Thorsten Langner

The paper investigates the evolution of APikL virulence effectors in the blast fungus by combining ancestral reconstruction and functional assays, finding that only one substitution expanded host binding while others were deleterious.

This study identifies Pwl2 as a virulence factor in the rice blast fungus that suppresses host immunity by altering the localization of HIPP43.

This study identifies SP7-like effectors from AM fungi that modulate alternative splicing in host plants by interacting with splicing factors.

The paper identifies horizontal mini-chromosome transfers in clonal blast fungus lineages, showing genetic exchange between host-associated isolates.

The paper bioengineers a plant NLR receptor to recognize a conserved fungal effector, resulting in durable resistance against blast fungus isolates.

The paper identifies a functionally diverse family of Zinc-finger fold effectors in Magnaporthe oryzae, showing functional specialization across host species.

This study evaluates how SNP calling parameters affect population genetic analyses in the rice blast fungus, finding minimal impact on key evolutionary inferences despite variations in SNP counts.

The paper identifies and analyzes hypervariable mini-chromosomes in Magnaporthe oryzae isolates from different grass hosts, showing their role in genomic rearrangements and potential adaptive evolution.