Marc J. Orbach
Division of Plant Pathology and Microbiology
Professor

Forbes Building, Room 204
Phone: (520) 621-3764
Email: orbachmj@ag.arizona.edu

 

Visit these web-sites to learn more about Dr. Orbach and his research

 

   
Background and Interests
 
Research:
Saturate the Magnaporthe genome with DNA insertions to create a tagged gene library of the pathogen. Identify genes responsible for mutations in pathogenicity, and morphological development.

Identify effector genes in M. grisea that allow recognition and a host defensive response by the host plant.

Gene expression analysis of M. grisea and rice throughout infection using microarrays

Analyze global gene expression in Coccidioides posadasii (the Valley Fever fungus) during saprobic and parasitic growth using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE). We will focus on understanding the process of dormancy within a resistant host which allows the fungus to evade host defenses and survive until the host becomes more conducive to pathogen growth via diminishment of the host immune system.

Identify genes important for the transition from saprobic to parasitic growth and continued growth during the parasitic phase, via gene knockout.

 
Selected Publications
 
Lambou, K., D. Tharreau, A. Kohler C. Sirven, M. Marguerettaz, C. Barbisan, A.C. Sexton, E.M. Kellner, F. Martin, B.J. Howlett, M.J. Orbach, and M.H. Lebrun. 2008. Fungi have three tetraspanin families with distinct functions. BMC Genomics. 9: #63.

Li, L., M. Schmelz, E.M. Kellner, J.N. Galgiani, and M.J. Orbach. 2007. Nuclear labeling of Coccidioides posadasii with green fluorescent protein (GFP). In: Coccidioidomycosis Sixth International Symposium. Clemons, K.V., Laniado-Laborin, R. and Stevens, D.A. (eds) Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1111:198-207

Mandel, M.A., B.M. Barker, S. Kroken, S.D. Rounsley, and M.J. Orbach 2007. Genomic and population analyses of the mating type locus in Coccidioides species reveal evidence for sexual reproduction and gene acquisition. Eukaryotic Cell 6:1189-1199.

Betts, M.F., S.L.Tucker, N. Galadima, Y. Meng, G. Patel, L. Li, N. Donofrio, A. Floyd, S. Nolin, D. Brown, M.A. Mandel, T.K. Mitchell, J.-R. Xu, R.A. Dean, M. L. Farman and M.J. Orbach. 2007. Development of a High Throughput Transformation System for Insertional Mutagenesis in Magnaporthe oryzae. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 44:1035-1049.

Barker, B.M., K.J. Jewell, S. Kroken and M.J. Orbach. 2007. The population biology of Coccidioides: Epidemiological implications for coccidioidomycosis outbreaks. In: Coccidioidomycosis Sixth International Symposium. Clemons, K.V., Laniado-Laborin, R. and Stevens, D.A. (eds) Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1111:147-163

Meng, Y., G. Patel, M. Heist, M.F. Betts, S.L. Tucker, N. Donofrio, T. Mitchell, D. Brown, L. Li, J.-R. Xu, M. Thon, M.J. Orbach, R.A. Dean, and M.L. Farman. 2007. A systematic analysis of T-DNA insertion events in Magnaporthe oryzae. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 44:1050-1064.

Li, L., S.L. Ding, A. Sharon, M. Orbach, and J. R. Xu. 2007. Mir1 is highly upregulated and localized to nuclei during infectious hyphal growth in the rice blast fungus. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. 20:448-458

Mandel. M.A., J.N. Galgiani, S. Kroken, and M.J. Orbach. 2006. Coccidioides posadasii Contains Single Chitin Synthase Genes Corresponding to Classes I to VII. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 43:775-788

Soderlund, C., K. Haller, V. Pampanwar, D. Ebbole, M. Farman, M.J. Orbach, G.L. Wang, R. Wing, J.R. Xu, D. Brown, T. Mitchell, and R. Dean. 2006. MGOS: A resource for studying Magnaporthe grisea and Oryza sativa interactions. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 19:1055-1061.

Orsborn, K.I., L. F. Shubitz, T. Peng, E. M. Kellner, M. J. Orbach, P. A. Haynes, and J. N. Galgiani. 2006. Protein expression profiling of Coccidioides posadasii by two dimensional differential in gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and evaluation of a newly recognized peroxisomal matrix protein (Pmp1) as a recombinant vaccine candidate. Infection and Immunity. 74:1865-1872.

Park, G., C. Xue, X. Zhao, Y. Kim, M. Orbach, and J.-R. Xu 2006. Multiple upstream signals converge on the adaptor protein Mst50 in Magnaporthe grisea. Plant Cell. 18:2822-2835.

Orbach, M.J. and B.G. Turgeon. The XXIII Fungal Genetics Conference, March 15-20, 2005, Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, California. 2006. Fungal Genet. and Biol. 43:669-678.

Kellner, E.M., K.I. Orsborn, E.M. Siegel, M. A. Mandel, M.J. Orbach and J.N. Galgiani. 2005. Coccidioides posadasii contains a single 1,3-?-glucan synthase gene that appears essential for growth. Eukaryotic Cell 4:111-120.

Donofrio, N.M., R. Rajagopalon, D.E. Brown, S.E. Diener, D.E. Windham, S. Nolin, A. Floyd, T.K. Mitchell, N. Galadima , S. Tucker, M.J. Orbach, G. Patel, M.L. Farman, V. Pampanwar, C. Soderlund , Y.H. Lee, and R.A. Dean. ‘PACLIMS’: A component LIM system for high-throughput functional genomic analysis. BMC Bioinformatics 2005, 6:94

Dean, R.A., N.J. Talbot, D.J. Ebbole, M.L. Farman, T.K. Mitchell, M.J. Orbach, M. Thon, R. Kulkarni, J.-R. Xu, H.Q. Pan, N.D. Read, Y .-H. Lee, I. Carbone, D. Brown, Y. Y. Oh, N. Donofrio, J.S. Jeong, D.M. Soanes, S. Djonovic, E. Kolomiets, C. Rehmeyer, W.X. Li, M. Harding, S. Kim, M.-H. Lebrun, H. Bohnert, S. Coughlan, J. Butler, S. Calvo, L.-J. Ma, R. Nicol, S. Purcell, C. Nusbaum, J.E. Galagan, and B.W. Birren. 2005. The genome sequence of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea. Nature. 434:980-986.

Galagan, J.E. et al. 2003. The genome sequence of the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. Nature 422;859-868.

Kelkar, H.S., J. Griffith, M.E. Case, S. F. Covert, R. D. Hall, C. H. Keith, J. S. Oliver, M. J. Orbach, M.S. Sachs, J.R. Wagner, M.J. Weise, J.K. Wunderlich, and J. Arnold. 2001. The Neurospora crassa Genome: Cosmid Libraries Sorted by Chromosome. Genetics 157:979-990.

Hamer L, HQ Pan, K. Adachi, M.J. Orbach, A. Page, L. Ramamurthy L and J.P. Woessner. 2001. Regions of microsynteny in Magnaporthe grisea and Neurospora crassa. Fungal Genet. and Biol. 33: 137-143.

Aboudeh, R.O., M.J. Orbach, M.A. Mandel, A. Das and J.N.Galgiani. 2000. Genetic transformation of Coccidioides immitis facilitated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. J. Infect. Dis. 181:2106-2110.

Mandel, M.A., G.G. Grace, K.I. Orsborn, F. Schafer, J.W. Murphy, M.J. Orbach, and J.N. Galgiani. 2000. The Cryptococcus neoformans gene DHA1 encodes an antigen that elicits a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction in immune mice. Infect. Immun. 68: 6196-6201.

Orbach, M.J., L. Farrall, J.A. Sweigard, F.G. Chumley, and B. Valent. 2000. A telomeric avirulence gene determines efficacy for the rice blast resistance gene Pi-ta. Plant Cell. 12: 2019-2032

Dioh, W., D. Tharreau, J.-L. Notteghem, M. Orbach and M.-H. Lebrun. 2000. Mapping of avirulence genes in the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea. with RFLP and RAPD markers. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 13:217-227.

 


 



 

       
 
 


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