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Sophien Kamoun Assistant Professor Department of Plant Pathology The Ohio State University Selby Hall 1680 Madison Avenue Wooster, Ohio 44691-4096 Phone (330) 263-3846 FAX (330) 263-3841 email kamoun.1@osu.edu	Back to Scientists

Research Interests

The class oomycetes comprises several notorious plant pathogens. Among these, members of the genus Phytophthora cause destructive diseases on thousands of plant species. My research focuses on two important Phytophthora pathosystems. Phytophthora infestans, the Irish potato famine fungus, causes late blight of potato and tomato and is estimated to be the single-most costly biotic constraint to global food production (Source: International Potato Center). Phytophthora sojae causes Phytophthora root rot of soybean and is the most important disease of soybean in Ohio and other soybean production areas causing up to 12% losses in soybean production. Current and future research program focuses on understanding the molecular basis of interactions between Phytophthora and plants. The overall objective is the identification and functional characterization of Phytophthora genes and molecules involved in pathogenicity and host-specificity; and plant genes and molecules involved in resistance. With such knowledge in hand, strategies for improving classical methods of control or establishing novel biotechnological approaches to Phytophthora diseases will be developed.

Learn about Phytophthora Genomics at the Phytophthora Genome Initiative homepage

Selected References

• Kamoun, S., Hraber, P., Sobral, B., Nuss, D., Govers, F. 1999. Initial assessement of gene diversity for the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans based on expressed sequences. Fungal Genetics and Biology, accepted for publication.
• Kamoun, S., Huitema, E., Vleeshouwers, V.G.A.A. 1999. Resistance to oomycetes: A general role for the hypersensitive response? Trends in Plant Sciences, 4:196-200.
• Kamoun, S., Honee, G., Weide, R., Lauge, R., Kooman-Gersmann, M., de Groot, K., Govers, F., de Wit, P.J.G.M. 1999. The fungal gene Avr9 and the oomycete gene inf1 confer avirulence to potato virus X on tobacco. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 12: 459-462.
• van West, P., Kamoun, S., van't Klooster, J.W., Govers, F. 1999. Internuclear gene silencing in Phytophthora. Molecular Cell, 3: 339-348.
• Kamoun, S., T. van der Lee, G. van den Berg-Velthuis, K. de Groot, and F. Govers. 1998. Loss of Production of the Elicitor Protein INF1 in the Clonal Lineage US-1 of Phytophthora infestans. Phytopathology. 88: 1315-1323.
• Kamoun, S., P. van West, V.G.A.A. Vleeshouwers, K. de Groot, and F. Govers. 1998. Resistance of Nicotiana benthamiana to Phytophthora infestans is Mediated by the Recognition of the Elicitor Protein INF1. Plant Cell. 10:1413-1425.
• Kamoun, S. and F. Govers. 1997. Phytophthora Diseases Worldwide (Book Review). European Journal of Plant Pathology. 103: 491-492.
• Kamoun, S., P. van West, A.J. de Jong, V.G.A.A. Vleeshouwers, and F. Govers. 1997. A gene encoding a protein elicitor of Phytophthora infestans is down-regulated during infection of potato. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. 10:13-20.
• Kamoun, S. 1996. Occurrence of the threatened Cicindela senilis frosti Varas-Arangua in an inland salt marsh in Riverside county, California (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae). Coleopterists Bulletin. 50:369-371
• Kamoun, S., and S.A. Hogenhout. 1996. Flightlessness and rapid terrestrial locomotion in tiger beetles of the Cicindela L. subgenus Rivacindela van Nidek from saline habitats of Australia (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae). Coleopterists Bulletin. 50:221-230.
• Kamoun, S., M. Young, H. Forster, M.D. Coffey, and B.M. Tyler. 1994. Potential role of elicitins in the interaction between Phytophthora species and tobacco. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 60:1593- 1598.
• Kamoun, S., K.M. Klucher, M.D. Coffey, and B.M. Tyler. 1993. A Gene encoding a host-specific elicitor protein of Phytophthora parasitica Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. 6:573-581.
• Kamoun, S., M. Young, C.B. Glascock, and B.M. Tyler. 1993. Extracellular protein elicitors from Phytophthora: Host-specificity and induction of resistance to bacterial and fungal pathogens. Molecular Plant- Microbe Interactions. 6:15-25.
• Kamoun, S., E. Tola, H.V. Kamdar, and C.I. Kado. 1992. Rapid generation of directed and unmarked chromosomal deletions in Xanthomonas. Molecular Microbiology. 6:809-816.
• Kamoun, S., H.V. Kamdar, E. Tola, and C.I. Kado. 1992. Incompatible interactions between crucifers and Xanthomonas campestris involve a vascular-hypersensitive response: Role of the hrpX locus. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. 5:22-33.

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