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Gillani SW, Teng L, Khan A, Xu Y, Powell CA, Zhang M. Fungal Diversity and Gibberellin Hormones Associated with Long Whips of Smut-Infected Sugarcanes. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9129. [PMID: 39201814 PMCID: PMC11355029 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25169129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Sugarcane smut, caused by the fungus Sporisorium scitamineum (Sydow), significantly affects sugarcane crops worldwide. Infected plants develop whip-like structures known as sori. Significant variations in these whip lengths are commonly observed, but the physiological and molecular differences causing these morphological differences remain poorly documented. To address this, we employed conventional microbe isolation, metagenomic, and metabolomic techniques to investigate smut-infected sugarcane stems and whips of varying lengths. Metagenomics analysis revealed a diverse fungal community in the sugarcane whips, with Sporisorium and Fusarium genera notably present (>1%) in long whips. Isolation techniques confirmed these findings. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography analysis (UHPLC-MS/MS) showed high levels of gibberellin hormones (GA3, GA1, GA4, GA8, and GA7) in long whips, with GA4 and GA7 found exclusively in long whips and stems. Among the prominent genera present within long whips, Fusarium was solely positively correlated with these gibberellin (GA) hormones, with the exception of GA8, which was positively correlated with Sporisorium. KEGG enrichment analysis linked these hormones to pathways like diterpenoid biosynthesis and plant hormone signal transduction. These findings suggest that Fusarium may influence GA production leading to whip elongation. Our study reveals fungal dynamics and gibberellin responses in sugarcane smut whips. Future research will explore the related molecular gibberellin synthesis mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syeda Wajeeha Gillani
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; (S.W.G.)
- College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Lixiu Teng
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; (S.W.G.)
- College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Abdullah Khan
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; (S.W.G.)
| | - Yuzhi Xu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; (S.W.G.)
| | - Charles A. Powell
- Indian River Research and Education Center-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IRREC-IFAS), University of Florida, Fort Pierce, FL 34945, USA
| | - Muqing Zhang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; (S.W.G.)
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Wu E, Li X, Ma Q, Wang H, Han X, Feng B. Comparative Multi-Omics Analysis of Broomcorn Millet in Response to Anthracocystis destruens Infection. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2024; 114:1215-1225. [PMID: 38281141 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-08-23-0269-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Anthracocystis destruens is the causal agent of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) smut disease, which results in serious yield losses in broomcorn millet production. However, the molecular basis underlying broomcorn millet defense against A. destruens is less understood. In this study, we investigated how broomcorn millet responds to infection by A. destruens by employing a comprehensive multi-omics approach. We examined the responses of broomcorn millet across transcriptome, metabolome, and microbiome levels. Infected leaves exhibited an upregulation of genes related to photosynthesis, accompanied by a higher accumulation of photosynthesis-related compounds and alterations in hormonal levels. However, broomcorn millet genes involved in immune response were downregulated post A. destruens infection, suggesting that A. destruens may suppress broomcorn millet immunity. In addition, we show that the immune suppression and altered host metabolism induced by A. destruens have no significant effect on the microbial community structure of broomcorn millet leaf, thus providing a new perspective for understanding the tripartite interaction between plant, pathogen, and microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enguo Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xuepei Li
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Qian Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Honglu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Xiaowei Han
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
| | - Baili Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
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Ayhan DH, Abbondante S, Martínez-Soto D, Milo S, Rickelton K, Sohrab V, Kotera S, Arie T, Marshall ME, Rocha MC, Haridas S, Grigoriev IV, Shlezinger N, Pearlman E, Ma LJ. The differential virulence of Fusarium strains causing corneal infections and plant diseases is associated with accessory chromosome composition. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.23.595639. [PMID: 38826335 PMCID: PMC11142239 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.23.595639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Fusarium oxysporum is a cross-kingdom pathogen. While some strains cause disseminated fusariosis and blinding corneal infections in humans, others are responsible for devastating vascular wilt diseases in plants. To better understand the distinct adaptations of F. oxysporum to animal or plant hosts, we conducted a comparative phenotypic and genetic analysis of two strains: MRL8996 (isolated from a keratitis patient) and Fol4287 (isolated from a wilted tomato [Solanum lycopersicum]). In vivo infection of mouse corneas and tomato plants revealed that, while both strains cause symptoms in both hosts, MRL8996 caused more severe corneal ulceration and perforation in mice, whereas Fol4287 induced more pronounced wilting symptoms in tomato. In vitro assays using abiotic stress treatments revealed that the human pathogen MRL8996 was better adapted to elevated temperatures, whereas the plant pathogen Fol4287 was more tolerant of osmotic and cell wall stresses. Both strains displayed broad resistance to antifungal treatment, with MRL8996 exhibiting the paradoxical effect of increased tolerance to higher concentrations of the antifungal caspofungin. We identified a set of accessory chromosomes (ACs) and protein-encoding genes with distinct transposon profiles and functions, respectively, between MRL8996 and Fol4287. Interestingly, ACs from both genomes also encode proteins with shared functions, such as chromatin remodeling and post-translational protein modifications. Our phenotypic assays and comparative genomics analyses lay the foundation for future studies correlating genotype with phenotype and for developing targeted antifungals for agricultural and clinical uses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilay Hazal Ayhan
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Serena Abbondante
- Physiology and Biophysics and Ophthalmology, University of California, Irvine, USA University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Domingo Martínez-Soto
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Shira Milo
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Katherine Rickelton
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Vista Sohrab
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Shunsuke Kotera
- Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Arie
- Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michaela Ellen Marshall
- Physiology and Biophysics and Ophthalmology, University of California, Irvine, USA University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Marina Campos Rocha
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Sajeet Haridas
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Igor V. Grigoriev
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Neta Shlezinger
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eric Pearlman
- Physiology and Biophysics and Ophthalmology, University of California, Irvine, USA University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Li-Jun Ma
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
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González-León Y, De la Vega-Camarillo E, Ramírez-Vargas R, Anducho-Reyes MA, Mercado-Flores Y. Whole genome analysis of Bacillus velezensis 160, biological control agent of corn head smut. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0326423. [PMID: 38363138 PMCID: PMC10986511 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03264-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Corn head smut is a disease caused by the fungus Sporisorium reilianum. This phytosanitary problem has existed for several decades in the Mezquital Valley, an important corn-producing area in central Mexico. To combat the problem, a strain identified as Bacillus subtilis 160 was applied in the field, where it decreased disease incidence and increased crop productivity. In this study, the sequencing and analysis of the whole genome sequence of this strain were carried out to identify its genetic determinants for the production of antimicrobials. The B. subtilis 160 strain was found to be Bacillus velezensis. Its genome has a size of 4,297,348 bp, a GC content of 45.8%, and 4,174 coding sequences. Comparative analysis with the genomes of four other B. velezensis strains showed that they share 2,804 genes and clusters for the production of difficidin, bacillibactin, bacilysin, macrolantin, bacillaene, fengycin, butirosin A, locillomycin, and surfactin. For the latter metabolite, unlike the other strains that have only one cluster, B. velezensis 160 has three. A cluster for synthesizing laterocidine, an antimicrobial reported only in Brevibacillus laterosporus, was also identified. IMPORTANCE In this study, we performed sequencing and analysis of the complete genome of the strain initially identified as Bacillus subtilis 160 as part of its characterization. This bacterium has shown its ability to control corn head smut in the field, a disease caused by the basidiomycete fungus Sporisorium reilianum. Analyzing the complete genome sequence not only provides a more precise taxonomic identification but also sheds light on the genetic potential of this bacterium, especially regarding mechanisms that allow it to exert biological control. Employing molecular and bioinformatics tools in studying the genomes of agriculturally significant microorganisms offers insights into the development of biofungicides and bioinoculants. These innovations aim to enhance plant growth and pave the way for strategies that boost crop productivity.
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Wang Y, Xu C, Gao Y, Ma Y, Zhang X, Zhang L, Di H, Ma J, Dong L, Zeng X, Zhang N, Xu J, Li Y, Gao C, Wang Z, Zhou Y. Physiological Mechanisms Underlying Tassel Symptom Formation in Maize Infected with Sporisorium reilianum. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:238. [PMID: 38256790 PMCID: PMC10820020 DOI: 10.3390/plants13020238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Head smut is a soil-borne fungal disease caused by Sporisorium reilianum that infects maize tassels and ears. This disease poses a tremendous threat to global maize production. A previous study found markedly different and stably heritable tassel symptoms in some maize inbred lines with Sipingtou blood after infection with S. reilianum. In the present study, 55 maize inbred lines with Sipingtou blood were inoculated with S. reilianum and classified into three tassel symptom types (A, B, and C). Three maize inbred lines representing these classes (Huangzao4, Jing7, and Chang7-2, respectively) were used as test materials to investigate the physiological mechanisms of tassel formation in infected plants. Changes in enzyme activity, hormone content, and protein expression were analyzed in all three lines after infection and in control plants. The activities of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase (PAL) were increased in the three typical inbred lines after inoculation. POD and SOD activities showed similar trends between lines, with the increase percentage peaking at the V12 stage (POD: 57.06%, 63.19%, and 70.28% increases in Huangzao4, Jing7, and Chang7-2, respectively; SOD: 27.01%, 29.62%, and 47.07% in Huangzao4, Jing7, and Chang7-2, respectively. These were all higher than in the disease-resistant inbred line Mo17 at the same growth stage); this stage was found to be key in tassel symptom formation. Levels of gibberellic acid (GA3), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and abscisic acid (ABA) were also altered in the three typical maize inbred lines after inoculation, with changes in GA3 and IAA contents tightly correlated with tassel symptoms after S. reilianum infection. The differentially expressed proteins A5H8G4, P09233, and Q8VXG7 were associated with changes in enzyme activity, whereas P49353, P13689, and P10979 were associated with changes in hormone contents. Fungal infection caused reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) bursts in the three typical inbred lines. This ROS accumulation caused biofilm disruption and altered host signaling pathways, whereas NO signaling triggered strong secondary metabolic responses in the host and altered the activities of defense-related enzymes. These factors together resulted in the formation of varying tassel symptoms. Thus, interactions between S. reilianum and susceptible maize materials were influenced by a variety of signals, enzymes, hormones, and metabolic cycles, encompassing a very complex regulatory network. This study preliminarily identified the physiological mechanisms leading to differences in tassel symptoms, deepening our understanding of S. reilianum-maize interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhe Wang
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Chuzhen Xu
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yansong Gao
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yanhua Ma
- Institute of Forage and Grass land Sciences, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150086, China;
| | - Xiaoming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Hong Di
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Jinxin Ma
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Ling Dong
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Xing Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Naifu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Jiawei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yujuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Chao Gao
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Zhenhua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Engineering Technology Research Center of Maize Germplasm Resources Innovation on Cold land of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
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Zhang B, Zhang N, Li R, Fu Z, Sun Y, Ren Z, Mu F, Han Y, Han Y. Underlying Mechanisms of the Hedgehog-Like Panicle and Filamentous Leaf Tissue Symptoms Caused by Sclerospora graminicola in Foxtail Millet. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2024; 114:73-83. [PMID: 37535821 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-03-23-0097-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Downy mildew caused by Sclerospora graminicola is a systemic infectious disease affecting foxtail millet production in Africa and Asia. S. graminicola-infected leaves could be decomposed to a state where only the veins remain, resulting in a filamentous leaf tissue symptom. The aim of the present study was to investigate how S. graminicola influences the formation of the filamentous leaf tissue symptoms in hosts at the morphological and molecular levels. We discovered that vegetative hyphae expanded rapidly, with high biomass accumulated at the early stages of S. graminicola infection. In addition, S. graminicola could affect spikelet morphological development at the panicle branch differentiation stage to the pistil and stamen differentiation stage by interfering with hormones and nutrient metabolism in the host, resulting in hedgehog-like panicle symptoms. S. graminicola could acquire high amounts of nutrients from host tissues through secretion of β-glucosidase, endoglucanase, and pectic enzyme, and destroyed host mesophyll cells by mechanical pressure caused by rapid expansion of hyphae. At the later stages, S. graminicola could rapidly complete sexual reproduction through tryptophan, fatty acid, starch, and sucrose metabolism and subsequently produce numerous oospores. Oospore proliferation and development further damage host leaves via mechanical pressure, resulting in a large number of degraded and extinct mesophyll cells and, subsequently, malformed leaves with only veins left, that is, "filamentous leaf tissue." Our study revealed the S. graminicola expansion characteristics from its asexual to sexual development stages, and the potential mechanisms via which the destructive effects of S. graminicola on hosts occur at different growth stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baojun Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Minor Crops Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, Taiyuan, 030000, China
| | - Nuo Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Minor Crops Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, Taiyuan, 030000, China
| | - Renjian Li
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430000, China
| | - Zhenxin Fu
- College of Plant Protection, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Minor Crops Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, Taiyuan, 030000, China
| | - Yurong Sun
- College of Plant Protection, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Minor Crops Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, Taiyuan, 030000, China
| | - Zhixian Ren
- College of Plant Protection, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Minor Crops Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, Taiyuan, 030000, China
| | - Fan Mu
- College of Plant Protection, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
| | - Yuanhuai Han
- College of Plant Protection, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Minor Crops Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, Taiyuan, 030000, China
| | - Yanqing Han
- College of Plant Protection, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Minor Crops Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, Taiyuan, 030000, China
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López-Calva VL, de Jesús Huerta-García A, Téllez-Jurado A, Mercado-Flores Y, Anducho-Reyes MA. Isolation and selection of autochthonous strains of Trichoderma spp. with inhibitory activity against Sporisorium reilianum. Braz J Microbiol 2023; 54:3173-3185. [PMID: 37831329 PMCID: PMC10689304 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-01142-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Head smut is a worldwide disease caused by the fungus Sporisorium reilianum. In Mexico, this phytosanitary problem has been described in the central part of the country, specifically in the Mezquital Valley in the state of Hidalgo, where this basidiomycete causes significant economic losses. In this work, seven strains of Trichoderma spp. were isolated from corn rhizospheres collected from crops in the affected zone. The isolates were identified as Trichoderma asperellum MH1, T. asperellum T4H1, T. harzianum T1H1, T. harzianum T1H3, T. atrobrunneum T1H2, T. tomentosum T2H4, and T. brevicompactum T3H1. All strains showed the ability to grow on the phytopathogen but with distinct degrees of mycoparasitism. SEM observations demonstrated the ability of T. asperellum T4H1 to invade the S. reilianum yeast growth. All the strains produced volatile compounds with antifungal activity. With the exception of T. asperellum MH1, all strains inhibited the development of the pathogen by means of non-volatile compounds. Production of the extracellular enzymes (lipase, cellulase, chitinase, protease, and laccase) was evaluated, with most strains presenting high lipolytic activity and low proteolytic activity. The production of cellulase and chitinase was observed only in five strains. Laccase production was found in three isolates. Evaluations at the greenhouse of the sequential application of three mixtures of the isolates were conducted in a greenhouse; findings showed that the phytopathogen was not detected by specific PCR in the plants that received the treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Lizbeth López-Calva
- Universidad Politécnica de Pachuca, Carretera Pachuca-Cd. Sahagún, km 20, Ex-Hacienda de Santa Bárbara, Zempoala Hidalgo, 43830, México
| | - Antonio de Jesús Huerta-García
- Universidad Politécnica de Pachuca, Carretera Pachuca-Cd. Sahagún, km 20, Ex-Hacienda de Santa Bárbara, Zempoala Hidalgo, 43830, México
| | - Alejandro Téllez-Jurado
- Universidad Politécnica de Pachuca, Carretera Pachuca-Cd. Sahagún, km 20, Ex-Hacienda de Santa Bárbara, Zempoala Hidalgo, 43830, México
| | - Yuridia Mercado-Flores
- Universidad Politécnica de Pachuca, Carretera Pachuca-Cd. Sahagún, km 20, Ex-Hacienda de Santa Bárbara, Zempoala Hidalgo, 43830, México.
| | - Miguel Angel Anducho-Reyes
- Universidad Politécnica de Pachuca, Carretera Pachuca-Cd. Sahagún, km 20, Ex-Hacienda de Santa Bárbara, Zempoala Hidalgo, 43830, México
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Shuai L, Huang H, Liao L, Duan Z, Zhang X, Wang Z, Lei J, Huang W, Chen X, Huang D, Li Q, Song X, Yan M. Variety-Specific Flowering of Sugarcane Induced by the Smut Fungus Sporisorium scitamineum. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:316. [PMID: 36679029 PMCID: PMC9863003 DOI: 10.3390/plants12020316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Sugarcane smut is the most severe sugarcane disease in China. The typical symptom is the emerging of a long, black whip from the top of the plant cane. However, in 2018, for the first time we observed the floral structures of sugarcane infected by smut fungus in the planting fields of China. Such smut-associated inflorescence in sugarcane was generally curved and short, with small black whips emerging from glumes of a single floret on the cane stalk. Compatible haploid strains, named Ssf1-7 (MAT-1) and Ssf1-8 (MAT-2), isolated from teliospores that formed black whips in inflorescence of sugarcane were selected for sexual mating assay, ITS DNA sequencing analysis and pathogenicity assessment. The isolates Ssf1-7 and Ssf1-8 showed stronger sexual mating capability than the reported Sporisorium scitamineum strains Ss17 and Ss18. The ITS DNA sequence of the isolates Ssf1-7 and Ssf1-8 reached 100% similarity to the isolates of S. scitamineum strains available in GenBank. Inoculating Ssf1-7 + Ssf1-8 to six sugarcane varieties, i.e., GT42, GT44, GT49, GT55, LC05-136 and ROC22, resulted in different smut morphological modifications. The symptoms of floral structure only occurred in LC05-136, indicating that the flowering induction by S. scitamineum is variety-specific. Furthermore, six selected flowering-related genes were found to be differentially expressed in infected Ssf1-7 + Ssf1-8 LC05-13 plantlets compared to uninfected ones. It is concluded that the flowering induction by S. scitamineum depends on specific fungal race and sugarcane variety, suggesting a specific pathogen-host interaction and expression of some flowering-related genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Shuai
- College of Food and Biological Engineering, Institute of Food Research, Hezhou University, Hezhou 542899, China
| | - Hairong Huang
- Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sugarcane Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement (Guangxi), Ministry of Agriculture, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Genetic Improvement, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Lingyan Liao
- College of Food and Biological Engineering, Institute of Food Research, Hezhou University, Hezhou 542899, China
| | - Zhenhua Duan
- College of Food and Biological Engineering, Institute of Food Research, Hezhou University, Hezhou 542899, China
| | - Xiaoqiu Zhang
- Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sugarcane Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement (Guangxi), Ministry of Agriculture, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Genetic Improvement, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Zeping Wang
- Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sugarcane Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement (Guangxi), Ministry of Agriculture, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Genetic Improvement, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Jingchao Lei
- Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sugarcane Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement (Guangxi), Ministry of Agriculture, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Genetic Improvement, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Weihua Huang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Xiaohang Chen
- Baise Agricultural Scientific Research Institute, Baise 533612, China
| | - Dongmei Huang
- Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sugarcane Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement (Guangxi), Ministry of Agriculture, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Genetic Improvement, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Qiufang Li
- Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sugarcane Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement (Guangxi), Ministry of Agriculture, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Genetic Improvement, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Xiupeng Song
- Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sugarcane Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement (Guangxi), Ministry of Agriculture, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Genetic Improvement, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Meixin Yan
- Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sugarcane Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement (Guangxi), Ministry of Agriculture, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Genetic Improvement, Nanning 530007, China
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Martínez-Soto D, Yu H, Allen KS, Ma LJ. Differential Colonization of the Plant Vasculature Between Endophytic Versus Pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum Strains. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2023; 36:4-13. [PMID: 36279112 PMCID: PMC10052776 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-08-22-0166-sc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Plant xylem colonization is the hallmark of vascular wilt diseases caused by phytopathogens within the Fusarium oxysporum species complex. Recently, xylem colonization has also been reported among endophytic F. oxysporum strains, resulting in some uncertainty. This study compares xylem colonization processes by pathogenic versus endophytic strains in Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum lycopersicum, using Arabidopsis pathogen Fo5176, tomato pathogen Fol4287, and the endophyte Fo47, which can colonize both plant hosts. We observed that all strains were able to advance from epidermis to endodermis within 3 days postinoculation (dpi) and reached the root xylem at 4 dpi. However, this shared progression was restricted to lateral roots and the elongation zone of the primary root. Only pathogens reached the xylem above the primary-root maturation zone (PMZ). Related to the distinct colonization patterns, we also observed stronger induction of callose at the PMZ and lignin deposition at primary-lateral root junctions by the endophyte in both plants. This observation was further supported by stronger induction of Arabidopsis genes involved in callose and lignin biosynthesis during the endophytic colonization (Fo47) compared with the pathogenic interaction (Fo5176). Moreover, both pathogens encode more plant cell wall-degrading enzymes than the endophyte Fo47. Therefore, observed differences in callose and lignin deposition could be the combination of host production and the subsequent fungal degradation. In summary, this study demonstrates spatial differences between endophytic and pathogenic colonization, strongly suggesting that further investigations of molecular arm-races are needed to understand how plants differentiate friend from foe. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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β-Xylosidase SRBX1 Activity from Sporisorium reilianum and Its Synergism with Xylanase SRXL1 in Xylose Release from Corn Hemicellulose. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8121295. [PMID: 36547628 PMCID: PMC9781407 DOI: 10.3390/jof8121295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Sposisorium reilianum is the causal agent of corn ear smut disease. Eleven genes have been identified in its genome that code for enzymes that could constitute its hemicellulosic system, three of which have been associated with two Endo-β-1,4-xylanases and one with α-L-arabinofuranosidase activity. In this study, the native protein extracellular with β-xylosidase activity, called SRBX1, produced by this basidiomycete was analyzed by performing production kinetics and its subsequent purification by gel filtration. The enzyme was characterized biochemically and sequenced. Finally, its synergism with Xylanase SRXL1 was determined. Its activity was higher in a medium with corn hemicellulose and glucose as carbon sources. The purified protein was a monomer associated with the sr16700 gene, with a molecular weight of 117 kDa and optimal activity at 60 °C in a pH range of 4-7, which had the ability to hydrolyze the ρ-nitrophenyl β-D-xylanopyranoside and ρ-Nitrophenyl α-L-arabinofuranoside substrates. Its activity was strongly inhibited by silver ions and presented Km and Vmax values of 2.5 mM and 0.2 μmol/min/mg, respectively, using ρ-nitrophenyl β-D-xylanopyranoside as a substrate. The enzyme degrades corn hemicellulose and birch xylan in combination and in sequential synergism with the xylanase SRXL1.
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Zhou Y, Yao M, Wang Q, Zhang X, Di H, Zhang L, Dong L, Xu Q, Liu X, Zeng X, Wang Z. Analysis of QTLs and Candidate Genes for Tassel Symptoms in Maize Infected with Sporisorium reilianum. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214416. [PMID: 36430897 PMCID: PMC9692487 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Heat smut is a fungal soil-borne disease caused by Sporisorium reilianum, and affects the development of male and female tassels. Our previous research found that the tassel symptoms in maize infected with Sporisorium reilianum significantly differed in inbred lines with Sipingtou blood, and exhibited stable heredity over time at multiple locations. In this study, cytological analysis demonstrated that the cellular organization structures of three typical inbred lines (Huangzao4, Jing7, and Chang7-2) showed significant discrepancies at the VT stage. QTLs that control the different symptoms of maize tassels infected with Sporisorium reilianum were located in two F2 populations, which were constructed using three typical inbred lines. The BSA (bulked segregation analysis) method was used to construct mixed gene pools based on typical tassel symptoms. The QTLs of different symptoms of maize tassels infected with Sporisorium reilianum were detected with 869 SSR markers covering the whole maize genome. The mixed gene pools were screened with polymorphic markers between the parents. Additional SSR markers were added near the above marker to detect genotypes in partially single plants in F2 populations. The QTL controlling tassel symptoms in the Huangzao4 and Jing7 lines was located on the bin 1.06 region, between the markers of umc1590 and bnlg1598, and explained 21.12% of the phenotypic variation with an additive effect of 0.6524. The QTL controlling the tassel symptoms of the Jing7 and Chang7-2 lines was located on the bin 2.07 region, between the markers of umc1042 and bnlg1335, and explained 11.26% phenotypic variation with an additive effect of 0.4355. Two candidate genes (ZmABP2 and Zm00001D006403) were identified by a conjoint analysis of label-free quantification proteome sequencings.
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12
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Ma L, Meng Q, Shi F, Liu J, Li Y, Liu C, Liu X, Su B, He C, Ji C. Genome-wide analysis of maize PR-1 gene family and expression profiles induced by plant hormones and fungal phytopathogens. Am J Transl Res 2022; 14:8315-8331. [PMID: 36505298 PMCID: PMC9730051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In order to find similarity of the protein X in maize with other species we performed a BLASTP search to identify the maize ZmPR-1 family genes. METHODS We used a BLASTP search to identify the maize ZmPR-1 family genes that may show similarities between the protein X in maize and other species. RESULTS A total of 17 ZmPR-1 genes were identified and these genes were unevenly distributed on 8 chromosomes of maize. All ZmPR-1 gene predicted proteins contained a conserved CAP domain, according to the results of multiple sequence alignment and gene structure analysis. Phylogenetic tree analysis of a total of 85 PR-1 protein sequences from maize, sorghum, rice and Arabidopsis showed that the PR-1 family proteins were divided into four categories, and the maize ZmPR-1 was closely related to sorghum PR-1. In the promoter of maize ZmPR-1 gene, hypothetical cis-elements related to fungal induction, defense stress response, plant hormones, low temperature and drought response were detected. Microarray data analysis showed that ZmPR-1 displayed a tissue-specific expression pattern at different developmental stages, and responded to the infections of five maize pathogens. In addition, we further verified that four ZmPR-1 genes (ZmPR-1-5, 12, 14 and 16) were not only significantly up-regulated after Setosphearia turcica infection, but also affected by exogenous cues such as SA, ABA, MeJA and H2O2. CONCLUSION The ZmPR-1 family may be important in plant disease resistance. This study's data provide important clues for future research on the function of ZmPR-1 family genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ligong Ma
- Institute of Plant Protection, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural SciencesHarbin 150086, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Qinglin Meng
- Institute of Plant Protection, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural SciencesHarbin 150086, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Fengmei Shi
- Institute of Plant Protection, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural SciencesHarbin 150086, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural SciencesHarbin 150086, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yichu Li
- Institute of Plant Protection, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural SciencesHarbin 150086, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Chunlai Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural SciencesHarbin 150086, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Xinglong Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural SciencesHarbin 150086, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Baohua Su
- Institute of Plant Protection, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural SciencesHarbin 150086, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Changan He
- Keshan Branch of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural SciencesKeshan 161600, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Chunxue Ji
- Keshan Branch of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural SciencesKeshan 161600, Heilongjiang, China
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Aminotransferase SsAro8 Regulates Tryptophan Metabolism Essential for Filamentous Growth of Sugarcane Smut Fungus
Sporisorium scitamineum. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0057022. [PMID: 35862944 PMCID: PMC9431617 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00570-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sugarcane smut caused by the basidiomycetous fungus Sporisorium scitamineum leads to severe economic losses globally. Sexual mating/filamentation of S. scitamineum is critical for its pathogenicity, as only the dikaryotic hyphae formed after sexual mating are capable of invading the host cane. Our comparative transcriptome analysis showed that the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and the AGC kinase Agc1 (orthologous to yeast Rim15), both governing S. scitamineum mating/filamentation, were induced by elevated tryptophol level, supporting a positive regulation of S. scitamineum mating/filamentation by tryptophol. However, the biosynthesis pathway of tryptophol remains unknown in S. scitamineum. Here, we identified an aminotransferase orthologous to the established tryptophan aminotransferase Tam1/Aro8, catalyzing the first step of tryptophan-dependent indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production as well as that of the Ehrlich pathway for tryptophol production. We designated this S. scitamineum aminotransferase as SsAro8 and found that it was essential for mating/filamentation. Comparative metabolomics analysis revealed that SsAro8 was involved in tryptophan metabolism, likely for producing important intermediate products, including tryptophol. Exogenous addition of tryptophan or tryptophol could differentially restore mating/filamentation in the ssaro8Δ mutant, indicating that in addition to tryptophol, other product(s) of tryptophan catabolism may also be involved in S. scitamineum mating/filamentation regulation. S. scitamineum could also produce IAA, partially dependent on SsAro8 function. Surprisingly, photodestruction of IAA produced the compound(s) able to suppress S. scitamineum growth/differentiation. Lastly, we found that SsAro8 was required for proper biofilm formation, oxidative stress tolerance, and full pathogenicity in S. scitamineum. Overall, our study establishes the aminotransferase SsAro8 as an essential regulator of S. scitamineum pathogenic differentiation, as well as fungus-host interaction, and therefore of great potential as a molecular target for sugarcane smut disease control. IMPORTANCE Sugarcane smut caused by the basidiomycete fungus S. scitamineum leads to massive economic losses in sugarcane plantation globally. Dikaryotic hyphae formation (filamentous growth) and biofilm formation are two important aspects in S. scitamineum pathogenesis, yet the molecular regulation of these two processes was not as extensively investigated as that in the model pathogenic fungi, e.g., Candida albicans, Ustilago maydis, or Cryptococcus neoformans. In this study, a tryptophan aminotransferase ortholog was identified in S. scitamineum, designated SsAro8. Functional characterization showed that SsAro8 positively regulates both filamentous growth and biofilm formation, respectively, via tryptophol-dependent and -independent manners. Furthermore, SsAro8 is required for full pathogenicity and, thus, is a promising molecular target for designing anti-smut strategy.
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The Sporisorium reilianum Effector Vag2 Promotes Head Smut Disease via Suppression of Plant Defense Responses. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8050498. [PMID: 35628753 PMCID: PMC9146561 DOI: 10.3390/jof8050498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome comparison between the maize pathogens Ustilago maydis and Sporisorium reilianum revealed a large diversity region (19-1) containing nearly 30 effector gene candidates, whose deletion severely hampers virulence of both fungi. Dissection of the S. reilianum gene cluster resulted in the identification of one major contributor to virulence, virulence-associated gene 2 (vag2; sr10050). Quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) experiments revealed high expression of vag2 during biotrophic growth of S. reilianum. Using the yeast secretion trap assay, we confirmed the existence of a functional signal peptide allowing protein secretion via the conventional secretory pathway. We identified the cytoplasmic maize chorismate mutase ZmCM2 by yeast two-hybrid screening as a possible interaction partner of Vag2. Interaction of the two proteins in planta was confirmed by bimolecular fluorescence complementation. qRT-PCR experiments revealed vag2-dependent downregulation of salicylic acid (SA)-induced genes, which correlated with higher SA levels in plant tissues colonized by Δvag2 deletion strains relative to S. reilianum wildtype strains. Metabolite analysis suggested rewiring of pathogen-induced SA biosynthesis by preferential conversion of the SA precursor chorismate into the aromatic amino acid precursor prephenate by ZmCM2 in the presence of Vag2. Possibly, the binding of Vag2 to ZmCM2 inhibits the back reaction of the ZmCM2-catalyzed interconversion of chorismate and prephenate, thus contributing to fungal virulence by lowering the plant SA-induced defenses.
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Wu E, Liu L, Zhu M, Wu H, Yang Q, Li J, Han X, Feng B. The Life Cycle and Ultrastructure of the Host Response of the Smut Pathogen Anthracocystis destruens on Broomcorn Millet. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2022; 112:996-1002. [PMID: 34732077 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-04-21-0154-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Broomcorn millet smut caused by the fungus Anthracocystis destruens is one of the most destructive diseases in broomcorn millet production. The life cycle of A. destruens and host defense responses against A. destruens remain elusive. Here we investigated the disease symptom development and the parasitic process of A. destruens as well as the ultrastructure of the host-pathogen interface. The results showed that there are four typical symptoms of broomcorn millet smut, which are blackfly, cluster leaves, hedgehog head, and incomplete fruiting. A. destruens colonizes all tissues of broomcorn millet but produces teliospores only in the inflorescence. After infection, A. destruens proliferates in the host, likely in a systemic manner. Ultrastructural study of the infected inflorescence showed that the pathogen grows intercellularly and intracellularly within the host. The host activates defense response to prevent pathogen infection, accumulation of callose analogs and highly electron-dense deposits to resist A. destruens infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enguo Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Long Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Mingqi Zhu
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Huiqin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Qinghua Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Xiaowei Han
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Baili Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
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Intracellular Aminopeptidase Activity Determination from the Fungus Sporisorium reilianum: Purification and Biochemical Characterization of psrAPEi Enzyme. Curr Microbiol 2022; 79:90. [PMID: 35129692 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-022-02787-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The aims of this study were to, first, determine the intracellular aminopeptidase activity (APEi) and second, purify and biochemically characterize one intracellular aminopeptidase enzyme from the phytopathogen fungus Sporisorium reilianum (psrAPEi), the causal agent of head smut in corn. The fungus produced APEi activity in all media cultures evaluated. The psrAPEi was purified by a procedure that involved ammonium sulfate fractionation and four chromatographic steps using an FPLC system (Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography). Results showed an estimated molecular mass of 52.2 kDa. Enzymatic activity was optimal at pH 7.0 and 35 °C and was inhibited by EDTA-Na2, 1,10-phenanthroline, bestatin, and PMSF. This aminopeptidase showed a preference for leucine, arginine, and lysine at the N-position. The Km and Vmax values were 3.72 μM and 188.0 μmol/min, respectively, for L-lysyl-4-nitroanilide. This is the first study to report on intracellular aminopeptidase activity in S. reilianum and the purification and characterization of an intracellular metallo-serine-aminopeptidase (psrAPEi).
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Identification and Functional Characterization of a Putative Alternative Oxidase (Aox) in Sporisorium reilianum f. sp. zeae. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8020148. [PMID: 35205901 PMCID: PMC8877474 DOI: 10.3390/jof8020148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrial electron transport chain consists of the classical protein complexes (I–IV) that facilitate the flow of electrons and coupled oxidative phosphorylation to produce metabolic energy. The canonical route of electron transport may diverge by the presence of alternative components to the electron transport chain. The following study comprises the bioinformatic identification and functional characterization of a putative alternative oxidase in the smut fungus Sporisorium reilianum f. sp. zeae. This alternative respiratory component has been previously identified in other eukaryotes and is essential for alternative respiration as a response to environmental and chemical stressors, as well as for developmental transitionaoxs during the life cycle of an organism. A growth inhibition assay, using specific mitochondrial inhibitors, functionally confirmed the presence of an antimycin-resistant/salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM)-sensitive alternative oxidase in the respirasome of S. reilianum. Gene disruption experiments revealed that this enzyme is involved in the pathogenic stage of the fungus, with its absence effectively reducing overall disease incidence in infected maize plants. Furthermore, gene expression analysis revealed that alternative oxidase plays a prominent role in the teliospore developmental stage, in agreement with favoring alternative respiration during quiescent stages of an organism’s life cycle.
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Abstract
Corn head smut fungus Sporisorium reilianum f. sp. zeae is a biotrophic pathogen belonging to the class of basidiomycetes. Under field conditions, it infects maize (Zea mays L.) still in the soil at early stages of development. Later, the infection spreads systemically to all aerial parts of the plant with mild symptoms of anthocyanin accumulation until the development of inflorescences, where it causes a replacement of maize inflorescences with spore-filled sori or leaf-like structures. Recently, Sporisorium reilianum (S. reilianum) is being established as a model organism to study fungal-plant interactions and corresponding virulence factors. Here, we describe a detailed protocol for a method that has been described and employed previously (Ghareeb H, Zhao Y, Schirawski J, Molecular plant pathology 20:124-136, 2019) to test the virulence of S. reilianum in maize under controlled laboratory conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamoona Khan
- Department of Plant Pathology, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Armin Djamei
- Department of Plant Pathology, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Bhuiyan SA, Magarey RC, McNeil MD, Aitken KS. Sugarcane Smut, Caused by Sporisorium scitamineum, a Major Disease of Sugarcane: A Contemporary Review. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2021; 111:1905-1917. [PMID: 34241540 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-05-21-0221-rvw] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Sugarcane smut caused by the fungus Sporisorium scitamineum is one of the major diseases of sugarcane worldwide, causing significant losses in productivity and profitability of this perennial crop. Teliospores of this fungus are airborne, can travel long distances, and remain viable in hot and dry conditions for >6 months. The disease is easily recognized by its long whiplike sorus produced on the apex or side shoots of sugarcane stalks. Each sorus can release ≤100 million teliospores in a day; the spores are small (≤7.5 µ) and light and can survive in harsh environmental conditions. The airborne teliospores are the primary mode of smut spread around the world and across cane-growing regions. The most effective method of managing this disease is via resistant varieties. Because of the complex genomic makeup of sugarcane, selection for resistant traits is difficult in sugarcane breeding programs. In recent times, the application of molecular markers as a rapid tool of discarding susceptible genotypes early in the selection program has been investigated. Large effect resistance loci have been identified and have the potential to be used for marker-assisted selection to increase the frequency of resistant breeding lines in breeding programs. Recent developments in omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) have contributed to our understanding and provided insights into the mechanism of resistance and susceptibility. This knowledge will further our understanding of smut and its interactions with sugarcane genotypes and aid in the development of durable resistant varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamsul A Bhuiyan
- Sugar Research Australia, Woodford, QLD 4514, Australia, and Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, QLD 4111, Australia
| | | | - Meredith D McNeil
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Karen S Aitken
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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Influence of Silicon on Biocontrol Strategies to Manage Biotic Stress for Crop Protection, Performance, and Improvement. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10102163. [PMID: 34685972 PMCID: PMC8537781 DOI: 10.3390/plants10102163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Silicon (Si) has never been acknowledged as a vital nutrient though it confers a crucial role in a variety of plants. Si may usually be expressed more clearly in Si-accumulating plants subjected to biotic stress. It safeguards several plant species from disease. It is considered as a common element in the lithosphere of up to 30% of soils, with most minerals and rocks containing silicon, and is classified as a "significant non-essential" element for plants. Plant roots absorb Si, which is subsequently transferred to the aboveground parts through transpiration stream. The soluble Si in cytosol activates metabolic processes that create jasmonic acid and herbivore-induced organic compounds in plants to extend their defense against biotic stressors. The soluble Si in the plant tissues also attracts natural predators and parasitoids during pest infestation to boost biological control, and it acts as a natural insect repellent. However, so far scientists, policymakers, and farmers have paid little attention to its usage as a pesticide. The recent developments in the era of genomics and metabolomics have opened a new window of knowledge in designing molecular strategies integrated with the role of Si in stress mitigation in plants. Accordingly, the present review summarizes the current status of Si-mediated plant defense against insect, fungal, and bacterial attacks. It was noted that the Si-application quenches biotic stress on a long-term basis, which could be beneficial for ecologically integrated strategy instead of using pesticides in the near future for crop improvement and to enhance productivity.
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Lin JS, Happel P, Kahmann R. Nuclear status and leaf tumor formation in the Ustilago maydis-maize pathosystem. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 231:399-415. [PMID: 33786841 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ustilago maydis is a biotrophic fungus causing smut disease in corn. The infectious forms are dikaryotic hyphae. Here we analyze mutants lacking the nlt1 transcription factor and investigate why these mutants are unable to induce leaf tumors. The study involved reverse genetics, complementation, epistasis analysis, microscopy, gene expression analysis by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR and virulence assays. We show that nlt1 mutants colonize maize leaves efficiently but fail to undergo karyogamy and are attenuated in late proliferation. Nlt1 activates transcription of ros1, a transcription factor controlling karyogamy, and represses see1, an effector previously shown to contribute to leaf tumor induction. In mononuclate solopathogenic strains, nlt1 mutants cause attenuated leaf tumor formation. In actively dividing maize organs, nlt1 mutants undergo karyogamy and induce tumor formation. Sporisorium reilianum, a smut fungus unable to induce leaf tumors, possesses an ortholog of nlt1 that controls the fusion of dikaryotic nuclei late in infection during cob colonization. Our results have established a regulatory connection between nlt1, ros1 and see1 and suggest the existence of two stages contributing to leaf tumor formation, one before nuclear fusion and involving nlt1 and one after karyogamy that is nlt1 independent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jer-Sheng Lin
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 10, Marburg, 35043, Germany
| | - Petra Happel
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 10, Marburg, 35043, Germany
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 10, Marburg, 35043, Germany
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Wheat Varietal Response to Tilletia controversa J. G. Kühn Using qRT-PCR and Laser Confocal Microscopy. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12030425. [PMID: 33809560 PMCID: PMC8000713 DOI: 10.3390/genes12030425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Tilletia controversa J. G. Kühn is a causal organism of dwarf bunt in wheat. Understanding the interaction of wheat and T. controversa is of practical and scientific importance for disease control. In this study, the relative expression of TaLHY and TaPR-4 and TaPR-5 genes was higher in a resistant (Yinong 18) and moderately resistant (Pin 9928) cultivars rather than susceptible (Dongxuan 3) cultivar at 72 h post inoculation (hpi) with T. controversa. Similarly, the expression of defensin, TaPR-2 and TaPR-10 genes was observed higher in resistant and moderately resistant cultivars after exogenous application of phytohormones, including methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, and abscisic acid. Laser confocal microscopy was used to track the fungal hyphae in the roots, leaves, and tapetum cells, which of susceptible cultivar were infected harshly by T. controversa than moderately resistant and resistant cultivars. There were no fungal hyphae in tapetum cells in susceptible cultivar after methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid and abscisic acid treatments. Moreover, after T. controversa infection, the pollen germination was of 80.06, 58.73, and 0.67% in resistant, moderately resistant and susceptible cultivars, respectively. The above results suggested that the use using of resistant cultivar is a good option against the dwarf bunt disease.
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Zhang B, Zhang N, Zhang Q, Xu Q, Zhong T, Zhang K, Xu M. Transcriptome Profiles of Sporisorium reilianum during the Early Infection of Resistant and Susceptible Maize Isogenic Lines. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7020150. [PMID: 33669631 PMCID: PMC7922634 DOI: 10.3390/jof7020150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The biotrophic fungus Sporisorium reilianum causes destructive head smut disease in maize (Zea mays L.). To explore the pathogenicity arsenal of this fungus, we tracked its transcriptome changes during infection of the maize seedling mesocotyls of two near-isogenic lines, HZ4 and HZ4R, differing solely in the disease resistance gene ZmWAK. Parasitic growth of S. reilianum resulted in thousands of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) compared with growth in axenic culture. The protein synthesis and energy metabolism of S. reilianum were predominantly enriched with down-regulated DEGs, consistent with the arrested hyphal growth observed following colonization. Nutrition-related metabolic processes were enriched with both up- and down-regulated DEGs, which, together with activated transmembrane transport, reflected a potential transition in nutrition uptake of S. reilianum once it invaded maize. Notably, genes encoding secreted proteins of S. reilianum were mostly up-regulated during biotrophy. ZmWAK-mediated resistance to head smut disease reduced the number of DEGs of S. reilianum, particularly those related to the secretome. These observations deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying S. reilianum pathogenicity and ZmWAK-induced innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boqi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, National Maize Improvement Center, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing 100193, China; (B.Z.); (N.Z.); (Q.Z.); (Q.X.); (T.Z.); (K.Z.)
| | - Nan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, National Maize Improvement Center, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing 100193, China; (B.Z.); (N.Z.); (Q.Z.); (Q.X.); (T.Z.); (K.Z.)
- Crops Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinying 2 West Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Qianqian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, National Maize Improvement Center, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing 100193, China; (B.Z.); (N.Z.); (Q.Z.); (Q.X.); (T.Z.); (K.Z.)
| | - Qianya Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, National Maize Improvement Center, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing 100193, China; (B.Z.); (N.Z.); (Q.Z.); (Q.X.); (T.Z.); (K.Z.)
| | - Tao Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, National Maize Improvement Center, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing 100193, China; (B.Z.); (N.Z.); (Q.Z.); (Q.X.); (T.Z.); (K.Z.)
| | - Kaiyue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, National Maize Improvement Center, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing 100193, China; (B.Z.); (N.Z.); (Q.Z.); (Q.X.); (T.Z.); (K.Z.)
| | - Mingliang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, National Maize Improvement Center, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing 100193, China; (B.Z.); (N.Z.); (Q.Z.); (Q.X.); (T.Z.); (K.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-010-6273-3166
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van der Linde K, Göhre V. How Do Smut Fungi Use Plant Signals to Spatiotemporally Orientate on and In Planta? J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:107. [PMID: 33540708 PMCID: PMC7913117 DOI: 10.3390/jof7020107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Smut fungi represent a large group of biotrophic plant pathogens that cause extensive yield loss and are also model organisms for studying plant-pathogen interactions. In recent years, they have become biotechnological tools. After initial penetration of the plant epidermis, smut fungi grow intra-and intercellularly without disrupting the plant-plasma membrane. Following the colonialization step, teliospores are formed and later released. While some smuts only invade the tissues around the initial penetration site, others colonize in multiple plant organs resulting in spore formation distal from the original infection site. The intimate contact zone between fungal hyphae and the host is termed the biotrophic interaction zone and enables exchange of signals and nutrient uptake. Obviously, all steps of on and in planta growth require fine sensing of host conditions as well as reprogramming of the host by the smut fungus. In this review, we highlight selected examples of smut fungal colonization styles, directional growth in planta, induction of spore formation, and the signals required, pointing to excellent reviews for details, to draw attention to some of the open questions in this important research field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina van der Linde
- Department of Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Vera Göhre
- Institute for Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Heinrich-Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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Ren Z, Liu J, Din GMU, Zhang H, Du Z, Chen W, Liu T, Zhang J, Zhao S, Gao L. Transcriptome analysis of wheat spikes in response to Tilletia controversa Kühn which cause wheat dwarf bunt. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21567. [PMID: 33299089 PMCID: PMC7725808 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78628-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Wheat dwarf bunt is caused by Tilletia controversa Kühn, which is one of the most destructive diseases of wheat worldwide. To explore the interaction of T. controversa and wheat, we analysed the transcriptome profile of spikes of the susceptible wheat cultivar Dongxuan 3, which was subjected to a T. controversa infection and a mock infection. The results obtained from a differential expression analysis of T. controversa-infected plants compared with mock-infected ones showed that 10,867 out of 21,354 genes were upregulated, while 10,487 genes were downregulated, and these genes were enriched in 205 different pathways. Our findings demonstrated that the genes associated with defence against diseases, such as PR-related genes, WRKY transcription factors and mitogen-activated protein kinase genes, were more highly expressed in response to T. controversa infection. Additionally, a number of genes related to physiological attributes were expressed during infection. Three pathways were differentiated based on the characteristics of gene ontology classification. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that twenty genes were expressed differentially during the infection of wheat with T. controversa. Notable changes were observed in the transcriptomes of wheat plants after infection. The results of this study may help to elucidate the mechanism governing the interactions between this pathogen and wheat plants and may facilitate the development of new methods to increase the resistance level of wheat against T. controversa, including the overexpression of defence-related genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyu Ren
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianjian Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.,School of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Hubei, 434025, China
| | - Ghulam Muhae Ud Din
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Han Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.,Key Laboratory at Universities of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for Oasis Agricultural Pest Management and Plant Protection Resource Utilization, Shihezi University, Xinjiang, 832003, China
| | - Zhenzhen Du
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Wanquan Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Taiguo Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianmin Zhang
- School of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Hubei, 434025, China
| | - Sifeng Zhao
- Key Laboratory at Universities of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for Oasis Agricultural Pest Management and Plant Protection Resource Utilization, Shihezi University, Xinjiang, 832003, China
| | - Li Gao
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
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Ghareeb H, El-Sayed M, Pound M, Tetyuk O, Hanika K, Herrfurth C, Feussner I, Lipka V. Quantitative Hormone Signaling Output Analyses of Arabidopsis thaliana Interactions With Virulent and Avirulent Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis Isolates at Single-Cell Resolution. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:603693. [PMID: 33240308 PMCID: PMC7677359 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.603693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The phytohormones salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and ethylene (ET) are central regulators of biotic and abiotic stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we generated modular fluorescent protein-based reporter lines termed COLORFUL-PR1pro, -VSP2pro, and -PDF1.2apro. These feature hormone-controlled nucleus-targeted transcriptional output sensors and the simultaneous constitutive expression of spectrally separated nuclear reference and plasma membrane-localized reporters. This set-up allowed the study of cell-type specific hormone activities, cellular viability and microbial invasion. Moreover, we developed a software-supported high-throughput confocal microscopy imaging protocol for output quantification to resolve the spatio-temporal dynamics of respective hormonal signaling activities at single-cell resolution. Proof-of-principle analyses in A. thaliana leaves revealed distinguished hormone sensitivities in mesophyll, epidermal pavement and stomatal guard cells, suggesting cell type-specific regulatory protein activities. In plant-microbe interaction studies, we found that virulent and avirulent Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis (Hpa) isolates exhibit different invasion dynamics and induce spatio-temporally distinct hormonal activity signatures. On the cellular level, these hormone-controlled reporter signatures demarcate the nascent sites of Hpa entry and progression, and highlight initiation, transduction and local containment of immune signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Ghareeb
- Department of Plant Cell Biology, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed El-Sayed
- Department of Plant Cell Biology, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Michael Pound
- School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Olena Tetyuk
- Department of Plant Cell Biology, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Katharina Hanika
- Department of Plant Cell Biology, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Cornelia Herrfurth
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Volker Lipka
- Department of Plant Cell Biology, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Central Microscopy Facility of the Faculty of Biology and Psychology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Characterization of the wheat cultivars against Tilletia controversa Kühn, causal agent of wheat dwarf bunt. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9029. [PMID: 32494028 PMCID: PMC7271121 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65748-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Wheat is one of the most important staple crops. Tilletia controversa Kühn is the causal agent of wheat dwarf bunt. In this study, a resistant wheat cultivar displayed significantly higher expression of pathogenesis-related genes than a susceptible cultivar at 7 days post inoculation (DPI) with T. controversa. Similarly, the expression was high in the resistant cultivar after exogenous application of phytohormones, including salicylic acid. The expression of pathogenesis-related genes, especially chitinase 4, was high in the resistant cultivar, while LPT-1 was down regulated after T. controversa infection. Callose deposition was greater in the resistant cultivar than in the susceptible cultivar at 10 DPI. Confocal microscopy was used to track the fungal hyphae in both cultivars in anther and ovary cells. The anthers and ovaries of the susceptible cultivar were infected by T. controversa at 7 and 15 DPI. There were no fungal hyphae in anther and ovary cells in the resistant cultivar until 10 and 23 DPI, respectively. Moreover, anther length and width were negatively influenced by T. controversa at 16 DPI. The plant height was also affected by fungal infection. Ultimately, resistance to T. controversa was achieved in cultivars via the regulation of the expression of defense-related and pathogenesis-related genes.
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28
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Pérez-Rodríguez J, Téllez-Jurado A, Álvarez-Cervantes J, Antonio Ibarra J, Jaramillo-Loranca BE, Anducho-Reyes MA, Mercado-Flores Y. Study of the intracellular xylanolytic activity of the phytopathogenic fungus Sporisorium reilianum. MYCOSCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.myc.2019.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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29
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Sánchez Maya HE, Mercado-Flores Y, Téllez-Jurado A, Pérez-Camarillo JP, Mejía O, Anducho-Reyes MA. Molecular Variation of the Phytopathogenic Fungus Sporisorium reilianum in Valle del Mezquital, Hidalgo. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Transcriptome Profiling Analysis Reveals Co-regulation of Hormone Pathways in Foxtail Millet during Sclerospora graminicola Infection. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041226. [PMID: 32059399 PMCID: PMC7072888 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sclerospora graminicola (Sacc.) Schroeter is a biotrophic pathogen of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and increasingly impacts crop production. We explored the main factors for symptoms such as dwarfing of diseased plants and the “hedgehog panicle” by determining panicle characteristics of varieties infected with S. graminicola and analyzing the endogenous hormone-related genes in leaves of Jingu 21. Results indicated that different varieties infected by S. graminicola exhibited various symptoms. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the ent-copalyl diphosphate synthetase (CPS) encoded by Seita.2G144900 and ent-kaurene synthase (KS) encoded by Seita.2G144400 were up-regulated 4.7-fold and 2.8-fold, respectively. Results showed that the biosynthesis of gibberellin might be increased, but the gibberellin signal transduction pathway might be blocked. The abscisic acid (ABA) 8′-hydroxylase encoded by Seita.6G181300 was continuously up-regulated by 4.2-fold, 2.7-fold, 14.3-fold, and 12.9-fold from TG1 to TG4 stage, respectively. Seita.2G144900 and Seita.2G144400 increased 79-fold and 51-fold, respectively, at the panicle development stage, promoting the formation of a “hedgehog panicle”. Jasmonic acid-related synthesis enzymes LOX2s, AOS, and AOC were up-regulated at the early stage of infection, indicating that jasmonic acid played an essential role in early response to S. graminicola infection. The expression of YUC-related genes of the auxin synthesis was lower than that of the control at TG3 and TG4 stages, but the amidase encoded by Seita.2G313400 was up-regulated by more than 30-fold, indicating that the main biosynthesis pathway of auxin had changed. The results suggest that there was co-regulation of the hormone pathways during the infection of foxtail millet by S. graminicola.
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Dutra D, Agrawal N, Ghareeb H, Schirawski J. Screening of Secreted Proteins of Sporisorium reilianum f. sp. z eae for Cell Death Suppression in Nicotiana benthamiana. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:95. [PMID: 32140166 PMCID: PMC7042202 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Sporisorium reilianum f. sp. zeae (SRZ) is a biotrophic fungus causing head smut in maize. Maize infection with SRZ leads to very little cell death suggesting the presence of cell-death suppressinpg effectors. Several hundred effector proteins have been predicted based on genome annotation, genome comparison, and bioinformatic analysis. For only very few of these effectors, an involvement in virulence has been shown. In this work, we started to test a considerable subset of these predicted effector proteins for a possible function in suppressing cell death. We generated an expression library of 62 proteins of SRZ under the control of a strong constitutive plant promoter for delivery into plant cells via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient transformation. Potential apoplastic effectors with high cysteine content were cloned with signal peptide while potential intracellular effectors were also cloned without signal peptide to ensure proper localization after expression in plant cells. After infiltration of Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, infiltration sites were evaluated for apparent signs of hypersensitive cell death in absence or presence of the elicitin INF1 of Phytophthora infestans. None of the tested candidates was able to induce cell death, and most were unable to suppress INF1-induced cell death. However, the screen revealed one predicted cytoplasmic effector (sr16441) of SRZ that was able to reliably suppress INF1-induced cell death when transiently expressed in N. benthamiana lacking its predicted secretion signal peptide. This way, we discovered a putative function for one new effector of SRZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deiziane Dutra
- Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Nisha Agrawal
- Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Genetics, Matthias-Schleiden-Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Hassan Ghareeb
- Plant Biotechnology, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
- Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Schwann-Schleiden Research Center, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jan Schirawski
- Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Genetics, Matthias-Schleiden-Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Schwann-Schleiden Research Center, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Jan Schirawski,
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Saville BJ, Perlin MH. "When worlds collide and smuts converge": Tales from the 1st International Ustilago/Smut Convergence. Fungal Genet Biol 2019; 132:103260. [PMID: 31394176 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.103260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
From the evening of March 12, till dinner on March 13, 2017, the 1st International Ustilago/Smut Convergence took place as a workshop prior to the start of the 29th Fungal Genetics Conference, in Asilomar, California. The overall goals of the meeting were to expand the smut model systems being used and to expand participation by the next generations of scientists with these fungi. These goals were implemented through a combination of emphasis on student and post-doc presentations, mentoring of such individuals, and active recruitment of participation by groups under-represented at such meetings in recent years in the US, especially those from Latin America and other Spanish-speaking countries. Work was presented at the first workshop on U. maydis, Sporosorium reilianum, Microbotryum violaceum, U. esculenta, and Thecaphora thlaspeos. Students and post-doctoral researchers were encouraged to present their "just-in-time," as-yet-unpublished data, in a safe environment, with the understanding of those attending the meeting that this early access was a privilege not to be taken advantage of. The result was lively and constructive discussion, including a variety of presentations by these young scientists on putative and characterized smut effector proteins, clearly at the forefront of such research, even considering the advances presented later that week at the Fungal Genetics Conference. This review also briefly compares the first meeting with the events of the recent 2nd International Ustilago/Smut Convergence (March 11-12, 2019), which ended with a tribute to Prof. Dr. Regine Kahmann, in honor of her career, and especially for her contributions to the field of smut genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry J Saville
- Forensic Science Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
| | - Michael H Perlin
- Department of Biology, Program on Disease Evolution, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
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Qi F, Zhang L, Dong X, Di H, Zhang J, Yao M, Dong L, Zeng X, Liu X, Wang Z, Zhou Y. Analysis of Cytology and Expression of Resistance Genes in Maize Infected with Sporisorium reilianum. PLANT DISEASE 2019; 103:2100-2107. [PMID: 31215852 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-09-18-1687-re] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Head smut, caused by the fungus Sporisorium reilianum, is a devastating global disease of maize (Zea mays). In the present study, maize seedlings were artificially inoculated with compatible mating-type strains of S. reilianum by needle inoculation of mesocotyls (NIM) or by soaking inoculation of radicles (SIR). After NIM or SIR, Huangzao4 mesocotyls exhibited severe damage with brownish discoloration and necrosis, whereas Mo17 mesocotyls exhibited few lesions. Fluorescence and electron microscopy showed that S. reilianum infected maize within 0.5 day after SIR and mainly colonized the phloem. With longer incubation, the density of S. reilianum hyphae increased in the vascular bundles, concentrated mainly in the phloem. In Mo17, infected cells exhibited apoptosis-like features, and hyphae became sequestered within dead cells. In contrast, in Huangzao4, pathogen invasion resulted in autophagy that failed to prevent hyphal spreading. The growth of S. reilianum hyphae diminished at 6 days after inoculation when expression of the R genes ZmWAK and ZmNL peaked. Thus, 6 days after SIR inoculation might be an important time for inhibiting the progress of S. reilianum infection in maize. The results of this study will provide a basis for further analysis of the mechanisms of maize resistance to S. reilianum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengkun Qi
- Northeast Agricultural University, Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China 150030
| | - Lin Zhang
- Northeast Agricultural University, Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China 150030
| | - Xiaojie Dong
- Northeast Agricultural University, Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China 150030
| | - Hong Di
- Northeast Agricultural University, Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China 150030
| | - Jiayue Zhang
- Northeast Agricultural University, Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China 150030
| | - Minhao Yao
- Northeast Agricultural University, Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China 150030
| | - Ling Dong
- Northeast Agricultural University, Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China 150030
| | - Xing Zeng
- Northeast Agricultural University, Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China 150030
| | - Xianjun Liu
- Northeast Agricultural University, Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China 150030
| | - Zhenhua Wang
- Northeast Agricultural University, Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China 150030
| | - Yu Zhou
- Northeast Agricultural University, Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China 150030
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Sarch C, Suzuki H, Master ER, Wang W. Kinetics and regioselectivity of three GH62 α-L-arabinofuranosidases from plant pathogenic fungi. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2019; 1863:1070-1078. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2019.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Abstract
The AGC signaling pathway represents a conserved distinct signaling pathway in regulation of fungal differentiation and virulence, while it has not been identified or characterized in the sugarcane smut fungus Sporisorium scitamineum. In this study, we identified a PAS domain-containing AGC kinase, SsAgc1, in S. scitamineum. Functional analysis revealed that SsAgc1 plays a regulatory role on the fungal dimorphic switch. Sporisorium scitamineum is the fungal pathogen causing severe sugarcane smut disease that leads to massive economic losses globally. S. scitamineum invades host cane by dikaryotic hyphae, formed after sexual mating of two haploid sporidia of opposite mating type. Therefore, mating/filamentation is critical for S. scitamineum pathogenicity, while its molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. The AGC (cyclic AMP [cAMP]-dependent protein kinase 1 [protein kinase A {PKA}], cGMP-dependent protein kinase [PKG], and protein kinase C [PKC]) kinase family is a group of serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) protein kinases conserved among eukaryotic genomes, serving a variety of physiological functions, including cell growth, metabolism, differentiation, and cell death. In this study, we identified an AGC kinase, named SsAgc1 (for S. scitamineum Agc1), and characterized its function by reverse genetics. Our results showed that SsAgc1 is critical for S. scitamineum mating/filamentation and pathogenicity, and oxidative stress tolerance under some circumstances. Transcriptional profiling revealed that the SsAgc1 signaling pathway may control expression of the genes governing fungal mating/filamentation and tryptophan metabolism, especially for tryptophol production. We showed that tryptophan and tryptophol could at least partially restore ssagc1Δ mating/filamentation. Overall, our work revealed a signaling pathway mediated by AGC protein kinases to regulate fungal mating/filamentation, possibly through sensing and responding to tryptophol as signal molecules. IMPORTANCE The AGC signaling pathway represents a conserved distinct signaling pathway in regulation of fungal differentiation and virulence, while it has not been identified or characterized in the sugarcane smut fungus Sporisorium scitamineum. In this study, we identified a PAS domain-containing AGC kinase, SsAgc1, in S. scitamineum. Functional analysis revealed that SsAgc1 plays a regulatory role on the fungal dimorphic switch.
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Ghareeb H, Zhao Y, Schirawski J. Sporisorium reilianum possesses a pool of effector proteins that modulate virulence on maize. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2019; 20:124-136. [PMID: 30136754 PMCID: PMC6430478 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The biotrophic maize head smut fungus Sporisorium reilianum is a close relative of the tumour-inducing maize smut fungus Ustilago maydis with a distinct disease aetiology. Maize infection with S. reilianum occurs at the seedling stage, but spores first form in inflorescences after a long endophytic growth phase. To identify S. reilianum-specific virulence effectors, we defined two gene sets by genome comparison with U. maydis and with the barley smut fungus Ustilago hordei. We tested virulence function by individual and cluster deletion analysis of 66 genes and by using a sensitive assay for virulence evaluation that considers both disease incidence (number of plants with a particular symptom) and disease severity (number and strength of symptoms displayed on any individual plant). Multiple deletion strains of S. reilianum lacking genes of either of the two sets (sr10057, sr10059, sr10079, sr10703, sr11815, sr14797 and clusters uni5-1, uni6-1, A1A2, A1, A2) were affected in virulence on the maize cultivar 'Gaspe Flint', but each of the individual gene deletions had only a modest impact on virulence. This indicates that the virulence of S. reilianum is determined by a complex repertoire of different effectors which each contribute incrementally to the aggressiveness of the pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Ghareeb
- Department of Molecular Biology of Plant–Microbe InteractionsAlbrecht‐von‐Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Schwann‐Schleiden Research Center for Molecular Cell Biology, Georg‐August‐Universität GöttingenJulia‐Lermontowa‐Weg 3Göttingen37077Germany
- Department of Organismic InteractionsMax Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyKarl‐von‐Frisch Straße 10Marburg35043Germany
- Department of Plant BiotechnologyNational Research CentreCairo12311Egypt
- Present address:
Georg‐August‐Universität Göttingen, Plant Cell Biology, Albrecht‐von‐Haller Institute of Plant SciencesJulia‐Lermontowa‐Weg 3Göttingen37077Germany
| | - Yulei Zhao
- Department of Molecular Biology of Plant–Microbe InteractionsAlbrecht‐von‐Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Schwann‐Schleiden Research Center for Molecular Cell Biology, Georg‐August‐Universität GöttingenJulia‐Lermontowa‐Weg 3Göttingen37077Germany
- Department of Microbial GeneticsInstitute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen UniversityWorringer Weg 1Aachen52074Germany
| | - Jan Schirawski
- Department of Molecular Biology of Plant–Microbe InteractionsAlbrecht‐von‐Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Schwann‐Schleiden Research Center for Molecular Cell Biology, Georg‐August‐Universität GöttingenJulia‐Lermontowa‐Weg 3Göttingen37077Germany
- Department of Organismic InteractionsMax Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyKarl‐von‐Frisch Straße 10Marburg35043Germany
- Department of Microbial GeneticsInstitute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen UniversityWorringer Weg 1Aachen52074Germany
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Tanaka S, Schweizer G, Rössel N, Fukada F, Thines M, Kahmann R. Neofunctionalization of the secreted Tin2 effector in the fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis. Nat Microbiol 2018; 4:251-257. [PMID: 30510169 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-018-0304-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Plant-pathogenic fungi hijack their hosts by secreting effector proteins. Effectors serve to suppress plant immune responses and modulate the host metabolism to benefit the pathogen. Smut fungi are biotrophic pathogens that also parasitize important cereals, including maize1. Symptom development is usually restricted to the plant inflorescences. Ustilago maydis is an exception in its ability to cause tumours in both inflorescences and leaves of maize, and in inducing anthocyanin biosynthesis through the secreted Tin2 effector2,3. How the unique lifestyle of U. maydis has evolved remains to be elucidated. Here we show that Tin2 in U. maydis has been neofunctionalized. We functionally compared Tin2 effectors of U. maydis and the related smut Sporisorium reilianum, which results in symptoms only in the inflorescences of maize and fails to induce anthocyanin. We show that Tin2 effectors from both fungi target distinct paralogues of a maize protein kinase, leading to stabilization and inhibition, respectively. An ancestral Tin2 effector functionally replaced the virulence function of S. reilianum Tin2 but failed to induce anthocyanin, and was unable to substitute for Tin2 in U. maydis. This shows that Tin2 in U. maydis has acquired a specialized function, probably connected to the distinct pathogenic lifestyle of this fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeyuki Tanaka
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Gabriel Schweizer
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany.,University of Zurich, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Rössel
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Fumi Fukada
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marco Thines
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany.
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Kundu S, Sharma R. Origin, evolution, and divergence of plant class C GH9 endoglucanases. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:79. [PMID: 29848310 PMCID: PMC5977491 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1185-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glycoside hydrolases of the GH9 family encode cellulases that predominantly function as endoglucanases and have wide applications in the food, paper, pharmaceutical, and biofuel industries. The partitioning of plant GH9 endoglucanases, into classes A, B, and C, is based on the differential presence of transmembrane, signal peptide, and the carbohydrate binding module (CBM49). There is considerable debate on the distribution and the functions of these enzymes which may vary in different organisms. In light of these findings we examined the origin, emergence, and subsequent divergence of plant GH9 endoglucanases, with an emphasis on elucidating the role of CBM49 in the digestion of crystalline cellulose by class C members. RESULTS Since, the digestion of crystalline cellulose mandates the presence of a well-defined set of aromatic and polar amino acids and/or an attributable domain that can mediate this conversion, we hypothesize a vertical mode of transfer of genes that could favour the emergence of class C like GH9 endoglucanase activity in land plants from potentially ancestral non plant taxa. We demonstrated the concomitant occurrence of a GH9 domain with CBM49 and other homologous carbohydrate binding modules, in putative endoglucanase sequences from several non-plant taxa. In the absence of comparable full length CBMs, we have characterized several low strength patterns that could approximate the CBM49, thereby, extending support for digestion of crystalline cellulose to other segments of the protein. We also provide data suggestive of the ancestral role of putative class C GH9 endoglucanases in land plants, which includes detailed phylogenetics and the presence and subsequent loss of CBM49, transmembrane, and signal peptide regions in certain populations of early land plants. These findings suggest that classes A and B of modern vascular land plants may have emerged by diverging directly from CBM49 encompassing putative class C enzymes. CONCLUSION Our detailed phylogenetic and bioinformatics analysis of putative GH9 endoglucanase sequences across major taxa suggests that plant class C enzymes, despite their recent discovery, could function as the last common ancestor of classes A and B. Additionally, research into their ability to digest or inter-convert crystalline and amorphous forms of cellulose could make them lucrative candidates for engineering biofuel feedstock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhartha Kundu
- Department of Biochemistry, Government of NCT of Delhi, Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College & Hospital, New Delhi, 110085, India. .,Crop Genetics and Informatics Group, School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India.
| | - Rita Sharma
- Crop Genetics and Informatics Group, School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India.
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Benevenuto J, Teixeira-Silva NS, Kuramae EE, Croll D, Monteiro-Vitorello CB. Comparative Genomics of Smut Pathogens: Insights From Orphans and Positively Selected Genes Into Host Specialization. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:660. [PMID: 29681893 PMCID: PMC5897528 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Host specialization is a key evolutionary process for the diversification and emergence of new pathogens. However, the molecular determinants of host range are poorly understood. Smut fungi are biotrophic pathogens that have distinct and narrow host ranges based on largely unknown genetic determinants. Hence, we aimed to expand comparative genomics analyses of smut fungi by including more species infecting different hosts and to define orphans and positively selected genes to gain further insights into the genetics basis of host specialization. We analyzed nine lineages of smut fungi isolated from eight crop and non-crop hosts: maize, barley, sugarcane, wheat, oats, Zizania latifolia (Manchurian rice), Echinochloa colona (a wild grass), and Persicaria sp. (a wild dicot plant). We assembled two new genomes: Ustilago hordei (strain Uhor01) isolated from oats and U. tritici (strain CBS 119.19) isolated from wheat. The smut genomes were of small sizes, ranging from 18.38 to 24.63 Mb. U. hordei species experienced genome expansions due to the proliferation of transposable elements and the amount of these elements varied among the two strains. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Ustilago is not a monophyletic genus and, furthermore, detected misclassification of the U. tritici specimen. The comparison between smut pathogens of crop and non-crop hosts did not reveal distinct signatures, suggesting that host domestication did not play a dominant role in shaping the evolution of smuts. We found that host specialization in smut fungi likely has a complex genetic basis: different functional categories were enriched in orphans and lineage-specific selected genes. The diversification and gain/loss of effector genes are probably the most important determinants of host specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Benevenuto
- Microbial Genetics Laboratory, Department of Genetics, University of São Paulo/Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (USP/ESALQ), Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Natalia S. Teixeira-Silva
- Microbial Genetics Laboratory, Department of Genetics, University of São Paulo/Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (USP/ESALQ), Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Eiko E. Kuramae
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Daniel Croll
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel (UNINE), Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Claudia B. Monteiro-Vitorello
- Microbial Genetics Laboratory, Department of Genetics, University of São Paulo/Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (USP/ESALQ), Piracicaba, Brazil
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Schweizer G, Münch K, Mannhaupt G, Schirawski J, Kahmann R, Dutheil JY. Positively Selected Effector Genes and Their Contribution to Virulence in the Smut Fungus Sporisorium reilianum. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:629-645. [PMID: 29390140 PMCID: PMC5811872 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants and fungi display a broad range of interactions in natural and agricultural ecosystems ranging from symbiosis to parasitism. These ecological interactions result in coevolution between genes belonging to different partners. A well-understood example is secreted fungal effector proteins and their host targets, which play an important role in pathogenic interactions. Biotrophic smut fungi (Basidiomycota) are well-suited to investigate the evolution of plant pathogens, because several reference genomes and genetic tools are available for these species. Here, we used the genomes of Sporisorium reilianum f. sp. zeae and S. reilianum f. sp. reilianum, two closely related formae speciales infecting maize and sorghum, respectively, together with the genomes of Ustilago hordei, Ustilago maydis, and Sporisorium scitamineum to identify and characterize genes displaying signatures of positive selection. We identified 154 gene families having undergone positive selection during species divergence in at least one lineage, among which 77% were identified in the two investigated formae speciales of S. reilianum. Remarkably, only 29% of positively selected genes encode predicted secreted proteins. We assessed the contribution to virulence of nine of these candidate effector genes in S. reilianum f. sp. zeae by deleting individual genes, including a homologue of the effector gene pit2 previously characterized in U. maydis. Only the pit2 deletion mutant was found to be strongly reduced in virulence. Additional experiments are required to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the selection forces acting on the other candidate effector genes, as well as the large fraction of positively selected genes encoding predicted cytoplasmic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Schweizer
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Karin Münch
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Gertrud Mannhaupt
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jan Schirawski
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Julien Y Dutheil
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Institute of Evolutionary Sciences of Montpellier, “Genome” Department, CNRS, University of Montpellier 2, France
- Research Group Molecular Systems Evolution, Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
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Šiukšta R, Vaitkūnienė V, Rančelis V. Is auxin involved in the induction of genetic instability in barley homeotic double mutants? PLANTA 2018; 247:483-498. [PMID: 29080070 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-017-2802-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The triggers of genetic instability in barley homeotic double mutants are tweaky spike -type mutations associated with an auxin imbalance in separate spike phytomeres. Barley homeotic tweaky spike;Hooded (tw;Hd) double mutants are characterized by an inherited instability of spike and flower development, which is absent in the single parental constituents. The aim of the present study was to show that the trigger of genetic instability in the double mutants is the tw mutations, which are associated with an auxin imbalance in the developing spikes. Their pleiotropic effects on genes related to spike/flower development may cause the genetic instability of double mutants. The study of four double-mutant groups composed of different mutant alleles showed that the instability arose only if the mutant allele tw was a constituent of the double mutants. Application of auxin inhibitors and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) demonstrated the relationship of the instability of the double mutants and the phenotype of the tw mutants to auxin imbalance. 2,4-D induced phenocopies of the tw mutation in wild-type plants and rescued the phenotypes of three allelic tw mutants. The differential display (dd-PCR) method allowed the identification of several putative candidate genes in tw that may be responsible for the initiation of instability in the double mutants by pleiotropic variations of their expression in the tw mutant associated with auxin imbalance in the developing spikes. The results of the present study linked the genetic instability of homeotic double mutants with an auxin imbalance caused by one of the constituents (tw). The genetic instability of the double mutants in relation to auxin imbalance was studied for the first time. A matrocliny on instability expression was also observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raimondas Šiukšta
- Life Sciences Centre, Institute of Biosciences, Vilnius University, Saulėtekis Ave. 7, 10257, Vilnius, Lithuania.
- Botanical Garden of Vilnius University, Kairėnai Str. 43, 10239, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Virginija Vaitkūnienė
- Life Sciences Centre, Institute of Biosciences, Vilnius University, Saulėtekis Ave. 7, 10257, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Botanical Garden of Vilnius University, Kairėnai Str. 43, 10239, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Vytautas Rančelis
- Life Sciences Centre, Institute of Biosciences, Vilnius University, Saulėtekis Ave. 7, 10257, Vilnius, Lithuania
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Zhang N, Zhang B, Zuo W, Xing Y, Konlasuk S, Tan G, Zhang Q, Ye J, Xu M. Cytological and Molecular Characterization of ZmWAK-Mediated Head-Smut Resistance in Maize. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2017; 30:455-465. [PMID: 28358622 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-11-16-0238-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Head smut, caused by the fungal pathogen Sporisorium reilianum, poses a threat to maize production worldwide. ZmWAK, a cell wall-associated receptor kinase, confers quantitative resistance to head smut disease. Here, two near-isogenic lines (NILs), susceptible line Huangzao4 and its ZmWAK-converted resistant line Huangzao4R, were used to decipher the role of ZmWAK in head smut resistance. Cytological and molecular characterization in response to S. reilianum infection was compared between two NILs. Upon S. reilianum infection, the growth of pathogen hyphae was severely arrested in the ZmWAK-converted resistant line Huangzao4R, relative to its susceptible parental line Huangzao4. Infected cells exhibited apoptosis-like features in Huangzao4R and hyphae were sequestered within dead cells, whereas pathogen invasion caused autophagy in Huangzao4, which failed to prevent hyphal spreading. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis indicated that ZmWAK functions as a hub in the trade-off between growth and defense, whereby ZmWAK promotes cell growth in the absence of the pathogen and switches to a defense response upon S. reilianum attack. These findings shed light on an elegant regulatory mechanism governed by ZmWAK in the trade-off between growth and head smut defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhang
- 1 National Maize Improvement Centre of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
- 3 Crops Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Crops Genetic & Improvement, Guangdong 510640, People's Republic of China
| | - Boqi Zhang
- 1 National Maize Improvement Centre of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiliang Zuo
- 1 National Maize Improvement Centre of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuexian Xing
- 2 Maize Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gongzhuling, Jilin 136100, People's Republic of China; and
| | - Suvimon Konlasuk
- 1 National Maize Improvement Centre of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Guoqing Tan
- 2 Maize Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gongzhuling, Jilin 136100, People's Republic of China; and
| | - Qianqian Zhang
- 1 National Maize Improvement Centre of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianrong Ye
- 1 National Maize Improvement Centre of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingliang Xu
- 1 National Maize Improvement Centre of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
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Marques JPR, Appezzato-da-Glória B, Piepenbring M, Massola Jr NS, Monteiro-Vitorello CB, Vieira MLC. Sugarcane smut: shedding light on the development of the whip-shaped sorus. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2017; 119:815-827. [PMID: 27568298 PMCID: PMC5378185 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcw169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Revised: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Background and Aims Sugarcane smut is caused by the fungus Sporisorium scitamineum (Ustilaginales/Ustilaginomycotina/Basidiomycota), which is responsible for losses in sugarcane production worldwide. Infected plants show a profound metabolic modification resulting in the development of a whip-shaped structure (sorus) composed of a mixture of plant tissues and fungal hyphae. Within this structure, ustilospores develop and disseminate the disease. Despite the importance of this disease, a detailed histopathological analysis of the plant-pathogen interaction is lacking. Methods The whip-shaped sorus was investigated using light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, histochemical tests and epifluorescence microscopy coupled with deconvolution. Key Results Sorus growth is mediated by intercalary meristem activity at the base of the sorus, where the fungus causes partial host cell wall degradation and formation of intercellular spaces. Sporogenesis in S. scitamineum is thallic, with ustilospore initials in intercalary or terminal positions, and mostly restricted to the base of the sorus. Ustilospore maturation is centrifugal in relation to the ground parenchyma and occurs throughout the sorus median region. At the apex of the sorus, the fungus produces sterile cells and promotes host cell detachment. Hyphae are present throughout the central axis of the sorus (columella). The plant cell produces callose around the intracellular hyphae as well as inside the papillae at the infection site. Conclusions The ontogeny of the whip-shaped sorus suggests that the fungus can cause the acropetal growth in the intercalary meristem. The sporogenesis of S. scitamineum was described in detail, demonstrating that the spores are formed exclusively at the base of the whip. Light was also shed on the nature of the sterile cells. The presence of the fungus alters the host cell wall composition, promotes its degradation and causes the release of some peripheral cells of the sorus. Finally, callose was observed around fungal hyphae in infected cells, suggesting that deposition of callose by the host may act as a structural response to fungal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Paulo R. Marques
- Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’, Universidade de São Paulo, 13418-900 Piracicaba, Brazil
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’, Universidade de São Paulo, 13418-900 Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Appezzato-da-Glória
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’, Universidade de São Paulo, 13418-900 Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Meike Piepenbring
- Department of Mycology, Cluster for Integrative Fungal Research (IPF), Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Nelson S. Massola Jr
- Departamento de Fitopatologia e Nematologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’, Universidade de São Paulo, 13418-900 Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Claudia B. Monteiro-Vitorello
- Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’, Universidade de São Paulo, 13418-900 Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Maria Lucia Carneiro Vieira
- Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’, Universidade de São Paulo, 13418-900 Piracicaba, Brazil
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Redkar A, Matei A, Doehlemann G. Insights into Host Cell Modulation and Induction of New Cells by the Corn Smut Ustilago maydis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:899. [PMID: 28611813 PMCID: PMC5447062 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Many filamentous fungal pathogens induce drastic modulation of host cells causing abnormal infectious structures such as galls, or tumors that arise as a result of re-programming in the original developmental cell fate of a colonized host cell. Developmental consequences occur predominantly with biotrophic phytopathogens. This suggests that these host structures result as an outcome of efficient defense suppression and intimate fungal-host interaction to suit the pathogen's needs for completion of its infection cycle. This mini-review mainly summarizes host cell re-programming that occurs in the Ustilago maydis - maize interaction, in which the pathogen deploys cell-type specific effector proteins with varying activities. The fungus senses the physiological status and identity of colonized host cells and re-directs the endogenous developmental program of its host. The disturbance of host cell physiology and cell fate leads to novel cell shapes, increased cell size, and/or the number of host cells. We particularly highlight the strategies of U. maydis to induce physiologically varied host organs to form the characteristic tumors in both vegetative and floral parts of maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amey Redkar
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich Research ParkNorwich, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Amey Redkar,
| | - Alexandra Matei
- Botanical Institute and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, BiocenterCologne, Germany
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- Botanical Institute and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, BiocenterCologne, Germany
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Schaker PDC, Palhares AC, Taniguti LM, Peters LP, Creste S, Aitken KS, Van Sluys MA, Kitajima JP, Vieira MLC, Monteiro-Vitorello CB. RNAseq Transcriptional Profiling following Whip Development in Sugarcane Smut Disease. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162237. [PMID: 27583836 PMCID: PMC5008620 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sugarcane smut disease is caused by the biotrophic fungus Sporisorium scitamineum. The disease is characterized by the development of a whip-like structure from the primary meristems, where billions of teliospores are produced. Sugarcane smut also causes tillering and low sucrose and high fiber contents, reducing cane productivity. We investigated the biological events contributing to disease symptoms in a smut intermediate-resistant sugarcane genotype by examining the transcriptional profiles (RNAseq) shortly after inoculating the plants and immediately after whip emission. The overall picture of disease progression suggests that premature transcriptional reprogramming of the shoot meristem functions continues until the emergence of the whip. The guidance of this altered pattern is potentially primarily related to auxin mobilization in addition to the involvement of other hormonal imbalances. The consequences associated with whip emission are the modulation of typical meristematic functions toward reproductive organ differentiation, requiring strong changes in carbon partitioning and energy production. These changes include the overexpression of genes coding for invertases and trehalose-6P synthase, as well as other enzymes from key metabolic pathways, such as from lignin biosynthesis. This is the first report describing changes in the transcriptional profiles following whip development, providing a hypothetical model and candidate genes to further study sugarcane smut disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia D. C. Schaker
- Departamento de Genética, Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alessandra C. Palhares
- Departamento de Genética, Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas M. Taniguti
- Departamento de Genética, Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leila P. Peters
- Departamento de Genética, Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Silvana Creste
- Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, Centro de Cana, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Karen S. Aitken
- CSIRO Agriculture, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Marie-Anne Van Sluys
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Maria L. C. Vieira
- Departamento de Genética, Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Claudia B. Monteiro-Vitorello
- Departamento de Genética, Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
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Isolation, structural analysis, and expression characteristics of the maize nuclear factor Y gene families. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 478:752-8. [PMID: 27498027 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
NUCLEAR FACTOR-Y (NF-Y) has been shown to play an important role in growth, development, and response to environmental stress. A NF-Y complex, which consists of three subunits, NF-YA, NF-YB, and, NF-YC, binds to CCAAT sequences in a promoter to control the expression of target genes. Although NF-Y proteins have been reported in Arabidopsis and rice, a comprehensive and systematic analysis of ZmNF-Y genes has not yet been performed. To examine the functions of ZmNF-Y genes in this family, we isolated and characterized 50 ZmNF-Y (14 ZmNF-YA, 18 ZmNF-YB, and 18 ZmNF-YC) genes in an analysis of the maize genome. The 50 ZmNF-Y genes were distributed on all 10 maize chromosomes, and 12 paralogs were identified. Multiple alignments showed that maize ZmNF-Y family proteins had conserved regions and relatively variable N-terminal or C-terminal domains. The comparative syntenic map illustrated 40 paralogous NF-Y gene pairs among the 10 maize chromosomes. Microarray data showed that the ZmNF-Y genes had tissue-specific expression patterns in various maize developmental stages and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. The results suggested that ZmNF-YB2, 4, 8, 10, 13, and 16 and ZmNF-YC6, 8, and 15 were induced, while ZmNF-YA1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, and 13, ZmNF-YB15, and ZmNF-YC3 and 9 were suppressed by drought stress. ZmNF-YA3, ZmNF-YA8 and ZmNF-YA12 were upregulated after infection by the three pathogens, while ZmNF-YA1 and ZmNF-YB2 were suppressed. These results indicate that the ZmNF-Ys may have significant roles in the response to abiotic and biotic stresses.
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Poloni A, Schirawski J. Host specificity in Sporisorium reilianum is determined by distinct mechanisms in maize and sorghum. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2016; 17:741-54. [PMID: 26419898 PMCID: PMC6638427 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Smut fungi are biotrophic plant pathogens that exhibit a very narrow host range. The smut fungus Sporisorium reilianum exists in two host-adapted formae speciales: S. reilianum f. sp. reilianum (SRS), which causes head smut of sorghum, and S. reilianum f. sp. zeae (SRZ), which induces disease on maize. It is unknown why the two formae speciales cannot form spores on their respective non-favoured hosts. By fungal DNA quantification and fluorescence microscopy of stained plant samples, we followed the colonization behaviour of both SRS and SRZ on sorghum and maize. Both formae speciales were able to penetrate and multiply in the leaves of both hosts. In sorghum, the hyphae of SRS reached the apical meristems, whereas the hyphae of SRZ did not. SRZ strongly induced several defence responses in sorghum, such as the generation of H2 O2 , callose and phytoalexins, whereas the hyphae of SRS did not. In maize, both SRS and SRZ were able to spread through the plant to the apical meristem. Transcriptome analysis of colonized maize leaves revealed more genes induced by SRZ than by SRS, with many of them being involved in defence responses. Amongst the maize genes specifically induced by SRS were 11 pentatricopeptide repeat proteins. Together with the microscopic analysis, these data indicate that SRZ succumbs to plant defence after sorghum penetration, whereas SRS proliferates in a relatively undisturbed manner, but non-efficiently, on maize. This shows that host specificity is determined by distinct mechanisms in sorghum and maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alana Poloni
- Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Department for Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interaction, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, Department of Microbial Genetics, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jan Schirawski
- Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Department for Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interaction, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, Department of Microbial Genetics, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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Drechsler F, Schwinges P, Schirawski J. SUPPRESSOR OF APICAL DOMINANCE1 of Sporisorium reilianum changes inflorescence branching at early stages in di- and monocot plants and induces fruit abortion in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2016; 11:e1167300. [PMID: 27058118 PMCID: PMC4973792 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2016.1167300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Revised: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
sporisorium reilianum f. sp. zeae is a biotrophic smut fungus that infects maize (Zea mays). Among others, the fungus-plant interaction is governed by secreted fungal effector proteins. The effector SUPPRESSOR OF APICAL DOMINANCE1 (SAD1) changes the development of female inflorescences and induces outgrowth of subapical ears in S. reilianum-infected maize. When stably expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana as a GFP-SAD1 fusion protein, SAD1 induces earlier inflorescence branching and abortion of siliques. Absence of typical hormone-dependent phenotypes in other parts of the transgenic A. thaliana plants expressing GFP-SAD1 hint to a hormone-independent induction of bud outgrowth by SAD1. Silique abortion and bud outgrowth are also known to be controlled by carbon source concentration and by stress-induced molecules, making these factors interesting potential SAD1 targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Drechsler
- Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Patrick Schwinges
- Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jan Schirawski
- Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Ghareeb H, Drechsler F, Löfke C, Teichmann T, Schirawski J. SUPPRESSOR OF APICAL DOMINANCE1 of Sporisorium reilianum Modulates Inflorescence Branching Architecture in Maize and Arabidopsis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 169:2789-804. [PMID: 26511912 PMCID: PMC4677912 DOI: 10.1104/pp.15.01347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The biotrophic fungus Sporisorium reilianum causes head smut of maize (Zea mays) after systemic plant colonization. Symptoms include the formation of multiple female inflorescences at subapical nodes of the stalk because of loss of apical dominance. By deletion analysis of cluster 19-1, the largest genomic divergence cluster in S. reilianum, we identified a secreted fungal effector responsible for S. reilianum-induced loss of apical dominance, which we named SUPPRESSOR OF APICAL DOMINANCE1 (SAD1). SAD1 transcript levels were highly up-regulated during biotrophic fungal growth in all infected plant tissues. SAD1-green fluorescent protein fusion proteins expressed by recombinant S. reilianum localized to the extracellular hyphal space. Transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana)-expressing green fluorescent protein-SAD1 displayed an increased number of secondary rosette-leaf branches. This suggests that SAD1 manipulates inflorescence branching architecture in maize and Arabidopsis through a conserved pathway. Using a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) two-hybrid library of S. reilianum-infected maize tissues, we identified potential plant interaction partners that had a predicted function in ubiquitination, signaling, and nuclear processes. Presence of SAD1 led to an increase of the transcript levels of the auxin transporter PIN-FORMED1 in the root and a reduction of the branching regulator TEOSINTE BRANCHED1 in the stalk. This indicates a role of SAD1 in regulation of apical dominance by modulation of branching through increasing transcript levels of the auxin transporter PIN1 and derepression of bud outgrowth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Ghareeb
- Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions (H.G., J.S.) andPlant Cell Biology (C.L., T.T.), Albrecht von Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Georg August Universität Göttingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany;Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany (H.G., J.S.);Department of Plant Biotechnology, National Research Centre, 12311 Cairo, Egypt (H.G.); andMicrobial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany (F.D., J.S.)
| | - Frank Drechsler
- Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions (H.G., J.S.) andPlant Cell Biology (C.L., T.T.), Albrecht von Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Georg August Universität Göttingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany;Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany (H.G., J.S.);Department of Plant Biotechnology, National Research Centre, 12311 Cairo, Egypt (H.G.); andMicrobial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany (F.D., J.S.)
| | - Christian Löfke
- Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions (H.G., J.S.) andPlant Cell Biology (C.L., T.T.), Albrecht von Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Georg August Universität Göttingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany;Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany (H.G., J.S.);Department of Plant Biotechnology, National Research Centre, 12311 Cairo, Egypt (H.G.); andMicrobial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany (F.D., J.S.)
| | - Thomas Teichmann
- Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions (H.G., J.S.) andPlant Cell Biology (C.L., T.T.), Albrecht von Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Georg August Universität Göttingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany;Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany (H.G., J.S.);Department of Plant Biotechnology, National Research Centre, 12311 Cairo, Egypt (H.G.); andMicrobial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany (F.D., J.S.)
| | - Jan Schirawski
- Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions (H.G., J.S.) andPlant Cell Biology (C.L., T.T.), Albrecht von Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Georg August Universität Göttingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany;Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany (H.G., J.S.);Department of Plant Biotechnology, National Research Centre, 12311 Cairo, Egypt (H.G.); andMicrobial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany (F.D., J.S.)
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Isolation, structural analysis, and expression characteristics of the maize TIFY gene family. Mol Genet Genomics 2015; 290:1849-58. [PMID: 25862669 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-015-1042-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
TIFY, previously known as ZIM, comprises a plant-specific family annotated as transcription factors that might play important roles in stress response. Despite TIFY proteins have been reported in Arabidopsis and rice, a comprehensive and systematic survey of ZmTIFY genes has not yet been conducted. To investigate the functions of ZmTIFY genes in this family, we isolated and characterized 30 ZmTIFY (1 TIFY, 3 ZML, and 26 JAZ) genes in an analysis of the maize (Zea mays L.) genome in this study. The 30 ZmTIFY genes were distributed over eight chromosomes. Multiple alignment and motif display results indicated that all ZmTIFY proteins share two conserved TIFY and Jas domains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the ZmTIFY family could be divided into two groups. Putative cis-elements, involved in abiotic stress response, phytohormones, pollen grain, and seed development, were detected in the promoters of maize TIFY genes. Microarray data showed that the ZmTIFY genes had tissue-specific expression patterns in various maize developmental stages and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. The results indicated that ZmTIFY4, 5, 8, 26, and 28 were induced, while ZmTIFY16, 13, 24, 27, 18, and 30 were suppressed, by drought stress in the maize inbred lines Han21 and Ye478. ZmTIFY1, 19, and 28 were upregulated after infection by three pathogens, whereas ZmTIFY4, 13, 21, 23, 24, and 26 were suppressed. These results indicate that the ZmTIFY family may have vital roles in response to abiotic and biotic stresses. The data presented in this work provide vital clues for further investigating the functions of the genes in the ZmTIFY family.
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