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You Y, Suraj HM, Matz L, Herrera Valderrama AL, Ruigrok P, Shi-Kunne X, Pieterse FPJ, Oostlander A, Beenen HG, Chavarro-Carrero EA, Qin S, Verstappen FWA, Kappers IF, Fleißner A, van Kan JAL. Botrytis cinerea combines four molecular strategies to tolerate membrane-permeating plant compounds and to increase virulence. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6448. [PMID: 39085234 PMCID: PMC11291775 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50748-5] [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: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Saponins are plant secondary metabolites comprising glycosylated triterpenoids, steroids or steroidal alkaloids with a broad spectrum of toxicity to microbial pathogens and pest organisms that contribute to basal plant defense to biotic attack. Secretion of glycosyl hydrolases that enzymatically convert saponins into less toxic products was thus far the only mechanism reported to enable fungal pathogens to colonize their saponin-containing host plant(s). We studied the mechanisms that the fungus Botrytis cinerea utilizes to be tolerant to well-characterized, structurally related saponins from tomato and Digitalis purpurea. By gene expression studies, comparative genomics, enzyme assays and testing a large panel of fungal (knockout and complemented) mutants, we unraveled four distinct cellular mechanisms that participate in the mitigation of the toxic activity of these saponins and in virulence on saponin-producing host plants. The enzymatic deglycosylation that we identified is novel and unique to this fungus-saponin combination. The other three tolerance mechanisms operate in the fungal membrane and are mediated by protein families that are widely distributed in the fungal kingdom. We present a spatial and temporal model on how these mechanisms jointly confer tolerance to saponins and discuss the repercussions of these findings for other plant pathogenic fungi, as well as human pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaohua You
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biology, Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology, RWTH University, Aachen, Germany
| | - H M Suraj
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Institut für Genetik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Linda Matz
- Institut für Genetik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Paul Ruigrok
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Xiaoqian Shi-Kunne
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Frank P J Pieterse
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anne Oostlander
- Institut für Genetik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Henriek G Beenen
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Si Qin
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
| | | | - Iris F Kappers
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - André Fleißner
- Institut für Genetik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jan A L van Kan
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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Beccari G, Tini F, Foroud NA, Ederli L, Gardiner DM, Benfield AH, Harris LJ, Sulyok M, Romani R, Bellezza I, Covarelli L. A comparison between the role of enniatins and deoxynivalenol in Fusarium virulence on different tissues of common wheat. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:463. [PMID: 38802782 PMCID: PMC11129500 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-04945-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium avenaceum are two of the most important causal agents of Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat. They can produce mycotoxins that accumulate in infected wheat heads, including deoxynivalenol (DON) and enniatins (ENNs), produced by F. graminearum and F. avenaceum, respectively. While the role of DON as a virulence factor in F. graminearum toward wheat is well known, ENNs in F. avenaceum has been poorly explored. Results obtained to-date indicate that ENNs may confer an advantage to F. avenaceum only on particular hosts. RESULTS In this study, with the use of ENN-producing and ENN non-producing F. avenaceum strains, the role of ENNs on F. avenaceum virulence was investigated on the root, stem base and head of common wheat, and compared with the role of DON, using DON-producing and DON non-producing F. graminearum strains. The DON-producing F. graminearum strain showed a significantly higher ability to cause symptoms and colonise each of the tested tissues than the non-producing strain. On the other hand, the ability to produce ENNs increased initial symptoms of the disease and fungal biomass accumulation, measured by qPCR, only in wheat heads, and not in roots or stem bases. LC-MS/MS analysis was used to confirm the presence of ENNs and DON in the different strains, and results, both in vitro and in wheat heads, were consistent with the genetics of each strain. CONCLUSION While the key role of DON on F. graminearum virulence towards three different wheat tissues was noticeable, ENNs seemed to have a role only in influencing F. avenaceum virulence on common wheat heads probably due to an initial delay in the appearance of symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Beccari
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesco Tini
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Nora A Foroud
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Luisa Ederli
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | | | - Aurelie H Benfield
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Linda J Harris
- Ottawa Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Michael Sulyok
- Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), Institute of Bioanalytics and Agro-Metabolomics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Tulln, Austria
| | - Roberto Romani
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Ilaria Bellezza
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Covarelli
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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3
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Niu G, Yang Q, Liao Y, Sun D, Tang Z, Wang G, Xu M, Wang C, Kang J. Advances in Understanding Fusarium graminearum: Genes Involved in the Regulation of Sexual Development, Pathogenesis, and Deoxynivalenol Biosynthesis. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:475. [PMID: 38674409 PMCID: PMC11050156 DOI: 10.3390/genes15040475] [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: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The wheat head blight disease caused by Fusarium graminearum is a major concern for food security and the health of both humans and animals. As a pathogenic microorganism, F. graminearum produces virulence factors during infection to increase pathogenicity, including various macromolecular and small molecular compounds. Among these virulence factors, secreted proteins and deoxynivalenol (DON) are important weapons for the expansion and colonization of F. graminearum. Besides the presence of virulence factors, sexual reproduction is also crucial for the infection process of F. graminearum and is indispensable for the emergence and spread of wheat head blight. Over the last ten years, there have been notable breakthroughs in researching the virulence factors and sexual reproduction of F. graminearum. This review aims to analyze the research progress of sexual reproduction, secreted proteins, and DON of F. graminearum, emphasizing the regulation of sexual reproduction and DON synthesis. We also discuss the application of new gene engineering technologies in the prevention and control of wheat head blight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Niu
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (G.N.); (Q.Y.); (Y.L.); (D.S.); (Z.T.); (G.W.); (M.X.)
| | - Qing Yang
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (G.N.); (Q.Y.); (Y.L.); (D.S.); (Z.T.); (G.W.); (M.X.)
| | - Yihui Liao
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (G.N.); (Q.Y.); (Y.L.); (D.S.); (Z.T.); (G.W.); (M.X.)
| | - Daiyuan Sun
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (G.N.); (Q.Y.); (Y.L.); (D.S.); (Z.T.); (G.W.); (M.X.)
| | - Zhe Tang
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (G.N.); (Q.Y.); (Y.L.); (D.S.); (Z.T.); (G.W.); (M.X.)
| | - Guanghui Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (G.N.); (Q.Y.); (Y.L.); (D.S.); (Z.T.); (G.W.); (M.X.)
| | - Ming Xu
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (G.N.); (Q.Y.); (Y.L.); (D.S.); (Z.T.); (G.W.); (M.X.)
| | - Chenfang Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (G.N.); (Q.Y.); (Y.L.); (D.S.); (Z.T.); (G.W.); (M.X.)
- Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Jiangang Kang
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (G.N.); (Q.Y.); (Y.L.); (D.S.); (Z.T.); (G.W.); (M.X.)
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
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Gutiérrez-Sánchez A, Plasencia J, Monribot-Villanueva JL, Rodríguez-Haas B, Ruíz-May E, Guerrero-Analco JA, Sánchez-Rangel D. Virulence factors of the genus Fusarium with targets in plants. Microbiol Res 2023; 277:127506. [PMID: 37783182 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127506] [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: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Fusarium spp. comprise various species of filamentous fungi that cause severe diseases in plant crops of both agricultural and forestry interest. These plant pathogens produce a wide range of molecules with diverse chemical structures and biological activities. Genetic functional analyses of some of these compounds have shown their role as virulence factors (VF). However, their mode of action and contributions to the infection process for many of these molecules are still unknown. This review aims to analyze the state of the art in Fusarium VF, emphasizing their biological targets on the plant hosts. It also addresses the current experimental approaches to improve our understanding of their role in virulence and suggests relevant research questions that remain to be answered with a greater focus on species of agroeconomic importance. In this review, a total of 37 confirmed VF are described, including 22 proteinaceous and 15 non-proteinaceous molecules, mainly from Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium graminearum and, to a lesser extent, in Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium solani.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Gutiérrez-Sánchez
- Laboratorios de Fitopatología y Biología Molecular, Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Clúster BioMimic®, Instituto de Ecología, A. C. Xalapa, Veracruz 91073, Mexico; Laboratorio de Química de Productos Naturales, Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Clúster BioMimic®, Instituto de Ecología, A. C. Xalapa, Veracruz 91073, Mexico
| | - Javier Plasencia
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Juan L Monribot-Villanueva
- Laboratorio de Química de Productos Naturales, Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Clúster BioMimic®, Instituto de Ecología, A. C. Xalapa, Veracruz 91073, Mexico
| | - Benjamín Rodríguez-Haas
- Laboratorios de Fitopatología y Biología Molecular, Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Clúster BioMimic®, Instituto de Ecología, A. C. Xalapa, Veracruz 91073, Mexico
| | - Eliel Ruíz-May
- Laboratorio de Proteómica, Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Clúster BioMimic®, Instituto de Ecología, A. C. Xalapa, Veracruz 91073, Mexico
| | - José A Guerrero-Analco
- Laboratorio de Química de Productos Naturales, Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Clúster BioMimic®, Instituto de Ecología, A. C. Xalapa, Veracruz 91073, Mexico.
| | - Diana Sánchez-Rangel
- Laboratorios de Fitopatología y Biología Molecular, Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Clúster BioMimic®, Instituto de Ecología, A. C. Xalapa, Veracruz 91073, Mexico; Investigador por México - CONAHCyT en la Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados del Instituto de Ecología, A. C. (INECOL), Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz 91073, Mexico.
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Bailly C. The steroidal alkaloids α-tomatine and tomatidine: Panorama of their mode of action and pharmacological properties. Steroids 2021; 176:108933. [PMID: 34695457 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2021.108933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The steroidal glycoalkaloid α-tomatine (αTM) and its aglycone tomatidine (TD) are abundant in the skin of unripe green tomato and present in tomato leaves and flowers. They mainly serve as defensive agents to protect the plant against infections by insects, bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi. In addition, the two products display a range of pharmacological properties potentially useful to treat various human diseases. We have analyzed all known pharmacological activities of αTM and TD, and the corresponding molecular targets and pathways impacted by these two steroidal alkaloids. In experimental models, αTM displays anticancer effects, particularly strong against androgen-independent prostate cancer, as well as robust antifungal effects. αTM is a potent cholesterol binder, useful as a vaccine adjuvant to improve delivery of protein antigens or therapeutic oligonucleotides. TD is a much less cytotoxic compound, able to restrict the spread of certain viruses (such as dengue, chikungunya and porcine epidemic diarrhea viruses) and to provide cardio and neuro-protective effects toward human cells. Both αTM and TD exhibit marked anti-inflammatory activities. They proceed through multiple signaling pathways and protein targets, including the sterol C24 methyltransferase Erg6 and vitamin D receptor, both directly targeted by TD. αTM is a powerful regulator of the NFkB/ERK signaling pathway implicated in various diseases. Collectively, the analysis shed light on the multitargeted action of αTM/TD and their usefulness as chemo-preventive or chemotherapeutic agents. A novel medicinal application for αTM is proposed.
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You Y, van Kan JA. Bitter and sweet make tomato hard to (b)eat. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:90-100. [PMID: 33220068 PMCID: PMC8126962 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The glycoalkaloid saponin α-tomatine is a tomato-specific secondary metabolite that accumulates to millimolar levels in vegetative tissues and has antimicrobial and antinutritional activity that kills microbial pathogens and deters herbivorous insects. We describe recent insights into the biosynthetic pathway of α-tomatine synthesis and its regulation. We discuss the mode of action of α-tomatine by physically interacting with sterols, thereby disrupting membranes, and how tomato protects itself from its toxic action. Tomato pathogenic microbes can enzymatically hydrolyze, and thereby inactivate, α-tomatine using either of three distinct types of glycosyl hydrolases. We also describe findings that extend well beyond the simple concept of plants producing toxins and pathogens inactivating them. There are reports that toxicity of α-tomatine is modulated by external pH, that α-tomatine can trigger programmed cell death in fungi, that cellular localization matters for the impact of α-tomatine on invading microbes, and that α-tomatine breakdown products generated by microbial hydrolytic enzymes can modulate plant immune responses. Finally, we address a number of outstanding questions that deserve attention in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaohua You
- Laboratory of PhytopathologyWageningen UniversityWageningen6708 PBthe Netherlands
| | - Jan A.L. van Kan
- Laboratory of PhytopathologyWageningen UniversityWageningen6708 PBthe Netherlands
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7
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Hao G, McCormick S, Usgaard T, Tiley H, Vaughan MM. Characterization of Three Fusarium graminearum Effectors and Their Roles During Fusarium Head Blight. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:579553. [PMID: 33329641 PMCID: PMC7734257 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.579553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Fusarium graminearum causes Fusarium head blight (FHB) on wheat, barley, and other grains. During infection, F. graminearum produces deoxynivalenol (DON), which contaminates grain and functions as a virulence factor to promote FHB spread throughout the wheat head. F. graminearum secretes hundreds of putative effectors, which can interfere with plant immunity to promote disease development. However, the function of most of these putative effectors remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the expression profiles of 23 F. graminearum effector-coding genes during the early stage of wheat head infection. Gene expression analyses revealed that three effectors, FGSG_01831, FGSG_03599, and FGSG_12160, respectively, were highly induced in both a FHB susceptible and a moderately resistant variety. We generated deletion mutants for these effector genes and performed FHB virulence assays on wheat head using point and dip inoculations to evaluate FHB spread and initial infection. No statistically significant difference in FHB spread was observed in the deletion mutants. However, deletion mutants Δ01831 displayed a significant reduction in initial infection, and thus resulted in less DON contamination. To investigate the potential mechanisms involved, these three effectors were transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. N. benthamiana leaves expressing these individual effectors had significantly reduced production of reactive oxygen species induced by chitin, but not by flg22. Furthermore, FGSG_01831 and FGSG_03599 markedly suppressed Bax-induced cell death when co-expressed with Bax in N. benthamiana leaves. Our study provides new insights into the functions of these effectors and suggests they play collective or redundant roles that likely ensure the successful plant infection.
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8
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Map-based cloning identifies velvet A as a critical component of virulence in Fusarium pseudograminearum during infection of wheat heads. Fungal Biol 2020; 125:191-200. [PMID: 33622535 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2020.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Although better known as a pathogen of wheat stem bases, Fusarium pseudograminearum also causes Fusarium head blight. A natural isolate of F. pseudograminearum was identified that showed severely reduced virulence towards wheat heads and a map-based cloning approach was undertaken to identify the genetic basis of this phenotype. Using a population of 95 individuals, a single locus on chromosome 1 was shown to be responsible for the low virulence. Fine mapping narrowed the region to just five possible SNPs of which one was in the F. pseudograminearum homologue of velvet A. Knockout mutants of velvet A, which were non-pathogenic towards wheat, confirmed that velvet A regulates virulence in this pathogen. The mutation in velvet A was only found in a single field isolate and the origin of the mutation is unknown.
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9
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Han JW, Kim DY, Lee YJ, Choi YR, Kim B, Choi GJ, Han SW, Kim H. Transcription Factor PdeR Is Involved in Fungal Development, Metabolic Change, and Pathogenesis of Gray Mold Botrytis cinerea. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2020; 68:9171-9179. [PMID: 32786857 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c02420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea releases extracellular enzymes that facilitate its penetration into a host. This study functionally characterized the gene pdeR of B. cinerea, which is predicted to encode a Zn(II)2Cys6 zinc finger transcription factor. To investigate the role of pdeR, deleted and complemented strains of pdeR in B. cinerea were generated, which were designated as ΔpdeR and PdeRc, respectively. The ΔpdeR strain exhibited impaired germination and growth compared to the wild-type and PdeRc strains, particularly when provided with maltose as the sole carbon source. When all of the strains were grown on a minimal medium containing polysaccharide as the sole carbon source, the ΔpdeR exclusively showed defects in polysaccharide hydrolysis with reduced gene expression encoding for amylase and cellulase. As far as the involvement of pdeR in carbon metabolism is concerned, metabolic changes were investigated in the ΔpdeR mutant. Comparisons of relative, normalized concentrations of each metabolite showed that the amounts of six metabolites including glucose and trehalose were significantly changed in the ΔpdeR strain. Based on pleiotropic changes derived from the deletion of pdeR, we hypothesized that pdeR has an important role in pathogenesis. When the ΔpdeR strain was inoculated onto pepper plant, the ΔpdeR strain did not cause expansion of the disease lesions from the infection sites, which grew on the surface without any penetration. Taken together, these results show that the deletion of pdeR affected the extracellular enzymatic activity, leading to changes in fungal development, metabolism, and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Woo Han
- Center for Eco-Friendly New Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Da Yeon Kim
- Center for Eco-Friendly New Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Yu Jeong Lee
- Center for Eco-Friendly New Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
| | - Yee Ram Choi
- Center for Eco-Friendly New Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Bomin Kim
- Center for Eco-Friendly New Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
| | - Gyung Ja Choi
- Center for Eco-Friendly New Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
| | - Sang-Wook Han
- Department of Plant Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Korea
| | - Hun Kim
- Center for Eco-Friendly New Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
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Tini F, Beccari G, Benfield AH, Gardiner DM, Covarelli L. Role of the XylA gene, encoding a cell wall degrading enzyme, during common wheat, durum wheat and barley colonization by Fusarium graminearum. Fungal Genet Biol 2019; 136:103318. [PMID: 31841669 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.103318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Fusarium graminearum is the main causal agent of fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat and barley. This filamentous fungus is able to produce hydrolytic enzymes, such as xylanases, that cause cell wall degradation, permitting host colonization. This study investigated the role of the F. graminearum XylA (FGSG_10999) gene during infection, using a knockout mutant in strain CS3005. Assays were carried out on common wheat, durum wheat and barley to compare virulence of a XylA knockout to that of wild type strain. These assays were conducted on wheat and barley seedling roots, seedling stem bases and heads. Furthermore, additional in vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the role of XylA gene in the utilisation of D-xylose, the main component of cereals cell wall. In planta assays showed the importance of XylA gene for F. graminearum virulence towards its main hosts. A positive correlation between symptom incidence and fungal biomass development was also observed for both the wild type and the knockout strains. Finally, gene expression studies performed in a liquid medium enriched with D-xylose, a known xylanase inducer in other fungi, showed that the absence of the gene in the FGSG_10999 locus was not compensated by two other F. graminearum xylanase encoding genes analysed (loci FGSG_06445 and FGSG_11478).
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Affiliation(s)
- F Tini
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy
| | - G Beccari
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy
| | - A H Benfield
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, Brisbane 4067, QLD, Australia
| | - D M Gardiner
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, Brisbane 4067, QLD, Australia
| | - L Covarelli
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy.
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Lu S, Faris JD. Fusarium graminearum KP4-like proteins possess root growth-inhibiting activity against wheat and potentially contribute to fungal virulence in seedling rot. Fungal Genet Biol 2018; 123:1-13. [PMID: 30465882 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The virally encoded KP4 killer toxin protein was first identified from Ustilago maydis (Um), and its homologues are present in diverse fungi and in one species of moss. No KP4-like (KP4L) proteins have been functionally characterized. Here, we report the identification and functional analysis of four KP4L proteins from Fusarium graminearum (Fg), the primary causal pathogen of Fusarium head blight (FHB), which is also known to associate with seedling rot of wheat. The four FgKP4L proteins (FgKP4L-1, -2, -3 and -4) are encoded by small open reading frames (378-825 bp) located on chromosome 1 with the FgKP4L-1, -2 and -3 genes clustering together. Sequence analysis indicated that FgKP4L proteins have conserved domains predicted to form a three-dimensional alpha/beta-sandwich structure as first reported for UmKP4, with FgKP4L-4 featuring double Kp4 domains. Further analyses revealed that the FgKP4L genes are expressed in vitro under certain stress conditions, and all up-regulated during FHB and/or seedling rot development, the recombinant FgKP4L-2 protein does not induce cell death in wheat leaves or spikelets, but inhibits root growth of young seedlings, and the elimination of the FgKP4L-1/-2/-3 gene cluster from the fungal genome results in reduced virulence in seedling rot but not in FHB. Database searches revealed KP4L proteins from ∼80 fungal species with more than half from human/animal pathogens. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that UmKP4 and the moss KP4L proteins are closely related to those from a zygromycete and Aspergillus, respectively, implying cross-kingdom horizontal gene transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunwen Lu
- US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Cereal Crops Research Unit, Fargo, ND 58102-2765, USA.
| | - Justin D Faris
- US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Cereal Crops Research Unit, Fargo, ND 58102-2765, USA
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