The Phytophthora genus is composed, mainly, of plant pathogens. This genus belongs to the Oomycete class, also known as “pseudo-fungi”, within the Chromista Kingdom. Phytophthora spp. is highlighted due to the signifcant plant diseases that they cause, which represents some of the most economically and cultural losses, such as European chestnut ink disease, which is caused by P. cinnamomi. Currently, there have been four genome assemblies placed at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), although the progress to understand and elucidate the pathogenic process of P. cinnamomi by its genome is progressing slowly. In this review paper, we aim to report and discuss the recent fndings related to P. cinnamomi and its genomic information. Our research is based on paper databases that reported probable functions to P. cinnamomi
proteins using sequence alignments, bioinformatics, and biotechnology approaches. Some of these proteins studied have functions that are proposed to be involved in the asexual sporulation and zoosporogenesis leading to the host colonization and consequently associated with pathogenicity. Some remarkable genes and proteins discussed here are related to oospore development, inhibition of sporangium formation and cleavage, inhibition of fagellar assembly, blockage of cyst germination and hyphal extension, and bioflm proteins. Lastly, we report some biotechnological approaches using biological control, studies with genome sequencing of P. cinnamomi resistant plants, and gene silencing through RNA interference (iRNA).
The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO UID/AGR/00690/2019.
