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Student of the Month


Name: Ryan Anderson (andersrg at vt.edu)

Research project: Characterizing conserved effector proteins from the oömycete Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis

Advisor: John McDowell

Departmental affiliation: PPWS

Anticipated defense date: 2011

Project description:
Many types of plant pathogens secrete effector proteins to the inside of the host cells, where they interact with host proteins to promote disease. Effector proteins from bacterial pathogens have been studied in detail. In contrast, very little is known about effector proteins from eukaryotic plant pathogens such as oömycetes. It is thought that oömycetes utilize effectors to suppress defenses and/or reprogram metabolic pathways. Oömycete effectors carry a host targeting (HT) sequence that is required for translocation into the host cell. It is predicted that oömycetes secrete hundreds of divergent effectors, based on bioinformatic analyses of the sequenced genomes of oömycete pathogens. However, the functions of these effectors are currently unknown. We are using the interaction between the model plant Arabidopsis and its downy mildew pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis (Hpa) to investigate how plant cells are manipulated by oömycete effectors. The goal of my research is to investigate the function of effector genes that are conserved between Hpa and distantly related oömycetes in the Phytophthora genus. This project is expected to increase understanding of molecular mechanisms that enable oömycete pathogens to cause destructive diseases. We expect that a focus on conserved effectors will reveal virulence functions that are important for all oömycete plant pathogens.

Publications:

  • Baxter L, Tripathy S, Ishaque N, Boot N, Cabral A, Kemen E, Thines M, Ah-Fong A, Anderson R, Badejoko W, Bittner-Eddy P, Boore JL, Chibucos MC, Coates M, Dehal P, Delehaunty K, Dong S, Downton P, Dumas B, Fabro G, Fronick C, Fuerstenberg SI, Fulton L, Gaulin E, Govers F, Hughes L, Humphray S, Jiang RH, Judelson H, Kamoun S, Kyung K, Meijer H, Minx P, Morris P, Nelson J, Phuntumart V, Qutob D, Rehmany A, Rougon-Cardoso A, Ryden P, Torto-Alalibo T, Studholme D, Wang Y, Win J, Wood J, Clifton SW, Rogers J, Van den Ackerveken G, Jones JD, McDowell JM, Beynon J, Tyler BM., 2010, Signatures of Adaptation to Obligate Biotrophy in the Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis Genome. Science. 330:1549-1551.
  • McDowell J.M., T. Hoff, R. Anderson, D. Deegan. Propogation, Storage, and Assays with Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis, a model oömycete pathogen of Arabidopsis, 201X, In: Methods in Molecular Biology: The Plant Immune System (J. McDowell, ed.), John Wiley and Sons, New York.
  • Dou, D., Kale, S. D., Wang, X., Chen, Y., Wang, Q., Wang, X., Jiang, R. H. Y., Arredondo, F. D., Anderson, R.G., Thakur, P. B., McDowell, J. M., Wang, Y., Tyler, B. M., 2008, Conserved C-terminal motifs required for avirulence and suppression of cell death by Phytophthora sojae effector Avr1b. The Plant Cell, 20:1118-1133.

Posters at international meetings:

  • Anderson, R. G., Casady, M.S., Fee, R. A., Deb, D., Kale, S. D., Tyler B. M., McDowell J. M. Suppression of defense responses in distantly related plants by homologous RXLR effectors. Poster session presented at: Oömycete Molecular Genetics Workshop; 2011 Mar 13-15; Asilomar, California, USA.
  • Anderson, R. G., Casady, M.S., Fee, R. A., Deb, D., Kale, S. D., Tyler B. M., McDowell J. M. Suppression of defense responses in distantly related plants by homologous RXLR effectors. Poster session presented at: Oömycete Molecular Genetics Workshop; 2010 Jun 6-8; Toulouse, France.
  • Anderson, R. G., Fee, R. A., Deb, D., Kale, S. D., Tyler B. M., McDowell J. M. Conserved oomycete effectors suppress programmed cell death. Poster session presented at:14th Congress on Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions; 2009 Jul 19-23; Quebec, Canada.
  • Anderson, R. G., Fee, R. A., Deb, D., Kale, S. D., Tyler B. M., McDowell J. M. Characterizing conserved effector proteins from Hyaloperonospora parasitica. Poster session presented at: Oömycete Molecular Genetics Workshop; 2008 May 6-8; Birnham, Scotland, UK.
  • Anderson, R. G., Jiang, R.Y., Dou, D., Wang, X., Tyler B. M., McDowell J. M. Characterizing conserved effector proteins from Hyaloperonospora parasitica. Poster session presented at: : Oömycete Molecular Genetics Workshop; 2007 Mar 19-20; Asilomar, California, USA

Talks and Presentations:

  • Molecular Plant Science Symposium- Blacksburg, VA, 2010.
  • James Madison University, Biology Department. “Conserved Oömycete Effectors Suppress Programmed Cell Death”, 2009
  • Guest Lecture, BIOL/HORT 2304 Plant Biology, Virginia Tech, Spring 2009
  • Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science- Blacksburg, VA, 2007 and 2009.
  • American Phytopathological Society Potomac Division- Gettysburg, PA, 2009.
  • Oömycete Molecular Genetics Network- Birnham, Scotland, UK, 2008.
  • Plant Molecular Biology Discussion Group- Blacksburg, VA, 2007 and 2008.
  • Virginia Tech Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program- Blacksburg, VA, 2008.

Awards:

  • Arthur J. Webber Award for Outstanding Graduate Student in the Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science. Virginia Tech. 2011.
  • Molecular Plant Sciences Grant, $1100, Spring 2011
  • 2nd place for Best Poster, Oömycete Molecular Genetics Workshop, Toulouse, France, 2010
  • Best Graduate Student Research, American Phytopathological Society Potomac Division, 2009
  • Bruce Perry Fellowship given by the Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science, Virginia Tech. 2006.
  • 3 NSF Travel Awards to attend Oömycete Molecular Genetics Workshops in Asilomar, CA (2008, 2011), and Toulouse, France (2010)
  • Graduate Research and Development Program (GRDP) grant, $500. 2007

Service, Positions and Memberships:

  • Assistant for the Partnership in Research and Education Using Plants (PREP). 2008-2011
  • Graduate student member of faculty search committee for Assistant Professor in Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 2008.
  • President, Phi Sigma Biological Honors Society. 2009-2011
  • Board Member of the Plant Molecular Biology Discussion Group. 2008-2011
  • Member of Phi Sigma Biological Honors Society
  • Member of the International Society of Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions