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Research Features

Phytophthora root rot (PRR) is the most severe and damaging disease in avocado plantations in South Africa. The causal agent of PRR is the notorious oomycete, Phytophthora cinnamomi (Pc). This pathogen has an extensive host range making it an economically important plant pathogen. The pathogen is a heterothallic species that can reproduce by sexual or asexual means. Furthermore, Pc is hemibiotrophic, meaning it has an initial biotrophic stage prior to switching to the nectrophic stage at later stages of infection. It can persist in soil or infected plant material for extended periods of time, and there is no means to eradicate this oomycete from infected areas once the pathogen has successfully established in soils. Currently, phosphite injections, along with the use of good agricultural practices, are commonly used as methods of control for PRR.

Research within the ARP has provided some insight into the biology, population diversity and the molecular basis for the Pc-avocado interaction. The sequencing of the genome of a South African Pc isolate and the availability of RNA sequencing data from a Pc-avocado infection trial has allowed the group to delve further into understanding how the pathogen is able to manipulate and suppress plant immunity during infection. Current work in the ARP involves identifying and functionally characterising effector genes which are known to play roles during infection. The group is currently on three groups of effectors; the NLPs, RxLRs and Crinklers; and the aim is to determine how these effectors contribute to the pathogenicity of this pathogen and the strategies by which they are able to manipulate or suppress plant immunity to establish infection.

 

 * Read more about Phytophthora cinnamomi on our Fact sheet here.

 

ARP Team Members

Katelyn Baird: Characterising the role of Phytophthora cinnamomi NLP proteins in plant cell infection.

Ncobile Kunene: Elucidating the role of Phytophthora cinnamomi RxLR effector genes during Persea americana infection.

Kayla Midgley: Characterising the role of Phytophthora cinnamomi CRN effector proteins in host plant cell death.

Susanna Anbu: Expression profiling of Nep-like protein (NLP) effector genes during infection in avocado.

 

 

New Publications

Chang R, Yan Z, Jiang J, Wang Y, Si H, Bose T, Miao C. (2025) Four novel endolichenic fungi from Usnea spp. (Lecanorales, Parmeliaceae) in Yunnan and Guizhou, China: Taxonomic description and preliminary assessment of bioactive potentials. MycoKeys 118:55–80. 10.3897/mycokeys.118.155248
Lötter A, Bruna T, Duong TA, Barry K, Lipzen A, Daum C, Yoshinaga Y, Grimwood J, Jenkins JW, Talag J, Borevitz J, Lovell JT, Schmutz J, Wegrzyn JL, Myburg AA. (2025) A haplotype-resolved reference genome for Eucalyptus grandis. G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics 10.1093/g3journal/jkaf112
Wingfield MJ, Pham NQ, Marincowitz S, Wingfield BD. (2025) Cryphonectriaceae: Biodiverse and threatening tree pathogens in the tropics and southern hemisphere. Annual Review of Phytopathology 63 10.1146/annurev-phyto-121823-030316
Magagula P, Swart V, Fourie A, Vermeulen A, Nelson JH, van Rooyen Z, van den Berg N. (2025) Avocado rhizosphere community profiling: white root rot and its impact on microbial composition. Frontiers in Microbiology 16 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1583797
Marincowitz S, Pham NQ, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2025) Microfungi associated with dying quiver trees (Aloidendron dichotomum) in South Africa. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 16:71–80. 10.3114/fuse.2025.16.5 PDF
Pham NQ, Marincowitz S, Crous PW, Wingfield MJ. (2025) Diversity of soil-borne Gliocladiopsis from Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 16:81–92. 10.3114/fuse.2025.16.6 PDF
Tanney JB, Kemler M, Vivas M, Wingfield MJ, Slippers B. (2025) Silent invaders: The hidden threat of asymptomatic phytobiomes to forest biosecurity. New Phytologist 10.1111/nph.70209
Fick A, Swart V, Van den Berg N. (2025) In silico prediction method for plant Nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat- and pathogen effector interactions. The Plant Journal 122:e70169. 10.1111/tpj.70169
Bose T, Wingfield MJ, Brachmann A, Witfeld F, Begerow D, Kemler M, Dovey S, Roux J, Slippers B, Vivas M, Hammerbacher A. (2025) Removal of organic biomass in Eucalyptus plantations has a greater impact on fungal than on bacterial networks. Forest Ecology and Management 586:122734. 10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122734
Woodward S, Amin H, Mártin-Gárcia J, Solla A, Diaz-Vazquez R, Romeralo C, Alves A, Pinto G, Herron D, Fraser S, Zas R, Doğmuş-Lehtijärvi HT, Bonello P, Wingfield MJ, Witzell J, Diez JJ. (2025) Host-pathogen interactions in the Pine-Fusarium circinatum pathosystem and the potential for resistance deployment in the field. Forest Pathology 55(2):e70020. 10.1111/efp.70020
Maduke N, Slippers B, Van der Linde E, Wingfield M, Fourie G. (2025) Botryosphaeriaceae associated with racemes, fruits and leaves of macadamia in South Africa. Plant Pathology 0:1–15:1–15. 10.1111/ppa.14107
Hulcr J, Barnes I, Barnes M, Gazis R, Hammerbacher A, Johnson AJ, Lynch S, Lynn K, Marais GC, Mayers CG, Nel W, Villari C, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2025) From forest to fungus: A roadmap to bark beetle mycobiome research. Phytoparasitica 53(45) 10.1007/s12600-025-01246-x
Knoppersen RS, Bose T, Coutinho TA, Hammerbacher A. (2025) Inside the Belly of the Beast: Exploring the Gut Bacterial Diversity of Gonipterus sp. n. 2. Microbial Ecology 88:27. 10.1007/s00248-025-02524-1
Bose T, Roux J, Titshall L, Dovey SB, Hammerbacher A. (2025) Mulching of post-harvest residues and delayed planting improves fungal biodiversity in South African Eucalyptus plantations and enhances plantation productivity. Applied Soil Ecology 210:106091. 10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106091
Wychkuys KA, Giron E, Hyman G, Barona E, Castro-Llanos FA, Sheil D, Yu L, Du Z, Hurley BP, Slippers B, Germishuizen I, Bojacá CR, Rubiano M, Sathyapala S, Verchot L, Zhang W. (2025) Biological control protects carbon sequestration capacity of plantation forests. Entomologia Generalis 10.1127/entomologia/2025/3015 PDF
Balocchi F. (2025) Risk Analysis for Alien Taxa (RAAT) for Phytophthora cinnamomi in South Africa. 10.5281/zenodo.14858265
Paap T, Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ. (2025) The root rot pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi: a long-overlooked threat to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. Biological Invasions 27(4) 10.1007/s10530-025-03570-z PDF
Harikrishnan K, Rajeshkumar KC, Patil PM, Jeewon R, Visagie CM. (2025) Aspergillus dhakephalkarii and A. patriciawiltshireae spp. nov., two new species in Aspergillus sect. Nigri ser. Japonici (Eurotiales, Aspergillaceae) from India. Phytotaxa 695:57–79. 10.11646/phytotaxa.695.1.2
Wilson A, van Dijk A, Marx B, du Plessis D, Terblanche G, Bornman S, Wilken PM, Duong TA, De Fine Licht HH, Wingfield BD. (2025) Extracting Protoplasts from Filamentous Fungi Using Extralyse, An Enzyme Used in the Wine Industry. Current Protocols 5(e70122):1-29. 10.1002/cpz1.70122
Dewing C, Visagie CM, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD, Yilmaz N. (2025) Three new species of Fusarium (Nectriaceae, Hypocreales) isolated from Eastern Cape dairy pastures in South Africa. MycoKeys 115:241–271. 10.3897/mycokeys.115.148914 PDF