Profile

I am a lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Microbiology at the University of Pretoria, specializing in the molecular biology of plant pathogenic fungi. My research employs genomics and molecular tools to investigate the fundamental biology of these organisms, particularly those affecting South Africa’s commercial forestry and agricultural sectors. The goal of my work is to enhance our understanding of these pathogens within the South African context while addressing questions of global importance.

Sexual Reproduction in the Ceratocystidaceae

Building upon my postdoctoral work, I am engaged in an ongoing study of the mating systems within the Ceratocystidaceae family. This research aims to elucidate the evolutionary history of sexual reproduction in these fungi by examining their mating-type loci and pheromone/receptor systems. The genomic data generated not only advance our understanding of their reproductive strategies but also provide valuable resources that underpin various studies on the biology and pathogenicity of Ceratocystidaceae species.

Grain Research Project at FABI

As a member of the Grain Research Programme (GRP) at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), I contribute to research supporting South Africa’s agricultural sector. My focus is on Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, a multihost pathogen of significant economic importance. Despite the extensive global literature on this fungus, its behavior and impact within Southern Africa remain underexplored. Through genomic and molecular studies, I aim to improve our understanding of S. sclerotiorum in the region, thereby informing more effective disease management strategies.

Expanding Genomics Approaches to Additional Plant Pathogens

In addition to my work on the Ceratocystidaceae and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, I have broadened my research to include other economically important plant pathogenic fungi. By applying similar genomic and molecular biology techniques, I have contributed to studies that provide draft genome sequences and preliminary analyses for several economically important species. This expanded approach not only deepens our understanding of the genetic basis of fungal pathogenicity but also supports the development of targeted strategies to mitigate the impact of these pathogens on both forestry and agricultural systems.

My Journal Articles

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Publication
van Heerden A, Pham NQ, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, Wilken PM. (2024) *Six type-I PKS classes and highly conserved melanin and elsinochrome gene clusters found in diverse Elsinoë* species*. BMC Genomics* 25:990. 10.1186/s12864-024-10920-z
van Heerden A, Pham NQ, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, Muro Abad JI, Durán A, Wilken PM. (2024) *LAMP assay to detect Elsinoë necatrix; an important Eucalyptus* shoot and leaf pathogen*. Plant Disease* 10.1094/PDIS-01-24-0086-RE
Dankie VN, Steenkamp ET, De Vos L, Swalarsk-Parry BS, Dewing C, Fru F, Wilken PM, Mchunu NP, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, van der Nest MA. (2024) Growth, pathogenicity and sexual fertility of the African tree pathogen Ceratocystis albifundus. Journal of Plant Pathology :1-11. 10.1007/s42161-024-01634-y
Bornman S, Thomas C, Ntladi S, Wilken PM. (2024) Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is the causal agent of Sclerotinia stem rot on peanut (groundnut) in South Africa. Australasian Plant Disease Notes 19 10.1007/s13314-024-00537-2
Mapfumo P, Buthelezi S, Archer E, Swanevelder DZH, Wilken PM, Creux N. (2024) In-field climatic factors driving Sclerotinia head rot progression across different sunflower planting dates. Plant Pathology 10.1111/ppa.13873
Wilken PM, Lane FA, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2023) *Unidirectional mating-type switching is underpinned by a conserved MAT1* locus architecture*. Fungal genetics and Biology* (103859) 10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103859
Avontuur JR, Wilken PM, Palmer M, Coetzee MPA, Stępkowski T, Venter SN, Steenkamp ET. (2023) Complex evolutionary history of photosynthesis in Bradyrhizobium. Microbial Genomics 9(9) 10.1099/mgen.0.001105
van der Walt D, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD, Wilken PM. (2023) Evidence of Biparental Mitochondrial Inheritance from Self-Fertile Crosses between Closely Related Species of Ceratocystis. Journal of Fungi 9(6):686. 10.3390/jof9060686
Maseko NN, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD, Wilken PM. (2023) An in Silico Approach to Identifying TF Binding Sites: Analysis of the Regulatory Regions of BUSCO Genes from Fungal Species in the Ceratocystidaceae Family. Genes 14(4):848. 10.3390/genes14040848
Wingfield BD, Berger DK, Coetzee MPA, Duong TA, Martin A, Pham NQ, Van den Berg N, Wilken PM, Arun-Chinnappa KS, Barnes I, Buthelezi S, Dahanayaka BA, Durán A, Engelbrecht J, Feurtey A, Fourie A, Fourie G, Hartley J, Kabwe ENK, Maphosa M, Narh Mensah DL, Nsibo DL, Potgieter L, Poudel B, Stukenbrock EH, Thomas C, Vaghefi N, Welgemoed T, Wingfield MJ. (2022) IMA genome‑F17 Draft genome sequences of an Armillaria species from Zimbabwe, Ceratocystis colombiana, Elsinoë necatrix, Rosellinia necatrix, two genomes of Sclerotinia minor, short‑read genome assemblies and annotations of four Pyrenophora teres isolates from barley grass, and a long-read genome assembly of Cercospora zeina. 13:19. 10.1186/s43008-022-00104-3
Duong AT, Aylward J, Ametrano CG, Poudel E, Santana QC, Wilken PM, Martin A, Arun-Chinnappa KS, De Vos L, DiStefano I, Grewe F, Huhndorf S, Lumbsch HT, Rakoma JR, Steenkamp ET, Sun Y, van der Nest MA, Wingfield MJ, Yilmaz N, Wingfield BD. (2021) Draft genome assembly of Fusarium pilosicola, Meredithiella fracta, Niebla homalea, Pyrenophora teres hybrid WAC10721, and Teratosphaeria viscida. IMA Fungus 12(1):30. 10.1186/s43008-021-00077-9
Wilson AM, Wilken PM, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2021) Genetic networks that govern sexual reproduction in the Pezizomycotina. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews 85(4):e00020-21. 10.1128/MMBR.00020-21.
Lane FA, Du Plessis D, Wingfield BD, Wilken PM. (2021) Transferring an Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation protocol across eight genera in the Ceratocystidaceae. Forest Pathology e12688 10.1111/efp.12688
van der Nest MA, Chávez R, De Vos L, Duong TA, Gil-Durán C, Ferreira MA, Lane FA, Levicán G, Santana QC, Steenkamp ET, Suzuki H, Tello M, Rakoma JR, Vaca I, Valdés N, Wilken PM, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2021) Draft genome sequences of Penicillium roqueforti, Fusarium sororula, Chrysoporthe puriensis, and Chalaropsis populi. IMA Fungus 12:5. 10.1186/s43008-021-00055-1
Wilson AM, Gabriel R, Singer SW, Schuerg T, Wilken PM, van der Nest MA, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2021) Doing it alone: Unisexual reproduction in filamentous ascomycete fungi. Fungal Biology Reviews 35:1-13. 10.1016/j.fbr.2020.12.003
Krämer D, Lane FA, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD, Wilken PM. (2021) Unidirectional mating-type switching confers self-fertility to Thielaviopsis cerberus, the only homothallic species in the genus. Fungal Biology 10.1016/j.funbio.2020.12.007
Wilken PM, Kharwar RN, Lumbsch HT, Navathe S, Pérez CA, Ramírez-Berrutti N, Sharma R, Sun Y, Wingfield BD, Huhndorf S, Duong TA, Aylward J, Chand R, Grewe F, Lane FA, Sinha S, Ametrano C, Distefano I, Divakur PK, Wingfield MJ. (2020) *Draft genome sequences of Ambrosiella cleistominuta, Cercospora brassicicola, C. citrullina, Physcia stellaris* and Teratosphaeria pseudoeucalypti.*. IMA Fungus* 11(19) 10.1186/s43008-020-00039-7
Havenga M, Chen S, Wilken PM, Duong TA, Tatham CT, Dreyer LL, Roets F, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD, Aylward J. (2020) Mating strategy and mating type distribution in six global populations of the Eucalyptus foliar pathogen Teratosphaeria destructans. Fungal Genetics and Biology 137:103350. 10.1016/j.fgb.2020.103350
Wilson AM, Wilken PM, van der Nest MA, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2020) *The novel Huntiella omanensis* mating gene, MAT1-2-7, is essential for ascomatal maturation*. Fungal Genetics & Biology* 137:103335. 10.1016/j.fgb.2020.103335
Wilson AM, van der Nest MA, Wilken PM, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2019) It’s All in the Genes: The Regulatory Pathways of Sexual Reproduction in Filamentous Ascomycetes. Genes 10(5):330. 10.3390/genes10050330
van der Nest MA, Wingfield MJ, McTaggart AR, Van Wyk S, De Vos L, Trollip C, Santana QC, Naidoo K, Dong TA, Wilken PM, Chan W-Y, Palmer M, Soal NA, Roodt D, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD. (2019) Genomic analysis of the aggressive tree pathogen Ceratocystis albifundus. Fungal Biology 10.1016/j.funbio.2019.02.002
Sayari M, van der Nest MA, Steenkamp ET, Soal NC, Wilken PM, Wingfield BD. (2019) Distribution and evolution of nonribosomal peptide synthetase gene clusters in the Ceratocystidaceae. Genes 10, 328 10.3390/genes10050328
Wingfield BD, Kolarik M, Menzies JG, Naidoo K, Pochopski O, Shoukouhi P, Santana QC, Seifert KA, Soal NA, Steenkamp ET, Tatham CT, Van der Nest MA, Havenga M, Findlay W, Liu M, Nguyen HDT, Lane FA, Morgan SW, De Vos L, Wilken PM, Doung TA, Aylward J, Coetzee MPA, Dadej K, De Beer ZW, Wingfield MJ. (2018) Nine draft genome sequences of Claviceps purpurea s.lat., including C. arundinis, C. humidiphila, and C. cf. spartinae, pseudomolecules for the pitch canker pathogen Fusarium circinatum, draft genome of Davidsoniella eucalypti, Grosmannia galeiformis, Quambalaria eucalypti, and Teratosphaeria destructans. IMA Fungus 9(2):401-418. 10.5598/imafungus.2018.09.02.10
Wingfield BD, Bills GF, Dong Y, Huang W, Nel WJ, Swalarsk-Parry BS, Vaghefi N, Wilken PM, An Z, de Beer ZW, De Vos L, Chen L, Duong TA, Gao Y, Hammerbacher A, Kikkert JR, Li Y, Li H, Li K, Li Q, Liu X, Ma X, Naidoo K, Pethybridge SJ, Sun J, Steenkamp ET, van der Nest M, van Wyk S, Wingfield MJ, Xiong C, Yue Q, Zhang X. (2018) IMA Genome-F 9 Draft genome sequence of Annulohypoxylon stygium, Aspergillus mulundensis, Berkeleyomyces basicola (syn. Thielaviopsis basicola), Ceratocystis smalleyi, two Cercospora beticola strains, Coleophoma cylindrospora, Fusarium fracticaudum, Phialophora cf. hyalina, and Morchella septimelata. IMA Fungus 9(1):199-223. 10.5598/imafungus.2018.09.01.13
Wilson A, Van der Nest M, Wilken P, Wingfield M, Wingfield B. (2018) Pheromone expression reveals putative mechanism of unisexuality in a saprobic ascomycete fungus. PLOS One 13(3):e0192517. 10.1371/journal.pone.0192517
Wilken PM, Steenkamp ET, Van der Nest MA, Wingfield MJ, De Beer ZW, Wingfield BD. (2018) Unexpected placement of the MAT1-1-2 gene in the MAT1-2 idiomorph of Thielaviopsis. Fungal Genetics and Biology 32:32-41. 10.1016/j.fgb.2018.01.007
Wingfield BD, Berger DK, Steenkamp ET, Lim H-J, Duong TA, Bluhm BH, De Beer ZW, De Vos L, Fourie G, Naidoo K, Olivier NA, Lin Y, Van der Peer Y, Joubert F, Crampton BG, Swart V, Soal N, Tatham C, Van der Nest MA, Van der Merwe NA, Van Wyk S, Wilken PM, Wingfield MJ. (2017) IMA Genome-F 8 Draft genome of Cercospora zeina, Fusarium pininemorale, Hawksworthiomyces lignivorus, Huntiella decipiens and Ophiostoma ips. IMA Fungus 8 (2):385‑396. 10.5598/imafungus.2017.08.02.10
Wilken PM, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield MJ, De Beer ZW, Wingfield BD. (2017) Which MAT gene? Pezizomycotina (Ascomycota) mating-type gene nomenclature reconsidered. Fungal Biology Reviews 31:199-211. 10.1016/j.fbr.2017.05.003
Wingfield BD, Duong TA, Hammerbacher A, van der Nest MA, Wilson A, Chang R, de Beer ZW, Steenkamp ET, Wilken PM, Naidoo K, Wingfield MJ. (2016) IMA Genome-F 7 Draft genome sequences for Ceratocystis fagacearum, C. harringtonii, Grosmannia penicillata, and Huntiella bhutanensis. IMA Fungus 7(2):317-323. 10.5598/imafungus.2016.07.02.11
Wingfield BD, Ambler JM, Coetzee MPA, De Beer ZW, Duong TA, Joubert F, Hammerbacher A, McTaggart AR, Naidoo K, Nguyen HDT, Ponomareva E, Santana QS, Seifert KA, Steenkamp ET, Trollip C, Van der Nest MA, Visagie CM, Wilken PM, Wingfield MJ, Yilmaz N. (2016) *IMA Genome-F 6: Draft genome sequences of Armillaria fuscipes, Ceratocystiopsis minuta, Ceratocystis adiposa, Endoconidiophora laricicola, E. polonica* and Penicillium freii DAOMC 242723*. IMA Fungus* 7(1):217-227. 10.5598/imafungus.2016.07.01.11
van der Nest MA, Wingfield MJ, Wilken PM, Coetzee MPA, Naidoo K, Roodt D, Sauerman E, Godlonton T, Trollip C, McTaggart AR, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD. (2015) Saprophytic and pathogenic fungi in the Ceratocystidaceae differ in their ability to metabolize plant-derived sucrose. BMC Evolutionary Biology 15:273. 10.1186/s12862-015-0550-7
Wingfield BD, Barnes I, De Beer ZW, De Vos L, Duong TA, Kanzi AM, Naidoo K, Nguyen HDT, Santana QC, Sayari M, Seifert KA, Steenkamp ET, Trollip C, Van der Merwe N, Van der Nest MA, Wilken PM, Wingfield MJ. (2015) Draft genome sequences of Ceratocystis eucalypticola, Chrysoporthe cubensis, C. deuterocubensis, Davidsoniella virescens, Fusarium temperatum, Graphilbum fragrans, Penicillium nordicum, and Thielaviopsis musarum. IMA Fungus 6(2):493-506. 10.5598/imafungus.2015.06.02.13
Marincowitz S, Coetzee MPA, Wilken PM, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2015) *Phylogenetic placement of Itajahya: An unusual Jacaranda fungal associate. IMA Fungus* 6(2):257-262. 10.5598/imafungus.2015.06.02.01
Wilson AM, Wilken PM, van der Nest MA, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2015) Homothallism: An umbrella term for describing diverse sexual behaviours. IMA Fungus 6(1):207-214. 10.5598/imafungus.2015.06.01.13
Wilson AM, Godlonton T, van der Nest MA, Wilken PM, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2015) Unisexual Reproduction in Huntiella moniliformis. Fungal Genetics and Biology 80:1-9. 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.04.008
Van der Nest MA, Beirn LA, Crouch JA, Demers JE, De Beer ZW, De Vos L, Gordon TR, Moncalvo JM, Naidoo K, Sanchez-Ramirez S, Roodt D, Santana QC, Slinksi SL, Stata M, Taerum SJ, Wilken PM, Wilson AM, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2014) Draft genomes of Amanita jacksonii, Ceratocystis albifundus, Fusarium circinatum, Huntiella omanensis, Leptographium procerum, Rutstroemia sydowiana, and Sclerotinia echinophila. IMA Fungus 5(2):473-486. 10.5598/imafungus.2014.05.02.11
Van der Nest MA, Bihon W, De Vos L, Naidoo K, Roodt D, Rubagotti E, Slippers B, Steenkamp ET, Wilken PM, Wilson A, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2014) Draft genome sequences of Diplodia sapinea, Ceratocystis manginecans, and Ceratocystis moniliformis. IMA Fungus 5(1):135-140. 10.5598/imafungus.2014.05.01.13
Wilken PM, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield MJ, De Beer ZW, Wingfield BD. (2014) *DNA loss at the Ceratocystis fimbriata* mating locus results in self-sterility*. PLoS ONE* 9(3):e92180. 10.1371/journal.pone.0092180
Wilken PM, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield MJ, De Beer ZW, Wingfield BD. (2013) Draft nuclear genome sequence for the plant pathogen, Ceratocystis fimbriata. IMA Fungus 4:357-358. 10.5598/imafungus.2013.04.02.14
Simpson MC, Wilken PM, Coetzee MPA, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2013) Analysis of microsatellite markers in the genome of the plant pathogen Ceratocystis fimbriata. Fungal Biology 117(7-8):545-555. 10.1016/j.funbio.2013.06.004
van der Nest MA, Steenkamp ET, Wilken MP, Stenlid J, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD, Slippers B. (2013) Mutualism and asexual reproduction influence recognition genes in a fungal symbiont. Fungal Biology 117:439-450. 10.1016/j.funbio.2013.05.001
Wilken PM, Steenkamp ET, Hall TA, De Beer ZW, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2012) *Both mating types in the heterothallic fungus Ophiostoma quercus* contain MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 genes*. Fungal Biology* 116(3):427-437. 10.1016/j.funbio.2012.01.002
Wingfield BD, Steenkamp ET, Santana QC, Coetzee MPA, Bam S, Barnes I, Beukes CW, Chane W-Y, de Vos L, Fourie G, Friend M, Gordon TR, Herron DA, Holt C, Korf I, Kvas M, Martin SH, Mlonyeni XO, Naidoo K, Phasha MM, Postma A, Reva O, Roos H, Simpson M, Slinski S, Slippers B, Sutherland R, van der Merwe NA, van der Nest MA, Venter SNV, Wilken PM, Yandell M, Zipfel R, Wingfield MJ. (2012) First fungal genome sequence from Africa: a preliminary analysis. South African Journal of Science 108:104-122. 10.4102/sajs.v108i1/2.537
van der Nest MA, Slippers B, Stenlid J, Wilken PM, Vasaitis R, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2008) Characterization of the systems governing sexual and self-recognition in the white rot homobasidiomycete Amylostereum areolatum. Current Genetics 53(6):323-336. 10.1007/s00294-008-0188-8