Molecular Plant Pathology is now indexed in MEDLINE!

Molecular Plant Pathology

Published in association with the British Society for Plant Pathology

Edited by:
Gary D Foster

ISI Journal Citation Reports® Ranking: 2008: 20/155 Plant Sciences
Impact Factor: 3.084

Online submission of manuscripts is now available at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mpp. Instructions on how to prepare your manuscript for online submission are given on site. Please ensure that you follow the Journal's instructions carefully before you submit your manuscript.

Molecular Plant Pathology is published bi-monthly and welcomes submissions from all areas of molecular plant pathology including research on diseases caused by fungi, oomycetes, viruses, nematodes, bacteria, insects, parasitic plants and other organisms.

Molecular Plant Pathology is especially interested in manuscripts emphasizing molecular analyses of pathogens, determinants affecting host response to plant pathogens or the interaction of both. In addition to the principal content of full length and short research papers, Molecular Plant Pathology will also include technical advances, along with major and micro reviews on areas of particular interest and importance. The journal is dedicated to minimizing the time between submission, review and publication and to providing a high quality forum for original research in molecular plant pathology.

Average time to first decision - 27 days!

TopNews and Announcements

Molecular Plant Pathology Announces

Special Issue On Pathogen Effector Proteins
MPP 10:6 NOVEMBER 2009
This issue is free to download for a limited period

2009 celebrates the 25th anniversary of the cloning of a type III effector gene from a phytopathogenic bacterium, by Staskawicz, Dahlbeck and Keen⁽¹⁾. In recognition of this discovery, the November issue of Molecular Plant Pathology (MPP 10:6) is a special issue focusing on secreted effectors from diverse plant pathogens, guest edited by Paul Birch, Robert Jackson and Mary Beth Mudgett. This issue provides historical overviews, discusses the significant advances made in elucidating effector function and provides an outlook for future developments in this area of intensive research.

There are review articles from leaders in the field and related original research articles.

REVIEW ARTICLES:

Brian Staskawicz
First insights to the genes that control bacterial-plant interactions

John Mansfield
From bacterial avirulence genes to effector functions via the hrp delivery system: an overview of 25 years of progress in our understanding of plant innate immunity

Sebastian Schornack, Edgar Huitema, Liliana M. Cano, Tolga O. Bozkurt, Ricardo Oliva, Mireille van Damme, Simon Schwizer, Sylvain Raffaele, Angela Chaparro-Garcia, Rhys Farrer, Maria Eugenia Segretin, Jorunn Bos, Brian J. Haas, Michael C. Zod2, Chad Nusbaum, Joe Win, Marco Thines and Sophien Kamoun
Ten things to know about oomycete effectors

Pierre J.G.M. de Wit, Rahim Mehrabi, Harrold A. van den Burg and Ioannis Stergiopoulos
Fungal effector proteins: past, presence and future

Frank F. White, Neha Potnis, Jeffrey B. Jones and Ralf Koebnik
The Type III effectors of Xanthomonas

Magdalen Lindeberg, Sébastien Cunnac, and Alan Collmer
The evolution of Pseudomonas syringae host specificity and type III effector repertoires

Kathy R. Munkvold and Gregory B. Martin
Advances in experimental methods for elucidating Pseudomonas syringae effector function with a focus on AvrPtoB

James R. Alfano
Roadmap for future research on plant pathogen effectors

1) Staskawicz, B.J., Dahlbeck, D. and Keen, N.T. (1984) Cloned avirulence gene of Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea determines race-specific incompatibility on Glycine max (L.) Merr. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, 81, 6024-6028.


British Society for Plant Pathology - Best Student Paper Prize
Each year an award will be presented for the best 'student paper' published in Molecular Plant Pathology.

To be eligible for consideration the candidate must be the first author and the paper should be substantially the work of the first author carried out during their postgraduate studentship. Normally, papers are eligible for consideration if submitted up to 12 months after the candidate has been awarded their higher degree. An indication from the authors that the paper is eligible for consideration for this award should be indicated when the manuscript is submitted.

Criteria used to judge the best paper will be a combination of scholarship, impact and novelty. The final decision will be made by the Editor-in Chief of Molecular Plant Pathology.

The author of the best paper will be awarded a prize of £250, free membership to the British Society for Plant Pathology for two years, and an opportunity to attend the Society's annual Presidential conference.

In 2009 the prize was won by Pieter van Poppel for his paper:
Van Oppel, P.M.J.A., Jiang, R.H.Y, Śliwka, J., Govers, F. (2009) Recognition of Phytophthora infestans Avr4 by potato R4 is triggered by C-terminal domains comprising W motifs. Molecular Plant Pathology, 10, 611-620.

Review articles for Molecular Plant Pathology
Molecular Plant Pathology has always been innovative in its use of Review articles, which are an important resource for research and teaching. We currently have three formats: Pathogen Profile, Review and MicroReview.

If you are interested in writing a Review in one of these areas please feel free to contact Diane Hird at the editorial office (diane.hird@bristol.ac.uk).

Throughout 2010 Molecular Plant Pathology will be publishing a series of Review articles based on presentations at the highly successful BSPP Presidential Meeting 2009 'Darwin to Disease: Crops and their Pathogens'.

Attention ASPB Members
Members of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) can subscribe to the online version of Molecular Plant Pathology for just $38 in 2009! Simply select the relevant subscription rate and the complete the online form to subscribe.

Free access in the Developing World
Free online access to this journal is available within institutions in the developing world through the AGORA Initiative with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the OARE Initiative (Online Access to Research in the Environment) with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Articles Published Online Ahead of Print
Articles which have been fully copy-edited and peer-reviewed are published online through our Early View feature before the print edition of this journal is published.

TopHighlights

Research Highlights from MPP
The following research articles have been selected by the editor of Molecular Plant Pathology as 'Research Highlights'. Download the articles for free by clicking on the title link:

Maintenance of genetic variation in plants and pathogens involves complex networks of gene-for-gene interactions
Sharon A. Hall, Rebecca L. Allen, Rachel E. Baumber, Laura A. Baxter, Kate Fisher, Peter D. Bittner-Eddy, Laura E. Rose, Eric B. Holub, Jim L. Beynon

Microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP) signatures, synergy, size and charge: influences on perception or mobility and host defence responses
Shazia N. Aslam, Gitte Erbs, Kate L. Morrissey, Mari-Anne Newman, Delphine Chinchilla, Thomas Boller, Antonio Molinaro, Robert W. Jackson, Richard M. Cooper

The zig-zag-zig in oomycete-plant interactions
Ingo Hein, Eleanor M. Gilroy, Miles R. Armstrong, Paul R. J. Birch

Next-generation sequencing and metagenomic analysis: a universal diagnostic tool in plant virology
Ian P. Adams, Rachel H. Glover, Wendy A. Monger, Rick Mumford, Elena Jackeviciene, Meletele Navalinskiene, Marija Samuitiene, Neil Boonham

Pathogen Profiles

'Pathogen Profile' articles are published in Molecular Plant Pathology regularly, with one or two in most issues. These articles were made free in every issue published until the end of 2004. From 2005, full access to these articles is only be available to subscribers and license holders. Click here to subscribe.

Click here to view a list of Pathogen Profile articles published in Molecular Plant Pathology in 2003 and 2004. To read Pathogen Profile articles published prior to 2003 go online for every issue of Molecular Plant Pathology, since its launch in 2000.

Links
Plant Pathology Internet Guidebook
Play the aMaizing Plant Disease Game online!
Grow a virtual crop and combat disease on the BSPP website
Plant Pathology
A bimonthly journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the British Society for Plant Pathology