillium wilt, not much is known about the molecular mechanisms and crucial components underlying this disease (Klosterman et al 2009). Historically, there are two seemingly contradictory hypotheses concerning the mechanism of Verticillium wilt.…”