Cellular and molecular biology of Phytophthora--plant interactions

Abstract

There are over 60 species of Phytophthora and many aggressive plant pathogens that cause extensive losses in agricultural crops, horticulture and natural ecosystoms (Erwin and Ribeiro l996). Some species, such as P. infestans the causal agent of late blight of potato and P.sojae the cause of soy bean root rot, have a limited host range. Others, such as P. cinnnamomi and P. nicotianae, have extremely broad host ranges, with both of these pathogens infecting over lOOO different plant species {Erwin and Ribeiro 1996; Hardham 2005).