Oomycetes and fungi: similar weaponry to attack plants

Abstract

Fungi and Oomycetes are the two most important groups of eukaryotic plant pathogens. Fungi form a separate kingdom and are evolutionarily related to animals. Oomycetes are classified in the kingdom Protoctista and are related to heterokont, biflagellate, golden-brown algae. Fundamental differences in physiology, biochemistry and genetics between fungi and Oomycetes have been described previously. These differences are also reflected in the large variations observed in sensitivity to conventional fungicides. Recently, more pronounced differences have been revealed by genomics approaches. However, in this review we compare the mode of colonization of the two taxonomically distinct groups and show that their strategies have much in common.