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Swanepoel S, Visser EA, Shuey LS, Naidoo S. The In Planta Gene Expression of Austropuccinia psidii in Resistant and Susceptible Eucalyptus grandis. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2023; 113:1066-1076. [PMID: 36611233 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-07-22-0257-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Austropuccinia psidii, commonly known as myrtle rust, is an obligate, biotrophic rust pathogen that causes rust disease in a broad host range of Myrtaceae species. Eucalyptus grandis, a widely cultivated hardwood Myrtaceae species, is susceptible to A. psidii infection, with this pathogen threatening both their natural range and various forest plantations across the world. This study aimed to investigate the A. psidii transcriptomic responses in resistant and susceptible E. grandis at four time points. RNA-seq reads were mapped to the A. psidii reference genome to quantify expressed genes at 12 h postinoculation and 1, 2, and 5 days postinoculation (dpi). A total of eight hundred and ninety expressed genes were found, of which 43 were candidate effector protein genes. These included rust transferred protein 1 (RTP1), expressed in susceptible hosts at 5 dpi, and a hydrolase protein gene expressed in both resistant and susceptible hosts over time. Functional categorization of expressed genes revealed processes enriched in susceptible hosts, including malate metabolic and malate dehydrogenase activity, implicating oxalic acid in disease susceptibility. These results highlight putative virulence or pathogenicity mechanisms employed by A. psidii to cause disease, and they provide the first insight into the molecular responses of A. psidii in E. grandis over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shae Swanepoel
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Erik A Visser
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Louise S Shuey
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland Government, Australia
| | - Sanushka Naidoo
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, South Africa
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Xu Z, Wu X, Zhang J, Cheng P, Xu Z, Sun W, Zhong Y, Wang Y, Yu G, Liu H. Microplastics existence intensified bloom of antibiotic resistance in livestock feces transformed by black soldier fly. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 317:120845. [PMID: 36496063 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Efficient degradation of residual antibiotics in livestock and poultry feces by black soldier flies (BSFs) has been widely reported. Nevertheless, the effects of widely detected microplastics in feces on the dynamic reduction of antibiotics and the transfer of gut bacterial resistome remain unclear. In this study, red fluorescence-labeled microplastics are observed to be abundantly distributed in BSFs gut, which caused epithelial cell damage along with gut peristalsis and friction, thereby releasing reactive oxygen species and activating the antioxidant enzyme system. In addition, they result in not only in inflammatory cytokine release to induce gut inflammation, but fecal hardening because of mucus released from the BSFs, thereby hindering organic mineralization and antibiotic degradation. Besides, the gut pathogenic bacteria easily obtain growth energy and crowded out ecological niches by reducing nitrate produced by inflammatory host cells to nitrite with nitrate reductase. Consequently, linear discriminant analysis effect size and detrended correspondence analysis found that microplastic intake significantly reshape the microbial community structure and cause the significant reduction of several important organic-decomposing bacteria and probiotics (e.g., Pseudomonadales, Coriobacteriales, Lachnospirales, and Ruminococcaceae). In addition, a large number of pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Enterococcaceae, Hungateiclostridiaceae, and Clostridia) are enriched in feces and BSFs gut. Weighted correlation network analysis and bubble diagram analysis indicate that microplastic intake intensified gut colonization of pathogenic bacteria carrying antibiotic-resistant genes/mobile genetic elements, driving the bloom of antibiotic resistance in transformed fecal piles. Therefore, microplastics in feces should be isolated as much as possible before insect transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin Xu
- College of Resources and Environment, Innovative Institute of Animal Healthy Breeding, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Innovative Institute for Plant Health, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225, China
| | - Xinyue Wu
- College of Resources and Environment, Innovative Institute of Animal Healthy Breeding, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225, China
| | - Jiexiang Zhang
- Guangzhou Radio & TV Measurement & Testing Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, 510656, China
| | - Ping Cheng
- Innovative Institute for Plant Health, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225, China
| | - Zhihao Xu
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinggangshan University, Jian, 343009, China
| | - Weimin Sun
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management Institute of Environmental and Soil Sciences, Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China
| | - Yuming Zhong
- College of Resources and Environment, Innovative Institute of Animal Healthy Breeding, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Guohui Yu
- Innovative Institute for Plant Health, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225, China.
| | - Hui Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, Innovative Institute of Animal Healthy Breeding, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225, China
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Chen SH, Martino AM, Luo Z, Schwessinger B, Jones A, Tolessa T, Bragg JG, Tobias PA, Edwards RJ. A high-quality pseudo-phased genome for Melaleuca quinquenervia shows allelic diversity of NLR-type resistance genes. Gigascience 2022; 12:giad102. [PMID: 38096477 PMCID: PMC10720953 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giad102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melaleuca quinquenervia (broad-leaved paperbark) is a coastal wetland tree species that serves as a foundation species in eastern Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. While extensively cultivated for its ornamental value, it has also become invasive in regions like Florida, USA. Long-lived trees face diverse pest and pathogen pressures, and plant stress responses rely on immune receptors encoded by the nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) gene family. However, the comprehensive annotation of NLR encoding genes has been challenging due to their clustering arrangement on chromosomes and highly repetitive domain structure; expansion of the NLR gene family is driven largely by tandem duplication. Additionally, the allelic diversity of the NLR gene family remains largely unexplored in outcrossing tree species, as many genomes are presented in their haploid, collapsed state. RESULTS We assembled a chromosome-level pseudo-phased genome for M. quinquenervia and described the allelic diversity of plant NLRs using the novel FindPlantNLRs pipeline. Analysis reveals variation in the number of NLR genes on each haplotype, distinct clustering patterns, and differences in the types and numbers of novel integrated domains. CONCLUSIONS The high-quality M. quinquenervia genome assembly establishes a new framework for functional and evolutionary studies of this significant tree species. Our findings suggest that maintaining allelic diversity within the NLR gene family is crucial for enabling responses to environmental stress, particularly in long-lived plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie H Chen
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Kensington NSW 2052, Australia
- Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Alyssa M Martino
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Zhenyan Luo
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Benjamin Schwessinger
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Ashley Jones
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Tamene Tolessa
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
- School of Environment and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale NSW 2351, Australia
| | - Jason G Bragg
- Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Kensington NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Peri A Tobias
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Richard J Edwards
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Kensington NSW 2052, Australia
- Minderoo OceanOmics Centre at UWA, UWA Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 6009, Australia
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Both Constitutive and Infection-Responsive Secondary Metabolites Linked to Resistance against Austropuccinia psidii (Myrtle Rust) in Melaleuca quinquenervia. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020383. [PMID: 35208838 PMCID: PMC8879604 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Austropuccinia psidii is a fungal plant pathogen that infects species within the Myrtaceae, causing the disease myrtle rust. Myrtle rust is causing declines in populations within natural and managed ecosystems and is expected to result in species extinctions. Despite this, variation in response to A. psidii exist within some species, from complete susceptibility to resistance that prevents or limits infection by the pathogen. Untargeted metabolomics using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography with Ion Mobility followed by analysis using MetaboAnalyst 3.0, was used to explore the chemical defence profiles of resistant, hypersensitive and susceptible phenotypes within Melaleuca quinquenervia during the early stages of A. psidii infection. We were able to identify three separate pools of secondary metabolites: (i) metabolites classified structurally as flavonoids that were naturally higher in the leaves of resistant individuals prior to infection, (ii) organoheterocyclic and carbohydrate-related metabolites that varied with the level of host resistance post-infection, and (iii) metabolites from the terpenoid pathways that were responsive to disease progression regardless of resistance phenotype suggesting that these play a minimal role in disease resistance during the early stages of colonization of this species. Based on the classes of these secondary metabolites, our results provide an improved understanding of key pathways that could be linked more generally to rust resistance with particular application within Melaleuca.
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Dorostkar S, Dadkhodaie A, Ebrahimie E, Heidari B, Ahmadi-Kordshooli M. Comparative transcriptome analysis of two contrasting resistant and susceptible Aegilops tauschii accessions to wheat leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) using RNA-sequencing. Sci Rep 2022; 12:821. [PMID: 35039525 PMCID: PMC8764039 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04329-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Leaf rust, caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks., is the most common rust disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) worldwide. Owing to the rapid evolution of virulent pathotypes, new and effective leaf rust resistance sources must be found. Aegilops tauschii, an excellent source of resistance genes to a wide range of diseases and pests, may provide novel routes for resistance to this disease. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the transcriptome of leaf rust resistance in two contrasting resistant and susceptible Ae. tauschii accessions using RNA-sequencing. Gene ontology, analysis of pathway enrichment and transcription factors provided an apprehensible review of differentially expressed genes and highlighted biological mechanisms behind the Aegilops–P. triticina interaction. The results showed the resistant accession could uniquely recognize pathogen invasion and respond precisely via reducing galactosyltransferase and overexpressing chromatin remodeling, signaling pathways, cellular homeostasis regulation, alkaloid biosynthesis pathway and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism. However, the suppression of photosynthetic pathway and external stimulus responses were observed upon rust infection in the susceptible genotype. In particular, this first report of comparative transcriptome analysis offers an insight into the strength and weakness of Aegilops against leaf rust and exhibits a pipeline for future wheat breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeideh Dorostkar
- Department of Plant Production and Genetics, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ali Dadkhodaie
- Department of Plant Production and Genetics, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Esmaeil Ebrahimie
- La Trobe Genomics Research Platform, School of Life Sciences, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia.,School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5371, Australia.,School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Bahram Heidari
- Department of Plant Production and Genetics, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
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Hsieh J, Krause ST, Kainer D, Degenhardt J, Foley WJ, Külheim C. Characterization of terpene biosynthesis in Melaleuca quinquenervia and ecological consequences of terpene accumulation during myrtle rust infection. PLANT-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2021; 2:177-193. [PMID: 37283700 PMCID: PMC10168048 DOI: 10.1002/pei3.10056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Plants use a wide array of secondary metabolites including terpenes as defense against herbivore and pathogen attack, which can be constitutively expressed or induced. Here, we investigated aspects of the chemical and molecular basis of resistance against the exotic rust fungus Austropuccinia psidii in Melaleuca quinquenervia, with a focus on terpenes. Foliar terpenes of resistant and susceptible plants were quantified, and we assessed whether chemotypic variation contributed to resistance to infection by A. psidii. We found that chemotypes did not contribute to the resistance and susceptibility of M. quinquenervia. However, in one of the chemotypes (Chemotype 2), susceptible plants showed higher concentrations of several terpenes including α-pinene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, and viridiflorol compared with resistant plants. Transcriptome profiling of these plants showed that several TPS genes were strongly induced in response to infection by A. psidii. Functional characterization of these TPS showed them to be mono- and sesquiterpene synthases producing compounds including 1,8-cineole, β-caryophyllene, viridiflorol and nerolidol. The expression of these TPS genes correlated with metabolite data in a susceptible plant. These results suggest the complexity of resistance mechanism regulated by M. quinquenervia and that modulation of terpenes may be one of the components that contribute to resistance against A. psidii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji‐Fan Hsieh
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - Sandra T. Krause
- Institut für PharmazieMartin‐Luther Universität, Halle‐WittenbergHalleGermany
| | - David Kainer
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
- Center for BioEnergy InnovationBioscience DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoriesOak RidgeTNUSA
| | - Jörg Degenhardt
- Institut für PharmazieMartin‐Luther Universität, Halle‐WittenbergHalleGermany
| | - William J. Foley
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - Carsten Külheim
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental ScienceMichigan Technological UniversityHoughtonMIUSA
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Tobias PA, Schwessinger B, Deng CH, Wu C, Dong C, Sperschneider J, Jones A, Lou Z, Zhang P, Sandhu K, Smith GR, Tibbits J, Chagné D, Park RF. Austropuccinia psidii, causing myrtle rust, has a gigabase-sized genome shaped by transposable elements. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2021; 11:jkaa015. [PMID: 33793741 PMCID: PMC8063080 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkaa015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Austropuccinia psidii, originating in South America, is a globally invasive fungal plant pathogen that causes rust disease on Myrtaceae. Several biotypes are recognized, with the most widely distributed pandemic biotype spreading throughout the Asia-Pacific and Oceania regions over the last decade. Austropuccinia psidii has a broad host range with more than 480 myrtaceous species. Since first detected in Australia in 2010, the pathogen has caused the near extinction of at least three species and negatively affected commercial production of several Myrtaceae. To enable molecular and evolutionary studies into A. psidii pathogenicity, we assembled a highly contiguous genome for the pandemic biotype. With an estimated haploid genome size of just over 1 Gb (gigabases), it is the largest assembled fungal genome to date. The genome has undergone massive expansion via distinct transposable element (TE) bursts. Over 90% of the genome is covered by TEs predominantly belonging to the Gypsy superfamily. These TE bursts have likely been followed by deamination events of methylated cytosines to silence the repetitive elements. This in turn led to the depletion of CpG sites in TEs and a very low overall GC content of 33.8%. Compared to other Pucciniales, the intergenic distances are increased by an order of magnitude indicating a general insertion of TEs between genes. Overall, we show how TEs shaped the genome evolution of A. psidii and provide a greatly needed resource for strategic approaches to combat disease spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peri A Tobias
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Plant & Food Research Australia, SA 5064, Australia
| | - Benjamin Schwessinger
- Australia Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Cecilia H Deng
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Chen Wu
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Chongmei Dong
- Plant Breeding Institute, University of Sydney, Narellan, NSW 2567, Australia
| | - Jana Sperschneider
- Biological Data Science Institute, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Ashley Jones
- Australia Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Zhenyan Lou
- Australia Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Peng Zhang
- Plant Breeding Institute, University of Sydney, Narellan, NSW 2567, Australia
| | - Karanjeet Sandhu
- Plant Breeding Institute, University of Sydney, Narellan, NSW 2567, Australia
| | - Grant R Smith
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Josquin Tibbits
- Agriculture Victoria Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - David Chagné
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Robert F Park
- Plant Breeding Institute, University of Sydney, Narellan, NSW 2567, Australia
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Santos SA, Vidigal PMP, Guimarães LMS, Mafia RG, Templeton MD, Alfenas AC. Transcriptome analysis of Eucalyptus grandis genotypes reveals constitutive overexpression of genes related to rust (Austropuccinia psidii) resistance. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 104:339-357. [PMID: 32638297 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-020-01030-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Key Message A resistant E. grandis genotype showed a constitutive overexpression of genes related to resistance to myrtle rust caused by A. psidii. Abstract Myrtle rust caused by Austropuccinia psidii is considered one of the most important fungal diseases affecting Eucalyptus spp. plantations in Brazil. Although the selection and planting of resistant eucalypt genotypes have been the major strategies to manage the disease in Brazil, the molecular mechanisms involved in resistance are still unclear. In this study, we evaluated the gene expression profile of two contrasting Eucalyptus grandis genotypes in resistance level to rust by RNA-Seq. The two genotypes showed a very different background gene expression level even without A. psidii infection. The resistant genotype had a constitutive overexpression of a large number of protein-coding genes compared to the susceptible genotype. These genes were mainly associated with signal transduction, photosynthesis, regulation and response to salicylic acid (SA), and protein kinase leucine-rich receptors (PK-LRR). PK-LRR and SA mediated disease resistance are well known to be effective against obligate biotroph pathogens, such as A. psidii. In addition, at 24 h after infection, the susceptible genotype was able to activate some response, however, several resistance-related proteins had their expression level reduced with A. psidii infection. Here, we present the first analysis of E. grandis genotypes transcriptomes infected by A. psidii and it reveals a constitutive overexpression of several resistance-related genes in the resistant genotype compared to the susceptible one. Our findings have the potential to be used as candidate molecular markers for resistance to myrtle rust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Santos
- Laboratory of Forest Pathology, Department of Plant Pathology, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Pedro M P Vidigal
- Núcleo de Análise de Biomoléculas (NuBioMol), Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Lúcio M S Guimarães
- Laboratory of Forest Pathology, Department of Plant Pathology, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil
| | | | - Matthew D Templeton
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Acelino C Alfenas
- Laboratory of Forest Pathology, Department of Plant Pathology, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil.
- Department of Plant Pathology, Instituto de Biotecnologia Aplicada à agropecuária-BIOAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Av. P.H. Rolfs s/n, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil.
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Abstract
Austropuccinia psidii (myrtle rust) is a globally invasive neotropical rust of the Myrtaceae that came into international prominence following extensive damage to exotic Eucalyptus plantations in Brazil in the 1970s and 1980s. In 2005, myrtle rust established in Hawaii (USA), and over the past 12 years has spread from the Americas into Asia, the Pacific, and South Africa. Myrtle rust was detected in Australia in 2010, and the response and ultimately unsuccessful eradication attempt was a lesson to those concerned about the threat of exotic pests and diseases to Australia's environment. Seven years following establishment, we are already observing the decline of many myrtaceous species and severe impacts to native plant communities. However, the recently developed Myrtle rust in Australia draft action plan identified that there is no nationally coordinated response strategy for the environmental dimensions of this threat. Recent reviews have identified a greater need for involvement from environmental agencies in biosecurity preparedness, response, and resourcing, and we believe this approach needs to extend to the management of invasive environmental pathogens once they establish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angus J Carnegie
- New South Wales Forest Science, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries-Forestry, Parramatta, New South Wales 2150, Australia;
| | - Geoff S Pegg
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dutton Park, Queensland 4102, Australia
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