Puccinia coronata f.sp. avenae | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Basidiomycota |
Class: | Pucciniomycetes |
Order: | Pucciniales |
Family: | Pucciniaceae |
Genus: | Puccinia |
Species: |
P. coronata |
Variety: | P. c. var. avenae |
Forma specialis: | P. c. f.sp. avenae |
Trionomial name | |
Puccinia coronata f.sp. avenae |
Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae is the variation ( forma specialis, f. sp.) of the crown rust fungus ( Puccinia coronata) which infects oat plants (Avena sativa). [1] Almost every growing region of oat has been affected by this pathogen at one point or another. [2] During particularly bad epidemics, the worldwide crop yields have been reduced by up to 40%. [2] One reason why Pca has such a prominent effect is that the conditions which favor oat production also favor the growth and inoculation of the rusts: Meaning that years in which the highest yields of crops are expected are the same years in which losses are the highest as well. [2] Pca urediniospores germinate the best at temperature between 10–30 °C (50–86 °F) with germ-tube growth optimized at 20 °C (68 °F). [3]
The virulence of Pca and the resistance of wild oat plants is a highly studied topic. It seems that the resistance level of the oat plant is dependent upon which race of Pca is acting on it; the virulence of the fungal pathogen also seems to depend upon which strain the strain of oat being attacked. [4] There are most likely multiple traits that control both virulence and resistance which suggests a very interactive host-parasite coevolution. [4] A few specific loci have been found to confer resistance such as Pca which conferred a dominant, resistant phenotype to nine different isolates of P. coronata. [5] An additional isolate of P. coronata was also resisted, although another, un-linked gene may be involved which correlates the theory that resistance and virulence in A. sativa are controlled by multiple genes. [5] Some studies suggest that the responses are dependent upon the physiological race of the rust involved due to mutations that arise in separate races. [6]
One way in which the expression of certain genes has been found to combat Pca is through the production of avenalumins. [1] Avenalumins are antimicrobial compounds which inhibit hyphal growth, thus preventing P. coronata from spreading. [1] Avenalumins are only found in infected areas of plants and nowhere else. [1] The production of avenalumins is regulated by some of the same genes that have been found to confer resistance in certain lines of oats, thus indicating their importance in resistance. [1] In addition to total resistance to specific races, in such cases as the production avenalumins, partial or horizontal resistance provides a way to reduce the effect of P. coronata. [7]