Dr Candace Elliott and Dr Angela Van de Wouw

GRDC Post-doctoral Research Fellows

We are using an insertional mutagenesis approach to identifying genes in Leptosphaeria maculans that are crucial for blackleg of canola. The specific aims are to:

• Screen a set of Leptosphaeria maculans strains with single T–DNA insertions for pathogenicity on canola (disease rating on cotyledons)
• Characterise selected pathogenicity mutants and identify the coding region and the function of the mutated genes
• Identify spatial and temporal expression patterns of several fungal pathogenicity genes
• Identify putative targets for disease control and fungal genes that can protect against disease

Selected Publications:

Elliott CE, Harjono, Howlett BJ (2008) Mutation of a gene in the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans allows increased frequency of penetration of stomatal apertures of Arabidopsis thaliana. Molecular Plant 1: 471-81

Elliott CE, Gardiner DM, Thomas G, Cozijnsen AJ, Van De Wouw A, Howlett BJ (2007) Production of the toxin sirodesmin PL by Leptosphaeria maculans during infection of Brassica napus. Molecular Plant Pathology 8:791-802

Elliott CE, Howlett BJ (2006) Over expression of a 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase in Leptosphaeria maculans causes reduced pathogenicity on Brassica napus. Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions 19: 588-96

Elliott CE and Howlett BJ (2004) Novel Approaches to identifying Pathogenicity Genes of Plant Pathogenic Fungi. In Genetic Engineering: Principles and Methods, J. Setlow, ed. (New York and London, Plenum Press), pp. 85-104