Researchers from the University of British Columbia and the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Center have decoded the genes in blue stain fungus. According to Science Daily, the genes identified are those that are responsible for the fungus’ ability to bypass the natural fungicide found within lodgepole pines.
Blue stain fungus is carried to host trees by mountain pine beetles. It weakens the host trees’ natural defenses, allowing pine beetles to feed and reproduce in the bark of the tree. A successful attack of blue stain fungus introduced by pine beetles will cause tree death. In British Columbia, the current outbreak of mountain pine beetle has destroyed more than 16 million hectares of forest. The outbreak has crossed the Rocky Mountains and is found in boreal pine forests, moving east.
Joerg Bohlmann, a Distinguished University Scholar and professor in the Michael Smith Laboratories at UBC, and study co-author, told Science Daily that the study “helps to clarify how the fungus has evolved to successfully infect lodgepole pine and gives us a better understanding of the intricate chemical interaction between the tree, beetle and fungus. This new knowledge could inform strategies to prevent future breakouts, such as selecting trees with improved resistance to pine beetles and their associated pathogens.”
We found this information to be interesting since the outbreak of this fungus is moving closer to us. You can learn more about the results of this study at www.sciencedaily.com.
Photo credit: Associated Press via Cbc.ca.