Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Meeting Site: the meeting was held at the Hemlock Haven Conference Center on the grounds of Hungry Mother State Park, just outside Marion, VA. Overview: the meeting was called to order by Angus Dawe (Chair) at 8.00 am on Friday, September 7, 2007. Following a brief welcome and acknowledgements, Dawe introduced Bob Nowierski (USDA-CSREES) and the meeting proceeded with technical reports. Reports continued until 5pm, at which time the business meeting was conducted. At the business meeting, it was agreed that a separate meeting would be held that evening in an adjoining room to discuss the format and organization of the writing of the 2009-2013 proposal. In further discussions, Dennis Fulbright confirmed his willingness to host the 2008 meeting in Michigan, probably in Frankfort, with a mid-October target date. Bradley Hillman (Rutgers University) was elected to Chair-elect status and will host in 2009. At the writing meeting after dinner, with helpful input from Bob Nowierski (CSREES), a steering committee was formed comprising Bill MacDonald, Sandra Anagnostakis, Dennis Fulbright, Fred Hebard, Hill Craddock, Paul Sisco and Don Nuss. Writing and be coordinated by Bill MacDonald. Reports continued the following morning until adjournment at 11.30 am, at which time the attendees traveled to Meadowview Research Farms for a tour of the facilities, led by Fred Hebard. Sunday morning (September 9) many NE1015 participants stayed to be involved in the NSF-funded Fagaceae genome tools project meeting that followed. Future Leadership:
2008 Chair - Dennis Fulbright, Michigan State University
2009 Chair-elect - Bradley Hillman, Rutgers University

Details of the minutes are attached.

The NE1015 technical committee has demonstrated that is continues to generate impressive progress through collaborative research across both Objectives. This year's meeting included one of the largest ever attendance figures and, most encouragingly, included a number of graduate and undergraduate student presentations. The meeting has a particular value for the broadening of the students' scientific experiences in that those laboratories more focused on research oriented toward fungal molecular biology get to interact with other groups studying the results of the disease in natural populations. This creates a powerful educational tool. The spirit of collaboration in this group has led to the recruitment of a number of individuals from outside the NERA geographic area and also helped retain members of the group in an active status even after they have moved institutions. This is illustrated by the representations from twenty states (plus DC) at this year's meeting. Furthermore, the 2007 meeting marked the second occasion that a sub-meeting was held following the technical committee reports that focused on the progress and development of the NSF-funded project to develop genome tools for the Fagaceae, including chestnut. Additionally, the ongoing C. parasitica genome project is fueled by interest and effort from the NE1015 group, with the meeting providing the framework for the establishment of an annotation committee to handle the post-sequencing analysis. To facilitate the tremendous growth and broad scope of the projects, Angus Dawe (2007 Chair, New Mexico State University) has established a web server that supports information about the group and the meeting. The site is http://chestnut.nmsu.edu/index.html. Information about this meeting was extensively distributed through this mechanism. Additionally, an email listserv operates on the same server. A mailing list (ne1015@chestnut.nmsu.edu) has been established with approximately 70 past and present project contributors. It is anticipated that this resource will prove invaluable in facilitating further collaborative projects and for managing the information flow for genome projects, the 2008 meeting and beyond.

Cernusca, M.M., M.A. Gold and L.D. Godsey. 200x. Influencing consumer awareness through the Missouri chestnut roast. Journal of Extension (submitted April 2007).

Churchill, A.C.L., Milgroom, M.G., and D.L. Nuss. 2007. Genomic sequencing of the chestnut blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica. Joint Genome Institute User's Group Meeting, Walnut Creek, CA, March 28-30, 2007 (abstract).

Cooper, W.R. and L.K. Rieske. 2007. Community associates of an exotic gallmaker, Dryocosmus kuriphilus, (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) in eastern North America. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 100. 236-244.

Deng, Fuyou, T.D. Allen and D.L. Nuss. 2007. Ste12 transcription factor homologue CpST12 is down-regulated by hypovirus infection and required for virulence and female fertility of the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica. Eukaryotic Cell 6:235-244.

Deng, Fuyou, T.D. Allen, B.I. Hillman and D.L. Nuss. 2007. Comparative analysis of alterations in host phenotype and transcript accumulation following hypovirus and mycoreovirus infections of the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica. Eukaryotic Cell 6: 1286-1298.

Gold, M.A. and R. McCoy (eds). 2007. The Chestnut Grower. Newsletter of the Chestnut Growers of America. Vol. 9, No. 1-2, Winter, Spring 2007.

Gold, M.A. and M. Hall (eds). 2007. The Chestnut Grower. Newsletter of the Chestnut Growers of America. Vol. 9, No. 3-4, Summer, Fall 2007.

Hunt, K. L., M. A. Gold, and M. R. Warmund. 2007. Chinese chestnut cultivar performance in Missouri. Annual. Rpt. Northern Nut Growers Assn. (in press).

Haiyan Lin, Xiuwan Lan, Hong Liao, T.B. Parsley, D.L.Nuss, and Baoshan Chen. 2007. Genome Sequence, Full-Length Infectious cDNA Clone, and Mapping of Viral Double-Stranded RNA Accumulation Determinant of Hypovirus CHV1-EP721. Journal of Virology 81:1813-1820.

Jeffers, S.N., J.B. James and P.H. Sisco. 2007. Screening for resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi in hybrid seedlings of American chestnut. 4th IUFRO Phytophthoras in Forest and Natural Ecosystems, Asilomar, CA. http://nature.berkeley.edu/IUFRO2007/phytophthora/abstracts/32_jeffers.pdf

Keesey I.W. and Bruce A. Barrett. 2006. Preliminary data on the seasonal occurrence and oviposition preferences of the lesser chestnut weevil, Curculio sayi, in mid-Missouri. Entomological Society of America, Annual Meeting; Indianapolis, IN; 11 December 2006. Oral presentation.

Kubisiak, T.L., C. Dutech and M. Milgroom. 2007. Fifty-three polymorphic microsatellite loci in the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica. Mol. Ecol. Notes 7:428-432.

Lang, P., F. Dane, T.L. Kubisiak, and H.W. Huang. 2007. Molecular evidence for an Asian origin and a unique westward migration of species in the genus Castanea via Europe to North America. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 43: 49-59.

Liu, Y.-C. and M.G. Milgroom. 2007. Diversity of viruses in Cryphonectria parasitica and C. nitschkei in Japan and China, and partial characterization of a new chrysovirus species. Mycological Research 111:433-442.

Liu, Y.-C. and M.G. Milgroom. 2007. High diversity of vegetative compatibility types in Cryphonectria parasitica in Japan and China. Mycologia. 99:279-284.

Merkle, S.A., G.M. Andrade, C.J. Nairn, W.A. Powell and C.A. Maynard. 2007. Restoration of threatened species: A noble cause for transgenic trees. Tree Genetics and Genomes 3: 111-118.

Papazova-Anakieva, I., K. Sotirovski, P. Cortesi and M.G. Milgroom. 2007. Horizontal transmission of hypoviruses between vegetative compatibility types of Cryphonectria parasitica in Macedonia. Eur. J. Plant Pathology (in press).

Rieske, L.K. 2007. Success of an exotic gallmaker, Dryocosmus kuriphilus, on chestnut in the USA: a historical account. EPPO Bulletin 37, 172-174.

Rothrock, R.E., L.D. Polin-Mcguigan, A.E. Newhouse, W.A. Powell, W.A. and C.A. Maynard. 2007. Plate flooding as an alternative Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method for American chestnut somatic embryos. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 88: 93-99

Segers, G.C., X. Zhang, F. Deng, Q. Sun and D.L. Nuss. 2007. Evidence that RNA silencing functions as an antiviral defense mechanism in fungi. PNAS 104: 12902-12906.

Sudo, K., McLane, H.L., Krasnoff, S.B., Anagnostakis, S.L., Gibson, D.M., and A.C.L. Churchill. 2007. Characterization of a polyketidesynthase gene of the chestnut blight fungus by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated targeted gene disruption. American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, July 28-August 1, 2007 (abstract) [http://www.apsnet.org/meetings/2007/abstracts/a07ma686.htm].

Sudo, K., McLane, H.L., Krasnoff, S.B., Anagnostakis, S.L., Gibson, D.M., and A.C.L. Churchill. 2007. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated disruption of a polyketide synthase gene in Cryphonectria parasitica. Fung. Genet. Newsl. 54, #260 (abstract). http://www.fgsc.net/asil2007/xxivFGCposterAbs.htm], XXIV Fungal Genetics Conference, Pacific Grove, CA, March 20-25, 2007.

Welch, A.J., A.J. Stipanovic, C.A. Maynard, and W.A. Powell. 2007. The effects of oxalic acid on transgenic Castanea dentata callus tissue expressing oxalate oxidase. Plant Science 172:488-496.