Dr Velushka Swart
| Lecturer | |
Department |
|
Plant and Soil Sciences |
|
| This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Member of:
Research Profiles
My Students
| Primary Supervisor |
| Kayla Alexis Midgley |
| Melissa Joubert |
| Raven Wienk |
Co Supervisor |
| Alicia Fick |
| Phinda Magagula |
| Primary Supervisor |
| Aaron Harvey |
| Shalya Moodley |
Co Supervisor |
| Susanna Anbu |
I am a principal investigator within the Hans Merensky Chair in Avocado Research. My work utilises genomic and transcriptomic data to identify genes and pathways crucial to a successful defense response against established and emerging avocado pathogens such as Phytophthora cinnamomi, Dematophora necatrix and the avocado sunblotch viroid.
My other research activities include the development of tools to study avocado-pathogen interactions, such as a callose quantification assay which can be utilised in avocado rootstock screening programmes. The establishment of a model tobacco system within our research group has provided an avenue for the functional characterisation of avocado NLR genes as well as P. cinnamomi RxLR and CRN effectors.
In order to address the need for improved control of White root rot disease, we have several glasshouse and field trials (in South African avocado orchards) underway to assess the efficacy of fungicides and biological control agents against D. necatrix. I am also involved in a project studying the effect of P. cinnamomi and D. necatrix infection on the avocado rhizosphere microbiome.
My Journal Articles
| Publication |
|---|
Fick A, Swart V, Bombarely A, van den Berg N. (2024) Comparative transcriptional analysis of Persea americana MYB, WRKY and AP2/ERF transcription factors following Phytophthora cinnamomi infection. Molecular Plant Pathology 25(4):e13453.
10.1111/mpp.13453  |
| Joubert M, van den Berg N, Theron J, Swart V. (2024) Global transcriptomic analysis in avocado nursery trees reveals differential gene expression during asymptomatic infection by avocado sunblotch viroid (ASBVd). Virus Research 339:199263.
10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199263. |
| Anbu SP, Swart V, van den Berg N. (2023) Unmasking the invaders: NLR-mal function in plant defense. Frontiers in Plant Science 14:1307294.
10.3389/fpls.2023.1307294 |
| Joubert M, van den Berg N, Theron J, Swart V. (2022) Transcriptomics Advancement in the Complex Response of Plants to Viroid Infection. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23(7677)
10.3390/ijms23147677 |
| Fick A, Swart V, Van den Berg N. (2022) The ups and downs of plant NLR expression during pathogen infection. Frontiers in Plant Science 13:921148.
10.3389/fpls.2022.921148 |
| Midgley KA, van den Berg N, Swart V. (2022) Unraveling plant cell death during Phytophthora Infection. Microorganisms 10(6)
10.3390/microorganisms10061139 |
| Fick A, Swart V, Backer R, Bombarely A, Engelbrecht J, van den Berg N. (2022) Partially Resistant Avocado Rootstock Dusa® Shows Prolonged Upregulation of Nucleotide Binding-Leucine Rich Repeat Genes in Response to Phytophthora cinnamomi Infection. Frontiers in Plant Science 13:793644.
10.3389/fpls.2022.793644 |
| Magagula P, Taylor N, Swart V, Van den Berg N. (2021) Efficacy of Potential Control Agents Against Rosellinia necatrix and Their Physiological Impact on Avocado. Plant Disease 105(11):PDIS-08.
10.1094/PDIS-08-20-1751-RE |
| Van den Berg N, Swart V, Backer R, Fick A, Wienk R, Engelbrecht J, Prabhu S. (2021) Advances in understanding defense mechanisms in Persea americana against Phytophthora cinnamomi. Frontiers in Plant Science 12:123.
10.3389/fpls.2021.636339 |
| Welgemoed T, Pierneef R, Sterck L, Van de Peer Y, Swart V, Scheepers KD, Berger DK. (2020) De novo assembly of transcriptomes from a B73 maize line introgressed with a QTL for resistance to gray leaf spot disease reveals a candidate allele of a lectin receptor-like kinase. Frontiers in Plant Science
http://bit.ly/2SmKPmT |
| van den Berg N, Mohamed W, Olivier NA, Swart V, Crampton B. (2018) Transcriptome analysis of an incompatible Persea americana-Phytophthora cinnamomi interaction reveals the involvement of SA- and JA-pathways in a successful defense response. PLoS ONE 13(10):e0205705.
10.1371/journal.pone.0205705 |
| Wingfield BD, Berger DK, Steenkamp ET, Lim H-J, Duong TA, Bluhm BH, De Beer ZW, De Vos L, Fourie G, Naidoo K, Olivier NA, Lin Y, Van der Peer Y, Joubert F, Crampton BG, Swart V, Soal N, Tatham C, Van der Nest MA, Van der Merwe NA, Van Wyk S, Wilken PM, Wingfield MJ. (2017) IMA Genome-F 8 Draft genome of Cercospora zeina, Fusarium pininemorale, Hawksworthiomyces lignivorus, Huntiella decipiens and Ophiostoma ips. IMA Fungus 8 (2):385‑396.
10.5598/imafungus.2017.08.02.10 |
| Swart V, Crampton BG, Ridenour JB, Bluhm BH, Olivier NA, Meyer JJM, Berger DK. (2017) Complementation of CTB7 in the maize pathogen Cercospora zeina overcomes the lack of in vitro cercosporin production. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions 30(9):710-724.
10.1094/MPMI-03-17-0054-R |