title: The hemibiotrophic lifestyle of Colletotrichum species.
abstract: Colletotrichum species infect several economically important crop plants. To establish a compatible parasitic interaction, a specialized infection cell, the melanized appressorium, is differentiated on the cuticle of the host. After penetration, an infection vesicle and primary hyphae are formed. These structures do not kill the host cell and show some similarities with haustoria formed by powdery mildews and rust fungi. Therefore, this stage of infection is called biotrophic. Later in the infection process, necrotrophic secondary hyphae spread within and kill the host tissue. The lifestyle of Colletotrichum species is called hemibiotrophic, as biotrophic and necrotrophic developmental stages are sequentially established. As most Colletotrichum species are accessible to molecular techniques, genes can be identified and functionally characterized. Here we demonstrate that Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation is a well-suited method for tagging of genes mediating compatibility in the Colletotrichum graminicola-maize interaction.
authors.affiliation: Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Phytopathology and Plant Protection, Ludwig-Wucherer-Str. 2, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Münch
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lingner
authors.forename: Daniela S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Floss
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sauer
authors.forename: Holger B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Deising
mesh_terms: D020231:Colletotrichum / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005800:Genes, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D005823:Genetics; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D013997:Time Factors; D003313:Zea mays / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins