The use of bacteriophages to combat bacterial infections may help to address the current crisis of antibiotic resistance. Fundamental issues arising from the ecological dynamic of host, bacterium and phage can be investigated in trees, offering both a natural approach to treating plant disease, and a chance to avoid creating a new resistance problem. Michael Gross reports.

The plant genes required for the growth and reproduction of plant pathogens are largely unknown. In an effort to identify these genes, we isolated Arabidopsis mutants that do not support the normal growth of the powdery mildew pathogen Erysiphe cichoracearum. Here, we report on the cloning and characterization of one of these genes, PMR6. PMR6 encodes a pectate lyase-like protein with a novel C...

Bacteria display a variety of mechanisms to control plasmid conjugation. Among them, fertility inhibition (FI) systems prevent conjugation of co-resident plasmids within donor cells. Analysis of the mechanisms of inhibition between conjugative plasmids could provide new alternatives to fight antibiotic resistance dissemination. In this work, inhibition of conjugation of broad host range IncW pl...

........................................................................................................................ 6 SAMMENDRAG .................................................................................................................. 7 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................ 8 PLANT INNATE IMMUNITY ......

The plant genes required for the growth and reproduction of plant pathogens are largely unknown. In an effort to identify these genes, we isolated Arabidopsis mutants that do not support the normal growth of the powdery mildew pathogen Erysiphe cichoracearum . Here, we report on the cloning and characterization of one of these genes, PMR6 . PMR6 encodes a pectate lyase–like protein with a novel...

The genus Methylobacterium comprises pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophic (PPFM) bacteria, known to be an important plant-associated bacterial group. Species of this group, described as plant-nodulating, have the dual capacity of producing cytokinin and enzymes, such as pectinase and cellulase, involved in systemic resistance induction and nitrogen fixation under specific plant environment...

Oomycetes are filamentous eukaryotic microorganisms among which several species are plant and animal pathogens [1,2]. Those that cause plant diseases have had great impacts on human activities such as (i) the 19th century Irish famine triggered by the potato late blight (Phytophthora infestans), (ii) the associated massive North American immigration [3], and (iii) the formulation of the Bordeau...

A plant protein RIN4 is targeted and modified by bacterial pathogens as part of the disease process. At least two host resistance proteins monitor this pathogen interference and trigger the plant's defence responses.

Soil bacteria can exhibit extensive antibiotic resistomes and act as reservoirs of important antibiotic resistance traits. However, the geographic sources and evolutionary drivers of resistance traits are poorly understood in these natural settings. We investigated the prevalence, spatial structure and evolutionary drivers of multidrug resistance in natural populations of Bradyrhizobium, a cosm...

Verticillium wilts caused by soilborne fungal species of the Verticillium genus are economically important plant diseases that affect a wide range of host plants and are notoriously difficult to combat. Perception of pathogen(-induced) ligands by plant immune receptors is a key component of plant innate immunity. In tomato, race-specific resistance to Verticillium wilt is governed by the cell s...