Maria del Mar Jimenez-Gasco Ph.D.

Areas of Interest

Population biology of plant pathogens; Evolution of pathogenicity and virulence; Ecology of plant-associated microorganisms; Endophytic interactions; Antifungal materials

Program Interests

I am fundamentally interested in the population-level processes that lead to the evolution of plant pathogenicity, virulence, and the emergence of fungicide and antibiotic resistance in microbial populations. In my lab we use molecular tools to study these processes within a population biology approach that connects population genetics and epidemiology. Research projects in my program currently focus on:

• The ecological interactions between Fusarium oxysporum and plants, specifically non-pathogenic, endophytic interactions and their role in the emergence and evolution of plant pathogenicity.

• The dual role of Verticillium dahliae, pathogenic on certain plants and endophytic on others, and the implications on the biology, ecology, persistence, and spread of this plant pathogenic fungus in agroecosystems.

• The development of resistance to chemicals used for disease management in plant pathogenic microbial populations, specifically in the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni causing Bacterial leaf spot of peach in PA.

Graduate Students

• Sarah Bardsley, Ph.D. program in Plant Pathology
• Freddy Magdama, Ph.D. program in Plant Pathology
• Sara May, Ph.D. program in Plant Pathology (co-advised with Dr. Beth Gugino)
• Caroline Black, M.S. program in Plant Pathology (co-advised with Dr. Beth Gugino)
• Brian Aynardi, Ph.D. program in Plant Pathology (co-advised with Dr. Wakar Uddin)

Teaching:

PPATH 505: Fundamentals of Phytopathology

PPATH 120: The Fungal Jungle: A Mycological Safari from Truffles to Slime Molds

Plant Pathology Minor

Selected Publications:

Malcolm, G.M., Kuldau, G.A., Gugino, B.K., and Jimenez-Gasco, M.M. 2013. Hidden host plant associations of soilborne fungal pathogens: An ecological perspective. Phytopathology, in press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-08-12-0192-LE.

Elmer, W.H., Useman, S., Schneider, R.W., Marra, R.E., LaMondia, J.A., Mendelssohn, I.A., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M., and Caruso, F.L. 2013. Sudden Vegetation Dieback in Atlantic and Gulf Coast Salt Marshes. Plant Disease, in press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-09-12-0871-FE.

Remesal, E., Landa, B.B., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M. and Navas-Cortes, J.A. 2013. Sequence variation of protein-coding genes as a diagnostic tool for the identification of Mycelial Compatibility Groups in Sclerotium rolfsii. Phytopathology, in press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-07-12-0151-R.

Amyotte, S.G., Tan, X., Pennerman, K., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M., Klosterman, S.J., Ma, L.-J., Dobinson, K.F., and Veronese, P. 2012. Transposable elements in phytopathogenic Verticillium spp.: insights into genome evolution and inter- and intra-specific diversification. BMC Genomics 13: 314.

Jimenez-Díaz, R.M. Cirulli, M., Bubici, G., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M., Antoniou, P.P. and Tjamos, E.C. 2012. Verticillium Wilt: A Major Threat to Olive Production. Current Status and Future Prospects for its Management. Plant Disease 96: 304-329 [Feature Article].

Geib, S.M., Scully, E.D., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M., Carlson, J.E., Tien, M., and Hoover, K. 2012. Phylogenetic analysis of Fusarium solani associated with the Asian Longhorned Beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis. Insects 3: 141-160. [Special Issue, Symbiosis: A Source of Evolutionary Innovation in Insects].

Garzón, C.D., Molineros, J.E., Yánez, J.M., Flores, F.J., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M., and Moorman, G.W. 2011. Sublethal doses of mefenoxam enhance Pythium damping-off of geranium. Plant Disease 95: 1233-1238.

Berbegal, M., Garzón, C., Ortega, A., Armengol, J., Jiménez-Díaz, R.M. and Jimenez-Gasco, M.M. 2011. Development and application of new molecular markers for analysis of genetic diversity in Verticillium dahliae populations. Plant Pathology 60: 866-877.

Jiménez-Díaz, R.M., Olivares-García, C., Landa, B.B., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M., and Navas-Cortés, J.A. 2011. Region-wide analysis of genetic diversity in Verticillium dahliae populations infecting olive in Andalusia and agricultural factors influencing the distribution and prevalence of vegetative compatibility groups and pathotypes. Phytopathology 101:304-315.

Cirulli, M., Bubici, G., Amenduni, M., Armengol, J., Berbegal, M., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M. and Jimenez-Diaz, R.M. 2010. Verticillium wilt: A threat to artichoke production. Plant Disease 94: 1176-1187 [Feature Article].

Rodriguez Estrada, A. E., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M. and Royse, D. J. 2010. Molecular phylogeny of the Pleurotus eryngii species complex based on partial tef1 and RPB2 genes. Fungal Biology 114: 421-428.

Berbegal, M., Ortega, A., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M., Olivares-García, C., Jiménez-Díaz, R. M., and Armengol, J. 2010. Genetic diversity and host range of Verticillium dahliae isolates from artichoke and other vegetable crops in eastern-central Spain. Plant Disease 94: 396-404.

Rodriguez Estrada, A. E., Lee, H.-J., Beelman, R.B., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M. and Royse, D. J. 2009. Enhancement of the antioxidants ergothioneine and selenium in Pleurotus eryngii var. eryngii basidiomata through cultural practices. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 25: 1597–1607.

Rodriguez Estrada, A. E., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M. and Royse, D. J. 2009.  Improvement of yield of Pleurotus eryngii var. eryngii by substrate supplementation and use of a casing overlay. Bioresource Technology 100: 5270–5276.

Geib, S.M., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M., Carlson, J.E., Tien, M., and Hoover, K. 2009.  Effect of host tree species on cellulase activity and bacterial community composition in the gut of larval Anoplophora glabripennis. Environmental Entomology 38: 686-699.

Geib, S.M., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M., Carlson, J.E., Tien, M., Jabbour, R. and Hoover, K. 2009.  Microbial community profiling to investigate transmission of bacteria between life stages of the wood-boring beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis. Microbial Ecology 58:199–211

Geib, S.M., Filley, T.R., Hatcher, P.G., Hoover, K., Carlson, J.E., Jimenez-Gasco, M.M., Nakagawa-Izumi, A., Sleighter, R.L., and Tien, M. 2008. Lignin degradation in wood-feeding insects. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105: 12932-12937.

Elmer, W.H., Daughtrey, M., Rane, K., and Jimenez-Gasco, M. M. 2007. First Report of Fusarium wilt of Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’ caused by Fusarium oxysporum in a Midwestern nursery. Plant Disease 91:1519.

Landa, B. B., Navas-Cortes, J. A., Jimenez-Gasco, M. M., Katan,  J., Retig, B., and Jimenez-Díaz, R. M. 2006. Temperature response of chickpea cultivars to races of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris, causal agent of Fusarium wilt. Plant Disease 90:365-374.

Jimenez-Gasco, M. M., Navas-Cortes, J. A., and Jimenez-Diaz,  R. M. 2004. The Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris / Cicer arietinum pathosystem: a case study of the evolution of plant-pathogenic fungi into races and pathotypes. International Microbiology 7: 95-104.

Geiser, D. M., Jimenez-Gasco, M. M., Kang, S., Makalowska, I. , Veerarahavan, N., Ward, T. J. Zhang, N., Kuldau, G. A., and O'Donnell, K. 2004. FUSARIUM-ID v.1.0: A DNA sequence database for identifying Fusarium. European Journal of Plant Pathology 110: 473-479.

Jimenez-Gasco, M. M., Milgroom, M. G., and Jimenez-Diaz,  R. M. 2004. Stepwise evolution of races in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris inferred from fingerprinting with repetitive DNA sequences.  Phytopathology 94: 228-235.

Jimenez-Gasco, M. M., Jimenez-Diaz, R. M. 2003. Development of a specific PCR-based assay for the identification of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris and its pathogenic races 0, 1A, 5, and 6. Phytopathology 93: 200-209.

Jimenez-Gasco, M. M., Milgroom, M. G., and Jimenez-Diaz,  R. M. 2002. Gene genealogies support Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris as a monophyletic group. Plant Pathology 51: 72-77.

Jimenez-Gasco, M. M., Perez-Artes, E., Jimenez-Diaz, R. M. 2001. Identification of pathogenic races 0, 1B/C, 5, and 6 of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp ciceris with random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). European Journal of Plant Pathology 107: 237-248.