Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology最新文献

{"title":"CRISPR/Cas9-mediated promoter editing of OsSWEET11 confers resistance to sheath blight in rice","authors":"Vignesh Ponnurangan ,&nbsp;R.K. Mohana Pradeep ,&nbsp;Raghunandhan Namachivayam ,&nbsp;Shanthinie Ashokkumar ,&nbsp;Krish.K. Kumar ,&nbsp;Kokiladevi Eswaran ,&nbsp;Arul Loganathan ,&nbsp;Paranidharan Vaikuntavasan ,&nbsp;Djanaguiraman Maduraimuthu ,&nbsp;Varanavasiappan Shanmugam","doi":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2026.103117","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2026.103117","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sheath blight (ShB), caused by <em>Rhizoctonia solani</em>, is one of the most destructive diseases of rice, causing substantial yield losses worldwide. Effective management remains challenging due to the absence of resistant genetic sources and the ability of the pathogen to persist under diverse environmental conditions. The sugar transporter <em>OsSWEET11</em> acts as a susceptibility factor by facilitating pathogen-induced sucrose efflux, but complete loss-of-function mutations compromise grain filling and yield. In this study, we employed CRISPR/Cas9-mediated promoter editing to fine-tune <em>OsSWEET11</em> expression in the rice cultivar ASD16, aiming to enhance disease resistance while preserving agronomic performance. Random edits were introduced into distinct regions of the <em>OsSWEET11</em> promoter, generating four classes of promoter-edited mutants (S11–47, S11–91, S11-157, and S11-189). Homozygous promoter-edited mutants showed approximately 20–35 % lower ShB disease severity compared with the wild-type (WT). Agronomic evaluation of two independent homozygous mutants from each class showed that edits outside the effector-binding element (EBE) region (S11–47, S11-91, and S11-157) maintained normal growth and grain yield, whereas edits overlapping the EBE region (S11-189) resulted in a modest reduction in fertility and yield. From each promoter-edited region, a single transgene-free mutant was selected for subsequent analysis. Upon <em>R. solani</em> infection, promoter-edited mutants exhibited a ∼48.7–∼60.7 % reduction in fungal biomass compared with the WT as determined by qPCR. Basal <em>OsSWEET11</em> expression was lower in mutants, and after infection, they showed reduced induction (∼2.2–2.4-fold) compared with WT (∼3.3-fold). Similarly, sugar accumulation in mutants (∼40.4–∼68.0 %) was lower than in WT (∼83.6 %) following <em>R. solani</em> infection. The decreased <em>OsSWEET11</em> expression and lower sucrose levels correlated with reduced susceptibility to ShB in the promoter-edited mutants. Taken together, these results demonstrate that promoter editing of <em>OsSWEET11</em> is a promising strategy to engineer ShB disease resistance in rice without yield penalties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20046,"journal":{"name":"Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 103117"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145977033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First report of Corynespora cassiicola causing shot-hole diseases in Mesosphaerum suaveolens in India based on polyphasic evidence","authors":"Abhinav ,&nbsp;Ajaya Kumar Naik ,&nbsp;Soumyadeep Rajwar ,&nbsp;Gargee Singh ,&nbsp;Raghvendra Singh ,&nbsp;Shambhu Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2026.103112","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2026.103112","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In October 2023, typical shot-hole (target spot) symptoms were observed on the leaves of <em>Mesosphaerum suaveolens</em>, a known medicinal plant commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions, at the agricultural farm of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. Isolation, purification, and morphological characterization revealed that the associated pathogen belongs to the genus <em>Corynespora</em>. Further, multilocus sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, large ribosomal subunit (LSU), and DNA-directed RNA polymerase II (<em>RPB2</em>) genes confirmed <em>Corynespora cassiicola</em> as the causal organism responsible for the shot-hole in <em>M. suaveolens</em>. Pathogenicity was confirmed by fulfilling Koch's postulates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of <em>C. cassiicola</em> causing shot-hole on <em>M. suaveolens</em> in India. This finding highlights its emerging threat and calls for monitoring, host–pathogen studies, and management of disease to protect this plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20046,"journal":{"name":"Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 103112"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"HPE21, a liberibacter effector modulating H2O2 accumulation in tomato plants","authors":"Junepyo Oh ,&nbsp;Julien G. Levy ,&nbsp;Azucena Mendoza Herrera ,&nbsp;Cecilia Tamborindeguy","doi":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2026.103113","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2026.103113","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>'<em>Candidatus</em> Liberibacter solanacearum' is a phloem-limited Gram-negative bacterium transmitted by psyllids. Several haplotypes have been reported worldwide infecting different plants including solanaceous and apiaceous crops. In the United States of America, haplotypes A and B severely impact tomato and potato production. While the molecular mechanisms at play during '<em>Ca</em>. L. solanacearum' infection remain unclear, this pathogen might manipulate its host plants by secreting effector proteins. Effectors that induce or suppress plant immunity can provide insights into the pathogen-host plant interactions leading to plant infection, but to date, '<em>Ca</em>. L. solanacearum' effectors inducing immunity remain poorly studied. HPE21 is a '<em>Ca</em>. L. solanacearum' effector previously reported as inducing reactive oxygen species in plants. Here, it is confirmed that HPE21 induced H₂O₂ accumulation in <em>Nicotiana benthamiana.</em> It was also discovered that this haplotype B-specific effector induced cell death in <em>N. benthamiana</em> and interacted with tomato aldo-keto reductase 1 (SlAKR1). Furthermore, the expression of SlAKR1 decreased HPE21-induced H₂O₂ accumulation in <em>N</em>. <em>benthamiana</em>. Finally, it was demonstrated that H₂O₂ accumulates in a haplotype-dependent manner in '<em>Ca</em>. L. solanacearum'-infected plants. These results suggest that oxidative stress might play a key role in disease progression in '<em>Ca</em>. L. solanacearum'-infected plants, and the interaction between HPE21 and SlAKR1 can be involved in the pathogenicity differences between the '<em>Ca</em>. L. solanacearum' haplotypes A and B.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20046,"journal":{"name":"Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 103113"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Persistent heteroplasmy of the G143A mutation in Plasmopara viticola populations of Hungary: Long-term maintenance of QoI resistance in the absence of selection pressure","authors":"Zsolt Spitzmüller ,&nbsp;Tibor Kiss,&nbsp;Xénia Pálfi,&nbsp;Luca A. Lepres,&nbsp;Kálmán Z. Váczy","doi":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2025.103109","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2025.103109","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>QoI (Quinone outside Inhibitor) fungicides (FRAC code 11) are widely used to control grapevine downy mildew, but resistance caused by mitochondrial <em>cyt b</em> mutations threatens their long-term efficacy. The G143A substitution, often occurring in heteroplasmic form, complicates detection and monitoring. We investigated <em>cyt b</em> allele prevalence in <em>Plasmopara viticola</em> populations from northern Hungary where QoIs had not been used for three years. A CAPS-PCR assay (Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequence Polymerase Chain Reaction) targeting codon 143, complemented by Sanger sequencing and TA cloning, was applied to 121 field samples. CAPS-PCR revealed 75 % heteroplasmic isolates, 24 % wild-type, and only 1 % mutant. Clone-based sequencing confirmed heteroplasmy (A143 frequencies 3.3–67.9 %), with substantial within-isolate variation and minimal population structure (FST = 0.018). The proportion of heteroplasmic isolates increased seasonally. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and field incidence analyses indicated that both temporal dynamics and low disease pressure contributed to stable maintenance of mixed mitochondrial haplotypes. Despite the absence of QoI applications, resistant alleles persisted at high frequencies, suggesting negligible fitness cost. These findings highlight stable mitochondrial heteroplasmy as a key factor maintaining QoI-resistance potential in Hungarian <em>P</em>. <em>viticola</em> populations and underscore the need for ongoing molecular surveillance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20046,"journal":{"name":"Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 103109"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145883495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Isolation, identification, and biocontrol mechanisms of Bacillus velezensis 3-SM against sheath rot disease caused by Fusarium verticillioides","authors":"Stanley Nyenje Mataka ,&nbsp;Boyu Liu ,&nbsp;Qunying Qin ,&nbsp;Jianchao Hu ,&nbsp;Jiayi Wang ,&nbsp;Juan Gan ,&nbsp;Ye Zhuang ,&nbsp;Yi Zhou ,&nbsp;Zhengxiang Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2025.103045","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2025.103045","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Rice sheath rot disease caused by Fusarium verticillioides is</em> becoming a significant threat to rice production, directly impacting both quality and yield. <em>Additionally, F</em>. <em>verticillioides</em> secretes mycotoxins as secondary metabolites, posing serious <strong>food safety risks</strong> for humans and animals. B<strong>iocontrol methods</strong> using antagonistic microorganisms have emerged as a <strong>safe and effective alternative</strong> for suppressing pathogens. This study aimed to find a new potential biocontrol agent against rice sheath rot disease caused by <em>F</em>. <em>verticillioides.</em> Out of the 46 isolated bacterial strains from the rhizosphere of rice plants, <em>Bacillus velezensis</em> 3-SM, identified by morphological characterization and molecular techniques (16S rRNA &amp; gyrA), exhibited the strongest inhibition rate of 79.27 ± 1.34 %. <em>B. velezensis</em> 3-SM demonstrated the ability to secrete extracellular enzymes (protease and cellulose) and produce siderophores and indole-3-acetic acid. <em>B. velezensis</em> 3-SM had a broad-spectrum effect, and its culture filtrate suppressed mycelial growth of <em>F</em>. <em>verticillioides</em> in a dose-dependent manner. <em>B. velezensis</em> 3-SM visibly deformed cell wall morphology, disrupted cell wall integrity, and induced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in the mycelia of the <em>F. verticillioides</em>. Components of ethyl acetate crude extracts were identified using Liquid Chromatography –Mass Spectrometry. Furthermore, <em>B. velezensis</em> 3-SM significantly reduced disease incidence by 61.71 %, promoted the growth of the treated rice seedlings, and increased activities of the defense-related enzymes in a pot experiment. The current study demonstrates <strong><em>B. velezensis</em> 3-SM</strong> as a promising biocontrol agent, offering a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20046,"journal":{"name":"Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 103045"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145578740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fine mapping and preliminary mechanism analysis of tobacco Fusarium root rot resistance genes","authors":"Yang Shen ,&nbsp;Junqi Cheng ,&nbsp;Chao Fu ,&nbsp;Chenglin Wu ,&nbsp;Yapei Li ,&nbsp;Zhongxu Lin ,&nbsp;Jinglin Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2025.103078","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2025.103078","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tobacco (<em>Nicotiana tabacum</em> L.) is a significant non-food cash crop. However, due to targeted breeding practices, the incidence and severity of tobacco diseases have been increasing. <em>Fusarium</em> root rot, in particular, has a substantial impact on tobacco quality and yield, thereby posing a considerable challenge to the development of the tobacco industry. Therefore, the identification of resistance germplasm and resistant genes, as well as the research on disease resistance mechanisms are crucial for developing effective strategies to combat tobacco <em>Fusarium</em> root rot. In this study, resistance identification revealed that CX14 exhibited significantly stronger disease resistance compared with By37. The F₁ generation displayed disease resistance more closely resembling that of CX14, whereas the disease resistance in the F₂ population followed a normal distribution. Following the completion of BSA-seq and fine mapping, the QTL was successfully mapped to an 8.62 Mb interval containing 103 genes. The results of PCA and heatmap indicate that the responses of the two varieties to the pathogen are similar, possibly due to changes in gene abundance or a few genes affecting the resistance. The analysis of gene expression patterns revealed that both varieties exhibited similar disease resistance responses, with the peak response occurring on the second day post-inoculation. However, the defense response in By37 was delayed compared with CX14. Through go enrichment analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), we identified some possible pathways related to resistance, including “response to salicylic acid” and “response to jasmonic acid”. Through WGCNA analysis, we identified five modules that might be related to resistance. Based on the results of fine mapping and RNA-seq analysis, three candidate genes potentially associated with resistance to <em>Fusarium</em> root rot in tobacco were identified. The homologous genes of <em>Nta03g09310</em>, <em>Nta03g0920</em>, and <em>Nta03g09340</em> in <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em> are <em>Patatin-like protein 2</em> (<em>PLP2</em>), which encodes a lipid acyl hydrolase that plays a critical role in cell death regulation and enhancing resistance to pathogen invasion. This study provides a foundation for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of <em>Fusarium</em> root rot resistance and the development of <em>Fusarium</em> resistant tobacco varieties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20046,"journal":{"name":"Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 103078"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145747303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Elsinoё spp. and elsinochromes: Phytotoxins of the scab-causing fungus Elsinoë spp. in cassava superelongation disease","authors":"Shannon Gonsalves ,&nbsp;Sophia Stone ,&nbsp;Angela Alleyne","doi":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2025.103081","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2025.103081","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many species of <em>Elsinoë</em> produce fungal phytotoxins called elsinochromes, which have generated significant interest due to their potential commercial applications in agriculture. Accordingly, elsinochromes cause disease in economically important crops, including peanuts and citrus fruits like lemon, orange, and grapefruit. Cassava (<em>Manihot esculenta</em> Crantz.) is also an important tropical root crop affected by superelongation disease, primarily caused by <em>Elsinoë brasiliensis</em>. Elsinochrome phytotoxins are photosensitizers that, when exposed to light, induce cellular damage, leading to necrosis or cell death in infected tissues and established methods exist for their characterization. However, while elsinochromes from <em>Elsinoë annonae, Elsinoë fawcetti,</em> and <em>Elsinoë arachidis</em>, the scab-causing agents on tea, citrus, and peanuts, respectively have been studied for their association with cell death in their host plants, there is no reported evidence of elsinochrome phytotoxins involvement in cassava superelongation disease. In this review, we aim to examine the past and current research on elsinochromes and discuss their possible involvement in superelongation disease in cassava.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20046,"journal":{"name":"Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 103081"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145747304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antagonistic activity and application of lipopeptide-producing Bacillus velezensis as biocontrol agent against rice bacterial leaf blight in vivo","authors":"Juangjun Jumpathong ,&nbsp;Umaporn Uawisetwathana ,&nbsp;Noppharat Intha ,&nbsp;Nutchanat Phakdee ,&nbsp;Wanwarang Pathaichindachote ,&nbsp;Weerawan Rod-in ,&nbsp;Mongkon Sirijan","doi":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2025.103054","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2025.103054","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bacterial leaf blight (BLB), caused by <em>Xanthomonas oryzae</em> pv. <em>oryzae</em> (<em>Xoo</em>), is a major rice disease in Thailand, leading to severe yield losses. Biological control using <em>Bacillus</em> sp. has emerged as a sustainable alternative due to their ability to produce antimicrobial lipopeptides. This study aimed to isolate antagonistic <em>Bacillus</em> strains, identify their bioactive metabolites, and evaluate their antimicrobial activity, cytotoxicity, and potential to suppress BLB. Seventy bacterial isolates were obtained from BLB-infected rice leaves and screened against <em>Xoo</em>. Selected strains were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing and analyzed using LC–ESI–MS/MS. Antibacterial activity was assessed by Paper Disc Diffusion Assay, cytotoxicity was evaluated on L-929 fibroblast cells, and <em>in vivo</em> efficacy was tested in rice seedlings under screen-house conditions. Strain MJ23, identified as <em>Bacillus velezensis</em>, showed the strongest inhibition of <em>Xoo</em>. LC–ESI–MS/MS confirmed surfactin C as the major metabolite (<em>m</em>/<em>z</em> 1036.6877). The crude extract of MJ23 exhibited strong antibacterial activity, producing a 26 mm inhibition zone at 15.62 μg disc⁻¹, comparable to antibiotics, and showed low cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ = 64.68 ± 3.17 mg L⁻¹). <em>In vivo</em> assays revealed that vegetative cells (48 h before inoculation) and crude extract (0.02 mg mL⁻¹) significantly reduced BLB lesion lengths compared with controls. Surfactin C, produced by MJ23, exhibits potent <em>in vitro</em> antibacterial activity and contributes to the <em>in vivo</em> suppression of BLB. These findings highlight MJ23 as a promising candidate for the biological control of BLB, supporting the development of sustainable rice protection strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20046,"journal":{"name":"Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 103054"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145622645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morpho-phylogenetic characterization and pathogenicity of emerging fungi causing dieback and stem blight of blueberry in Sinaloa, Mexico","authors":"Perla R. Nuñez-Garcia ,&nbsp;Angel Rebollar-Alviter ,&nbsp;Raymundo S. García-Estrada ,&nbsp;Kamila C. Correia ,&nbsp;Guillermo Marquez-Licona ,&nbsp;Joaquín G. Ramírez-Gil ,&nbsp;Guadalupe A. Mora-Romero ,&nbsp;Juan M. Tovar-Pedraza","doi":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2026.103124","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2026.103124","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Blueberry (<em>Vaccinium corymbosum</em>) wood diseases represent a significant threat to global production, commonly attributed to fungi belonging to the order Botryosphaeriales; however, emerging fungi causing similar symptoms in the field have recently been detected. The objective of this study was to identify emerging pathogens associated with blueberry wood diseases through phylogenetic, morphological, and pathogenic approaches. Symptomatic samples were collected from 16 commercial fields located in the municipalities of Culiacán, Guasave, Ahome, and El Fuerte in Sinaloa, Mexico. A total of 672 fungal colonies were isolated with the following frequencies: <em>Neopestalotiopsis</em> (48.5%), <em>Alternaria</em> (43.2%), and <em>Curvularia</em> (8.3%). A set of 22 representative isolates was selected for descriptive analyses, considering their distribution across sampling sites and comprising 17 <em>Alternaria</em>, 2 <em>Curvularia</em>, and 3 <em>Neopestalotiopsis</em> isolates. Morpho-phylogenetic analyses differentiated seven species: <em>Alternaria alternata, A. burnsii, A. tomato, A. arborescens, Curvularia plantarum, C. muehlenbeckiae</em>, and <em>Neopestalotiopsis rosae</em>. Pathogenicity assays were carried out by placing mycelial discs onto healthy branches of three-year-old blueberry plants. All tested isolates caused necrotic lesions on inoculated branches, though the degree of aggressiveness differed among them. <em>Alternaria alternata</em> (isolate CCLF533) produced the most severe lesions, whereas <em>A. tomato</em> and <em>Neopestalotiopsis rosae</em> exhibited lower aggressiveness. To our knowledge, this study provides the first global report of <em>Alternaria burnsii</em>, <em>A. tomato</em>, <em>Curvularia plantarum</em>, and <em>C. muehlenbeckiae</em> as causal agents of blueberry wood diseases and represents the first confirmation of <em>A. alternata</em> and <em>A. arborescens</em> as pathogens of blueberry woody tissues, rather than being restricted to fruit or foliar infections. These results emphasize the relevance of studying newly emerging fungal pathogens and reinforce the necessity of establishing integrated disease management programs grounded in epidemiological research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20046,"journal":{"name":"Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 103124"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rhizobacteria induced systemic resistance in Capsicum spp.: Strategies to improve biotic stress tolerance","authors":"Priyanka Gogoi ,&nbsp;Akib Ali ,&nbsp;Aditya Sarkar ,&nbsp;Pankaj Bharali ,&nbsp;Ratul Saikia","doi":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2025.103087","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pmpp.2025.103087","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Capsicum</em> spp., commonly known as Chilli, is a highly valued horticultural crop cultivated worldwide for its culinary, nutritional and economic importance. However, its productivity is often constrained by various abiotic and biotic stress factors. Therefore, the enhancement of crop resilience against these stresses, including pathogens and pests is essential, specially under the increasing pressures of climate change and food security. While synthetic chemicals and pesticides pose environmental risks and contribute to the emergence of resistant strains of pathogens, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) forms broad-spectrum resistance strengthening plant defences against diverse pathogens under minimal metabolic costs. PGPR activates induced systemic resistance (ISR) in <em>Capsicum</em> spp. through jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET) mediated signaling. Recent advances in metabolomics, proteomics, and genomics have substantially improved our understanding of the molecular basis of ISR and its contribution to stress tolerance in Capsicum. Nevertheless, the specific mechanisms and overall significance of ISR in <em>Capsicum</em> spp. remain insufficiently explored. This review aims to address this gap by examining how PGPR contribute to biotic stress (pathogens, insects, nematodes etc.) tolerance in <em>Capsicum</em> spp. within the framework of sustainable agriculture. Recent studies have also shown that immune evasion during root colonization and chemical signalling in the rhizosphere are facilitated by PGPR. These insights have enhanced our understanding of how plant immunity is modulated and growth is promoted, thereby supporting sustainable crop management and offering promising strategies to mitigate biotic stresses in chilli plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20046,"journal":{"name":"Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 103087"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}