Jonathan Richards
Assistant Professor
322 Life Sciences Building
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Phone: (225) 578-3479
Fax: (225) 578-1415
E-mail: JRichards@agcenter.lsu.edu
Education
Ph.D in Plant Pathology, North Dakota State University - 2016
B.S. in Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University - 2011
Areas of Specialization/Research
Plants have developed an innate immune system, consisting of proteins that act in surveillance and perception of their environment. In response, plant pathogenic fungi have co-evolved effector molecules (including proteins, secondary metabolites, and small RNA molecules) to evade, suppress, or in some cases, activate the defense response. The focus of my lab is the genomics-enabled elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of fungal virulence with the goal of further understanding the co-evolution of host-pathogen interactions.
Currently, we are working towards establishing the foundational genomics resources for economically important fungal pathogens of soybean and rice. Examination of fungal genomes sheds light onto the evolutionary history of the organism, as well as its adaptation to local selection pressures. The combination of genomics and transcriptomics datasets, in conjunction with classical genetics and pathology methods, will enable the identification of genes conferring avirulence or virulence. Additionally, we are examining the molecular manipulation of both pathogen and host by small RNAs in the Parastagonospora nodorum – wheat pathosystem.
Publications
Refereed Journal Articles
Wyatt, N.A., Richards, J.K., Brueggeman, R.S., and Friesen, T.L. 2020. A comparative genomic analysis of the barley pathogen Pyrenophora teres f. teres identifies subtelomeric regions as drivers of virulence. Mol. Plant. Mic. Inter. 33(2): 173-188. DOI: 10.1094/MPMI-05-19-0128-R
Aoun, M., Kolmer, J.A., Breiland, M., Richards, J., Brueggeman, R.S., Szabo, L.J., and Acevedo, M. 2020. Genotyping-by-sequencing for the study of genetic diversity in Puccinia triticina. Plant Disease. 104(3): 752-760. DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-09-19-1890-RE
Sharma Poudel, R., Richards, J., Shrestha, S., Solanki, S., and Brueggeman, R. 2019. Transcriptome-wide association study identifies putative elicitors/suppressor of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici that modulate barley rpg4-mediated stem rust resistance. BMC Genomics. 20:985. DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6369-7
Richards, J. K., Stukenbrock, E., Carpenter, J., Liu, Z., Cowger, C., Faris, J., and Friesen, T.L. 2019. Local adaptation drives the diversification of effectors in the fungal wheat pathogen Parastagonospora nodorum in the United States. PLoS Genetics 15(10): e1008223. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008223
Solanki, S., Richards, J., Ameen, G., Wang, X., Khan, A., Ali, H., Stangel, A., Tamang, P., Gross, T., Gross, P., Fetch T.G., and Brueggeman, R.S. 2019. Characterization of genes required for both Rpg1 and rpg4-mediated wheat stem rust resistance in barley. BMC Genomics. 20(1): 495. DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5858-z
Peters, A.R., Zhang, Z., Richards, J.K., Friesen, T.L., and Faris, J.D. 2019. Genetics of variable disease expression conferred by inverse gene-for-gene interactions in the wheat-Parastagonospora nodorum pathosystem. Plant Phys. DOI: 10.1104/pp.19.00149
Tamang, P., Richards, J.K., Alhashal, A., Poudel, R.S., Horsley, R.D., Friesen, T.L., and Brueggeman, R.S. 2019. Mapping of barley susceptibility/resistance QTL against spot form net blotch caused by Pyrenophora teres f. maculate using RIL populations. Theor. Appl. Genet. DOI: 10.1007/s00122-019-03328-x
Richards, J.K, Wyatt, N.A., Liu, Z., Faris, J.D., and Friesen, T.L. 2018. Reference quality genome assemblies of three Parastagonospora nodorum isolates differing in virulence on wheat. G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics. 8(2): 393-399
Wyatt, N. A., Richards, J. K., Brueggeman, R. S., and Friesen, T. L. 2018. Reference assembly and annotation of the Pyrenophora teres f. teres isolate 0-1. G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics. 8(1): 1-8
Richards, J.K., Friesen, T.L., and Brueggeman, R.S. 2017. Association Mapping Utilizing Diverse Barley Lines Reveals Net Form Net Blotch Seedling Resistance/Susceptibility Loci. Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 130(5): 915-927
Koladia, V. M., Richards, J. K., Faris, J. D., Brueggeman, R. S., and Friesen, T. L. 2017. Genetic analysis of virulence in the Pyrenophora teres f. teres population BB25 x FGOH04Ptt-21. Fungal Genet. Biol. 107: 12-19
Koladia, V.M., Faris, J.D., Richards, J. K., Brueggeman, R.S., Chao, S., and Friesen, T.L. 2017. Genetic Analysis of Net Form Net Blotch Resistance in Barley Lines CI5791 and Tifang Against a Global Collection of P. teres f. teres isolates. Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 130(1): 163-173
Carlsen, S.A., Neupane, A., Richards, J.K., Faris, J.D., Xu, S.S., Brueggeman, R.S., and Friesen, T.L. 2017. Unraveling the Complexities of the Pyrenophora teres f. maculata-Barley Interaction Using Pathogen Genetics. G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics. 7(8): 2615-2626
Richards, J., Chao, S., Friesen, T., and Brueggeman, R. 2016. Fine Mapping of the Barley Chromosome 6H Net Form Net Blotch Susceptibility Locus. G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics. 6:1809-1818
Gao, Y., Liu, Z., Faris, J.D., Richards, J., Brueggeman, R.S., Li, X., Oliver, R.P., McDonald, B.A., and Friesen, T.L. 2016. Validation of Genome-Wide Association Studies as a Tool to Identify Virulence Factors in Parastagonospora nodorum. Phytopathology PHYTO-02
Jain, S., Chittem, K., Brueggeman, R., Osorno, J.M., Richards, J., and Nelson, B.D. 2016. Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Resistant and Susceptible Common Bean Genotypes in Response to Soybean Cyst Nematode Infection. PloS one 11(7):e0159338
Secor, G.A., Rivera-Varas, V.V., Brueggeman, R.S., Metzger, M.S., Rengifo, J., and Richards, J.K. 2016. First Report of Field Decay of Sugar Beet Caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. Brasiliense in North America. Plant Disease PDIS-05
Leboldus, J., Kinzer, K., Richards, J., Ya, Z., Yan, C., Friesen, T.L., and Brueggeman, R. 2015. Genotype-by-sequencing of the plant-pathogenic fungi Pyrenophora teres and Sphaerulina musiva utilizing Ion torrent sequence technology. Molecular Plant Pathology. 16(6):623-632
Wang, X., Richards, J., Gross, T., Druka, A., Kleinhofs, A., Steffenson, B., Acevedo, M., and Brueggeman, R. 2013. The rpg4-Mediated Resistance to Wheat Stem Rust (Puccinia graminis) in Barley (Hordeum vulgare) Requires Rpg5, a Second NBS-LRR Gene, and an Actin Depolymerization Factor. Mol. Plant. Microbe In. 26(4):407-418
Book Chapters
Richards, J., Ameen, G., and Brueggeman, R. 2017. Inverse Gene-For-Gene: Necrotrophic Specialist’s Modus Operandi in Barley and Wheat. Management of Wheat and Barley Diseases. Waretown, New Jersey, USA. Apple Academic Press.