Disease: vascular wilt disease

Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Verticillium dahliae from Soil Using LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12a Technology

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Scientists developed a new rapid test to detect a dangerous fungal disease that affects cotton crops. The test combines two advanced molecular techniques (LAMP and CRISPR) to quickly identify the disease-causing fungus in soil samples. The system works in laboratories but can also be used in fields by farmers, taking less than 2 hours to produce results. This breakthrough will help farmers catch and manage the disease early, protecting their crops and improving yields.

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New wine in old skins: Scopoletin biosynthesis in cotton

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Cotton farmers face significant crop losses from a soil-dwelling fungus called Verticillium dahliae. Scientists discovered that cotton plants can protect themselves by producing a compound called scopoletin, which damages and kills this fungus. By understanding how cotton activates the genes that make scopoletin, researchers may be able to genetically engineer more disease-resistant cotton varieties, providing farmers with a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides.

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Cell wall remodeling in a fungal pathogen is required for hyphal growth into microspaces

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Researchers discovered how fungi squeeze through tiny spaces inside plant tissues to cause disease. They found that fungi need to soften and remodel their cell walls to reduce their width and fit through spaces that are much narrower than normal fungal filaments. This ability to change shape is critical for the fungus to invade and colonize plants, ultimately causing wilting diseases in crops like tomatoes.

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Functional diversification of epidithiodiketopiperazine methylation and oxidation towards pathogenic fungi

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This research shows that Trichoderma hypoxylon, a beneficial fungus used in agriculture, produces different versions of antifungal compounds called epidithiodiketopiperazines (ETPs) to fight various harmful fungi. By deleting genes responsible for modifying these compounds, scientists found that different modifications work better against different pathogens—some modifications are more effective against mold fungi while others work better against grain pathogens. This demonstrates that the fungus uses chemical diversity as a strategy to protect crops from multiple threats.

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