Importance of Molecular Data to Identify Fungal Plant Pathogens and Guidelines for Pathogenicity Testing Based on Koch’s Postulates

Fungi are an essential component of any ecosystem, but they can also cause mild and severe plant diseases. Plant diseases are caused by a wide array of fungal groups that affect a diverse range of hosts with different tissue specificities. Fungi were previously named based only on morphology and, in...

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Main Authors: Chitrabhanu S. Bhunjun, Alan J. L. Phillips, Ruvishika S. Jayawardena, Itthayakorn Promputtha, Kevin D. Hyde
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
Series:Pathogens
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/9/1096
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author Chitrabhanu S. Bhunjun
Alan J. L. Phillips
Ruvishika S. Jayawardena
Itthayakorn Promputtha
Kevin D. Hyde
author_facet Chitrabhanu S. Bhunjun
Alan J. L. Phillips
Ruvishika S. Jayawardena
Itthayakorn Promputtha
Kevin D. Hyde
author_sort Chitrabhanu S. Bhunjun
collection DOAJ
description Fungi are an essential component of any ecosystem, but they can also cause mild and severe plant diseases. Plant diseases are caused by a wide array of fungal groups that affect a diverse range of hosts with different tissue specificities. Fungi were previously named based only on morphology and, in many cases, host association, which has led to superfluous species names and synonyms. Morphology-based identification represents an important method for genus level identification and molecular data are important to accurately identify species. Accurate identification of fungal pathogens is vital as the scientific name links the knowledge concerning a species including the biology, host range, distribution, and potential risk of the pathogen, which are vital for effective control measures. Thus, in the modern era, a polyphasic approach is recommended when identifying fungal pathogens. It is also important to determine if the organism is capable of causing host damage, which usually relies on the application of Koch’s postulates for fungal plant pathogens. The importance and the challenges of applying Koch’s postulates are discussed. Bradford Hill criteria, which are generally used in establishing the cause of human disease, are briefly introduced. We provide guidelines for pathogenicity testing based on the implementation of modified Koch’s postulates incorporating biological gradient, consistency, and plausibility criteria from Bradford Hill. We provide a set of protocols for fungal pathogenicity testing along with a severity score guide, which takes into consideration the depth of lesions. The application of a standard protocol for fungal pathogenicity testing and disease assessment in plants will enable inter-studies comparison, thus improving accuracy. When introducing novel plant pathogenic fungal species without proving the taxon is the causal agent using Koch’s postulates, we advise the use of the term <i>associated with the</i> “<i>disease symptoms</i>” <i>of</i> “<i>the host plant</i>”. Where possible, details of disease symptoms should be clearly articulated.
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spelling doaj.art-a89af84bf1574ec0b9ceffc704b95ef42023-11-22T14:41:39ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172021-08-01109109610.3390/pathogens10091096Importance of Molecular Data to Identify Fungal Plant Pathogens and Guidelines for Pathogenicity Testing Based on Koch’s PostulatesChitrabhanu S. Bhunjun0Alan J. L. Phillips1Ruvishika S. Jayawardena2Itthayakorn Promputtha3Kevin D. Hyde4Innovative Institute for Plant Health, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, ChinaFaculdade de Ciências, Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, PortugalCenter of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, ThailandDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, ThailandInnovative Institute for Plant Health, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, ChinaFungi are an essential component of any ecosystem, but they can also cause mild and severe plant diseases. Plant diseases are caused by a wide array of fungal groups that affect a diverse range of hosts with different tissue specificities. Fungi were previously named based only on morphology and, in many cases, host association, which has led to superfluous species names and synonyms. Morphology-based identification represents an important method for genus level identification and molecular data are important to accurately identify species. Accurate identification of fungal pathogens is vital as the scientific name links the knowledge concerning a species including the biology, host range, distribution, and potential risk of the pathogen, which are vital for effective control measures. Thus, in the modern era, a polyphasic approach is recommended when identifying fungal pathogens. It is also important to determine if the organism is capable of causing host damage, which usually relies on the application of Koch’s postulates for fungal plant pathogens. The importance and the challenges of applying Koch’s postulates are discussed. Bradford Hill criteria, which are generally used in establishing the cause of human disease, are briefly introduced. We provide guidelines for pathogenicity testing based on the implementation of modified Koch’s postulates incorporating biological gradient, consistency, and plausibility criteria from Bradford Hill. We provide a set of protocols for fungal pathogenicity testing along with a severity score guide, which takes into consideration the depth of lesions. The application of a standard protocol for fungal pathogenicity testing and disease assessment in plants will enable inter-studies comparison, thus improving accuracy. When introducing novel plant pathogenic fungal species without proving the taxon is the causal agent using Koch’s postulates, we advise the use of the term <i>associated with the</i> “<i>disease symptoms</i>” <i>of</i> “<i>the host plant</i>”. Where possible, details of disease symptoms should be clearly articulated.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/9/1096disease severityimage analysispathogenicityphylogenyplant disease assessment
spellingShingle Chitrabhanu S. Bhunjun
Alan J. L. Phillips
Ruvishika S. Jayawardena
Itthayakorn Promputtha
Kevin D. Hyde
Importance of Molecular Data to Identify Fungal Plant Pathogens and Guidelines for Pathogenicity Testing Based on Koch’s Postulates
Pathogens
disease severity
image analysis
pathogenicity
phylogeny
plant disease assessment
title Importance of Molecular Data to Identify Fungal Plant Pathogens and Guidelines for Pathogenicity Testing Based on Koch’s Postulates
title_full Importance of Molecular Data to Identify Fungal Plant Pathogens and Guidelines for Pathogenicity Testing Based on Koch’s Postulates
title_fullStr Importance of Molecular Data to Identify Fungal Plant Pathogens and Guidelines for Pathogenicity Testing Based on Koch’s Postulates
title_full_unstemmed Importance of Molecular Data to Identify Fungal Plant Pathogens and Guidelines for Pathogenicity Testing Based on Koch’s Postulates
title_short Importance of Molecular Data to Identify Fungal Plant Pathogens and Guidelines for Pathogenicity Testing Based on Koch’s Postulates
title_sort importance of molecular data to identify fungal plant pathogens and guidelines for pathogenicity testing based on koch s postulates
topic disease severity
image analysis
pathogenicity
phylogeny
plant disease assessment
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/9/1096
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