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Project Overview
We’re investigating how the fungus Venturia inaequalis, the culprit behind apple scab, manages to outsmart the natural defences of apple trees. Apple scab is the most damaging disease of apple trees in Aotearoa and around the world, costing growers time, money, and fruit.
Plants and the pathogens that attack them are locked in a constant battle. Plants evolve defences to recognise and fight off disease-causing invaders, but pathogens respond by mutating or dropping the genes that make them detectable. It’s a biological arms race, and apple scab is particularly good at staying one step ahead.
This research is working to uncover the molecular tricks this fungus uses to break through apple resistance, focusing on a strain of V. inaequalis that has overcome nine different apple resistance genes. By identifying the fungal “effector” genes responsible, we aim to understand how the fungus targets specific apple varieties.
Once these genes have been pinpointed, CRISPR-Cas tools will be used to study their exact roles and test how changes in these genes affect the fungus’s ability to infect its host. This knowledge will help plant breeders develop apple varieties with longer-lasting resistance.
As fungal diseases threaten not only our crops but also native taonga plant species, the tools and insights from this research could help protect a much wider range of plants across Aotearoa.
Why This Matters
This research will help support Aotearoa’s horticultural industry by deepening our understanding of how Venturia inaequalis evolves and targets specific apple varieties. The knowledge gained will support the breeding of apple cultivars with longer-lasting resistance to apple scab and allowing quick identification of apple varieties that are vulnerable to new fungal strains.
Our use of CRISPR-Cas technology will also expand the tools available for studying ecologically important fungi, making future research faster and more effective across a wide range of Aotearoa’s plant–pathogen systems.
Project Objectives
- Identify novel candidate effector genes in Ventura inaequalis that allow the fungal pathogen to infect apple cultivars, previously thought resistant.
- Develop and optimise new CRISPR-Cas tools for use with fungi. These tools will be developed for Ventura inaequalis but will be adaptable to other fungal pathogens.
- Use the newly developed tools to investigate how the identified effector genes contribute to the pathogen’s ability to cause disease.
- Use the Type III-D CRISPR-Cas system to study how transcription factors influence Ventura inaequalis virulence and host specificity.
Project Collaborators
Related Information
T2 | Microbial Biocontrol