Science - September 10, 2009
Potato bug genome is well-armed
The genome map for Phytophthora infestans has been charted. The potato disease pathogen has much in common with the malaria parasite.

'Phytophthora has a very flexible genome that can get around resistance.'
This pathogen causes huge damages worldwide on potato farms. Farmers bring herbicides to the rescue, but the spraying takes a heavy toll on the environment. The search for a resistant potato variety has therefore been going on for years.
An international group of researchers has now mapped the genome of the oomyceet. This genome is two and a half times as big as that of other Phytophthora types and six times as big as the genome of moulds. About three quarters of the P. infestans genome consists of so-called repetitive DNA: sequences with more of the same DNA which can quickly mutate. This repetitive DNA contains genes which produce effector proteins to infiltrate into the potato plant. As the genome is so dynamic, it always has effector proteins at its disposal which can break through the line of defence of the plant.
The outcome makes one wonder if incorporation of resistant genes into the potato genome is of any use, Govers says. 'The approach so far has been to look for resistant genes in wild potato varieties and to incorporate these into cultivars. Before using such a gene, it is very important to find out if P. infestans can get around the resistance and how long it takes to do so.' The pathogen has hitherto been compared to moulds, but it is more similar to the Malaria parasite. 'Like the Malaria parasite, P. infestans has an ingenious mechanism for transporting proteins to the inside of the host cell and suppressing any resistance there.