An extensive exploration of generalist microbotryum species through host interactions.

The Microbotryum species complex is a group of fungi, commonly known as anther smuts. Anther smuts are plant parasites that must invade a host plant in order to fulfill their life cycle. As the Microbotryum fungus grows, it sterilizes the host plant, such that infected plants produce fungal teliospores instead of pollen on the male reproductive organs and female reproductive structures do not mature. Microbotryum usually exists as a specialist species, however, there is evidence that several species of anther smuts can exist as generalist species. Comparisons of the infection process and the resulting response of both parasite and host can help elucidate the behavior of generalist species of Microbotryum in comparison with their specialist counterparts. This was pursued through seed germination and fungal spore germination studies. The Microbotryum life cycle was also investigated through microscopy and RNA isolation for host plant gene expression analyses, to provide insights into the role of host response to infection to this interaction.