Centro para la Biodiversidad y Desarrollo Sostenible (CBDS), ETSIMontes, Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid, 28040, Spain.
BMC Plant Biol. 2024 Jun 6;24(1):508. doi: 10.1186/s12870-024-05205-2.
Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands is a highly prevalent phytopathogen worldwide, ranking among the top ten in terms of distribution. It inflicts crown rot, canker, and root rot on numerous plant species, significantly impacting the biodiversity of both flora and fauna within affected environments. With a host range spanning over 5,000 species, including important plants like Quercus suber, Quercus ilex, Castanea sativa, and commercially significant crops such as avocado (Persea americana), maize (Zea mays), and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), Phytophthora cinnamomi poses a substantial threat to agriculture and ecosystems. The efficient dissemination of the oomycete relies on its short-lived asexually motile zoospores, which depend on water currents to infect host roots. However, managing these zoospores in the laboratory has long been challenging due to the complexity of the life cycle. Current protocols involve intricate procedures, including alternating cycles of growth, drought, and flooding. Unfortunately, these artificial conditions often result in a rapid decline in virulence, necessitating additional steps to maintain infectivity during cultivation. In our research, we sought to address this challenge by investigating zoospore survival under various conditions. Our goal was to develop a stable stock of zoospores that is both easily deployable and highly infective. Through direct freezing in liquid nitrogen, we have successfully preserved their virulence. This breakthrough eliminates the need for repeated culture transfers, simplifying the process of plant inoculation. Moreover, it enables more comprehensive studies of Phytophthora cinnamomi and its interactions with host plants.
樟疫霉（Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands）是一种全球广泛分布的高致病性植物病原菌，其分布范围位居前十。它会引发冠腐病、溃疡病和根腐病，严重影响受影响环境中动植物的生物多样性。该病原菌宿主范围广泛，超过 5000 种，包括栓皮栎、欧洲栓皮栎、欧洲栗和重要的商业作物如鳄梨（Persea americana）、玉米（Zea mays）和番茄（Solanum lycopersicum）等。樟疫霉对农业和生态系统构成了重大威胁。这种卵菌的有效传播依赖于其短暂的无性运动孢子，这些孢子依赖水流感染宿主根系。然而，由于其生命周期复杂，长期以来，实验室中管理这些游动孢子一直具有挑战性。目前的方案涉及复杂的程序，包括生长、干旱和洪水的交替循环。不幸的是，这些人为条件往往导致毒力迅速下降，在培养过程中需要采取额外的步骤来保持感染力。在我们的研究中，我们试图通过研究各种条件下游动孢子的存活情况来解决这一挑战。我们的目标是开发一种稳定的游动孢子库存，既易于部署，又具有高度感染力。通过在液氮中直接冷冻，我们成功地保持了它们的毒力。这一突破消除了对反复培养转移的需求，简化了植物接种过程。此外，它还能够更全面地研究樟疫霉及其与宿主植物的相互作用。
