University of Georgia

A website from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Molecular Oomycete & Fungal Plant Pathology

The Tian Lab

Publications

Journal Articles

  • Goswami G., Azad M., Tian M.* (2026). A simplified method for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Phytophthora palmivora. Journal of Visualized Experiment.229: e69753. doi:10.3791/69753. (*Corresponding author)
  • Jaganathan D., Gibbs J. M., Thomas N., McAvoy T., Azad M., Tian M., Lozada D. N., Railey W. H., Nankar A. N. (2026) Morphological and simple sequence repeat (SSR)-based diversity of Capsicum germplasm characterizes population structure and enables marker-assisted selection for Phytophthora capsici resistance. Euphytica. 222:50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-026-03689-7.
  • Hasley J., Dinulong R. J, Adhikari A., Christopher D., Tian M.* (2025) Genome editing of papaya using both Cas9 and Cas12a. Tropical Plant Biology, 18:74 (*Corresponding author)
  • Brasier C. M. et al. (2025) Preserving the Biologically Coherent Generic Concept of Phytophthora, “Plant Destroyer”. Phytopathology. 115(6):573-586. doi: 10.1094/PHYTO-11-24-0372-LE.
  • Shipman A. and Tian M.* (2024) Combined use of phenotype-based and genome-informed approaches identified a unique Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense isolate in Hawaii. Phytopathology, 114(6):1305-1319. doi: 10.1094/PHYTO-07-23-0257-R. (*Corresponding author)
  • Elias M. J., Hasley J., Tian M., Christopher D. A. (2023) Development of a mesophyll protoplast-based system for gene editing of papaya. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology-Plant, 59: 517-535.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11627-023-10373-1.
  • Standish J., Góngora-Castillo E., Bowman M.J., Childs K., Tian M., Quesada-Ocampo L. (2022) Development, validation, and utility of species-specific diagnostic markers for detection of Peronospora belbahrii. Phytopathology, 112(8):1667-1675.
  • Johnson E. T., Kim H. S., Tian M., Dudai N., Tal O., Gonda I. (2022) Dual transcriptional analysis of Ocimum basilicumand Peronospora belbahrii in susceptible interactions. Plant Gene, 29:100350.
  • Hasley J. A. R., Navet N., Tian M.* (2021) CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of sweet basil candidate susceptibility gene ObDMR6 enhances downy mildew resistance. PLoS One,16(6): e0253245. (*Corresponding author)
  • Navet N. and Tian M.* (2020) Efficient targeted mutagenesis in allotetraploid sweet basil by CRISPR/Cas9. Plant Direct, 4(6): e00233.(*Corresponding author) (Plant Direct top 5 article of 2020, top cited article of 2020-2021)
  • Navet N. and Tian M.* (2020) Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum). Bio-protocol, 10(22): e3828. (*Corresponding author)
  • Pettongkhao S., Navet N., Schornack S., Tian M.*, Churngchow N* (2020). A secreted protein of 15 kDa plays an important role in Phytophthora palmivora development and pathogenicity. Scientific Reports, 10: 2319 (*Corresponding author)
  • Shao D. and Tian M.* (2018) A qPCR approach to quantify the growth of basil downy mildew pathogen Peronospora belbahrii during infection. Current Plant Biology, 15:2-7. (*Corresponding author)
  • Gumtow R., Wu D., Uchida J. and Tian M.* (2018) A Phytophthora palmivora extracellular cystatin-like protease inhibitor targets papain to contribute to virulence on papaya. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 31(3):363-373. (*Corresponding author)(Cover page article)
  • Mishra S., Wang K. H., Sipes B. S. and Tian M. (2018) Induction of host-plant resistance in cucumber by vermicompost tea against root-knot nematode. Nematropica, 48(2):164-171.
  • Ekchaweng K., Evangelisti E., Schornack S., Tian M.* and Churngchow N*. (2017) The plant defense and pathogen counterdefense mediated by Hevea brasiliensis serine protease HbSPA and Phytophthora palmivora extracellular protease inhibitor PpEPI10. PLoS One, 12(5):e0175795. (*Corresponding author)
  • Mishra S., Wang K. H., Sipes B. S. and Tian M. (2017) Suppression of root-knot nematode by vermicompost tea prepared from different curing ages of vermicompost. Plant Disease, 101(5): 734-737.
  • Wu D., Navet N., Liu Y., Uchida J. and Tian M*. (2016) Establishment of a simple and efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system for Phytophthora palmivora. BMC Microbiology, 16:204(*Corresponding author)
  • Khunjan U., Ekchaweng K., Panrat T., Tian M., and Churngchow N. (2016) Molecular cloning of HbPR-1 gene from rubber tree, expression of HbPR-1 gene in Nicotiana benthamiana and its inhibition of Phytophthora palmivora. PLoS One, 11(6): e0157591.
  • Klessig D. F., Tian M., and Choi H. W. (2016) Multiple targets of salicylic acid and its derivatives in plants and animals. Front Immunol. 7:206.
  • Choi H. W., Manohar M., Manosalva P., Tian M., Moreau M., and Klessig D. F. (2016) Activation of plant innate immunity by extracellular high mobility group box 3 and its inhibition by salicylic acid. PLoS Pathogens, 12(3): e1005518.
  • Choi H. W.*, Tian M.*, Manohar M., Harraz M. M., Park S. W., Schroeder F. C., Snyder S. H., and Klessig D. F. (2015) Human GAPDH is a target of aspirin’s primary metabolite salicylic acid and its derivatives. PLoS One, 10(11): e0143447. (*Co-first author)
  • Choi H. W., Tian M., Song F., Venereau E., Preti A., Park S. W., Hamilton K., Swapna G. V., Manohar M., Moreau M., Agresti A., Gorzanelli A., De Marchis F., Wang H., Antonyak M., Micikas R. J., Gentile D. R., Cerione R. A., Schroeder F. C., Montelione G. T., Bianchi M. E., and Klessig D. F. (2015) Aspirin’s active metabolite salicylic acid targets high mobility group box 1 to modulate inflammatory responses. Mol. Med. 18(21):526-35.
  • Manohar M.*, Tian M.*, Moreau M.*, Park, S. W., Choi H. W., Fei Z., Friso G., Asif M., Manosalva P., von Dahl C. C., Shi K., Ma S., Dinesh-Kumar S. P., O’Doherty I., Schroeder F. C., van Wijk K. J. and Klessig D. F. (2015) Identification of multiple salicylic acid-binding proteins using two high throughout screens. Frontiers in Plant Science, 5:777. (*Co-first author)
  • Tian M.,Sasvari Z., Gonzalez P., Friso G., Rowland E., Liu X., van Wijk K. J., Nagy P. D. and Klessig D. F. (2015) Salicylic acid inhibits the replication of Tomato Bushy Stunt Virus by directly targeting a host component in the replication complex. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions,28(4):379-86. (Highlighted in MPMI as MPMI Editor’s Pick, April 2015)
  • Liao Y., Tian M., Zhang H., Li X., Wang Y., Xia X., Zhou J., Zhou Y., Yu J., Shi K., and Klessig D. F. (2015) Salicylic acid binding of mitochondrial alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase E2 affects mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and electron transport chain components and plays a role in basal defense against tobacco mosaic virus in tomato. New Phytologist, 205(3):1296-1307.
  • Dong S., Stam R., Cano L. M., Song J., Sklenar J., Yoshida K., Bozkurt T. O., Oliva R., Liu Z., Tian M., Win J., Banfield M. J., Jones A. M. E., van der Hoorn R. A. L. and Kamoun S. (2014) Effector specialization in a lineage of the Irish potato famine pathogen. Science, 343(6170):552-5.
  • Moreau M., Westlake T., Zampogna G., Popescu G., Tian M., Noutsos C., and Popescu S. (2013) The Arabidopsis oligopeptidases TOP1 and TOP2 are salicylic acid targets that modulate SA-mediated signaling and the immune response. Plant Journal, 76(4):603-614.
  • Tian M., von Dahl C. C., Liu P. P., Friso G., van Wijk K. J., and Klessig D. F. (2012) The combined use of photoaffinity labeling and surface plasmon resonance-based technology identifies multiple salicylic acid-binding proteins. Plant Journal, 72(6):1027-1038.
  • Porter K., Shimono M., Tian M., and Day B. (2012) Arabidopsis actin-depolymerizing factor-4 links pathogen perception, defense activation and transcription to cytoskeletal dynamics.PLoS Pathogens, 8(11):e1003006.
  • Moreau M.*, Tian M.*, and Klessig D. F. (2012)Salicylic acid binds NPR3 and NPR4 to regulate NPR1-dependent defense responses. Cell Research, 22(12):1631-1633. (*Co-first author)
  • Tian M., Win J., Savory E., Burkhardt A., Held M., Brandizzi F.,and Day B. (2011) 454 genome sequencing of Pseudoperonospora cubensis reveals effector proteins with a QXLR translocation motif. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 24(5):543-553. (Top 10 paper of MPMI in 2011)
  • Chinnapun D., Tian M., Day B., and Churngchow N. (2009) Inhibition of a Hevea brasilensis protease by a Kazal-like serine protease inhibitor from Phytophthora palmivora. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, 74:27-33.
  • Tian M., Chaudhry F., Ruzicka D. R., Meagher R. B., Staiger C. J., and Day B. (2009) Arabidopsis actin depolymerizing factor AtADF4 mediates defense signal transduction triggered by the Pseudomonas syringae effector AvrPphB. Plant Physiology, 150(2):815-824.
  • Song J., Win J., Tian M., Schornack S., Kaschani F., Ilyas M., van der Hoorn R., and Kamoun S. (2009) Apoplastic effectors secreted by two unrelated eukaryotic plant pathogens target the tomato defense protease Rcr3. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A, 106(5):1654-1659.
  • Zhou F., Mosher S., Tian M., Sassi G., Parker J., and Klessig D. F. (2008) The Arabidopsis gain-of-function mutant ssi4 requires RAR1 and SGT1b differently for defense activation and morphological alterations. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 21(1):40-49.
  • Tian M., Win J., Song J., van der Hoorn R., van der Knaap E., and Kamoun S. (2007) A Phytophthora infestans cystatin-like protein targets a novel tomato papain-like apoplastic protease. Plant Physiology, 143:364-377.
  • Tian M., and Day B. (2006) Domain switching and host recognition. Molecular Microbiology, 61(5):1091-1093.
  • Tian M. andKamoun S. (2005) A two disulfide bridge Kazal domain from Phytophthora exhibits stable inhibitory activity against serine proteases of the subtilisin family. BMC Biochemistry, 6:15.
  • Torto-Alalibo T., Tian M., Gajendran K., Waugh M. E., van West P., andKamoun S. (2005) Expressed sequence tags from the oomycete fish pathogen Saprolegnia parasitica reveal putative virulence factors. BMC Microbiology, 5:46.
  • Tian M., Benedetti B., and Kamoun S. (2005) A second Kazal-like protease inhibitor from Phytophthora infestans inhibits and interacts with the apoplastic pathogenesis-related protease P69B of tomato. Plant Physiology, 138:1785-1793.
  • Tian M., Huitema E., da Cunha L., Torto T., and Kamoun S. (2004) A Kazal-like extracellular serine protease inhibitor from Phytophthora infestans targets the tomato pathogenesis-related protease P69B. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 279(25):26370-26377. 
  • Huitema E., Bos J. I. B., Tian M., Win J., Waugh M. E., and Kamoun S. (2004) Linking sequence to phenotype in Phytophthora-plant interactions. Trends in Microbiology, 12(4):193-200.

Book Chapters

  • Tian M., Navet N., and Wu D. (2020) CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing of the plant pathogenic oomycete Phytophthora palmivora. Book chapter in CRISPR-Cas Methods. Springer Protocols Handbooks (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-1-0716-0616-2), Page 87-98.