Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Hosted by: Lynda Ciuffetti Participants of 2004 Meeting:
U.S. Scientists
Adhikari, T.
Andrie, R.
Ciuffetti, L.
Dickman, M.
Gold, S.
Keller, N.
Lorang, J.
Manning, V.
Morrison, L.
Redman, R.
Rodriguez, R.
Rollins, J.
Roossinck, M .
Skinner, K.
Stotz, H.
Wolpert, T.
Xu, J.
International Scientists
Kubo, Y. Topics covered at 2004 Annual Meeting :
Kubo Yasuyuki (Keynote speaker): Molecular Biology of Melanin Biosynthesis
Henrik Stotz: Pathogenicity of Botritis
Viola Manning : Ptr ToxA: Hitting Where it Hurts
Theresa Sweat: Genetic Suppressor Analysis of Disease Susceptibility in Arabidopsis
Jin-Rong Xu: Magnaportha: A Mean, Lean, Rice-Eating Machine
Rusty Rodriguez: One Plant, One Fungus: an antiquated concept

The accomplishments resulting from NCR-173 involve research progress from individual labs, establishment of numerous collaborations, coordination of research efforts to better define the disease process, unification of strain designations, use and expansion of the Colletotrichum repository, and training of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and technicians. During the annual workshops, researchers present preliminary and current data in an environment of open discussion and constructive critique. This helps the entire group focus research efforts on more productive areas and to unite our efforts in understanding plant-fungal interactions. One of the major benefits of NCR-173 is establishing and maintaining a culture repository so everyone can work with the same isolates and use standard isolates for comparative purposes. This standardization has allowed many of us to avoid generating strain-specific data that could not be compared to other laboratories. (http://www.uark.edu:80/depts/plant/) Several collaborative efforts have been established as a result of these "workshops" where individual labs are dissecting different aspects of the disease process. We have coordinated efforts to study penetration, early signal transduction, colonization, and the communication that results in the expression of different symbiotic lifestyles (parasitic, mutualistic, and commensalistic). This has culminated in defining future directions for the workgroup which include characterizing molecular, genetic, biochemical, microbiological, and pathological aspects of the host-fungus interaction to help generate biological agents to control invasive weeds and protect plants against disease. Projects continued in several laboratories in 2004 and new collaborations include the study of fungal viruses in fungi that express different symbiotic lifestyles. There has also been some excellent collaborative work on the 3-D structure of fungal toxins and host genetics involved in toxin sensitivity. There has also been significant progress in collaborative efforts focused on understanding the signals responsible for apoptotic responses by plants to fungal pathogens.

Plans for the coming year

1. Use of information technology:  Establish a website in which information can be shared.  This will allow for easy, inexpensive access of information to all members pertaining to the exchange of ideas, coordination of laboratory and field research, protocols, contacts, meeting highlights, schedules, publications, and the fungal repository.

2. Coordination of specific laboratory and field research: Streamline experimental designs to address hypothesis driven questions applicable to all systems. Enhance data collection, analysis, and interpretation utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach.  Coordination of studies and communication via a website based platform, will result in rapid accumulation and sharing of information to better understand the processes involved in plant - fungal interactions.

3. Exchange of ideas/information/data/reagents: Enhance productivity and save time and money by sharing of resources and ideas through a website based platform.  Stimulate alternative approaches to obtain data and address specific questions and/or problems.  Foster an environment that is collaborative, accessible, and mutually beneficial.

4. Publication of both individual and joint research/review articles: Enhance the available information base allowing for the better understanding of plant-fungal interactions.  Ultimately, this information will be used to provide guidance for the development of management tools to enhance economic productivity and promote environmental stewardship.

5. Standardization of experimental protocols:  Enhance reproducibility, analysis, and conformity of procedures by posting protocols on a website based platform.  Standardization will promote consistency in interpretations of data which will save time and money.

6. Annual Meeting: Jeff Rollins will host the 2005 meeting of NC-173 in Key West Florida.

Several of the members of NCR-173 have collaborated on a manuscript describing the use of the Green Fluorescent Protein in studies of plant-fungal interactions. This manuscript has been published in "Applied and Environmental Microbiology" (Lorang, J.M., Tuori, R.P. , Martinez, J.P., Sawyer. T.L. Redman, R.S., Rollins, J.A.. Wolpert. T.J., Johnson, K.B. Rodriguez, R.J., Dickman, M. B., and Ciuffetti, L.M.) 2001. Green fluorescent protein is lighting up fungal biology. Appl. Env. Microbiol. 67: 1987-1994), and represents a multi-laboratory effort, and the spirit of cooperation that NCR-173 is built on. Additional manuscripts resulting from collaborations established through NCR-173 include: "Fungi from geothermal soils of Yellowstone National Park" (Redman, R.S., Litvintseva, A., Sheehan, K.B., Henson, J.H., and Rodriguez, R.J.) 1999. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 65:5193-5197; "Field performance of cucurbit and tomato plants infected with a nonpathogenic mutant of Colletotrichum magna (teleomorph: Glomerella magna; Jenkins and Winstead)" (Redman, R.S., Rossinck, M.R., Maher, S., Andrews, Q.C., Schneider, W.L. and Rodriguez, R.J.) 2002. Symbiosis, 32:55-70; and "Plant thermotolerance conferred by fungal endophyte" (Redman, R.S., Sheehan, K.B., Stout, R.G., Rodriguez, R.J., and Henson, J.H.) 2002. Science (298:1581); Redman R.S., and Henson, J.M, Cornish, J.E., Stout, R.G., and Rodriguez, R.J. 2004, Rodriguez, R.J., Redman R.S., and Henson, J.M. 2004, The Role of Fungal Symbioses in the Adaptation of Plants to High Stress Environments. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change. (9:261-272); Rodriguez, R.J., Redman R.S., and Henson, J.M. 2004, The Role of Fungal Symbioses in the Adaptation of Plants to High Stress Environments. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 9:261-272; Rodriguez, R.J., Redman R.S., and Henson, J.M. 2004. Symbiotic Lifestyle Expression by Fungal Endophytes and the Adaptation of Plants to Stress: Unraveling the Complexities of Intimacy. In "The Fungal Community: Its Organization And Role In The Ecosystem, Ed. J. Dighton, P Oudemans & J. White. In Press.