Stephen B Goodwin

USDA Professor

Department: Botany and Plant Pathology
Phone: 765.494-4635
Fax: 765.496.3452
Office: Lilly Hall, Room 1-339
E-mail: sgoodwin@purdue.edu

Area of Expertise: Plant Pathology - molecular genetics of host-pathogen interactions; population genetics, evolution and speciation of plant pathogenic fungi; genetics and genomics of disease resistance in small grains; comparative genomics of plant-pathogenic fungi

The goal of my research is to understand the genetic bases of plant host-pathogen interactions, at both the molecular and population levels. This information will be used to increase the level of resistance in cereal crops to foliar diseases caused by fungi.

Septoria disease of wheat, caused by the two fungi Mycosphaerella graminicola (anamorph Septoria tritici) and Phaeosphaeria (Septoria) nodorum, is an economically important disease that occurs throughout the world. Analyses of the population genetics of these pathogens in Indiana are being conducted to reveal the primary sources of inoculum, the extent of gene flow among populations and the modes of reproduction during epidemics. Methods for genetic analyses of P. nodorum have been developed recently and are being applied to elucidate the genetic basis of pathogenicity. The number of genes involved in pathogenicity and their mode of action are still not known. Molecular markers (including RFLP, RAPD, AFLP and microsatellite technologies) are being used to develop genetic maps and identify the chromosomal locations for pathogenicity genes and other traits of biological interest. Another aspect of my research is to use phylogenetic analyses to determine the evolutionary relationships among both septoria pathogens and their nearest relatives. Understanding the mechanisms of speciation in pathogenic fungi could indicate new approaches for developing improved disease management strategies.

Work with the host is focused on identifying genes for resistance in wheat, and on finding molecular markers that are closely linked to resistance genes. Molecular markers that tag known resistance genes will be used to facilitate the incorporation of resistance into wheat through plant breeding programs. Genetic analyses of resistance and of molecular markers will aid the eventual cloning and molecular characterization of plant genes for resistance to foliar fungal pathogens.

- Recent Publications

Dunkle, L. D., Crane, C. F., & Goodwin, S. B. (2009). Development of simple sequence repeat markers from expressed sequence tags of the maize gray leaf spot pathogen, Cercospora zeae-maydis. Molecular Ecology Resources, 1755, 1755-0998.

Wittenberg, A. H. J., van_der_Lee, T. A. J., M'Barek, S. B., Ware, S. B., Goodwin, S. B., Kilian, A., . . . Schouten, H. J. (2009). Meiosis drives extraordinary genome plasticity in the haploid fungal plant pathogen Mycosphaerella graminicola. PLoS ONE, 4, e5863. Retrieved from http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0005863;jsessionid=C866483C29C10C0B28288C574D3CC04B

Bluhm, B. H., Dhillon, B., Lindquist, E. A., Kema, G. H. J., Goodwin, S. B., & Dunkle, L. D. (2008). Analyses of expressed sequence tags from the maize foliar pathogen Cercospora zeae-maydis identify novel genes expressed during vegetative, infectious, and reproductive growth. BMC Genomics, 9(523). Retrieved from http://doe:10.1186/1471-2164-9-523

Ware, S. B., Verstappen, E. C. P., Breeden, J. D., Cavaletto, J. R., Goodwin, S. B., Waalwijk, C., . . . Kema, G. H. J. (2008). Discovery of a functional Mycosphaerella teleomorph in the presumed asexual barley pathogen Septoria passerinii. Fungal Genetics and Biology, 44, 389-397.

Adhikari, T. B., Ali, S., Burlakoti, R. R., Singh, P. K., Mergoum, M., & Goodwin, S. B. (2008). Genetic structure of Phaeosphaeria nodorum populations in the north-central and midwestern United States. Phytopathology, 98, 101-107.

Goodwin, S. B., van_der_Lee, T. A. J., Cavaletto, J. R., te_Lintel_Hekkert, B., Crane, C. F., & Kema, G. H. J. (2008). Identification and genetic mapping of highly polymorphic microsatellite loci from an EST database of the septoria tritici blotch pathogen Mycosphaerella graminicola. Fungal Genetics and Biology, 44, 398-414.

Torriani, S. F., Goodwin, S. B., Kema, G. H. J., Pangilinan, J. L., & McDonald, B. A. (2008). Intraspecific comparison and annotation of two complete mitochondrial genome sequences from the plant pathogenic fungus Mycosphaerella graminicola. Fungal Genetics and Biology, 45, 628–637.

Adhikari, T. B., Balaji, B., Breeden, J. D., & Goodwin, S. B. (2008). Resistance of wheat to Mycosphaerella graminicola involves early and late peaks of gene expression. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, 71, 55 - 68.

+ Patents

- Awards & Honors

Fellow (2008). American Phytopathological Society.

+ News Releases

Released	URL	Source
6/13/2011	Genome offers clue to functions of destructive wheat fungus	University News Service
1/19/2005	DOE approves Purdue research of evolutionary important organisms	University News Service
8/20/2003	Newly found gene resistant to economically crippling wheat disease	University News Service
4/21/2000	Oat and wheat group wins Agriculture Team Award	University News Service