@misc{devi_guruprasath_balu_chattopadhyay_thilagar_dhanabalan_choudhary_moparthi_jailani_2024, title={Dissecting Diagnostic and Management Strategies for Plant Viral Diseases: What Next?}, volume={14}, ISSN={["2077-0472"]}, DOI={10.3390/agriculture14020284}, abstractNote={Recent advancements in molecular biology have revolutionized plant disease diagnosis and management. This review focuses on disease diagnosis through serological techniques, isothermal amplification methods, CRISPR-based approaches, and management strategies using RNA-based methods. Exploring high-throughput sequencing and RNA interference (RNAi) technologies like host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) and spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS), this review delves into their potential. Despite the precision offered by RNAi in pest and pathogen management, challenges such as off-target effects and efficient dsRNA delivery persist. This review discusses the significance of these strategies in preventing aphid-mediated plant virus transmission, emphasizing the crucial role of meticulous dsRNA design for effective viral RNA targeting while minimizing harm to plant RNA. Despite acknowledged challenges, including off-target effects and delivery issues, this review underscores the transformative potential of RNA-based strategies in agriculture. Envisaging reduced pesticide dependency and enhanced productivity, these strategies stand as key players in the future of sustainable agriculture.}, number={2}, journal={AGRICULTURE-BASEL}, author={Devi, B. Megala and Guruprasath, Samyuktha and Balu, Pooraniammal and Chattopadhyay, Anirudha and Thilagar, Siva Sudha and Dhanabalan, Kanaga Vijayan and Choudhary, Manoj and Moparthi, Swarnalatha and Jailani, A. Abdul Kader}, year={2024}, month={Feb} }
 @article{bradshaw_boufford_braun_moparthi_jellings_maust_pandey_slack_pfister_2023, title={An in-depth evaluation of powdery mildew hosts reveals one of the world’s most common and widespread groups of fungal plant pathogens}, volume={9}, ISSN={0191-2917 1943-7692}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-23-1471-RE}, DOI={10.1094/PDIS-07-23-1471-RE}, abstractNote={ Powdery mildews are highly destructive fungal plant pathogens that have a significant economic impact on both agricultural and ecological systems worldwide. The intricate relationship between powdery mildews and their host plants has led to cospeciation. In this study, we conducted an extensive evaluation of powdery mildew hosts to provide an updated understanding of the host ranges and distributions of these fungi. The “United States National Fungus Collections Fungus-Host Dataset” is the primary source of information for our analyses. The analysis of the dataset demonstrated the worldwide prevalence of powdery mildews; the data contained over 72,000 reports of powdery mildews, representing ∼8.7% of all host-fungal records. We have updated the taxonomy and nomenclature of powdery mildews. In total, powdery mildews infect ∼10,125 host taxa belonging to 205 families of flowering plants, which accounts for 1,970 genera in 200 countries across six continents. Furthermore, we estimate that powdery mildews infect approximately 2.9% of described angiosperm species. Our study underscores the need for regular updates on powdery mildew host information due to the continuously evolving taxonomy and the discovery of new host taxa. Since 1986, we estimate an additional 1,866 host taxa, 353 genera, and 36 families have been reported. Additionally, the identification of powdery mildew hosts provides valuable insights into the coevolutionary dynamics between the fungi and their plant hosts. Overall, this updated list provides valuable insights into the taxonomy and geographic distribution of powdery mildew species, which builds upon the previous work of Amano in 1986. Discerning the geographic spread and host range of economically significant plant pathogens is vital for biosecurity measures and identifying the origins and expansion of potentially harmful pathogens. }, journal={Plant Disease}, publisher={Scientific Societies}, author={Bradshaw, Michael and Boufford, David and Braun, Uwe and Moparthi, Swarnalatha and Jellings, Keila and Maust, Autumn and Pandey, Binod and Slack, Suzanne and Pfister, Donald}, year={2023}, month={Sep} }
 @article{bradshaw_aime_rokas_maust_moparthi_jellings_pane_hendricks_pandey_li_et al._2023, title={Extensive intragenomic variation in the internal transcribed spacer region of fungi}, volume={26}, ISSN={["2589-0042"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.isci.2023.107317}, abstractNote={Fungi are among the most biodiverse organisms in the world. Accurate species identification is imperative for studies on fungal ecology and evolution. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA region has been widely accepted as the universal barcode for fungi. However, several recent studies have uncovered intragenomic sequence variation within the ITS in multiple fungal species. Here, we mined the genome of 2414 fungal species to determine the prevalence of intragenomic variation and found that the genomes of 641 species, about one-quarter of the 2414 species examined, contained multiple ITS copies. Of those 641 species, 419 (∼65%) contained variation among copies revealing that intragenomic variation is common in fungi. We proceeded to show how these copies could result in the erroneous description of hundreds of fungal species and skew studies evaluating environmental DNA (eDNA) especially when making diversity estimates. Additionally, many genomes were found to be contaminated, especially those of unculturable fungi.}, number={8}, journal={ISCIENCE}, author={Bradshaw, Michael J. and Aime, M. Catherine and Rokas, Antonis and Maust, Autumn and Moparthi, Swarnalatha and Jellings, Keila and Pane, Alexander M. and Hendricks, Dylan and Pandey, Binod and Li, Yuanning and et al.}, year={2023}, month={Aug} }
 @article{moparthi_kleczewski_2023, title={First Report of Curvularia Leaf Spot on Zea mays Caused by Curvularia lunata in North Carolina}, ISSN={["1943-7692"]}, DOI={10.1094/PDIS-10-22-2306-PDN}, abstractNote={In late July of 2022, corn leaves with spots were observed in a field at North Carolina State University's Vernon James Research and Extension Center (35.873294º N, 76.658599º W; Plymouth NC). The affected leaves contained small (two to three millimeters in diameter) tan-colored circular to oval lesions with reddish-brown margins and chlorotic haloes. The disease severity approached 50% on affected leaves. Leaf tissue from the margins of the lesions was excised and surface sterilized by soaking in 10 % bleach solution for two minutes followed by rinsing in distilled water. Next, leaf tissue was transferred to alkaline water agar amended with streptomycin (100 mgliter-1) and the plates were incubated at 27º C in dark. After one week, conidia were observed. Conidia were curved, light brown in color and contained three transverse septa. The size of the conidia (n= 30) ranged from 21-25 µm (average 24 µm) long by 7 to 10 µm wide (average 9 µm). These characteristics were typical of Curvularia lunata (Munkvold and White 2016). DNA from pure cultures was extracted, internal transcribed space region (ITS) was amplified using the primers ITS4 and ITS5 (White et al. 1990). Sequences were obtained and deposited into GenBank (accession no. OP998306). BLAST search indicated that the sequence was 100 % identical to C. lunata from Louisiana (MG 971305.1, Garcia- Aroca et al. 2018). Pathogenicity was confirmed on field corn cultivar 'Yellow dent' by inoculating two pots of two-week-old greenhouse-grown corn plants (6 plants per pot) by spraying conidial suspension with a concentration of 6 x 104 conidia /ml. The control plants (n= 6) were sprayed with distilled water and the plants were covered with a plastic bag for 24 hours. The plastic bags were removed and plants were moved to the greenhouse at 23º C. Four days after inoculation small round tan-colored lesions were observed and no symptoms on control plants. The experiment was repeated once and the pathogen was recovered from the symptomatic tissue. The morphology of the recovered isolate was similar to the original isolate. This is the first report of C. lunata causing leaf spot on corn in North Carolina. Although this disease has not been demonstrated to cause yield loss it has been detected more frequently in corn production areas of U.S. and should continue to be monitored going forward.}, journal={PLANT DISEASE}, author={Moparthi, Swarnalatha and Kleczewski, Nathan}, year={2023}, month={Jan} }
 @article{moparthi_johnson_braun_2023, title={Podosphaera cerasi- an old foe of US sweet cherry with a new name -its biology, epidemiology, and beyond}, ISSN={["2239-7264"]}, DOI={10.1007/s42161-023-01354-9}, journal={JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY}, author={Moparthi, Swarnalatha and Johnson, Alexandra M. and Braun, Uwe}, year={2023}, month={May} }
 @article{moparthi_johnson_braun_2023, title={Podosphaera cerasi- an old foe of US sweet cherry with a new name -its biology, epidemiology, and beyond (May, 10.1007/s42161-023-01354-9, 2023)}, ISSN={["2239-7264"]}, DOI={10.1007/s42161-023-01399-w}, journal={JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY}, author={Moparthi, Swarnalatha and Johnson, Alexandra M. and Braun, Uwe}, year={2023}, month={May} }
 @article{bradshaw_quijada_tobin_braun_newlander_potterfield_alford_contreras_coombes_moparthi_et al._2022, title={More Than Just Plants: Botanical Gardens Are an Untapped Source of Fungal Diversity}, volume={57}, ISSN={0018-5345 2327-9834}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI16755-22}, DOI={10.21273/HORTSCI16755-22}, abstractNote={Botanical gardens have extensive spatial databases of their plant specimens; however, the fungi occurring in them are generally unstudied. Botanical gardens, with their great plant diversity, undoubtedly harbor a wide range of symbiotic fungi, including those that are plant-pathogenic. One such group of fungi is powdery mildews (Erysiphaceae). The powdery mildews are among the most prevalent and economically important plant pathogens in the world, with an estimated 906 species in 19 genera. They are known to infect more than 10,000 species of flowering plants and although some species occur across a range of hosts, many are associated with specific plants. Powdery mildews have undergone a long and dynamic coevolution with their host plants, resulting in co-speciation. Botanical gardens provide a living laboratory in which to study these fungi, leading to a wealth of undiscovered fungal diversity. Furthermore, monitoring pathogens in botanical gardens has led to important ecological findings related to the plant sciences and plant protection. Between 2018 and 2022, a collaborative citizen science project was established with 10 botanical gardens in the United States and Mexico. A total of more than 300 powdery mildew specimens were collected on 220 different host taxa. We sequenced the entire internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) rDNA loci and phylogenetically and morphologically analyzed these collections revealing 130 species, of which 31 are likely unknown to science. This research highlights the importance of botanical gardens as a reservoir of fungal diversity. Future research will further elucidate the coevolutionary relationship between powdery mildews and their hosts and extend the current study to evaluate other plant pathogens and fungi in botanical gardens.}, number={10}, journal={HortScience}, publisher={American Society for Horticultural Science}, author={Bradshaw, Michael J. and Quijada, Luis and Tobin, Patrick C. and Braun, Uwe and Newlander, Cindy and Potterfield, Tom and Alford, Élan R. and Contreras, Carlos and Coombes, Allen and Moparthi, Swarnalatha and et al.}, year={2022}, month={Oct}, pages={1289–1293} }