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Challenges and opportunities in studies of host-pathogen interactions in forest tree species

Root pathogens and rust diseases can cause extensive damage to Canadian forest tree species. Loss of growth, although difficult to visualize, is substantial over the life of a tree. Understanding host–pathogen interactions is important in managing yield loss and can aid in the identification of disease-resistant trees. However, studying the interactions involving forest pathogens offers both challenges and opportunities. Some of these issues are described from our perspective through working on white pines – blister rust pathosystem and pathogens that infect the roots. Several resistance mechanisms to the white pine blister rust fungus, Cronartium ribicola, have been identified in pine. At the molecular level, several defence responsive proteins and their genes have been characterized. Some of these are identified to be potential candidates for markers associated with resistance or susceptibility. Current research activities and future directions and application of technologies to isolate and characterize resistance genes in white pine are discussed.Key words : white pine blister rust, Cronartium ribicola, root pathogens, pathosystem, marker proteins, resistance genes.