Clare Casteel

Viral pathogens of plants; vector-borne plant pathogens; ecological and molecular basis of virus-host and virus-vector-host interactions; molecular basis of plant defense responses to viruses and vectors; experimental approaches include genomics, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, forward and reverse genetics, and proteomics to investigate aspects of plant-virus-vector interactions.

Outreach and Extension Focus

Potato viruses, tomato viruses, organic agriculture, vector-borne plant pathogens

Selected Publications

• Bak A, Patton MF, Muriki M, Mende A, Henao LMP, Antichera T, Casteel CL. (2019) Ethylene signaling mediates Potyvirus spread by aphid vectors.  Oecologia, 190: 139-148.
• Chisholm PJ, Sertsuvalkul N, Casteel CL, Crowder DW. (2018) Reciprocal plant-mediated interactions between a plant virus and a non-vector herbivore. Ecology, 99 (10): 2139-2144.
• Lal NK, Hurlburt N, Nagalakshmi U, Flores R, Bak A, Sone P, Ma X, Song G, Walley J, Shan L, He P, Casteel CL, Fisher AJ, Dinesh-Kumar SP. (2018) The receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase BIK1 localizes to the nucleus and regulates defense hormone expression during plant innate immunity. Cell Host & Microbe, 23 (4): 485 – 497.
• Bak A, Cheung AL, Yang C, Whitham SA, Casteel CL. (2017) A viral protease relocalizes in the presence of the vector to promote vector performance. Nature Communications, 16 (8): 14493.
• Henao LMP, Casteel CL. (2016) Hemipteran insects as vectors of bacterial plant pathogens. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7: 1163.
• Casteel* CL, De Alwis M, Bak A, Dong H, Whitham SA, Jander G. (2015) Disruption of ethylene responses by Turnip mosaic virus mediates suppression of plant defense against the green peach aphid vector. Plant Physiology, 169 (1): 209-218. * Corresponding Author.
• Casteel CL, Yang C, Nanduri AC, De Jong HD, Whitham SA, Jander G. (2014). The NIa-Pro protein of Turnip mosaic virus improves growth and reproduction of the aphid vector, Myzus persicae (green peach aphid). The Plant Journal, 77 (4): 653-663. 
• Casteel* CL, Hansen AK. (2014). Evaluating insect-microbiomes at the plant-insect interface. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 40 (7): 836-847. * Corresponding Author.
• Rasmann S, De Vos M, Casteel CL, Tian D, Halitschke R, Sun JY, Agrawal AA, Felton GW, Jander G. (2012) Transgenerational resistance against insect herbivory requires jasmonates and siRNA synthesis. Plant Physiology, 158: 854-863.
• Casteel CL*, Hansen AH*, Paine TD, Walling LL. (2012) The tomato psyllid (Bactericerca cockerelli (Sulc)) circumvents plant defense responses by vectoring its bacterial symbiont, Liberibacter psyllaurous, into its host plant. PLoS One, 7 (4). *contributed equally

• 2017 ASPB Women’s Young Investigator Travel Award
• 2017 Plant Genome Research Program Early Career Award, National Science Foundation
• 2016 Neish Young Investigator Award of the Phytochemical Society of North America
• 2014 MPMI Young Investigator Travel Grant

PLPPM 4010 - Microbial Pathogens Versus Plants: Molecular Weapons