Abstract: Genome structure and maintenance determine the evolvability of organisms. The genomes of fungal plant pathogens are often structured heterogeneously, harboring highly variable compartments and compartments of relative stability. Often, rapidly evolving, virulence-related genes are associated with dynamic regions that are rich in repetitive elements, TEs and accessory genomic regions. An extreme case of such genomic structural variation are supernumerary mini-chromosomes (mChr), that are present in only some individuals of a species. We identified diverse mChr in the wheat and rice infecting blast fungus,Magnaporthe (syn. Pyricularia) oryzae. These chromosomes are associated with intra- and inter-chromosomal rearrangements, copy number variation and horizontal transfer of genetic material and ultimately increase the genetic diversity and the adaptive potential of the blast fungus. In addition, we have identified several virulence effector candidates on a mChr of a highly virulent pandemic wheat blast lineage. Here, I will discuss recent progress we made towards understanding mChr biology and potential strategies how we can use this information for pathogen-informed disease management via bioengineering.

Biography: Thorsten is a group leader at the Max-Planck Institute for Biology in Tuebingen, Germany. His group is interested in adaptive evolution of filamentous plant pathogens. Current research topics in his group revolve around structural genomic variation, particularly in the form of supernumerary chromosomes, molecular evolution of virulence effectors, and immune receptor engineering using the blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae. Before he started his own group, Thorsten was a postdoc in the group of Sophien Kamoun at the Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK. Thorsten received his PhD from the Heinrich-Heine University, Duesseldorf, Germany, working on cell-wall remodelling enzymes in the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis.