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Genetic Analysis of Toxin Production by Fungi

  • Conference paper
Phytotoxins and Plant Pathogenesis

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASIH,volume 27))

Abstract

Certain plant pathogenic fungi produce toxins, secondary metabolites that have adverse effects on plants. The roles of fungal toxins in pathogenesis have rarely been critically evaluated. However, at least 15 species of fungi produce special types of toxic molecules called host-specific toxins (Yoder, 1980). These metabolites are toxic to susceptible hosts of the fungus but not to resistant plants or nonhosts. Host-specificity suggests, but does not prove, that these toxins play significant roles in pathogenesis. To date, the most persuasive argument that can be made in support of pathological roles for these toxins is based on conventional genetic analyses. Toxin production, in three cases at least, is correlated genetically with fungal pathogenicity or virulence.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Pathology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

    O. C. Yoder, B. G. Turgeon, L. M. Ciuffetti & W. Schafer

Authors
  1. O. C. Yoder
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  2. B. G. Turgeon
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  3. L. M. Ciuffetti
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  4. W. Schafer
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Patologia vegetale, Università di Bari, Bari, Italia

    Antonio Graniti

  2. ARS/USDA and Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    Richard D. Durbin

  3. Dipartimento di Scienze biochimiche, Università ‘La Sapienza’, Roma, Italia

    Alessandro Ballio

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© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Yoder, O.C., Turgeon, B.G., Ciuffetti, L.M., Schafer, W. (1989). Genetic Analysis of Toxin Production by Fungi. In: Graniti, A., Durbin, R.D., Ballio, A. (eds) Phytotoxins and Plant Pathogenesis. NATO ASI Series, vol 27. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73178-5_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73178-5_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-73180-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-73178-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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