**Background:** The year 2022 marked 10 years since the first genome sequences of the dothideomycete pathogens Fulvia fulva and Dothistroma septosporum were published and compared. F. fulva is a hemibiotrophic pathogen of tomato (an angiosperm), while D. septosporum is a hemibiotrophic pathogen of gymnosperm conifers such as pine trees. Both species invade hosts through stomata and colonize the apoplastic environment during a long latent asymptomatic phase. This review highlights advances since the original genome sequences were published.
**Methods:** The authors synthesized findings from genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic studies published between 2012 and 2022. Resources include chromosome-level genome assemblies (F. fulva Race 5: 67,169,167 bp, 14 chromosomes; D. septosporum NZE10: 30,209,431 bp, 14 chromosomes), transcriptome data from time-course infection experiments, and proteomic analyses of apoplastic washing fluid. Comparative genomics, functional gene deletion studies, protein crystallography, and population genetics approaches were employed across the studies reviewed.
**Key Results:** The F. fulva Race 5 genome was assembled into 14 chromosomes, nine of which show one-to-one matches to D. septosporum NZE10 chromosomes. F. fulva has 47.2% repetitive DNA content versus 3.2% in D. septosporum, accounting for the large genome size difference. F. fulva has 14,690 predicted genes compared to 12,415 in D. septosporum. One additional Avr protein (CfAvr5) was identified since 2012, bringing the total to nine characterized Avr proteins. Proteomics identified 75 F. fulva small secreted proteins in apoplastic washing fluid, of which 70 are up-regulated during host colonization. Nine novel SSPs (CfEcp8–16) triggered hypersensitive responses in wild tomato accessions. The crystal structures of CfAvr4, CfEcp6, and CfEcp11-1 were solved. CfEcp11-1 belongs to the LARS family and triggers Rlm3-mediated immunity in Brassica spp. In D. septosporum, deletion of DsEcp2-1 resulted in larger necrotic lesions on pine needles, suggesting it is recognized as an avirulence protein. Five additional D. septosporum candidate effectors (DsEcp20-3, DsEcp32-3, Ds71487, Ds131885, Ds74283) trigger cell death in Nicotiana species. DsEcp20-3 and DsEcp32-3 also trigger cell death in Pinus radiata. The tomatinase CfTom1 detoxifies α-tomatine and is required for full virulence. CfGH17-1, a 1,3-β-glucanase, releases immunogenic oligosaccharides from plant cell walls. Only three core secondary metabolite genes are shared between species: Cf/DsPks1 (DHN melanin), Cf/DsNps2 (siderophore), and Cf/DsPksA (dothistromin). Dothistromin is required for full virulence of D. septosporum on pine. Population genetics of 3,800 D. septosporum isolates suggests a Eurasian origin with three main clusters: East European, North American, and Western European. The Western European cluster has been introduced most dominantly throughout the Southern Hemisphere.
**Clinical Implications:** The identification of nine new SSPs that trigger HR in wild tomato accessions provides a valuable resource for breeding commercial tomato varieties with resistance against leaf mould disease. The updated International Seed Federation classification system now includes Cf-6 resistance, though a new race from South Korea has already overcome Cf-6 in the field. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of Cf/Avr interactions, including the role of SOBIR1 and BAK1 co-receptors, informs strategies for durable resistance deployment. For forestry, population genomic studies of D. septosporum have revealed distinct pathogen lineages and evidence of sexual reproduction in some regions, with implications for biosecurity and assisted gene flow policies. The finding that D. septosporum isolates from the 1960s were more virulent than those from the 1990s onwards suggests adaptation towards decreased virulence over time in New Zealand pine plantations.