Ian Toth
Theme 2 representative (James Hutton Institute) for the Scottish Government-funded Science Research Programme.
Current research interests
- Molecular bases of pathogenesis in the enterobacterial potato pathogens Pectobacterium and Dickeya species, and the eucalyptus pathogen Pantoea ananatis using functional and comparative genomics approaches.
- Pba and Dickeya species in the environment and the epidemiology of disease.
- The interaction between human enteric pathogens and plants and the role of these plants in the spread of disease.
- I am a key staff member leading Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPM) research at the James Hutton Institute. For details of ongoing IPM research areas and projects, please visit the IPM@hutton website.
Past research
The Bacteriology Group at the Institute is led by Nicola Holden and I, with a focus on human/animal and plant enterobacterial pathogens, respectively. The plant pathogens team includes Sonia Humphris (post doc), Emma Campbell and Lauren Watts who, along with a variety of students and visitors, do most of the work.
Within the family Enterobacteriaceae, a wide range of bacteria cause disease on humans, animals and plants. Human and animal pathogens include E. coli and Salmonella species, while plant pathogens include species of Pectobacterium, Dickeya and Pantoea. In the plant pathogens team we work on all of these pathogens. However, our main research focus is on the pathogenesis and control of Pectobacterium species (including P. brasiliense and P. wasabiae but mainly the potato pathogen P. atrosepticum [Pba]), and Dickeya species (including D. dianthicola and D. solani). Much of our research is funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environmental Sciences and Analytical Services (RESAS) and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
Pectobacterium and Dickeya: The soft rot pathogens Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp. cause disease on a number of crops and ornamentals worldwide, including blackleg diseases of potatoes in the field and soft rots of tubers in storage. It is particularly important to reduce or prevent the incidences of such diseases, which is particularly important in Scotland due to the high health status of its potato seed industry. We undertake strategic research to identify potential methods of control both through epidemiological and genomics-based studies.
In 2004 we published the genome sequence of Pba in collaboration with the Sanger Institute in Cambridge (Bell et al. PNAS 2004). This was the first enterobacterial plant pathogen to be sequenced, although a number of others have been sequenced since (Pritchard et al. 2013), and with the development of a powerful new comparative genomics visualisation tool – GenomeDiagram (Pritchard et al 2005), microarrays and many great collaborations we have discovered new insights into the genome structure and function (Pritchard et al. 2009; Vanga et al. 2015), regulation (Lin et al. 2010; Liu et al 2008; Yang et al. 2009) lifestyle (Toth et al. 2006), and especially the pathogenicity (Cubitt et al. 2013; McNally et al 2012; Monson et al. 2013; Tan et al. 2014; Wang et al. 2016) of this important group of bacteria. The genomics work has also been instrumental in redefining the taxonomy of Pectobacterium and Dickeya species (Pritchard et al. 2016) and in the development new a genome-based molecular diagnostic method for bacteria in general (Pritchard 2013).
In parallel to the genomics work we also work closely with the potato industry and other scientists to identify ways to control Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp. through a better understanding of the aetiology and epidemiology of disease, on-farm monitoring, field and glasshouse trials, the use of our new typing and detection methods, and novel modelling strategies (Parkinson et al. 2015; Skelsey et al. 2016).
Pantoea ananatis: Pantoea ananatis, a pathogen of several crops including onion, maize and eucalyptus, is also being investigated as part of ongoing collaboration with Prof. Teresa Coutinho and colleagues at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, where I have an honorary Professorship. This has included publishing the P. ananatis genome sequence, which was the first bacterial phytopathogen to be sequenced in Africa (De Maayer et al. 2010, 2014), and we have gone on to investigate aspects of pathogenesis in this species (Shyntum et al. 2014, 2015; Weller-Stuart et al. 2016).
E. coli and Salmonella: Our research on the above plant pathogens, particularly through a comparative genomics study of these and the human / animal enteric pathogens (Toth et al. 2006), ties in closely with the work of Nicola Holden, who is investigating the interactions between the human/animal enterobacterial pathogens Salmonella spp. and E. coli and plants. This has led to a collaboration to investigate the interaction of human and plant pathogens with plant cell walls (Crozier et al. 2016; Holden et al. 2015; Rossez et al. 2014; Wright et al. 2013).
Other areas of interest: Other smaller but no less interesting areas of research and collaboration include the use of elicitors to control bacterial diseases of horticultural crops (Holden et al. 2012) and Streptomyces scabies secretion systems (Fyans et al. 2013).
Key collaborators:
- Jiaqin Fan (Nanjing Agricultural University, China)
- George Sundin (Michigan State University, USA)
- Ching-Hong Yang (University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, USA)
- Teresa Coutinho (University of Pretoria, South Africa)
- Andrew Pitman (Institute for Plant & Food Research, New Zealand)
- George Salmond (University of Cambridge, UK)
- John Elphinstone (Fera, UK)
- Gerry Saddler (SASA, UK)
- Stuart Wale (SRUC, UK)
Related publication
- The Erwinia Manual (SCRI, 2002) (516 KB)
Bibliography
- Wang, H.; Wang, Y.; Humphris, S.; Nie, W.; Zhang, P.; Wright, F.; Campbell, E.; Hu, B.; Fan, J.; Toth, I. (2021) Pectobacterium atrosepticum KDPG aldolase, Eda, participates in the Entner-Doudoroff pathway and independently inhibits expression of virulence determinants., Molecular Plant Pathology, 22, 271-283.
- Narvaez-Barragan, D.A.; Tovar-Herrera, O.E.; Torres, M.; Rodriguez, M.; Humphris, S.; Toth, I.K.; Segovia, L.; Serrano, M.; Martinez-Anaya, C. (2020) Expansin-like Exl1 from Pectobacterium is a virulence factor required for host infection, and induces a defence plant response involving ROS, and jasmonate, ethylene and salicylic acid signalling pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana., Scientific Reports, 10, Article No. 7747.
- Monson, R.E.; Apagyi, K.; Bowden, S.D.; Simpson, N.; Williamson, N.; Cubitt, M.F.; Harris, S.; Toth, I.K.; Salmond, G.P.C. (2019) The rsmS (ybaM) mutation causes bypass suppression of the RsmAB post-transcriptional virulence regulation system in enterobacterial phytopathogens., Scientific Reports, 9, Article No. 4525.
- Wang, H.; Yang, Z.L.; Du, S.; Ma, L.; Liao, Y.; Wang, Y.J.; Toth, I.; Fan, J.Q. (2018) Characterization of Pectobacterium carotovorum proteins differentially expressed during infection of Zantedeschia elliotiana in vivo and in vitro which are essential for virulence., Molecular Plant Pathology, 19, 35-48.
- Skelsey, P.; Humphris, S.N.; Campbell, E.J.; Toth, I.K. (2018) Threat of establishment of non-indigenous potato blackleg and tuber soft rot pathogens in Great Britain under climate change., PLoS ONE, 13, Article No. e0205711.
- Weller-Stuart, T.; Toth, I.; De Maayer, P.; Coutinho, T. (2017) Swimming and twitching motility are essential for attachment and virulence of Pantoea ananatis in onion seedlings., Molecular Plant Pathology, 18, 734-745.
- Crozier, L.; Hedley, P.E.; Morris, J.; Wagstaff, C.; Andrews, S.C.; Toth, I.; Jackson, R.W.; Holden, N. (2016) Corrigendum: whole-transcriptome analysis of verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (Sakai) suggests plant-species-specific metabolic responses on exposure to spinach and lettuce extracts., Frontiers in Microbiology, 7, Article No. 1506.
- Crozier, L.; Hedley, P.E.; Morris, J.; Wagstaff, C.; Andrews, S.C.; Toth, I.; Jackson, R.W.; Holden, N. (2016) Whole-transcriptome analysis of verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (Sakai) suggests plant-species-specific metabolic responses on exposure to spinach and lettuce extracts., Frontiers in Microbiology, 7, Article No. 1088.
- Skelsey, P.; Elphinstone, J. G.; Saddler, G. S.; Wale, S. J.; Toth, I.K. (2016) Spatial analysis of blackleg-affected seed potato crops in Scotland., Plant Pathology, 65, 570-576.
- Pritchard, L.; Glover, R.H.; Elphinstone, J.G.; Toth, I.K. (2016) Genomics and taxonomy in diagnostics for food security: soft-rotting enterobacterial plant pathogens., Analytical Methods, 8, 12-24.
- Toth, I.; Humphris, S.; Brierley, J.; Skelsey, P.; Saddler, G.; Cahill, G.; Wale, S. (2016) Routes of blackleg contamination of high grade potato seed stocks by Pectobacterium species., AHDB Final Project Report April 2013 - May 2016 (Ref 111R475).
- Vanga, B.R.; Ramakrishnan, P.; Butler, R.C.; Toth, I.K.; Ronson, C.W.; Jacobs, J.M.E.; Pitman, A.R. (2015) Mobilization of horizontally acquired island 2 is induced in planta in the phytopathogen Pectobacterium atrosepticumSCRI1043 and involves the putative relaxase ECA0613 and quorum sensing., Environmental Microbiology, 17, 4730-4744.
- Parkinson, N.; Pritchard, L.; Bryant, R.; Toth, I.K.; Elphinstone, J. (2015) Epidemiology of Dickeya dianthicola and Dickeya solani in ornamental hosts and potato studied using variable number tandem repeat analysis., European Journal of Plant Pathology, 141, 63-70.
- Shyntum, D.Y.; Theron, J.; Venter, S.N.; Moleleki, L.N.; Toth, I.K.; Coutinho, T.A. (2015) Pantoea ananatis utilizes a type VI secretion system for pathogenesis and bacterial competition., Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 28, 420-431.
- Toth, I.K.; Humphris, S.; Campbell, E.; Pritchard, L. (2015) Why genomics research on Pectobacterium and Dickeya makes a difference., American Journal of Potato Research, 92, 218-222.
- Humphris, S.N.; Cahill, G.; Elphinstone, J.G.; Kelly, R.; Parkinson, N.M.; Pritchard, L.; Toth, I.K.; Saddler, G.S. (2015) Detection of the bacterial potato pathogens Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp using conventional and real time PCR., In: Lacomme, C. (ed.). Plant Pathology: Techniques and Protocols. (Methods in Molecular Biology, 1302). Humana Press, New York, 2nd edition, Chapter 1, pp1-16.
- van der Wolf, J.M.; Nijhuis, E.H.; Kowalewska, M.J.; Saddler, G.S.; Parkinson, N.; Elphinstone, J.G.; Pritchard, L.; Toth, I.K.; Lojkowska, E.; Potrykus, M.; Waleron, M.; de Vos, P.; Cleenwerck, I.; Pirhonen, M.; Garlant, L.; Helias, V.; Pothier, J.F.; Pfluger, V.; Duffy, B.; Tsror, L.; Manulis, S. (2014) Dickeya solani sp. nov., a pectinolytic plant pathogenic bacterium isolated from potato (Solanum tuberosum)., International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 64, 768-774.
- Tan, H.; West, J.; Ramsay, J.P.; Monson, R.E.; Griffin, J.; Toth, I.K.; Salmond, G. (2014) Comprehensive overexpression analysis 1 of cyclic-di-GMP signalling 2 proteins in the phytopathogen Pectobacterium atrosepticum reveals diverse effects on motility and virulence phenotypes., Microbiology - SGM, 160, 1427-1439.
- De Maayer, P.; Chan, W.Y.; Rubagotti, E.; Venter, S.N.; Toth, I.K.; Birch, P.R.J.; Coutinho, T.A. (2014) Analysis of the Pantoea ananatis pan-genome reveals factors underlying its ability to colonize and interact with plant, insect and vertebrate hosts., BMC Genomics, 15, Article No. 404.
- Shyntum, D.Y.; Venter, S.N.; Moleleki, L.N.; Toth, I.; Coutinho, T.A. (2014) Comparative genomics of type VI secretion systems in strains of Pantoea ananatis from different environments., BMC Genomics, 15, Article No 163.
- Rossez, Y.; Holmes, A.; Lodberg-Pedersen, H.; Birse, L.; Marshall, J.; Willats, W.G.T.; Toth, I.K.; Holden, N.J. (2014) Escherichia coli common pilus (ECP) targets arabinosyl residues in plant cell walls to mediate adhesion to fresh produce plants., Journal of Biological Chemistry, 289, 34349-34365.
- Rossez, Y.; Holmes, A.; Wolfson, W.B.; Gally, D.L.; Mahjan, A.; Pedersen, H.L.; Willats, W.G.T.; Toth, I.K.; Holden, N. (2014) Flagella interact with ionic plant lipids to mediate adherence of pathogenic Escherichia coli to fresh produce plants., Environmental Microbiology, 16, 2181-2195.
- Toth, I.K. (2014) Pesticides "security" threat., Chemistry and Industry, 78, 28.
- Lees, A.; Cooke, D,.E.L.; Toth, I.; Dolan, A.; SRUC; Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh. (2014) Scottish Government Plant Health Workshop., Rapporteur, Scottish Government Plant Health Workshop, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, 8 December 2014.
- Pritchard, L.; Humphris, S.; Baeyen, S.; Maes, M.; Van Vaerenbergh, J.; Elphinstone, J.; Saddler, G.; Toth, I.K. (2013) Draft genome sequences of four Dickeya dianthicola and four Dickeya solani strains., Genome Announcements, 1, Article No. e0087-12.
- Pritchard, L.; Humphris, S.; Saddler, G.S.; Elphinstone, J.G.; Pirhonen, M.; Toth, I.K. (2013) Draft Genome Sequences of 17 isolates of the plant pathogenic bacterium Dickeya., Genome Announcements, 1, Article No. e00978-13.
- Pritchard, L.; Humphris, S.; Saddler, G.S.; Parkinson, N.M.; Bertrand, V.; Elphinstone, J.G.; Toth, I.K. (2013) Detection of phytopathogens of the genus Dickeya using a PCR primer prediction pipeline for draft bacterial genome sequences., Plant Pathology, 62, 587-596.
- Wright, K.M.; Chapman, S.N.; McGeachy, K.; Humphris, S.; Campbell, E.; Toth, I.K.; Holden, N.J. (2013) The endophytic lifestyle of Escherichia coli O157:H7: quantification and internal localization in roots., Phytopathology, 103, 333-340.
- Monson, R.; Burr, T.; Carlton, T.; Liu, H.; Hedley, P.; Toth, I.K.; Salmond, G.P.C. (2013) Identification of genes in the VirR regulon of Pectobacterium atrosepticum and characterization of their roles in quorum sensing-dependent virulence., Environmental Microbiology, 15, 687-701.
- Cubitt, M.F.; Hedley, P.E.; Williamson, N.R.; Morris, J.A.; Campbell, E.; Toth, I.K.; Salmond, G.P.C. (2013) A metabolic regulator modulates virulence and quorum sensing signal production in Pectobacterium atrosepticum., Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions, 26, 356-366.
- Fyans, J.K.; Bignell, D.; Loria, R.; Toth, I.K.; Palmer, T. (2013) The ESX/type VII secretion system modulates development, but not virulence, of the plant pathogen Streptomyces scabies., Molecular Plant Pathology, 14, 119-130.
- Holden, N.; Pritchard, L.; Toth, I.K.; Wright, K.M. (2013) Mechanism of plant colonisation by human pathogenic enterobacteria: an emphasis on the roots and rhizosphere., In: de Bruijn, F. (ed.). Molecular Microbial Ecology of the Rhizosphere. Wiley Blackwell, Hoboken, New Jersey, Volume 2, Chapter 117, pp1217-1226.
- Vanga, B.R.; Butler, R.C.; Toth, I.K.; Ronson, C.W.; Pitman, A.R. (2012) Inactivation of PbTopo III beta causes hyper-excision of the Pathogenicity Island HAI2 resulting in reduced virulence of Pectobacterium atrosepticum., Molecular Microbiology, 84, 648-663.
- Rio-Alvarez, I.; Rodriguez-Herva, J.J.; Cuartas-Lanza, R.; Toth, I.K.; Pritchard, L.; Rodriguez-Palenzuela, P.; Lopez-Solanilla, E. (2012) Genome-wide analysis of the response of Dickeya dadantii 3937 to plant antimicrobial peptides., Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 25, 523-533.
- Newton, A.C.; Torrance, L.; Holden, N.; Toth, I.K.; Cooke, D.E.L.; Blok, V.C.; Gilroy, E.M. (2012) Chapter three - climate change and defence against pathogens in plants., Advances in Applied Microbiology, 81, 89-132.
- Pritchard, L.; Holden, N.J.; Bielaszewska, M.; Karch, H.; Toth, I.K. (2012) Alignment-free design of highly discriminatory diagnostic primer sets for Escherichia coli O104:H4 outbreak strains., PLoS ONE, 7, Article No. e34498.
- Wang, D.P.; Qi, M.S.; Calla, B.; Korban, S.S.; Clough, S.J.; Cock, P.J.A.; Sundin, G.W.; Toth, I.K.; Zhao, Y.F. (2012) Genome-wide identification of genes regulated by the Rcs phosphorelay system in Erwinia amylovora., Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 25, 6-17.
- McNally, R.R.; Toth, I.K.; Cock, P.J.A.; Pritchard, L.; Hedley, P.E.; Morris, J.A.; Zhao, Y.F.; Sundin, G.W. (2012) Genetic characterization of the HrpL regulon of the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora reveals novel virulence factors., Molecular Plant Pathology, 13, 160-173.
- Charkowski, A.; Blanco, C.; Condemine, G.; Expert, D.; Franza, T.; Hayes, C.; Hugouvieux-Cotte-Pattat, N.; Lopez Solanilla, E.; Low, D.; Moleleki, L.; Pirhonen, M.; Pitman, A.; Perna, N.; Reverchon, S.; Palenzuela, P.R.; San Francisco, M.; Toth, I.K.; Tsuyumu, S.; van der Waals, J.; van der Wolf, J.; Van Gijsegem, F.; Yang, C-H.; Yedidia, I. (2012) The role of secretion systems and small molecules in soft-rot enterobacteriaceae pathogenicity., Annual Review of Phytopathology, 50, 425-449.
- Birch, P.R.J.; Bryan, G.J.; Fenton, B.; Gilroy, E.M.; Hein, I.; Jones, J.T.; Prashar, A.; Taylor, M.A.; Torrance, L.; Toth, I.K. (2012) Crops that feed the world 8: potato: are the trends of increased global production sustainable?, Food Security, 4, 477-508.
- Wang, H.; Wang, Y.; Humphris, S.; Nie, W.; Zhang, P.; Wright, F.; Campbell, E.; Hu, B.; Fan, J.; Toth, I. (2021) Pectobacterium atrosepticum KDPG aldolase, Eda, participates in the Entner-Doudoroff pathway and independently inhibits expression of virulence determinants., Molecular Plant Pathology, 22, 271-283.
- Narvaez-Barragan, D.A.; Tovar-Herrera, O.E.; Torres, M.; Rodriguez, M.; Humphris, S.; Toth, I.K.; Segovia, L.; Serrano, M.; Martinez-Anaya, C. (2020) Expansin-like Exl1 from Pectobacterium is a virulence factor required for host infection, and induces a defence plant response involving ROS, and jasmonate, ethylene and salicylic acid signalling pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana., Scientific Reports, 10, Article No. 7747.
- Monson, R.E.; Apagyi, K.; Bowden, S.D.; Simpson, N.; Williamson, N.; Cubitt, M.F.; Harris, S.; Toth, I.K.; Salmond, G.P.C. (2019) The rsmS (ybaM) mutation causes bypass suppression of the RsmAB post-transcriptional virulence regulation system in enterobacterial phytopathogens., Scientific Reports, 9, Article No. 4525.
- Wang, H.; Yang, Z.L.; Du, S.; Ma, L.; Liao, Y.; Wang, Y.J.; Toth, I.; Fan, J.Q. (2018) Characterization of Pectobacterium carotovorum proteins differentially expressed during infection of Zantedeschia elliotiana in vivo and in vitro which are essential for virulence., Molecular Plant Pathology, 19, 35-48.
- Skelsey, P.; Humphris, S.N.; Campbell, E.J.; Toth, I.K. (2018) Threat of establishment of non-indigenous potato blackleg and tuber soft rot pathogens in Great Britain under climate change., PLoS ONE, 13, Article No. e0205711.
- Weller-Stuart, T.; Toth, I.; De Maayer, P.; Coutinho, T. (2017) Swimming and twitching motility are essential for attachment and virulence of Pantoea ananatis in onion seedlings., Molecular Plant Pathology, 18, 734-745.
- Crozier, L.; Hedley, P.E.; Morris, J.; Wagstaff, C.; Andrews, S.C.; Toth, I.; Jackson, R.W.; Holden, N. (2016) Corrigendum: whole-transcriptome analysis of verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (Sakai) suggests plant-species-specific metabolic responses on exposure to spinach and lettuce extracts., Frontiers in Microbiology, 7, Article No. 1506.
- Crozier, L.; Hedley, P.E.; Morris, J.; Wagstaff, C.; Andrews, S.C.; Toth, I.; Jackson, R.W.; Holden, N. (2016) Whole-transcriptome analysis of verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (Sakai) suggests plant-species-specific metabolic responses on exposure to spinach and lettuce extracts., Frontiers in Microbiology, 7, Article No. 1088.
- Skelsey, P.; Elphinstone, J. G.; Saddler, G. S.; Wale, S. J.; Toth, I.K. (2016) Spatial analysis of blackleg-affected seed potato crops in Scotland., Plant Pathology, 65, 570-576.
- Pritchard, L.; Glover, R.H.; Elphinstone, J.G.; Toth, I.K. (2016) Genomics and taxonomy in diagnostics for food security: soft-rotting enterobacterial plant pathogens., Analytical Methods, 8, 12-24.
- Vanga, B.R.; Ramakrishnan, P.; Butler, R.C.; Toth, I.K.; Ronson, C.W.; Jacobs, J.M.E.; Pitman, A.R. (2015) Mobilization of horizontally acquired island 2 is induced in planta in the phytopathogen Pectobacterium atrosepticumSCRI1043 and involves the putative relaxase ECA0613 and quorum sensing., Environmental Microbiology, 17, 4730-4744.
- Parkinson, N.; Pritchard, L.; Bryant, R.; Toth, I.K.; Elphinstone, J. (2015) Epidemiology of Dickeya dianthicola and Dickeya solani in ornamental hosts and potato studied using variable number tandem repeat analysis., European Journal of Plant Pathology, 141, 63-70.
- Shyntum, D.Y.; Theron, J.; Venter, S.N.; Moleleki, L.N.; Toth, I.K.; Coutinho, T.A. (2015) Pantoea ananatis utilizes a type VI secretion system for pathogenesis and bacterial competition., Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 28, 420-431.
- Toth, I.K.; Humphris, S.; Campbell, E.; Pritchard, L. (2015) Why genomics research on Pectobacterium and Dickeya makes a difference., American Journal of Potato Research, 92, 218-222.
- van der Wolf, J.M.; Nijhuis, E.H.; Kowalewska, M.J.; Saddler, G.S.; Parkinson, N.; Elphinstone, J.G.; Pritchard, L.; Toth, I.K.; Lojkowska, E.; Potrykus, M.; Waleron, M.; de Vos, P.; Cleenwerck, I.; Pirhonen, M.; Garlant, L.; Helias, V.; Pothier, J.F.; Pfluger, V.; Duffy, B.; Tsror, L.; Manulis, S. (2014) Dickeya solani sp. nov., a pectinolytic plant pathogenic bacterium isolated from potato (Solanum tuberosum)., International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 64, 768-774.
- Tan, H.; West, J.; Ramsay, J.P.; Monson, R.E.; Griffin, J.; Toth, I.K.; Salmond, G. (2014) Comprehensive overexpression analysis 1 of cyclic-di-GMP signalling 2 proteins in the phytopathogen Pectobacterium atrosepticum reveals diverse effects on motility and virulence phenotypes., Microbiology - SGM, 160, 1427-1439.
- De Maayer, P.; Chan, W.Y.; Rubagotti, E.; Venter, S.N.; Toth, I.K.; Birch, P.R.J.; Coutinho, T.A. (2014) Analysis of the Pantoea ananatis pan-genome reveals factors underlying its ability to colonize and interact with plant, insect and vertebrate hosts., BMC Genomics, 15, Article No. 404.
- Shyntum, D.Y.; Venter, S.N.; Moleleki, L.N.; Toth, I.; Coutinho, T.A. (2014) Comparative genomics of type VI secretion systems in strains of Pantoea ananatis from different environments., BMC Genomics, 15, Article No 163.
- Rossez, Y.; Holmes, A.; Lodberg-Pedersen, H.; Birse, L.; Marshall, J.; Willats, W.G.T.; Toth, I.K.; Holden, N.J. (2014) Escherichia coli common pilus (ECP) targets arabinosyl residues in plant cell walls to mediate adhesion to fresh produce plants., Journal of Biological Chemistry, 289, 34349-34365.
- Rossez, Y.; Holmes, A.; Wolfson, W.B.; Gally, D.L.; Mahjan, A.; Pedersen, H.L.; Willats, W.G.T.; Toth, I.K.; Holden, N. (2014) Flagella interact with ionic plant lipids to mediate adherence of pathogenic Escherichia coli to fresh produce plants., Environmental Microbiology, 16, 2181-2195.
- Toth, I.K. (2014) Pesticides "security" threat., Chemistry and Industry, 78, 28.
- Pritchard, L.; Humphris, S.; Baeyen, S.; Maes, M.; Van Vaerenbergh, J.; Elphinstone, J.; Saddler, G.; Toth, I.K. (2013) Draft genome sequences of four Dickeya dianthicola and four Dickeya solani strains., Genome Announcements, 1, Article No. e0087-12.
- Pritchard, L.; Humphris, S.; Saddler, G.S.; Elphinstone, J.G.; Pirhonen, M.; Toth, I.K. (2013) Draft Genome Sequences of 17 isolates of the plant pathogenic bacterium Dickeya., Genome Announcements, 1, Article No. e00978-13.
- Pritchard, L.; Humphris, S.; Saddler, G.S.; Parkinson, N.M.; Bertrand, V.; Elphinstone, J.G.; Toth, I.K. (2013) Detection of phytopathogens of the genus Dickeya using a PCR primer prediction pipeline for draft bacterial genome sequences., Plant Pathology, 62, 587-596.
- Wright, K.M.; Chapman, S.N.; McGeachy, K.; Humphris, S.; Campbell, E.; Toth, I.K.; Holden, N.J. (2013) The endophytic lifestyle of Escherichia coli O157:H7: quantification and internal localization in roots., Phytopathology, 103, 333-340.
- Monson, R.; Burr, T.; Carlton, T.; Liu, H.; Hedley, P.; Toth, I.K.; Salmond, G.P.C. (2013) Identification of genes in the VirR regulon of Pectobacterium atrosepticum and characterization of their roles in quorum sensing-dependent virulence., Environmental Microbiology, 15, 687-701.
- Cubitt, M.F.; Hedley, P.E.; Williamson, N.R.; Morris, J.A.; Campbell, E.; Toth, I.K.; Salmond, G.P.C. (2013) A metabolic regulator modulates virulence and quorum sensing signal production in Pectobacterium atrosepticum., Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions, 26, 356-366.
- Fyans, J.K.; Bignell, D.; Loria, R.; Toth, I.K.; Palmer, T. (2013) The ESX/type VII secretion system modulates development, but not virulence, of the plant pathogen Streptomyces scabies., Molecular Plant Pathology, 14, 119-130.
- Vanga, B.R.; Butler, R.C.; Toth, I.K.; Ronson, C.W.; Pitman, A.R. (2012) Inactivation of PbTopo III beta causes hyper-excision of the Pathogenicity Island HAI2 resulting in reduced virulence of Pectobacterium atrosepticum., Molecular Microbiology, 84, 648-663.
- Rio-Alvarez, I.; Rodriguez-Herva, J.J.; Cuartas-Lanza, R.; Toth, I.K.; Pritchard, L.; Rodriguez-Palenzuela, P.; Lopez-Solanilla, E. (2012) Genome-wide analysis of the response of Dickeya dadantii 3937 to plant antimicrobial peptides., Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 25, 523-533.
- Newton, A.C.; Torrance, L.; Holden, N.; Toth, I.K.; Cooke, D.E.L.; Blok, V.C.; Gilroy, E.M. (2012) Chapter three - climate change and defence against pathogens in plants., Advances in Applied Microbiology, 81, 89-132.
- Pritchard, L.; Holden, N.J.; Bielaszewska, M.; Karch, H.; Toth, I.K. (2012) Alignment-free design of highly discriminatory diagnostic primer sets for Escherichia coli O104:H4 outbreak strains., PLoS ONE, 7, Article No. e34498.
- Mansfield, J.; Genin, S.; Magori, S.; Citovsky, V.; Sriariyanum, M.; Ronald, P.; Dow, M.; Verdier, V.; Beer, S.V.; Machado, M.A.; Toth, I.; Salmond, G.; Foster, G.D. (2012) Top 10 plant pathogenic bacteria in molecular plant pathology., Molecular Plant Pathology, 13, 614-629.
- Wang, D.P.; Qi, M.S.; Calla, B.; Korban, S.S.; Clough, S.J.; Cock, P.J.A.; Sundin, G.W.; Toth, I.K.; Zhao, Y.F. (2012) Genome-wide identification of genes regulated by the Rcs phosphorelay system in Erwinia amylovora., Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 25, 6-17.
- McNally, R.R.; Toth, I.K.; Cock, P.J.A.; Pritchard, L.; Hedley, P.E.; Morris, J.A.; Zhao, Y.F.; Sundin, G.W. (2012) Genetic characterization of the HrpL regulon of the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora reveals novel virulence factors., Molecular Plant Pathology, 13, 160-173.
- Charkowski, A.; Blanco, C.; Condemine, G.; Expert, D.; Franza, T.; Hayes, C.; Hugouvieux-Cotte-Pattat, N.; Lopez Solanilla, E.; Low, D.; Moleleki, L.; Pirhonen, M.; Pitman, A.; Perna, N.; Reverchon, S.; Palenzuela, P.R.; San Francisco, M.; Toth, I.K.; Tsuyumu, S.; van der Waals, J.; van der Wolf, J.; Van Gijsegem, F.; Yang, C-H.; Yedidia, I. (2012) The role of secretion systems and small molecules in soft-rot enterobacteriaceae pathogenicity., Annual Review of Phytopathology, 50, 425-449.
- Birch, P.R.J.; Bryan, G.J.; Fenton, B.; Gilroy, E.M.; Hein, I.; Jones, J.T.; Prashar, A.; Taylor, M.A.; Torrance, L.; Toth, I.K. (2012) Crops that feed the world 8: potato: are the trends of increased global production sustainable?, Food Security, 4, 477-508.
- Perez-Mendoza, D.; Coulthurst, S.J.; Humphris, S.; Campbell, E.; Welch, M.; Toth, I.K.; Salmond, G.P.C. (2011) A multi-repeat adhesin of the phytopathogen, Pectobacterium atrosepticum, is secreted by a Type 1 pathway and is subject to complex regulation involving a non-canonical diguanylate cyclase., Molecular Microbiology, 82, 719-733.
- Toth, I.K.; van der Wolf, J.M.; Saddler, G.; Lojkowska, E.; Helias, V.; Pirhonen, M.; Tsror, L.; Elphinstone, J.G. (2011) Dickeya species: an emerging problem for potato production in Europe., Plant Pathology, 60, 385-399.
- Glasner, J.D.; Yang, C.; Reverchon, S.; Hugouvieux-Cotte-Pattat, N.; Condemine, G.; Bohin, J.P.; Van, Gijsegem, F.; Yang, S.; Franza, T.; Expert, D.; Plunkett, G.; Francisco, M.J.S.; Charkowski, A.O.; Py, B.; Bell, K.; Rauscher, L.; Rodriguez-Palenzuela, P.; Toussaint, A.; Holeva, M.C.; He, S.Y.; Douet, V.; Boccara, M.; Blanco, C.; Toth, I.; Anderson, B.D.; Biehl, B.S.; Mau, B.; Flynn, S.M.; Barras, F.; Lindeberg, M.; Birch, P.R.J.; Tsuyumu, S.; Shi, X.Y.; Hibbing, M.; Yap, M.N.; Carpentier, M.; Dassa, E.; Umehara, M.; Kim, J.F.; Rusch, M.; Soni, P.; Mayhew, G.F.; Fouts, D.E.; Gill, S.R.; Blattner, F.R.; Keen, N.T.; Perna, N.T. (2011) Genome sequence of the plant-pathogenic bacterium Dickeya dadantii 3937., Journal of Bacteriology, 193, 2076-2077.
- Humphris, S.N.; Cahill, G.; Elphinstone, J.G.; Kelly, R.; Parkinson, N.M.; Pritchard, L.; Toth, I.K.; Saddler, G.S. (2015) Detection of the bacterial potato pathogens Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp using conventional and real time PCR., In: Lacomme, C. (ed.). Plant Pathology: Techniques and Protocols. (Methods in Molecular Biology, 1302). Humana Press, New York, 2nd edition, Chapter 1, pp1-16.
- Holden, N.; Pritchard, L.; Toth, I.K.; Wright, K.M. (2013) Mechanism of plant colonisation by human pathogenic enterobacteria: an emphasis on the roots and rhizosphere., In: de Bruijn, F. (ed.). Molecular Microbial Ecology of the Rhizosphere. Wiley Blackwell, Hoboken, New Jersey, Volume 2, Chapter 117, pp1217-1226.
- Lin, K.; Husmeier, D.; Dondelinger, F.; Mayer, C.D.; Liu, H.; Pritchard, L.; Salmond, G.P.C.; Toth, I.K.; Birch, P.R.J. (2010) Reverse engineering gene regulatory networks related to quorum sensing in the plant pathogen Pectobacterium atrosepticum., In: Fenyo, D. (ed.). Computational Biology. Springer, New York, Chapter 17, pp253-281.
- Toth, I.K.; Pritchard, L.; Birch, P.R.J.; Liu, H. (2008) Genomics of the enterobacterial plant pathogens., In: Jackson, R.W. (ed.). Plant Pathogenic Bacteria: Genomics and Molecular Biology. Caister Academic Press, Norfolk, 163-174.
- Preston, G.M.; Guttman, D.S.; Toth, I.K. (2007) Genomic analysis of plant pathogenic bacteria., In: Pallen, M., Nelson, K. & Preston, G. (eds.). Bacterial Pathogenomics. ASM Press, Washington, D.C., pp392-418.
- Toth, I.K.; Moleleki, L.N.; Pritchard, L.; Liu, H.; Humphris, S.N.; Hyman, L.; Axelsen, G.W.; Brurberg, M.B.; Ravensdale, M.; Gilroy, E.M.; Birch, P.R.J. (2006) Erwiniae: genomics and the secret life of a plant pathogen., In: Bailey, M.J., Lilley, A.K., Timms-Wilson, T.M. & Spencer-Phillips, P.T.N. (eds.). Microbial Ecology of Aerial Plant Surfaces. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, pp191-201.
- Bertheau, Y.; Frechon, D.; Toth, I.K.; Hyman, L.J. (1998) E.c. subsp. atroseptica DNA amplification by PCR., In: Perombelon, M.C.M. & van der Wolf, J. M. (eds.). Methods for the Detection and Quantification of Erwinia carotovora subsp. Atroseptica on Potatoes Suitable for Commercial Use: a Laboratory Manual, pp39-59.
- Hyman, L.J.; Toth, I.K.; Perombelon, M.C.M. (1998) Isolation and identification of E.c. subsp. atroseptica., In: Perombelon, M.C.M. & van der Wolf, J. M. (eds.). Methods for the Detection and Quantification of Erwinia carotovora subsp. Atroseptica on Potatoes Suitable for Commercial Use: a Laboratory Manual, pp60-71.
- Toth, I.; Humphris, S.; Brierley, J.; Skelsey, P.; Saddler, G.; Cahill, G.; Wale, S. (2016) Routes of blackleg contamination of high grade potato seed stocks by Pectobacterium species., AHDB Final Project Report April 2013 - May 2016 (Ref 111R475).
- Lees, A.; Cooke, D,.E.L.; Toth, I.; Dolan, A.; SRUC; Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh. (2014) Scottish Government Plant Health Workshop., Rapporteur, Scottish Government Plant Health Workshop, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, 8 December 2014.
- Holden, N.; Toth, I.K.; Newton, A.C.; Walters, D. (2012) Assessment of plant elicitors to induce resistance against head-rot in broccoli., HDC Annual Report 2012.
- Holden, N.; Toth, I.K.; Newton, A.C. (2012) Reducing bacterial infection in seed onions through the use of plant elicitors., HDC Grower Summary, FV393, Final 2012.
- Torrance, L.; Toth, I.K.; Cooke, D.E.L.; Fenton, B.; Blok, V.C.; Lees, A.K. (2010) Risks of new or emerging pests and pathogens posed by environmental change., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2009, pp14-17.
- Toth, I.K. (2009) Sustainability-plant disease control., KnowledgeScotland, Science Connections Online, Sustainability and Communities; Climate Water and Energy, No 93.
- Toth, I.K.; Pritchard, L.; Holeva, M.C.; Hyman, L.J.; Bell, K.S.; Whisson, S.C.; Avrova, A.O.; Birch, P.R.J. (2004) New discoveries with Erwinia genomics., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2002/2003, p101.
- Toth, I.K. (2002) Better understanding of Erwinia for detection and reduced spread., British Potato Council Technical Bulletin, Oxford,
- Toth, I.K.; Bell, K.S.; Holeva, M.C.; Bryan, G.J.; Avrova, A.O.; Hyman, L.; Birch, P.R.J. (2002) Erwinia genomics: A new era in the battle against potato disease., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2001/2002, pp25-28.
- Torrance, L.; Ziegler, A.; Mayo, M.A.; Toth, I.K.; Blok, V.C.; Duncan, J.M. (2000) New technologies for the detection and identification of pathogens, pests and environmental pollutants.., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 1999/2000, pp51-54.
- Toth, I.K. (2000) Blackleg and soft rot - prevention by prediction., Interim Report to the British Potato Council.
- Toth, I.K.; Hyman, L.J. (1997) Typing strains of Erwinia carotovora subspecies atroseptica for epidemiological analyses., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 1996/97, pp154-156.