Fusarium Oxysporum Pathogenesis in Plant Systems

Fusarium oxysporum is a soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes vascular wilts in a wide array of crop species. Infection begins with spore germination in the rhizosphere, followed by hyphal penetration of root epidermal cells and colonisation of the xylem. Within the vascular network, the fungus secretes effector proteins to suppress host immunity and manipulate plant physiology, leading to impaired water transport, wilting and often plant death. Host specificity is largely governed by lineage-specific chromosomes—accessory genomic elements harbouring virulence determinants that can be transferred horizontally between strains. This dynamic accessory genome contrasts with a stable core genome responsible for fundamental cellular functions. Recent genomic and functional analyses have revealed genome-scale recombination analogues and segmental duplications that generate novel effector repertoires and drive rapid adaptation. Insight into these mechanisms underpins the development of sustainable control strategies, including the breeding of resistant cultivars, targeted gene editing of susceptibility loci and biocontrol approaches to safeguard global food security.

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Fusarium Oxysporum Pathogenesis in Plant Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in fusarium oxysporum pathogenesis in plant systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Effector: small secreted protein produced by the pathogen to alter host defences or physiology during infection.

Accessory genome: dispensable chromosomes or chromosomal regions carrying genes—often effectors—linked to host specificity and virulence.

Core genome: set of conserved genes found in all strains that govern essential cellular processes.

Horizontal chromosome transfer: movement of whole chromosomes between individuals, enabling rapid acquisition of pathogenicity traits.

Pangenome: collective gene repertoire across all strains of a species, comprising both core and accessory genes.

Formae speciales: host-specific subdivisions within F. oxysporum defined by distinct pathogenic profiles on particular plant species.

References

1. Hiding in plain sight: Genome-wide recombination and a dynamic accessory genome drive diversity in Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2023).
2. Segmental duplications drive the evolution of accessory regions in a major crop pathogen. New Phytologist (2024).
3. The structural repertoire of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici effectors revealed by experimental and computational studies. eLife (2024).
4. A mobile pathogenicity chromosome in Fusarium oxysporum for infection of multiple cucurbit species. Scientific Reports (2017).