title: Cladosporium fulvum Effectors: Weapons in the Arms Race with Tomato.
abstract: In this review, I recount my personal history. My drive to study host-pathogen interactions was to find alternatives for agrochemicals, which was triggered after reading the book "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson. I reflect on my research at the Laboratory of Phytopathology at Wageningen University, where I have worked for my entire career on the interaction between Cladosporium fulvum and tomato, and related gene-for-gene pathosystems. I describe different methods used to identify and sequence avirulence (Avr) genes from the pathogen and resistance (R) genes from the host. The major genes involved in classical gene-for-gene interactions have now been identified, and breeders can produce plants with multiple R genes providing durable and environmentally safe protection against pathogens. In some cases, this might require the use of genetically modified plants when R genes cannot be introduced by classical breeding.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands; email: pierre.dewit@wur.nl , pierre.dewit@planet.nl.
authors.forename: Pierre J G M
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: de Wit
mesh_terms: D002963:Cladosporium / Q000502:physiology*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000382:microbiology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
keywords: (hemi)biotroph; Autobiography; Cf resistance genes; Cladosporium fulvum; Dothideomycetes; Solanum lycopersicum; arms race; avirulence genes; effector genes; extracellular pathogens