PANGENOCLUB

Brassica clubroot, caused by P. brassicae, is a major root disease of the Brassicaceae family, including rapeseed and cabbage. Its impact on rapeseed ranges from a loss of a few hundred kilograms to the complete destruction of the field in the event of an early and severe outbreak. 

However, in recent years, climate change appears to be creating conditions increasingly favorable to the development of this disease.
In the absence of effective pesticides, various strategies exist to combat P. brassicae, including liming, extending crop rotations, and selecting suitable varieties. 

The latter is the most effective way to control this disease. To achieve this, a detailed understanding of the diversity of P. brassicae pathotypes, virulence factors, and their evolution is essential.
  

The primary objective of this project is to improve our understanding of the P. brassicae genome and its diversity through the construction and analysis of its pan-genome—that is, the identification of the core genome and the accessory genome (genes that vary among isolates)—as well as the extent and type of their polymorphism. 

This knowledge provides the essential foundation for identifying the virulence factors of P. brassicae and the genetic variations associated with them.
  

This work should enable the identification of genomic and genetic variations among the main pathotypes present in France and the development of pathotype-specific molecular markers that can be used by the industry.
 

This project is expected to result in the development of a set of molecular markers to facilitate the characterization of hernia pathotypes. These markers, which will be made publicly available, can be used by all stakeholders in the sector to diagnose the predominant pathotypes on a given plot.