Thomas L. German
Professor, Plant Pathology
Ph.D.: University of Wisconsin-Madison in Plant Pathology

Research Program

Research in my lab follows four major directions:

1. Analysis of replication and expression strategies of tomato spotted wilt virus (family Bunyaviridae, genus Tospovirus) more
2. Study of tospovirus-insect vector relationships more
3. Development of in planta transient expression systems using negative-sense RNA viruses
4. Detection of potato pathogens: viral, bacterial, and fungal more

Selected Publications

Anna E. Whitfield, Nallur K. Krishna Kumar, Dorith Rotenberg 1, Diane E. Ullman, Elizabeth A. Wyman, Caroline Zietlow, David K. Willis 4, Thomas L. German (In Press at Phytopathology) A soluble form of the tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) glycoprotein-N (G N) inhibits acquisition and subsequent transmission of TSWV by Frankliniella occidentalis

Abdel-Mawgood, A.L. and German, T.L. 2006. Corrrelation of PCR and IFAS with eggplant bioassay for identification of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus. J. Food Ag and Environ. 4(2): 179-182.

Rotenberg, D., Thompson, T, German, T.L. and Willis, D. 2006. Methods for effective real-time RT-PCR analysis of virus-induced gene silencing. J.Virol. Methods. 138:49-59.

Ullman, D.E., Whitfield, A.E. and German, T.L. 2005. Thrips and tospoviruses come of age: Mapping determinants of insect transmission. Proc.Natl. Acad. Sci. 102:4931-4932.

Whitfield, A.E., Ullman, D.E and German, T.L. 2005. Tomato spotted wilt virus glycoprotein Gc is cleaved at acidic pH. Virus Res. 110:183-186.

Whitfield, A.E., Ullman, D.E and German, T.L. 2005. Tospovirus-Thrips Interactions. Ann Rev. Phytopathology. 43:459-489.

Whitfield, A.E., Ullman, D.E. and German, T.L. 2004. Expression and Characterization of a Soluble Form of Tomato spotted wilt virus Glycoprotein G N. J. Virol. 78:13197-13206.

Kainz, M., Hilson, P., Sweeney, L., DeRose, E., and German, T.L 2004. Tomato spotted wilt virus N protein monomers involves non-electrostatic forces governed by multiple distinct regions in the primary structure. Phytopathology 94:759-765.

Chapman, E.J., P. Hilson and German, T.L. 2003. Association of L Protein and in vitro Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Activity. Intervirology 46:177-181.

Choi, Tae-Jin, Sun-Chang Kim & Thomas L. German. 1999. Toxicity of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Glycoprotein Signal Peptide and Promoter Activity of the 5' UTR. Plant Pathol. Journal 15 (6):313-318.

Richmond, K.E., K.Chenault, J.L.Sherwood & T.L.German. 1998. Characterization of nucleic acid binding properties of tomato spotted wilt virus nucleocapsid protein. Virology 248:6-11.

Adkins, S., R. Quadt, T.J.Choi, P. Ahlquist & T.L. German. 1995. An RNA-Dependent RNA polymerase activity associated with virions of tomato spotted wilt virus, a plant- and insect-infecting bunyavirus. Virology 207 (1):308-311.

German, T.L., S.Adkins, A.Witherell, K.E.Richmond, W.R.Knaack & D.K.Willis. 1995. Infection of Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia by tomato spotted wilt virus. Plant Mol. Biol. Reporter 13:110-117.

Kim, J.W., S.S.M.Sun & T.L.German. 1994. Disease resistance in tobacco and tomato plants transformed with the tomato spotted wilt virus nucleocapsid gene. Plant. Dis. 78:615-621.

German, T.L., D.E.Ullman & J.Moyer. 1992. Tospoviruses: Diagnosis, molecular biology, phylogeny and vector relationships. Ann. Rev. Phytopathol. 30:315-348.

Medeiros, R.B., D.E.Ullman, J.L.Sherwood & T.L.German. 2000. Immunoprecipitation of a 50 kDa protein: a candidate receptor component for tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (Bunyaviridae) in its main vector, Frankliniella occidentalis. Virus Research 67 (2): 109-118.

Medeiros, R.B., L.Rasochova & T.L.German. 2000. Simplified, rapid method for cloning of virus-binding polypeptides (putative receptors) via the far-Western screening of a cDNA expression library using purified virus particles. J.Virol. Methods 86:155-166.

Ullman D.E., J.L.Sherwood & T.L.German. 1997. Thrips as vectors of plant pathogens. pp. 539-565. T.L. Lewis, in Thrips as Crop Pests. CAB International.

Ullman D.E., D.M.Westcot, K.D.Chenault, J.L.Sherwood, T.L.German, M.D.Bandla, F.A.Cantone & H.L.Duer. 1995. Compartmentalization, intracellular transport, and autophagy of tomato spotted wilt tospovirus proteins in infected thrips cells. Phytopathology 85 (6):644-654.

Bandla, M.D., D.M.Westcot, K.D.Chenault, D.E.Ullman, T.L.German & J.L.Sherwood. 1994. Use of monoclonal antibody to the nonstructural protein encoded by the small RNA of tomato spotted wilt tospovirus to identify viruliferous thrips. Phytopathology 84 (12): 1427-1431.

Ullman, D.E., T.L.German, J.L.Sherwood, D.M.Westcot & F.A.Cantone. 1993. Tospovirus replication in insect vector cells: immunocytochemical evidence that the nonstructural protein encoded by the S RNA of tomato spotted wilt tospovirus is present in thrips vector cells. Phytopathology 83:456-463.

Li, K.L., D.I.Rouse, E.J. Eyestone & T.L.German. 1999. Generation of PCR primers by random amplified polymorphic DNA and its application to Verticillium dahliae. Mycological Research 103 (11):1361-1368.

Eyestone, E.J, & T.L. German. 1999. Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus: an emerging potato pathogen in North America? Badger Common'Tater 51 (11):14-18.

Wilson, Calum. 1998. Tomato spotted wilt virus in seed potatoes. Potato Australia 9:30-31.

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