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POSTERS: Biochemistry and cell biology

Histology of plant-microbe interaction at the Populus trichocarpa-Sphaerulina musiva interface
Susanna Kerio - Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University. Kelsey Sondreli- Oregon State University, Kathy Cook- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Jared LeBoldus- Dept. of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management, Oregon State University, Jared LeBoldus- Oregon State Universit

The ascomycete Sphaerulina musiva causes Septoria leaf spot and stem canker of Populus and is the most serious poplar pathogen in North America. The disease has a severe effect on the naïve host Populus trichocarpa. Despite the pathogen’s impact, it is unclear whether S. musiva is a necrotroph or a hemibiotroph. Knowledge of the nutrient acquisition strategy would open novel avenues to explore the host-microbe interaction in Populus. We studied the cellular interaction of P. trichocarpa genotypes and S. musiva isolates with different levels of susceptibility and virulence. We investigated whether S. musiva forms intracellular structures in intact P. trichocarpa cells for nutrient acquisition. Inoculated stem samples were collected three weeks post inoculation for histological analysis. We report differences in host colonization and formation of potential intracellular feeding structures affected by host susceptibility and pathogen virulence. The results are discussed in the context of plant-fungal interaction along the necrotroph-hemibiotroph-biotroph continuum.