title: Brachypodium: A Potential Model Host for Fungal Pathogens of Turfgrasses.
abstract: Brachypodium distachyon is a C3 grass that is an attractive model host system for studying pathogenicity of major turfgrass pathogens due to its genetic similarity to many cool-season turfgrasses. Infection assays with two or more isolates of the casual agents of dollar spot, brown patch, and Microdochium patch resulted in compatible interactions with B. distachyon inbred line Bd21-3. The symptoms produced by these pathogens on Bd21-3 closely resembled those observed on the natural turfgrass host (creeping bentgrass), demonstrating that B. distachyon is susceptible to the fungal pathogens that cause dollar spot, brown patch, and Microdochium patch on turfgrasses. The interaction between Sclerotinia homoeocarpa isolates and Brachypodium ecotypes was also investigated. Interestingly, differential responses of these ecotypes to S. homoeocarpa isolates was found, particularly when comparing B. distachyon to B. hybridum ecotypes. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that B. distachyon can be used as a model host system for these turfgrass diseases and leveraged for studies of molecular mechanisms contributing to host resistance.
authors.affiliation: First author: Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison 53706; and second and third authors: Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695.
authors.forename: Renee A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rioux
authors.affiliation: First author: Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison 53706; and second and third authors: Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695.
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Van Ryzin
authors.affiliation: First author: Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison 53706; and second and third authors: Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695.
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kerns
mesh_terms: D031703:Agrostis / Q000382:microbiology*; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D058431:Brachypodium / Q000382:microbiology*; D060146:Ecotype; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D008954:Models, Biological; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D012232:Rhizoctonia / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: host–pathogen interactions; snow mold