Cause of tree-killing fungus uncovered: Extra genes
Wednesday, March 4, 2015 - 12:20
in Biology & Nature
Forest scientists believe they've discovered the root cause of a deadly tree fungus: extra genes. The fungus, Mycosphaerella populorum, uses extra genes to produce a toxin that can cause fatal lesions on the leaves, stems and branches of poplar trees. The extra genes were found through genome sequencing, the mapping of an organism's DNA.