Date of Award
2021
Publisher
North Dakota State University
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Awarded
Master of Science (MS)
Program
Plant Pathology
Department
Plant Pathology
College
Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources
Faculty Advisor
Secor, Gary
Description
Cercospora beticola is a hemibiotrophic fungus responsible for Cercospora leaf spot disease of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris). Plant pathogens such as C. beticola utilize “effector” molecules to aid in disease establishment. Effectors are generally small, secreted molecules that contribute to pathogen virulence. A culture filtrate infiltration study was conducted to identify potential effector molecules secreted by C. beticola. A variety of fungal growth conditions were pursued, one of which resulted in a necrotic phenotype when the culture filtrate was infiltrated into sugar beet leaves. The culture filtrate was fractioned using ion-exchange chromatography. Fractions were infiltrated to identify the protein responsible for necrosis. Five candidate necrosis-inducing effector proteins were identified through mass spectrometry analysis. Targeted gene disruption of these candidates and subsequent virulence assays revealed an increased virulence for Δ05663 strains compared to the inoculated wild-type. Full characterization of this candidate effector will shed light on the C. beticola-sugar beet interaction.
Recommended Citation
Hamilton, Olivia Grace, "Identification and Characterization of Novel Cercospora beticola Necrosis-Inducing Effectors" (2021). Plant Pathology. 14.
https://digitalcommons.ndsu.edu/plant-path/14
Rights
NDSU policy 190.6.2
Rights Link
https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf
Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0003-3910-2736
Handle Identifier
https://hdl.handle.net/10365/32672