Projects

• Overall Goals - To develop basic information about the systematics of plant pathogenic fungi in the Tilletiales (bunt fungi) and Diaporthales (chestnut blight order). The results of achieving these goals will be to accurately identify disease and quarantine pests. This knowledge is critical for making sound plant quarantine decisions to prevent the introduction of new plant pathogens and for developing effective disease management strategies.
• Molecular Systematics of the Genus Tilletia - Use DNA sequence data to investigate the relationships of bunt fungi on cultivated and wild grains with the goal of developing a phylogenetic framework in which species and generic concepts can be determined and refined. Morphological, nomenclatural and molecular data are being integrated in an on-line identification system for specialists and non-specialists to identify or obtain information about bunt fungi.
• Molecular Systematics of Diaporthalean Fungi - Analyze relationships among the sexual and asexual states of Diaporthe/Phomopsis and related canker-causing fungi in the Diaporthales. DNA sequence data are being used to determine family- and generic-level relationships. In addition, multiple gene phylogenies are used to determine phylogenetic species limits, particularly in the Diaporthe/Phomopsis complex.

Selected Publications

Castlebury, L.A., Rossman, A.Y., Sung, G.H., Hyten, A.S., and Spatafora, J.W. 2004. Multigene phylogeny reveals new lineage for Stachybotrys chartarum, the indoor air fungus. Mycol. Res. 108 : 864-872

Castlebury, L.A., Farr, D.F., Rossman, A.Y., and Jaklitsch, W.J. 2003. Diaporthe angelicae comb. nov., a modern description and placement of diaporthopsis in Diaporthe. Mycoscience 44 : 203-208

Castlebury, L.A., Rossman, A.Y., Jaklitsch, W.J., and Vasilyeva, L.N. 2002. A preliminary overview of the Diaporthales based on large subunit nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences. Mycologia 94 : 1017-1031

Farr, D.F., Castlebury, L.A., and Rossman, A.Y. 2002. Morphological and molecular characterization of Phomopsis vaccinii and additional isolates of Phomopsis from blueberry and cranberry in the eastern United States. Mycologia 94 : 494-504

Levy, L., Castlebury, L.A., Carris, L.M., Meyer, R.J., and Pimentel, G. 2001. Internal transcribed spacer sequence-based phylogeny and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism differentiation of Tilletia walkeri and T. indica. Phytopathology 91 : 935-940

Castlebury, L.A., and Carris, L.M. 1999. Tilletia walkeri, a new species on Lolium multiflorum and L. perenne. Mycologia 91 : 121-131

Cunfer, B.M., and Castlebury, L.A. 1999. Tilletia walkeri on annual ryegrass in wheat fields in the southeastern United States. Pl. Dis. 83 : 685-689

Castlebury, L.A., and Domier, L.L. 1998. Small subunit ribosomal RNA gene phylogeny of Plasmodiophora brassicae. Mycologia 90 : 102-107

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