Why Sequence Phytophthora capsici?

Phytophthora capsici is a devastating pathogen of vegetable crops such as cucurbits (squashes, pumpkins, etc.), tomatoes, and peppers. A pathogen of national economic importance, it has recently expanded its host range to include legumes. Sequencing P. capsici will provide vegetable and Phytophthora investigators nationwide with gene models for comprehensive functional genomic studies of natural populations and rapid identification of loci underpinning developmental events, host range determinants, and virulence.

Among Phytophthora species, P. capsici provides a uniquely tractable genetic model for the molecular dissection of oomycete biology, hemibiotroph-induced disease, evolution, adaptation, and virulence factors because of its sexual fecundity, its natural annual outcrossing, and the availability of all life stages. The sequences will become broadly applicable resources for population genetic studies.

A goal of the studies is to provide a bioinformatics resource of utility to both the field and bench scientist. P. capsici provides an important opportunity to capitalize on the applied and basic Phytophthora research infrastructure in the U.S. and abroad, including the P. sojae and P. ramorum genomes sequenced at JGI.

CSP project participants: Stephen F. Kingsmore (proposer) and Bill Beavis (Natl. Ctr. for Genome Resources, Santa Fe), Kurt Lamour (Univ. of Tennessee), Sophien Kamoun (Ohio State Univ.), and Paul Richardson (JGI).