Publications in Refereed Journals
as of October 2008

Fox EM, Howlett BJ (2008) Secondary metabolism: regulation and role in fungal biology. Current Opinion in Microbiology manuscript accepted

Van de Wouw AP, Marcroft SJ, Barbetti MJ, Hua Li, Salisbury PA, Gout L, Rouxel T, Howlett BJ, Balesdent MH(2008)  Dual control of avirulence in Leptosphaeria maculans towards a Brassica napus cultivar with sylvestris-derived resistance suggests involvement of two resistance genes. Plant Pathology in press

Van de Wouw AP, Thomas VL, Cozijnsen AJ, Marcroft SJ, Salisbury PA, Howlett BJ (2008)  Identification of Leptosphaeria biglobosa ‘canadensis’ on Brassica juncea stubble from northern New South Wales. Australasian Plant Disease Notes 3: 124-8

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

Fox EM, Gardiner DM, Keller NP, Howlett BJ (2008) A Zn(II)₂Cys₆ DNA binding protein regulates the sirodesmin PL biosynthetic gene cluster in Leptosphaeria maculans. Fungal Genetics and Biology 45: 671-82

Lambou K, Tharreau D, Kohler A, Sirven C, Marguerettaz M, Barbisan C, Sexton AC, Kellner EM, Martin F, Howlett BJ, Orbach MJ, Lebrun M-H (2008)  Fungi have three tetraspanin families with distinct functions. BMC Genomics 9: 63

Fox EM, Howlett BJ (2008) Biosynthetic gene clusters for epipolythiodioxopiperazines in filamentous fungi. Mycological Research 112: 162-9

Heitman J, Howlett BJ (2008) Fungal horizons: The Asilomar Fungal Genetics Conference 2007 Fungal Genetics and Biology 45: 77-83

Howlett BJ (2008) Biosynthesis of epipolythiodioxopiperazine toxins in fungi. Chemistry in Australia 75: 4-7 (Unrefereed)

Howlett BJ, Fox EM, Cozijnsen AJ, Van de Wouw AP, Elliott CE (2008) The secondary metabolite toxin, sirodesmin PL, and its role in virulence of the blackleg fungus. in ‘The role of Plant Pathology in Food Safety and Food Security’, ed. R. Strange. Vol. 3 Springer, manuscript accepted.

2007

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

Sprague SJ, Watt M, Kirkegaard JA, Howlett BJ (2007) Pathways of infection of Brassica napus roots by Leptosphaeria maculans. New Phytologist 176: 211-22

Hayden HL, Cozijnsen AJ, Howlett BJ (2007) Microsatellite and minisatellite analysis of populations of the canola pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans reveals regional genetic differentiation in Australia. Phytopathology 97: 879-87

Howlett BJ, Idnurm A and Heitman J (2007) Fungal pathogenesis: Unveiled gene clusters as secrets within the Ustilago maydis code – a dispatch. Current Biology 17: R87-R90

Patron NJ, Waller RF, Cozijnsen AJ, Straney DC, Gardiner DM, Nierman WC, Howlett BJ (2007) Origin and distribution of epipolythiodioxopiperazine (ETP) gene clusters in filamentous ascomycetes. BMC Evolutionary Biology 7: 174

2006

Sexton AC, Whitten AR , Howlett BJ (2006) Population structure of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in an Australian canola field at flowering and stem infection stages of the disease cycle. Genome 49: 1408-15

Sexton AC, Howlett BJ (2006) Parallels between fungal pathogenesis on plants and animal hosts. Eukaryotic Cell 5: 1941-9

Howlett BJ (2006) Secondary metabolite toxins and nutrition of plant pathogenic fungi. Current Opinions in Plant Biology 9: 371-375

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: 588-596

Sexton AC, Cozijnsen AJ, Keniry A, Jewell E, Love CG, Batley J, Edwards D, Howlett BJ (2006) Transcription profile of genes from three developmental stages of the plant pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. FEMS Microbiology Letters 258: 150-160

Sprague SJ, Hayden HL, Marcroft SJ, Howlett BJ (2006) Major gene resistance to blackleg in Brassica napus overcome within three years of commercial production in Southeastern Australia. Plant Disease 190: 190-198

Sprague SJ, Hayden HL, Brun H, Marcroft SJ, Pinochet X, Rouxel T, Balesdent MH, Howlett BJ (2006) Major gene resistance in Brassica napus (oilseed rape) is overcome by changes in virulence of populations of Leptosphaeria maculans in France and Australia. European Journal of Plant Pathology 114:33-40

Kuhn ML, Gout L, Howlett BJ, Melayah D, Meyer M, Balesdent MH, Rouxel T (2006) Genetic linkage maps and genomic organization in Leptosphaeria maculans. European Journal of Plant Pathology 114:17-31

Fitt BDL, Evans N, Howlett BJ, Cooke M (Editors) (2006) Sustainable strategies for managing Brassica napus (oilseed rape) resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans (phoma stem canker). Springer, The Netherlands: 126 pp. (BOOK) ISBN: 1402045247

Howlett BJ, Attard A, Gardiner DM, Cattolico L, Cozijnsen AJ, Gout L, Parlange M, Pedras MSC, Ross S, Wilson LM, Balesdent MH, Rouxel T (2006) Sequence analysis of two genomic regions of Leptosphaeria maculans, the fungus that causes blackleg (Phoma stem canker) of Brassica napus. Proceedings of joint meeting of 14th Crucifer Genetics Workshop and 4th ISHS Symposium on Brassicas (Ed. Y P Lim) Acta Horticulturae 706: 55-62 (CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS) ISBN: 906605445X

2005

Elliott CE, Muller J, Miklis M, Bhat RA, Schulze-Lefert P, Panstruga R (2005) Conserved extracellular cysteine residues and cytoplasmic loop-loop interplay are required for functionality of the heptahelical MLO protein. Biochemical Journal 385: 243-254

Voigt K, Cozijnsen AJ, Kroymann J, Poegeller S, Howlett BJ (2005) Phylogenetic relationships between members of the crucifer pathogenic Leptosphaeria maculans species complex as shown by mating type (MAT1-2), actin and b-tubulin sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 37:541-547

Hayden HL, Howlett BJ (2005) Genetic structure of a population of the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans in a disease nursery of Brassica napus in Australia. Current Genetics 48:142-149

Gardiner DM, Howlett BJ (2005) Bioinformatic and expression analysis of the putative gliotoxin biosynthetic gene cluster of Aspergillus fumigatus. FEMS Microbiology Letters 248: 241-248

Marcroft SM, Sosnowski MR, Scott ES, Ramsey MD, Salisbury PA, Howlett BJ (2005) Brassica napus plants infected by Leptosphaeria maculans after the third to fifth leaf growth stage in south-eastern Australia do not develop blackleg stem canker. European Journal of Plant Pathology 112: 289-292

Gardiner DM, Jarvis R, Howlett BJ (2005) The ABC transporter gene in the sirodesmin biosynthetic gene cluster of Leptosphaeria maculans is not essential for sirodesmin production but facilitates self-protection. Fungal Genetics and Biology 42: 257-263

Gardiner, DJ, Waring P, Howlett BJ (2005) The epipolythiodioxopiperazine (ETP) class of fungal toxins: distribution, mode of action, functions and biosynthesis. Microbiology 151: 1021-1032

Wilson LM, Howlett BJ (2005) Leptosphaeria maculans, a fungal pathogen of Brassica napus, secretes a subtilisin-like serine protease. European Journal of Plant Pathology 112: 23-29

Hayden HL, Cozijnsen AJ, Wilson LM, Howlett BJ (2004) Characterization and cross-species amplification of microsatellite loci in the plant pathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. Molecular Ecology Notes 4: 480-481

Gardiner DM, Cozijnsen AJ, Wilson LM, Pedras MSC, Howlett BJ (2004) The sirodesmin biosynthetic gene cluster of the plant pathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. Molecular Microbiology 53: 1307-1318

Marcroft SM, Sprague SJ, Salisbury PA, Howlett BJ (2004) Potential for using host resistance to reduce production of pseudothecia and ascospores of Leptosphaeria maculans, the blackleg pathogen of Brassica napus. Plant Pathology 53: 468-474

Howlett BJ (2004) Current knowledge of the interaction between Brassica napus and Leptosphaeria maculans. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology 24: 245-252

Elliott C, Howlett BJ (2004) Approaches for identification of fungal genes essential for plant disease. In Genetic Engineering: Principles and Methods. Vol 26. (ed. Setlow, J) Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Press pp. 85-103

Marcroft SM, Sprague SJ, Pymer SJ, Salisbury PA , Howlett BJ (2004) Crop isolation, not extended rotation length, reduces blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) severity of canola (Brassica napus) crops in south-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 44: 601-606

Gardiner DM, Howlett BJ (2004) Negative selection using thymidine kinase increases the efficiency of recovery of transformants with targeted genes in the filamentous fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. Current Genetics 45: 249-255

2003

Idnurm A, Taylor, JA, Pedras, MSC, Howlett BJ (2003) Small scale functional genomics of the blackleg fungus Leptosphaeria maculans: analysis of a 38 kb region. Australasian Plant Pathology 32: 511-519

Idnurm A, Warnecke DC, Heinz E, Howlett BJ (2003) Characterisation of neutral trehalase and UDP-glucose:sterol glucosyltransferase genes from the plant pathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 62: 305-313.

Marcroft SM, Sprague SJ, Pymer SJ, Salisbury PA, Howlett BJ (2003) Factors affecting production of inoculum of the blackleg fungus (Leptosphaeria maculans) in south-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43: 1231-1236

Cozijnsen AJ, Howlett BJ (2003) Characterisation of the mating-type locus of the plant pathogenic ascomycete Leptosphaeria maculans. Current Genetics 43: 351-357

Idnurm A, Howlett BJ (2003) Analysis of loss of pathogenicity mutants reveals that repeat-induced point mutations can occur in the Dothideomycete Leptosphaeria maculan. Fungal Genetics and Biology 39: 31-37

Griffiths KM, Bacic A, Howlett BJ (2003) Sterol composition of mycelia of the plant pathogenic ascomycete Leptosphaeria maculans. Phytochemistry 62: 147-153.

Wilson LM, Idnurm A and Howlett BJ (2002) Characterization of a gene (sp1) encoding a secreted protein from Leptosphaeria maculans, the blackleg pathogen of Brassica napus. Molecular Plant Pathology 3: 487-493.

Idnurm A and Howlett BJ (2002) Isocitrate lyase is essential for pathogenicity of the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans on canola (Brassica napus). Eukaryotic Cell 1: 719-724.

Marcroft SM, Purwantara A, Salisbury PA, Potter T, Wratten N, Khangura R, Barbetti MJ and Howlett BJ (2002) Reaction of a range of Brassica species under Australian conditions to the fungus, Leptosphaeria maculans, the causal agent of blackleg. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 42:1-8.

Barrins JM, Purwantara A, Ades PK, Salisbury PA and Howlett BJ (2002) Genetic diversity of isolates of Leptosphaeria maculans from a canola (Brassica napus) paddock in Australia. Australasian Plant Pathology 31: 129-135.

2001

Idnurm A and Howlett BJ (2001) Pathogenicity genes of phytopathogenic fungi. Molecular Plant Pathology 2: 241-255.

Howlett BJ, Idnurm A and Pedras MSC (2001) Review: Leptosphaeria maculans, the causal agent of blackleg disease of Brassicas. Fungal Genetics and Biology 33:1-14.

Brownfield L and Howlett BJ (2001) An abundant 39 kDa protein from Brassica napus (canola) is present in the apoplast of leaves infected by the blackleg fungus, Leptosphaeria maculans. Australasian Plant Pathology 30: 7-9.

Sexton AC and Howlett BJ (2001) Green fluorescent protein as a reporter in the Brassica- Leptosphaeria maculans interaction. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 58: 13-21.

Idnurm A and Howlett BJ (2001) Characterization of an opsin gene from the ascomycete Leptosphaeria maculans. Genome 44:167-171.

2000

Cozijnsen AJ, Popa KM, Rolls BD, Purwantara A and Howlett BJ (2000) Genome analysis of the plant pathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans; mapping mating type and host specificity loci. Molecular Plant Pathology 1: 293-302.

Purwantara A, Barrins JM, Cozijnsen AJ, Ades PK and Howlett BJ (2000) Genetic diversity of isolates of the Leptosphaeria maculans species complex from Australia, Europe and North America using amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis. Mycological Research 104: 772-781

Howlett BJ, Cozijnsen AJ, Popa K, Idnurm A, Sexton AC and Purwantara A (2000) Genetic analysis of the blackleg fungus, Leptosphaeria maculans. Acta Horticulturae 539: 55-60.

Sexton AC, Paulsen M, Woestemeyer J and Howlett BJ (2000) Cloning, characterization and chromosomal location of three genes encoding host-cell-wall-degrading enzymes in Leptosphaeria maculans, a fungal pathogen of Brassica spp..  Gene 248: 89-97.

Sexton AC and Howlett BJ (2000) Characterisation of a cyanide hydratase gene in the phytopathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. Molecular and General Genetics 263: 463-470.

1999

Sexton AC, Kirkegaard JA and Howlett BJ (1999) Glucosinolates in Brassica juncea and resistance to Australian isolates of Leptosphaeria maculans, the blackleg fungus. Australasian Plant Pathology 28: 95-102.

1998

Purwantara A, Burton WA, Salisbury PA and Howlett BJ (1998) Reaction of Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) lines to Australian isolates of Leptosphaeria maculans under glasshouse and field conditions. European Journal of Plant Pathology 104: 895-902.

1997

Howlett BJ, Cozijnsen AJ and Rolls BD (1997) Organisation of ribosomal DNA in the ascomycete Leptosphaeria maculans. Microbiological Research 152: 1-7.

Howlett BJ (1997) Genome analysis of the fungal plant pathogen, Leptosphaeria maculans using pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Electrophoresis 18: 1544-1547.

1996

Chen CY, Plummer KM and Howlett BJ (1996) Ability of a Leptosphaeria maculans isolate to form stem cankers on Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) segregates as a single locus. European Journal of Plant Pathology 102: 349-352.

Chen CY and Howlett BJ (1996) Rapid necrosis of guard cells is associated with the arrest of fungal growth in leaves of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) inoculated with avirulent isolates of Leptosphaeria maculans. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 48: 73-81.

Howlett BJ (1996) Application of pulsed field gel electrophoresis to the study of genomes of fungal pathogens of plants. Australasian Plant Pathology 25: 219-225.

1995

Salisbury P, Ballinger D, Wratten N, Plummer KM and Howlett BJ (1995) Blackleg disease on oilseed Brassica in Australia - a Review. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 35: 665-674.

Williams RSB, Davis MA and Howlett BJ (1995) The nitrate and nitrite reductase-encoding genes of Leptosphaeria maculans are closely linked and transcribed in the same direction. Gene 158: 153-154.

Plummer KM and Howlett BJ (1995) Inheritance of chromosomal length polymorphisms in the ascomycete Leptosphaeria maculans. Molecular and General Genetics 247: 416-422.

1994

Williams RSB, Davis MA and Howlett BJ (1994) Nitrate reductase of the ascomycetous fungus, Leptosphaeria maculans: gene sequence and chromosomal location. Molecular and General Genetics 244: 1-8.

Lim L and Howlett BJ (1994) Linear plasmids, pLm9 and pLm10, can be isolated from the phytopathogenic ascomycete Leptosphaeria maculans by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Current Genetics 26: 276-280.

Plummer KM, Dunse K and Howlett BJ (1994) Non-aggressive strains of the blackleg fungus, Leptosphaeria maculans, are present in Australia and can be distinguished from aggressive strains by molecular analysis. Australian Journal of Botany 42: 1-8.

1993

Plummer KM and Howlett BJ (1993) Major chromosomal length polymorphisms are evident after meiosis in the phytopathogenic fungus, Leptosphaeria maculans. Current Genetics 24: 107-113.