1
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Outram MA, Chen J, Broderick S, Li Z, Aditya S, Tasneem N, Arndell T, Blundell C, Ericsson DJ, Figueroa M, Sperschneider J, Dodds PN, Williams SJ. AvrSr27 is a zinc-bound effector with a modular structure important for immune recognition. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 243:314-329. [PMID: 38730532 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19801] [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: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Effector proteins are central to the success of plant pathogens, while immunity in host plants is driven by receptor-mediated recognition of these effectors. Understanding the molecular details of effector-receptor interactions is key for the engineering of novel immune receptors. Here, we experimentally determined the crystal structure of the Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt) effector AvrSr27, which was not accurately predicted using AlphaFold2. We characterised the role of the conserved cysteine residues in AvrSr27 using in vitro biochemical assays and examined Sr27-mediated recognition using transient expression in Nicotiana spp. and wheat protoplasts. The AvrSr27 structure contains a novel β-strand rich modular fold consisting of two structurally similar domains that bind to Zn2+ ions. The N-terminal domain of AvrSr27 is sufficient for interaction with Sr27 and triggering cell death. We identified two Pgt proteins structurally related to AvrSr27 but with low sequence identity that can also associate with Sr27, albeit more weakly. Though only the full-length proteins, trigger Sr27-dependent cell death in transient expression systems. Collectively, our findings have important implications for utilising protein prediction platforms for effector proteins, and those embarking on bespoke engineering of immunity receptors as solutions to plant disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Outram
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Jian Chen
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Sean Broderick
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Zhao Li
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Shouvik Aditya
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Nuren Tasneem
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Taj Arndell
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Cheryl Blundell
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Daniel J Ericsson
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- Australian Synchrotron, Macromolecular Crystallography, Clayton, Vic., 3186, Australia
| | - Melania Figueroa
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Jana Sperschneider
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Peter N Dodds
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Simon J Williams
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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2
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Geller AM, Shalom M, Zlotkin D, Blum N, Levy A. Identification of type VI secretion system effector-immunity pairs using structural bioinformatics. Mol Syst Biol 2024; 20:702-718. [PMID: 38658795 PMCID: PMC11148199 DOI: 10.1038/s44320-024-00035-8] [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: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is an important mediator of microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions. Gram-negative bacteria use the T6SS to inject T6SS effectors (T6Es), which are usually proteins with toxic activity, into neighboring cells. Antibacterial effectors have cognate immunity proteins that neutralize self-intoxication. Here, we applied novel structural bioinformatic tools to perform systematic discovery and functional annotation of T6Es and their cognate immunity proteins from a dataset of 17,920 T6SS-encoding bacterial genomes. Using structural clustering, we identified 517 putative T6E families, outperforming sequence-based clustering. We developed a logistic regression model to reliably quantify protein-protein interaction of new T6E-immunity pairs, yielding candidate immunity proteins for 231 out of the 517 T6E families. We used sensitive structure-based annotation which yielded functional annotations for 51% of the T6E families, again outperforming sequence-based annotation. Next, we validated four novel T6E-immunity pairs using basic experiments in E. coli. In particular, we showed that the Pfam domain DUF3289 is a homolog of Colicin M and that DUF943 acts as its cognate immunity protein. Furthermore, we discovered a novel T6E that is a structural homolog of SleB, a lytic transglycosylase, and identified a specific glutamate that acts as its putative catalytic residue. Overall, this study applies novel structural bioinformatic tools to T6E-immunity pair discovery, and provides an extensive database of annotated T6E-immunity pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Geller
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Institute of Environmental Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Maor Shalom
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Institute of Environmental Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - David Zlotkin
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Institute of Environmental Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Noam Blum
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Institute of Environmental Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Asaf Levy
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Institute of Environmental Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
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Pavithran S, Murugan M, Mannu J, Sathyaseelan C, Balasubramani V, Harish S, Natesan S. Salivary gland transcriptomics of the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii and comparative analysis with other sap-sucking insects. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 116:e22123. [PMID: 38860775 DOI: 10.1002/arch.22123] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Aphids are sap-sucking insects responsible for crop losses and a severe threat to crop production. Proteins in the aphid saliva are integral in establishing an interaction between aphids and plants and are responsible for host plant adaptation. The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a major pest of Gossypium hirsutum. Despite extensive studies of the salivary proteins of various aphid species, the components of A. gossypii salivary glands are unknown. In this study, we identified 123,008 transcripts from the salivary gland of A. gossypii. Among those, 2933 proteins have signal peptides with no transmembrane domain known to be secreted from the cell upon feeding. The transcriptome includes proteins with more comprehensive functions such as digestion, detoxification, regulating host defenses, regulation of salivary glands, and a large set of uncharacterized proteins. Comparative analysis of salivary proteins of different aphids and other insects with A. gossypii revealed that 183 and 88 orthologous clusters were common in the Aphididae and non-Aphididae groups, respectively. The structure prediction for highly expressed salivary proteins indicated that most possess an intrinsically disordered region. These results provide valuable reference data for exploring novel functions of salivary proteins in A. gossypii with their host interactions. The identified proteins may help develop a sustainable way to manage aphid pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanmugasundram Pavithran
- Department of Agricultural Entomology, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Marimuthu Murugan
- Department of Agricultural Entomology, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Jayakanthan Mannu
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Chakkarai Sathyaseelan
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India
- Livestrong Cancer Institutes, Department of Oncology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Venkatasamy Balasubramani
- Department of Agricultural Entomology, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Sankarasubramanian Harish
- Department of Plant Pathology, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Senthil Natesan
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India
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Mukhopadhyay S, Garvetto A, Neuhauser S, Pérez-López E. Decoding the Arsenal: Protist Effectors and Their Impact on Photosynthetic Hosts. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2024; 37:498-506. [PMID: 38551366 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-11-23-0196-cr] [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: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Interactions between various microbial pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, and their plant hosts have traditionally been the focus of phytopathology. In recent years, a significant and growing interest in the study of eukaryotic microorganisms not classified among fungi or oomycetes has emerged. Many of these protists establish complex interactions with photosynthetic hosts, and understanding these interactions is crucial in understanding the dynamics of these parasites within traditional and emerging types of farming, including marine aquaculture. Many phytopathogenic protists are biotrophs with complex polyphasic life cycles, which makes them difficult or impossible to culture, a fact reflected in a wide gap in the availability of comprehensive genomic data when compared to fungal and oomycete plant pathogens. Furthermore, our ability to use available genomic resources for these protists is limited by the broad taxonomic distance that these organisms span, which makes comparisons with other genomic datasets difficult. The current rapid progress in genomics and computational tools for the prediction of protein functions and interactions is revolutionizing the landscape in plant pathology. This is also opening novel possibilities, specifically for a deeper understanding of protist effectors. Tools like AlphaFold2 enable structure-based function prediction of effector candidates with divergent protein sequences. In turn, this allows us to ask better biological questions and, coupled with innovative experimental strategies, will lead into a new era of effector research, especially for protists, to expand our knowledge on these elusive pathogens and their interactions with photosynthetic hosts. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soham Mukhopadhyay
- Départment de phytologie, Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche et d'innovation sur les végétaux (CRIV), Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- Institute de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- L'Institute EDS, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andrea Garvetto
- Institute of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Sigrid Neuhauser
- Institute of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Edel Pérez-López
- Départment de phytologie, Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche et d'innovation sur les végétaux (CRIV), Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- Institute de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- L'Institute EDS, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
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5
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De la Concepcion JC, Langner T, Fujisaki K, Yan X, Were V, Lam AHC, Saado I, Brabham HJ, Win J, Yoshida K, Talbot NJ, Terauchi R, Kamoun S, Banfield MJ. Zinc-finger (ZiF) fold secreted effectors form a functionally diverse family across lineages of the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012277. [PMID: 38885263 PMCID: PMC11213319 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Filamentous plant pathogens deliver effector proteins into host cells to suppress host defence responses and manipulate metabolic processes to support colonization. Understanding the evolution and molecular function of these effectors provides knowledge about pathogenesis and can suggest novel strategies to reduce damage caused by pathogens. However, effector proteins are highly variable, share weak sequence similarity and, although they can be grouped according to their structure, only a few structurally conserved effector families have been functionally characterized to date. Here, we demonstrate that Zinc-finger fold (ZiF) secreted proteins form a functionally diverse effector family in the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. This family relies on the Zinc-finger motif for protein stability and is ubiquitously present in blast fungus lineages infecting 13 different host species, forming different effector tribes. Homologs of the canonical ZiF effector, AVR-Pii, from rice infecting isolates are present in multiple M. oryzae lineages. Wheat infecting strains of the fungus also possess an AVR-Pii like allele that binds host Exo70 proteins and activates the immune receptor Pii. Furthermore, ZiF tribes may vary in the proteins they bind to, indicating functional diversification and an intricate effector/host interactome. Altogether, we uncovered a new effector family with a common protein fold that has functionally diversified in lineages of M. oryzae. This work expands our understanding of the diversity of M. oryzae effectors, the molecular basis of plant pathogenesis and may ultimately facilitate the development of new sources for pathogen resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos De la Concepcion
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Thorsten Langner
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Koki Fujisaki
- Division of Genomics and Breeding, Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Iwate, Japan
| | - Xia Yan
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Vincent Were
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Anson Ho Ching Lam
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Indira Saado
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Helen J. Brabham
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Joe Win
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Kentaro Yoshida
- Laboratory of Plant Genetics, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Nicholas J. Talbot
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Ryohei Terauchi
- Division of Genomics and Breeding, Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Iwate, Japan
- Laboratory of Crop Evolution, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sophien Kamoun
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Mark J. Banfield
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
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6
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Zhang Z, Zhang X, Tian Y, Wang L, Cao J, Feng H, Li K, Wang Y, Dong S, Ye W, Wang Y. Complete telomere-to-telomere genomes uncover virulence evolution conferred by chromosome fusion in oomycete plant pathogens. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4624. [PMID: 38816389 PMCID: PMC11139960 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49061-y] [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: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Variations in chromosome number are occasionally observed among oomycetes, a group that includes many plant pathogens, but the emergence of such variations and their effects on genome and virulence evolution remain ambiguous. We generated complete telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies for Phytophthora sojae, Globisporangium ultimum, Pythium oligandrum, and G. spinosum. Reconstructing the karyotype of the most recent common ancestor in Peronosporales revealed that frequent chromosome fusion and fission drove changes in chromosome number. Centromeres enriched with Copia-like transposons may contribute to chromosome fusion and fission events. Chromosome fusion facilitated the emergence of pathogenicity genes and their adaptive evolution. Effectors tended to duplicate in the sub-telomere regions of fused chromosomes, which exhibited evolutionary features distinct to the non-fused chromosomes. By integrating ancestral genomic dynamics and structural predictions, we have identified secreted Ankyrin repeat-containing proteins (ANKs) as a novel class of effectors in P. sojae. Phylogenetic analysis and experiments further revealed that ANK is a specifically expanded effector family in oomycetes. These results revealed chromosome dynamics in oomycete plant pathogens, and provided novel insights into karyotype and effector evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Disease and Pest Control (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoyi Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Disease and Pest Control (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuan Tian
- Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Disease and Pest Control (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Liyuan Wang
- Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Disease and Pest Control (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jingting Cao
- Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Disease and Pest Control (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hui Feng
- Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Kainan Li
- Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Disease and Pest Control (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Disease and Pest Control (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Suomeng Dong
- Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Disease and Pest Control (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wenwu Ye
- Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China.
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Disease and Pest Control (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yuanchao Wang
- Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China.
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Disease and Pest Control (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China.
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7
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Lahfa M, Barthe P, de Guillen K, Cesari S, Raji M, Kroj T, Le Naour—Vernet M, Hoh F, Gladieux P, Roumestand C, Gracy J, Declerck N, Padilla A. The structural landscape and diversity of Pyricularia oryzae MAX effectors revisited. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012176. [PMID: 38709846 PMCID: PMC11132498 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Magnaporthe AVRs and ToxB-like (MAX) effectors constitute a family of secreted virulence proteins in the fungus Pyricularia oryzae (syn. Magnaporthe oryzae), which causes blast disease on numerous cereals and grasses. In spite of high sequence divergence, MAX effectors share a common fold characterized by a ß-sandwich core stabilized by a conserved disulfide bond. In this study, we investigated the structural landscape and diversity within the MAX effector repertoire of P. oryzae. Combining experimental protein structure determination and in silico structure modeling we validated the presence of the conserved MAX effector core domain in 77 out of 94 groups of orthologs (OG) identified in a previous population genomic study. Four novel MAX effector structures determined by NMR were in remarkably good agreement with AlphaFold2 (AF2) predictions. Based on the comparison of the AF2-generated 3D models we propose a classification of the MAX effectors superfamily in 20 structural groups that vary in the canonical MAX fold, disulfide bond patterns, and additional secondary structures in N- and C-terminal extensions. About one-third of the MAX family members remain singletons, without strong structural relationship to other MAX effectors. Analysis of the surface properties of the AF2 MAX models also highlights the high variability within the MAX family at the structural level, potentially reflecting the wide diversity of their virulence functions and host targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mounia Lahfa
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, Univ Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5048, INSERM U 1054, Montpellier, France
| | - Philippe Barthe
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, Univ Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5048, INSERM U 1054, Montpellier, France
| | - Karine de Guillen
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, Univ Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5048, INSERM U 1054, Montpellier, France
| | - Stella Cesari
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Mouna Raji
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, Univ Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5048, INSERM U 1054, Montpellier, France
| | - Thomas Kroj
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Marie Le Naour—Vernet
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - François Hoh
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, Univ Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5048, INSERM U 1054, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre Gladieux
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Christian Roumestand
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, Univ Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5048, INSERM U 1054, Montpellier, France
| | - Jérôme Gracy
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, Univ Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5048, INSERM U 1054, Montpellier, France
| | - Nathalie Declerck
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, Univ Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5048, INSERM U 1054, Montpellier, France
| | - André Padilla
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, Univ Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5048, INSERM U 1054, Montpellier, France
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8
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Jones JDG, Staskawicz BJ, Dangl JL. The plant immune system: From discovery to deployment. Cell 2024; 187:2095-2116. [PMID: 38670067 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.045] [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: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Plant diseases cause famines, drive human migration, and present challenges to agricultural sustainability as pathogen ranges shift under climate change. Plant breeders discovered Mendelian genetic loci conferring disease resistance to specific pathogen isolates over 100 years ago. Subsequent breeding for disease resistance underpins modern agriculture and, along with the emergence and focus on model plants for genetics and genomics research, has provided rich resources for molecular biological exploration over the last 50 years. These studies led to the identification of extracellular and intracellular receptors that convert recognition of extracellular microbe-encoded molecular patterns or intracellular pathogen-delivered virulence effectors into defense activation. These receptor systems, and downstream responses, define plant immune systems that have evolved since the migration of plants to land ∼500 million years ago. Our current understanding of plant immune systems provides the platform for development of rational resistance enhancement to control the many diseases that continue to plague crop production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D G Jones
- Sainsbury Lab, University of East Anglia, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
| | - Brian J Staskawicz
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jeffery L Dangl
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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9
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Arndell T, Chen J, Sperschneider J, Upadhyaya NM, Blundell C, Niesner N, Outram MA, Wang A, Swain S, Luo M, Ayliffe MA, Figueroa M, Vanhercke T, Dodds PN. Pooled effector library screening in protoplasts rapidly identifies novel Avr genes. NATURE PLANTS 2024; 10:572-580. [PMID: 38409291 PMCID: PMC11035141 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-024-01641-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Crop breeding for durable disease resistance is challenging due to the rapid evolution of pathogen virulence. While progress in resistance (R) gene cloning and stacking has accelerated in recent years1-3, the identification of corresponding avirulence (Avr) genes in many pathogens is hampered by the lack of high-throughput screening options. To address this technology gap, we developed a platform for pooled library screening in plant protoplasts to allow rapid identification of interacting R-Avr pairs. We validated this platform by isolating known and novel Avr genes from wheat stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) after screening a designed library of putative effectors against individual R genes. Rapid Avr gene identification provides molecular tools to understand and track pathogen virulence evolution via genotype surveillance, which in turn will lead to optimized R gene stacking and deployment strategies. This platform should be broadly applicable to many crop pathogens and could potentially be adapted for screening genes involved in other protoplast-selectable traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taj Arndell
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jian Chen
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Jana Sperschneider
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | | | - Cheryl Blundell
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Nathalie Niesner
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Megan A Outram
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Aihua Wang
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Steve Swain
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Ming Luo
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Michael A Ayliffe
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Melania Figueroa
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Thomas Vanhercke
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
| | - Peter N Dodds
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
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10
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Baudin M, Le Naour‐Vernet M, Gladieux P, Tharreau D, Lebrun M, Lambou K, Leys M, Fournier E, Césari S, Kroj T. Pyricularia oryzae: Lab star and field scourge. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2024; 25:e13449. [PMID: 38619508 PMCID: PMC11018116 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13449] [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: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Pyricularia oryzae (syn. Magnaporthe oryzae), is a filamentous ascomycete that causes a major disease called blast on cereal crops, as well as on a wide variety of wild and cultivated grasses. Blast diseases have a tremendous impact worldwide particularly on rice and on wheat, where the disease emerged in South America in the 1980s, before spreading to Asia and Africa. Its economic importance, coupled with its amenability to molecular and genetic manipulation, have inspired extensive research efforts aiming at understanding its biology and evolution. In the past 40 years, this plant-pathogenic fungus has emerged as a major model in molecular plant-microbe interactions. In this review, we focus on the clarification of the taxonomy and genetic structure of the species and its host range determinants. We also discuss recent molecular studies deciphering its lifecycle. TAXONOMY Kingdom: Fungi, phylum: Ascomycota, sub-phylum: Pezizomycotina, class: Sordariomycetes, order: Magnaporthales, family: Pyriculariaceae, genus: Pyricularia. HOST RANGE P. oryzae has the ability to infect a wide range of Poaceae. It is structured into different host-specialized lineages that are each associated with a few host plant genera. The fungus is best known to cause tremendous damage to rice crops, but it can also attack other economically important crops such as wheat, maize, barley, and finger millet. DISEASE SYMPTOMS P. oryzae can cause necrotic lesions or bleaching on all aerial parts of its host plants, including leaf blades, sheaths, and inflorescences (panicles, spikes, and seeds). Characteristic symptoms on leaves are diamond-shaped silver lesions that often have a brown margin and whose appearance is influenced by numerous factors such as the plant genotype and environmental conditions. USEFUL WEBSITES Resources URL Genomic data repositories http://genome.jouy.inra.fr/gemo/ Genomic data repositories http://openriceblast.org/ Genomic data repositories http://openwheatblast.net/ Genome browser for fungi (including P. oryzae) http://fungi.ensembl.org/index.html Comparative genomics database https://mycocosm.jgi.doe.gov/mycocosm/home T-DNA mutant database http://atmt.snu.kr/ T-DNA mutant database http://www.phi-base.org/ SNP and expression data https://fungidb.org/fungidb/app/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maël Baudin
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRDMontpellierFrance
- Present address:
Université Angers, Institut Agro, INRAE, IRHS, SFR QUASAVAngersFrance
| | - Marie Le Naour‐Vernet
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Pierre Gladieux
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Didier Tharreau
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRDMontpellierFrance
- CIRAD, UMR PHIMMontpellierFrance
| | - Marc‐Henri Lebrun
- UMR 1290 BIOGER – Campus Agro Paris‐Saclay – INRAE‐AgroParisTechPalaiseauFrance
| | - Karine Lambou
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Marie Leys
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Elisabeth Fournier
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Stella Césari
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Thomas Kroj
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRDMontpellierFrance
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11
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Thakur K, Shree A, Verma PK. Unraveling pathogen deceptive disguise: from modules to mimicry. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 29:397-399. [PMID: 38092630 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Pathogens rely on their effector proteins to colonize host plants. These effectors have diverse functions. A recent study by Li et al. highlights the significance of protein modularity in generating functional diversity among Phytophthora effectors. It underscores the sophisticated tactics that phytopathogens adopt to alter host cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanika Thakur
- Plant Immunity Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Ankita Shree
- Plant Immunity Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Praveen Kumar Verma
- Plant Immunity Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India.
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12
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Kahar G, Haxim Y, Waheed A, Bozorov TA, Liu X, Wen X, Zhao M, Zhang D. Multi-Omics Approaches Provide New Insights into the Identification of Putative Fungal Effectors from Valsa mali. Microorganisms 2024; 12:655. [PMID: 38674600 PMCID: PMC11051974 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic fungi secrete numerous effectors into host cells to manipulate plants' defense mechanisms. Valsa mali, a necrotrophic fungus, severely impacts apple production in China due to the occurrence of Valsa canker. Here, we predicted 210 candidate effector protein (CEP)-encoding genes from V. mali. The transcriptome analysis revealed that 146 CEP-encoding genes were differentially expressed during the infection of the host, Malus sieversii. Proteome analysis showed that 27 CEPs were differentially regulated during the infection stages. Overall, 25 of the 146 differentially expressed CEP-encoding genes were randomly selected to be transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. Pathogenicity analysis showed that the transient expression of VM1G-05058 suppressed BAX-triggered cell death while the expression of VM1G-10148 and VM1G-00140 caused cell death in N. benthamiana. In conclusion, by using multi-omics analysis, we identified potential effector candidates for further evaluation in vivo. Our results will provide new insights into the investigation of virulent mechanisms of V. mali.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gulnaz Kahar
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; (G.K.); (Y.H.); (A.W.); (X.L.); (X.W.); (M.Z.)
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Plant Gene Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
- Turpan Eremophytes Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Turpan 838008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yakupjan Haxim
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; (G.K.); (Y.H.); (A.W.); (X.L.); (X.W.); (M.Z.)
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Plant Gene Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
- Turpan Eremophytes Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Turpan 838008, China
| | - Abdul Waheed
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; (G.K.); (Y.H.); (A.W.); (X.L.); (X.W.); (M.Z.)
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Plant Gene Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
- Turpan Eremophytes Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Turpan 838008, China
| | - Tohir A. Bozorov
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; (G.K.); (Y.H.); (A.W.); (X.L.); (X.W.); (M.Z.)
- Laboratory of Molecular and Biochemical Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Plants Experimental Biology, Uzbek Academy of Sciences, Yukori-Yuz, Kibray 111226, Tashkent Region, Uzbekistan
| | - Xiaojie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; (G.K.); (Y.H.); (A.W.); (X.L.); (X.W.); (M.Z.)
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Plant Gene Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
- Turpan Eremophytes Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Turpan 838008, China
| | - Xuejing Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; (G.K.); (Y.H.); (A.W.); (X.L.); (X.W.); (M.Z.)
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Plant Gene Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
- Turpan Eremophytes Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Turpan 838008, China
| | - Mingqi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; (G.K.); (Y.H.); (A.W.); (X.L.); (X.W.); (M.Z.)
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Plant Gene Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
- Turpan Eremophytes Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Turpan 838008, China
| | - Daoyuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; (G.K.); (Y.H.); (A.W.); (X.L.); (X.W.); (M.Z.)
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Plant Gene Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
- Turpan Eremophytes Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Turpan 838008, China
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13
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Bleau JR, Gaur N, Fu Y, Bos JIB. Unveiling the Slippery Secrets of Saliva: Effector Proteins of Phloem-Feeding Insects. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2024; 37:211-219. [PMID: 38148271 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-10-23-0167-fi] [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: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Phloem-feeding insects include many important agricultural pests that cause crop damage globally, either through feeding-related damage or upon transmission of viruses and microbes that cause plant diseases. With genetic crop resistances being limited to most of these pests, control relies on insecticides, which are costly and damaging to the environment and to which insects can develop resistance. Like other plant parasites, phloem-feeding insects deliver effectors inside their host plants to promote susceptibility, most likely by a combination of suppressing immunity and promoting nutrient availability. The recent emergence of the effector paradigm in plant-insect interactions is highlighted by increasing availability of effector repertoires for a range of species and a broadening of our knowledge concerning effector functions. Here, we focus on recent progress made toward identification of effector repertoires from phloem-feeding insects and developments in effector biology that will advance functional characterization studies. Importantly, identification of effector activities from herbivorous insects promises to provide new avenues toward development of crop protection strategies. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade R Bleau
- Division of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD2 5DA, U.K
| | - Namami Gaur
- Division of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD2 5DA, U.K
| | - Yao Fu
- Division of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD2 5DA, U.K
| | - Jorunn I B Bos
- Division of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD2 5DA, U.K
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, U.K
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14
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Talbi N, Blekemolen MC, Janevska S, Zendler D, van Tilbeurgh H, Fudal I, Takken FLW. Facilitation of Symplastic Effector Protein Mobility by Paired Effectors Is Conserved in Different Classes of Fungal Pathogens. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2024; 37:304-314. [PMID: 37782126 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-07-23-0103-fi] [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: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
It has been discovered that plant pathogens produce effectors that spread via plasmodesmata (PD) to allow modulation of host processes in distal uninfected cells. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) facilitates effector translocation by expansion of the size-exclusion limit of PD using the Six5/Avr2 effector pair. How other fungal pathogens manipulate PD is unknown. We recently reported that many fungal pathogens belonging to different families carry effector pairs that resemble the SIX5/AVR2 gene pair from Fol. Here, we performed structural predictions of three of these effector pairs from Leptosphaeria maculans (Lm) and tested their ability to manipulate PD and to complement the virulence defect of a Fol SIX5 knockout mutant. We show that the AvrLm10A homologs are structurally related to FolSix5 and localize at PD when they are expressed with their paired effectors. Furthermore, these effectors were found to complement FolSix5 function in cell-to-cell mobility assays and in fungal virulence. We conclude that distantly related fungal species rely on structurally related paired effector proteins to manipulate PD and facilitate effector mobility. The wide distribution of these effector pairs implies Six5-mediated effector translocation to be a conserved propensity among fungal plant pathogens. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nacera Talbi
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Mila C Blekemolen
- Molecular Plant Pathology, Swammerdam Institute of Life Science (SILS), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Slavica Janevska
- Molecular Plant Pathology, Swammerdam Institute of Life Science (SILS), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Daniel Zendler
- Molecular Plant Pathology, Swammerdam Institute of Life Science (SILS), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Herman van Tilbeurgh
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Isabelle Fudal
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Frank L W Takken
- Molecular Plant Pathology, Swammerdam Institute of Life Science (SILS), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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15
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Waksman T, Astin E, Fisher SR, Hunter WN, Bos JIB. Computational Prediction of Structure, Function, and Interaction of Myzus persicae (Green Peach Aphid) Salivary Effector Proteins. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2024; 37:338-346. [PMID: 38171380 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-10-23-0154-fi] [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: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Similar to plant pathogens, phloem-feeding insects such as aphids deliver effector proteins inside their hosts that act to promote host susceptibility and enable feeding and infestation. Despite exciting progress toward identifying and characterizing effector proteins from these insects, their functions remain largely unknown. The recent groundbreaking development in protein structure prediction algorithms, combined with the availability of proteomics and transcriptomic datasets for agriculturally important pests, provides new opportunities to explore the structural and functional diversity of effector repertoires. In this study, we sought to gain insight into the infection strategy used by the Myzus persicae (green peach aphid) by predicting and analyzing the structures of a set of 71 effector candidate proteins. We used two protein structure prediction methods, AlphaFold and OmegaFold, that produced mutually consistent results. We observed a wide continuous spectrum of structures among the effector candidates, from disordered proteins to globular enzymes. We made use of the structural information and state-of-the-art computational methods to predict M. persicae effector protein properties, including function and interaction with host plant proteins. Overall, our investigation provides novel insights into prediction of structure, function, and interaction of M. persicae effector proteins and will guide the necessary experimental characterization to address new hypotheses. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Waksman
- Division of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, U.K
| | - Edmund Astin
- Division of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, U.K
| | - S Ronan Fisher
- Division of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, U.K
| | - William N Hunter
- Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, U.K
| | - Jorunn I B Bos
- Division of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, U.K
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, U.K
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16
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Lubega J, Figueroa M, Dodds PN, Kanyuka K. Comparative Analysis of the Avirulence Effectors Produced by the Fungal Stem Rust Pathogen of Wheat. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2024; 37:171-178. [PMID: 38170736 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-10-23-0169-fi] [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: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Crops are constantly exposed to pathogenic microbes. Rust fungi are examples of these harmful microorganisms, which have a major economic impact on wheat production. To protect themselves from pathogens like rust fungi, plants employ a multilayered immune system that includes immunoreceptors encoded by resistance genes. Significant efforts have led to the isolation of numerous resistance genes against rust fungi in cereals, especially in wheat. However, the evolution of virulence of rust fungi hinders the durability of resistance genes as a strategy for crop protection. Rust fungi, like other biotrophic pathogens, secrete an arsenal of effectors to facilitate infection, and these are the molecules that plant immunoreceptors target for pathogen recognition and mounting defense responses. When recognized, these effector proteins are referred to as avirulence (Avr) effectors. Despite the many predicted effectors in wheat rust fungi, only five Avr genes have been identified, all from wheat stem rust. Knowledge of the Avr genes and their variation in the fungal population will inform deployment of the most appropriate wheat disease-resistance genes for breeding and farming. The review provides an overview of methodologies as well as the validation techniques that have been used to characterize Avr effectors from wheat stem rust. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jibril Lubega
- National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB), Cambridge CB3 0LE, U.K
| | - Melania Figueroa
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Agriculture and Food, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Peter N Dodds
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Agriculture and Food, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Kostya Kanyuka
- National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB), Cambridge CB3 0LE, U.K
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17
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John E, Chau MQ, Hoang CV, Chandrasekharan N, Bhaskar C, Ma LS. Fungal Cell Wall-Associated Effectors: Sensing, Integration, Suppression, and Protection. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2024; 37:196-210. [PMID: 37955547 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-09-23-0142-fi] [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: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
The cell wall (CW) of plant-interacting fungi, as the direct interface with host plants, plays a crucial role in fungal development. A number of secreted proteins are directly associated with the fungal CW, either through covalent or non-covalent interactions, and serve a range of important functions. In the context of plant-fungal interactions many are important for fungal development in the host environment and may therefore be considered fungal CW-associated effectors (CWAEs). Key CWAE functions include integrating chemical/physical signals to direct hyphal growth, interfering with plant immunity, and providing protection against plant defenses. In recent years, a diverse range of mechanisms have been reported that underpin their roles, with some CWAEs harboring conserved motifs or functional domains, while others are reported to have novel features. As such, the current understanding regarding fungal CWAEs is systematically presented here from the perspective of their biological functions in plant-fungal interactions. An overview of the fungal CW architecture and the mechanisms by which proteins are secreted, modified, and incorporated into the CW is first presented to provide context for their biological roles. Some CWAE functions are reported across a broad range of pathosystems or symbiotic/mutualistic associations. Prominent are the chitin interacting-effectors that facilitate fungal CW modification, protection, or suppression of host immune responses. However, several alternative functions are now reported and are presented and discussed. CWAEs can play diverse roles, some possibly unique to fungal lineages and others conserved across a broad range of plant-interacting fungi. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan John
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Minh-Quang Chau
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Cuong V Hoang
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA/CSIC), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Campus de Montegancedo UPM, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain
| | | | - Chibbhi Bhaskar
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Lay-Sun Ma
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
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18
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Khan M, Djamei A. TOPLESS Corepressors as an Emerging Hub of Plant Pathogen Effectors. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2024; 37:190-195. [PMID: 38205771 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-10-23-0158-fi] [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: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Transcriptional corepressors form an ancient and essential layer of gene expression control in eukaryotes. TOPLESS and TOPLESS-RELATED (TPL/TPR) proteins constitute a conserved family of Groucho (Gro)/thymidine uptake 1 (Tup1)-type transcriptional corepressors and control diverse growth, developmental, and stress signaling responses in plants. Because of their central and versatile regulatory roles, they act as a signaling hub to integrate various input signaling pathways in the transcriptional responses. Recently, increasing pieces of evidence indicate the roles of TPL/TPR family proteins in the modulation of plant immunity. This is supported by studies on effectors of distantly related pathogens that target TPL/TPR proteins in planta. In this short review, we will summarize the latest findings concerning pathogens targeting plant TPL/TPR proteins to manipulate plant signaling responses for the successful invasion of their hosts. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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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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19
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Schuster M, Schweizer G, Reißmann S, Happel P, Aßmann D, Rössel N, Güldener U, Mannhaupt G, Ludwig N, Winterberg S, Pellegrin C, Tanaka S, Vincon V, Presti LL, Wang L, Bender L, Gonzalez C, Vranes M, Kämper J, Seong K, Krasileva K, Kahmann R. Novel Secreted Effectors Conserved Among Smut Fungi Contribute to the Virulence of Ustilago maydis. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2024; 37:250-263. [PMID: 38416124 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-09-23-0139-fi] [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] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Fungal pathogens deploy a set of molecules (proteins, specialized metabolites, and sRNAs), so-called effectors, to aid the infection process. In comparison to other plant pathogens, smut fungi have small genomes and secretomes of 20 Mb and around 500 proteins, respectively. Previous comparative genomic studies have shown that many secreted effector proteins without known domains, i.e., novel, are conserved only in the Ustilaginaceae family. By analyzing the secretomes of 11 species within Ustilaginaceae, we identified 53 core homologous groups commonly present in this lineage. By collecting existing mutants and generating additional ones, we gathered 44 Ustilago maydis strains lacking single core effectors as well as 9 strains containing multiple deletions of core effector gene families. Pathogenicity assays revealed that 20 of these 53 mutant strains were affected in virulence. Among the 33 mutants that had no obvious phenotypic changes, 13 carried additional, sequence-divergent, structurally similar paralogs. We report a virulence contribution of seven previously uncharacterized single core effectors and of one effector family. Our results help to prioritize effectors for understanding U. maydis virulence and provide genetic resources for further characterization. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Schuster
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Gabriel Schweizer
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Independent Data Lab UG, 80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Reißmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Petra Happel
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Aßmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Rössel
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Güldener
- Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität München, 80636 München, Germany
| | - Gertrud Mannhaupt
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Ludwig
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Research & Development, Weed Control Bayer AG, Crop Science Division, 65926 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sarah Winterberg
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Clément Pellegrin
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Shigeyuki Tanaka
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Volker Vincon
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Libera Lo Presti
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Lei Wang
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Lena Bender
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Phillips-University Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Carla Gonzalez
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Miroslav Vranes
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Department of Genetics, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jörg Kämper
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Department of Genetics, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Kyungyong Seong
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, U.S.A
| | - Ksenia Krasileva
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, U.S.A
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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20
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Yu DS, Outram MA, Smith A, McCombe CL, Khambalkar PB, Rima SA, Sun X, Ma L, Ericsson DJ, Jones DA, Williams SJ. The structural repertoire of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici effectors revealed by experimental and computational studies. eLife 2024; 12:RP89280. [PMID: 38411527 PMCID: PMC10942635 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89280] [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] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant pathogens secrete proteins, known as effectors, that function in the apoplast or inside plant cells to promote virulence. Effector recognition by cell-surface or cytosolic receptors results in the activation of defence pathways and plant immunity. Despite their importance, our general understanding of fungal effector function and recognition by immunity receptors remains poor. One complication often associated with effectors is their high sequence diversity and lack of identifiable sequence motifs precluding prediction of structure or function. In recent years, several studies have demonstrated that fungal effectors can be grouped into structural classes, despite significant sequence variation and existence across taxonomic groups. Using protein X-ray crystallography, we identify a new structural class of effectors hidden within the secreted in xylem (SIX) effectors from Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol). The recognised effectors Avr1 (SIX4) and Avr3 (SIX1) represent the founding members of the Fol dual-domain (FOLD) effector class, with members containing two distinct domains. Using AlphaFold2, we predicted the full SIX effector repertoire of Fol and show that SIX6 and SIX13 are also FOLD effectors, which we validated experimentally for SIX6. Based on structural prediction and comparisons, we show that FOLD effectors are present within three divisions of fungi and are expanded in pathogens and symbionts. Further structural comparisons demonstrate that Fol secretes effectors that adopt a limited number of structural folds during infection of tomato. This analysis also revealed a structural relationship between transcriptionally co-regulated effector pairs. We make use of the Avr1 structure to understand its recognition by the I receptor, which leads to disease resistance in tomato. This study represents an important advance in our understanding of Fol-tomato, and by extension plant-fungal interactions, which will assist in the development of novel control and engineering strategies to combat plant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Yu
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Megan A Outram
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Ashley Smith
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Carl L McCombe
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Pravin B Khambalkar
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Sharmin A Rima
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Xizhe Sun
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
- Key Laboratory of Hebei Province for Plant Physiology and Molecular Pathology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agriculture UniversityBaodingChina
| | - Lisong Ma
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, College of Horticulture, Hebei Agricultural UniversityBaodingChina
| | - Daniel J Ericsson
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
- The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Australian SynchrotronClaytonAustralia
| | - David A Jones
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Simon J Williams
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
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21
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Oliveira-Garcia E, Yan X, Oses-Ruiz M, de Paula S, Talbot NJ. Effector-triggered susceptibility by the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:1007-1020. [PMID: 38073141 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19446] [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: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Rice blast, the most destructive disease of cultivated rice world-wide, is caused by the filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. To cause disease in plants, M. oryzae secretes a diverse range of effector proteins to suppress plant defense responses, modulate cellular processes, and support pathogen growth. Some effectors can be secreted by appressoria even before host penetration, while others accumulate in the apoplast, or enter living plant cells where they target specific plant subcellular compartments. During plant infection, the blast fungus induces the formation of a specialized plant structure known as the biotrophic interfacial complex (BIC), which appears to be crucial for effector delivery into plant cells. Here, we review recent advances in the cell biology of M. oryzae-host interactions and show how new breakthroughs in disease control have stemmed from an increased understanding of effector proteins of M. oryzae are deployed and delivered into plant cells to enable pathogen invasion and host susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ely Oliveira-Garcia
- Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Xia Yan
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Miriam Oses-Ruiz
- IMAB, Public University of Navarre (UPNA), Campus Arrosadia, 31006, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - Samuel de Paula
- Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Nicholas J Talbot
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
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22
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Dai M, Su Z, Zhu X, Li L, Ye Z, Tan X, Kong D, Liu X, Lin F. Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Effector Candidates with Conserved Motif in Falciphora oryzae. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:650. [PMID: 38203820 PMCID: PMC10779213 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010650] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbes employ effectors to disrupt immune responses and promote host colonization. Conserved motifs including RXLR, LFLAK-HVLVxxP (CRN), Y/F/WxC, CFEM, LysM, Chitin-bind, DPBB_1 (PNPi), and Cutinase have been discovered to play crucial roles in the functioning of effectors in filamentous fungi. Nevertheless, little is known about effectors with conserved motifs in endophytes. This research aims to discover the effector genes with conserved motifs in the genome of rice endophyte Falciphora oryzae. SignalP identified a total of 622 secreted proteins, out of which 227 were predicted as effector candidates by EffectorP. By utilizing HMM features, we discovered a total of 169 effector candidates with conserved motifs and three novel motifs. Effector candidates containing LysM, CFEM, DPBB_1, Cutinase, and Chitin_bind domains were conserved across species. In the transient expression assay, it was observed that one CFEM and one LysM activated cell death in tobacco leaves. Moreover, two CFEM and one Chitin_bind inhibited cell death induced by Bax protein. At various points during the infection, the genes' expression levels were increased. These results will help to identify functional effector proteins involving omics methods using new bioinformatics tools, thus providing a basis for the study of symbiosis mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengdi Dai
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China; (M.D.); (X.Z.); (L.L.)
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Digital Agriculture, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China; (Z.Y.); (X.T.); (D.K.)
| | - Zhenzhu Su
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Z.S.); (X.L.)
| | - Xueming Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China; (M.D.); (X.Z.); (L.L.)
| | - Lin Li
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China; (M.D.); (X.Z.); (L.L.)
| | - Ziran Ye
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Digital Agriculture, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China; (Z.Y.); (X.T.); (D.K.)
| | - Xiangfeng Tan
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Digital Agriculture, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China; (Z.Y.); (X.T.); (D.K.)
| | - Dedong Kong
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Digital Agriculture, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China; (Z.Y.); (X.T.); (D.K.)
| | - Xiaohong Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Z.S.); (X.L.)
| | - Fucheng Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China; (M.D.); (X.Z.); (L.L.)
- Xianghu Laboratory, Hangzhou 311231, China
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23
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Chakraborty A, Hussain A, Sabnam N. Uncovering the structural stability of Magnaporthe oryzae effectors: a secretome-wide in silico analysis. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-22. [PMID: 38109060 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2292795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Rice blast, caused by the ascomycete fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is a deadly disease and a major threat to global food security. The pathogen secretes small proteinaceous effectors, virulence factors, inside the host to manipulate and perturb the host immune system, allowing the pathogen to colonize and establish a successful infection. While the molecular functions of several effectors are characterized, very little is known about the structural stability of these effectors. We analyzed a total of 554 small secretory proteins (SSPs) from the M. oryzae secretome to decipher key features of intrinsic disorder (ID) and the structural dynamics of the selected putative effectors through thorough and systematic in silico studies. Our results suggest that out of the total SSPs, 66% were predicted as effector proteins, released either into the apoplast or cytoplasm of the host cell. Of these, 68% were found to be intrinsically disordered effector proteins (IDEPs). Among the six distinct classes of disordered effectors, we observed peculiar relationships between the localization of several effectors in the apoplast or cytoplasm and the degree of disorder. We determined the degree of structural disorder and its impact on protein foldability across all the putative small secretory effector proteins from the blast pathogen, further validated by molecular dynamics simulation studies. This study provides definite clues toward unraveling the mystery behind the importance of structural distortions in effectors and their impact on plant-pathogen interactions. The study of these dynamical segments may help identify new effectors as well.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Afzal Hussain
- Department of Bioinformatics, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal, India
| | - Nazmiara Sabnam
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata, India
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24
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Schornack S, Kamoun S. EVO-MPMI: From fundamental science to practical applications. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 76:102469. [PMID: 37783039 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
In the unending coevolutionary dance between plants and microbes, each player impacts the evolution of the other. Here, we provide an overview of the burgeoning field of evolutionary molecular plant-microbe interactions (EVO-MPMI)-the study of mechanisms of plant-microbe interactions in the context of their evolutionary history-tracing its progression from foundational science to practical implementation. We present a snapshot of current research and delve into central concepts, such as conserved features and convergent evolution, as well as methodologies such as ancestral reconstruction. Moreover, we shed light on the practical applications of EVO-MPMI, particularly within the realm of disease control. Looking ahead, we discuss potential future trajectories for EVO-MPMI research, spotlighting the innovative tools and technologies propelling the discipline forward.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sophien Kamoun
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom.
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25
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Derbyshire MC, Raffaele S. Till death do us pair: Co-evolution of plant-necrotroph interactions. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 76:102457. [PMID: 37852141 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Plants use programmed cell death as a potent defense response against biotrophic pathogens that require living host cells to thrive. However, cell death can promote infection by necrotrophic pathogens. This discrepancy creates specific co-evolutionary dynamics in the interaction between plants and necrotrophs. Necrotrophic pathogens produce diverse cell death-inducing effectors that act redundantly on several plant targets and sometimes suppress plant immune responses as an additional function. Plants use surface receptors that recognize necrotrophic effectors to increase quantitative disease resistance, some of which evolved independently in several plant lineages. Co-evolution has shaped molecular mechanisms involved in plant-necrotroph interactions into robust systems, relying on degenerate and multifunctional modules, general-purpose components, and compartmentalized functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Derbyshire
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Sylvain Raffaele
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CNRS, Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes Micro-organismes Environnement (LIPME), 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France.
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26
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Sankari S, Lovelace AH. Unveiling the Molecular Arsenal: Identification and Characterization of Sphaerulina musiva Effectors Targeting Populus Genotypes. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2023; 36:752-753. [PMID: 38153816 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-11-23-0186-cm] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Siva Sankari
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, U.S.A
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27
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Bouqellah NA, Farag PF. In Silico Evaluation, Phylogenetic Analysis, and Structural Modeling of the Class II Hydrophobin Family from Different Fungal Phytopathogens. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2632. [PMID: 38004644 PMCID: PMC10672791 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11112632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The class II hydrophobin group (HFBII) is an extracellular group of proteins that contain the HFBII domain and eight conserved cysteine residues. These proteins are exclusively secreted by fungi and have multiple functions with a probable role as effectors. In the present study, a total of 45 amino acid sequences of hydrophobin class II proteins from different phytopathogenic fungi were retrieved from the NCBI database. We used the integration of well-designed bioinformatic tools to characterize and predict their physicochemical parameters, novel motifs, 3D structures, multiple sequence alignment (MSA), evolution, and functions as effector proteins through molecular docking. The results revealed new features for these protein members. The ProtParam tool detected the hydrophobicity properties of all proteins except for one hydrophilic protein (KAI3335996.1). Out of 45 proteins, six of them were detected as GPI-anchored proteins by the PredGPI server. Different 3D structure templates with high pTM scores were designed by Multifold v1, AlphaFold2, and trRosetta. Most of the studied proteins were anticipated as apoplastic effectors and matched with the ghyd5 gene of Fusarium graminearum as virulence factors. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis unraveled the molecular function of this group as GTP-binding proteins, while a molecular docking analysis detected a chitin-binding effector role. From the MSA analysis, it was observed that the HFBII sequences shared conserved 2 Pro (P) and 2 Gly (G) amino acids besides the known eight conserved cysteine residues. The evolutionary analysis and phylogenetic tree provided evidence of episodic diversifying selection at the branch level using the aBSREL tool. A detailed in silico analysis of this family and the present findings will provide a better understanding of the HFBII characters and evolutionary relationships, which could be very useful in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahla A. Bouqellah
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Taibah University, P.O. Box 344, Al Madinah Al Munawwarah 42317-8599, Saudi Arabia
| | - Peter F. Farag
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt;
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28
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Dracatos PM, Lu J, Sánchez‐Martín J, Wulff BB. Resistance that stacks up: engineering rust and mildew disease control in the cereal crops wheat and barley. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023; 21:1938-1951. [PMID: 37494504 PMCID: PMC10502761 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Staying ahead of the arms race against rust and mildew diseases in cereal crops is essential to maintain and preserve food security. The methodological challenges associated with conventional resistance breeding are major bottlenecks for deploying resistance (R) genes in high-yielding crop varieties. Advancements in our knowledge of plant genomes, structural mechanisms, innovations in bioinformatics, and improved plant transformation techniques have alleviated this bottleneck by permitting rapid gene isolation, functional studies, directed engineering of synthetic resistance and precise genome manipulation in elite crop cultivars. Most cloned cereal R genes encode canonical immune receptors which, on their own, are prone to being overcome through selection for resistance-evading pathogenic strains. However, the increasingly large repertoire of cloned R genes permits multi-gene stacking that, in principle, should provide longer-lasting resistance. This review discusses how these genomics-enabled developments are leading to new breeding and biotechnological opportunities to achieve durable rust and powdery mildew control in cereals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M. Dracatos
- La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture & Food (LISAF)Department of Animal, Plant and Soil SciencesLa Trobe UniversityVIC 3086Australia
| | - Jing Lu
- Plant Science Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalSaudi Arabia
- Center for Desert AgricultureKAUSTThuwalSaudi Arabia
- College of Life SciencesSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Javier Sánchez‐Martín
- Department of Microbiology and Genetics, Spanish‐Portuguese Agricultural Research Center (CIALE)University of SalamancaSalamancaSpain
| | - Brande B.H. Wulff
- Plant Science Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalSaudi Arabia
- Center for Desert AgricultureKAUSTThuwalSaudi Arabia
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29
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Maruta N, Outram MA, Kobe B. Mildew RALPHs up in arms with cereals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2311817120. [PMID: 37611066 PMCID: PMC10483659 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311817120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Natsumi Maruta
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD4072, Australia
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD4072, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD4072, Australia
| | - Megan A. Outram
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT2601, Australia
| | - Bostjan Kobe
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD4072, Australia
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD4072, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD4072, Australia
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30
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Jost M, Outram MA, Dibley K, Zhang J, Luo M, Ayliffe M. Plant and pathogen genomics: essential approaches for stem rust resistance gene stacks in wheat. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1223504. [PMID: 37727853 PMCID: PMC10505659 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1223504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
The deployment of disease resistance genes is currently the most economical and environmentally sustainable method of crop protection. However, disease resistance genes can rapidly break down because of constant pathogen evolution, particularly when they are deployed singularly. Polygenic resistance is, therefore, considered the most durable, but combining and maintaining these genes by breeding is a laborious process as effective genes are usually unlinked. The deployment of polygenic resistance with single-locus inheritance is a promising innovation that overcomes these difficulties while enhancing resistance durability. Because of major advances in genomic technologies, increasing numbers of plant resistance genes have been cloned, enabling the development of resistance transgene stacks (RTGSs) that encode multiple genes all located at a single genetic locus. Gene stacks encoding five stem rust resistance genes have now been developed in transgenic wheat and offer both breeding simplicity and potential resistance durability. The development of similar genomic resources in phytopathogens has advanced effector gene isolation and, in some instances, enabled functional validation of individual resistance genes in RTGS. Here, the wheat stem rust pathosystem is used as an illustrative example of how host and pathogen genomic advances have been instrumental in the development of RTGS, which is a strategy applicable to many other agricultural crop species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Michael Ayliffe
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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31
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Le Naour—Vernet M, Charriat F, Gracy J, Cros-Arteil S, Ravel S, Veillet F, Meusnier I, Padilla A, Kroj T, Cesari S, Gladieux P. Adaptive evolution in virulence effectors of the rice blast fungus Pyricularia oryzae. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011294. [PMID: 37695773 PMCID: PMC10513199 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant pathogens secrete proteins called effectors that target host cellular processes to promote disease. Recently, structural genomics has identified several families of fungal effectors that share a similar three-dimensional structure despite remarkably variable amino-acid sequences and surface properties. To explore the selective forces that underlie the sequence variability of structurally-analogous effectors, we focused on MAX effectors, a structural family of effectors that are major determinants of virulence in the rice blast fungus Pyricularia oryzae. Using structure-informed gene annotation, we identified 58 to 78 MAX effector genes per genome in a set of 120 isolates representing seven host-associated lineages. The expression of MAX effector genes was primarily restricted to the early biotrophic phase of infection and strongly influenced by the host plant. Pangenome analyses of MAX effectors demonstrated extensive presence/absence polymorphism and identified gene loss events possibly involved in host range adaptation. However, gene knock-in experiments did not reveal a strong effect on virulence phenotypes suggesting that other evolutionary mechanisms are the main drivers of MAX effector losses. MAX effectors displayed high levels of standing variation and high rates of non-synonymous substitutions, pointing to widespread positive selection shaping the molecular diversity of MAX effectors. The combination of these analyses with structural data revealed that positive selection acts mostly on residues located in particular structural elements and at specific positions. By providing a comprehensive catalog of amino acid polymorphism, and by identifying the structural determinants of the sequence diversity, our work will inform future studies aimed at elucidating the function and mode of action of MAX effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Le Naour—Vernet
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Florian Charriat
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Jérôme Gracy
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Univ Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Sandrine Cros-Arteil
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Sébastien Ravel
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR PHIM, Montpellier, France
| | - Florian Veillet
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Isabelle Meusnier
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - André Padilla
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Univ Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Thomas Kroj
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Stella Cesari
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre Gladieux
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
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Boys IN, Johnson AG, Quinlan MR, Kranzusch PJ, Elde NC. Structural homology screens reveal host-derived poxvirus protein families impacting inflammasome activity. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112878. [PMID: 37494187 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses acquire host genes via horizontal transfer and can express them to manipulate host biology during infections. Some homologs retain sequence identity, but evolutionary divergence can obscure host origins. We use structural modeling to compare vaccinia virus proteins with metazoan proteomes. We identify vaccinia A47L as a homolog of gasdermins, the executioners of pyroptosis. An X-ray crystal structure of A47 confirms this homology, and cell-based assays reveal that A47 interferes with caspase function. We also identify vaccinia C1L as the product of a cryptic gene fusion event coupling a Bcl-2-related fold with a pyrin domain. C1 associates with components of the inflammasome, a cytosolic innate immune sensor involved in pyroptosis, yet paradoxically enhances inflammasome activity, suggesting differential modulation during infections. Our findings demonstrate the increasing power of structural homology screens to reveal proteins with unique combinations of domains that viruses capture from host genes and combine in unique ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian N Boys
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Alex G Johnson
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Meghan R Quinlan
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Philip J Kranzusch
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nels C Elde
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
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Derbyshire MC, Raffaele S. Surface frustration re-patterning underlies the structural landscape and evolvability of fungal orphan candidate effectors. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5244. [PMID: 37640704 PMCID: PMC10462633 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40949-9] [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: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogens secrete effector proteins to subvert host physiology and cause disease. Effectors are engaged in a molecular arms race with the host resulting in conflicting evolutionary constraints to manipulate host cells without triggering immune responses. The molecular mechanisms allowing effectors to be at the same time robust and evolvable remain largely enigmatic. Here, we show that 62 conserved structure-related families encompass the majority of fungal orphan effector candidates in the Pezizomycotina subphylum. These effectors diversified through changes in patterns of thermodynamic frustration at surface residues. The underlying mutations tended to increase the robustness of the overall effector protein structure while switching potential binding interfaces. This mechanism could explain how conserved effector families maintained biological activity over long evolutionary timespans in different host environments and provides a model for the emergence of sequence-unrelated effector families with conserved structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Derbyshire
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Sylvain Raffaele
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes Micro-organismes Environnement (LIPME), INRAE, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France.
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Lahfa M, Mouhand A, de Guillen K, Barthe P, Kroj T, Padilla A, Roumestand C. Does a Similar 3D Structure Mean a Similar Folding Pathway? The Presence of a C-Terminal α-Helical Extension in the 3D Structure of MAX60 Drastically Changes the Folding Pathway Described for Other MAX-Effectors from Magnaporthe oryzae. Molecules 2023; 28:6068. [PMID: 37630320 PMCID: PMC10460046 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28166068] [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: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Does a similar 3D structure mean a similar folding pathway? This question is particularly meaningful when it concerns proteins sharing a similar 3D structure, but low sequence identity or homology. MAX effectors secreted by the phytopathogenic fungus Magnaporthe oryzae present such characteristics. They share a common 3D structure, a ß-sandwich with the same topology for all the family members, but an extremely low sequence identity/homology. In a previous study, we have investigated the folding of two MAX effectors, AVR-Pia and AVR-Pib, using High-Hydrostatic-Pressure NMR and found that they display a similar folding pathway, with a common folding intermediate. In the present work, we used a similar strategy to investigate the folding conformational landscape of another MAX effector, MAX60, and found a very different folding intermediate. Our analysis strongly supports that the presence of a C-terminal α-helical extension in the 3D structure of MAX60 could be responsible for its different folding pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mounia Lahfa
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, University of Montpellier, INSERM U1054, CNRS UMR 5048, 34090 Montpellier, France; (M.L.); (A.M.); (K.d.G.); (P.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Assia Mouhand
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, University of Montpellier, INSERM U1054, CNRS UMR 5048, 34090 Montpellier, France; (M.L.); (A.M.); (K.d.G.); (P.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Karine de Guillen
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, University of Montpellier, INSERM U1054, CNRS UMR 5048, 34090 Montpellier, France; (M.L.); (A.M.); (K.d.G.); (P.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Philippe Barthe
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, University of Montpellier, INSERM U1054, CNRS UMR 5048, 34090 Montpellier, France; (M.L.); (A.M.); (K.d.G.); (P.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Thomas Kroj
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, University of Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, 34060 Montpellier, France
| | - André Padilla
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, University of Montpellier, INSERM U1054, CNRS UMR 5048, 34090 Montpellier, France; (M.L.); (A.M.); (K.d.G.); (P.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Christian Roumestand
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, University of Montpellier, INSERM U1054, CNRS UMR 5048, 34090 Montpellier, France; (M.L.); (A.M.); (K.d.G.); (P.B.); (A.P.)
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Cao Y, Kümmel F, Logemann E, Gebauer JM, Lawson AW, Yu D, Uthoff M, Keller B, Jirschitzka J, Baumann U, Tsuda K, Chai J, Schulze-Lefert P. Structural polymorphisms within a common powdery mildew effector scaffold as a driver of coevolution with cereal immune receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2307604120. [PMID: 37523523 PMCID: PMC10410722 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307604120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In plants, host-pathogen coevolution often manifests in reciprocal, adaptive genetic changes through variations in host nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat immune receptors (NLRs) and virulence-promoting pathogen effectors. In grass powdery mildew (PM) fungi, an extreme expansion of a RNase-like effector family, termed RALPH, dominates the effector repertoire, with some members recognized as avirulence (AVR) effectors by cereal NLR receptors. We report the structures of the sequence-unrelated barley PM effectors AVRA6, AVRA7, and allelic AVRA10/AVRA22 variants, which are detected by highly sequence-related barley NLRs MLA6, MLA7, MLA10, and MLA22 and of wheat PM AVRPM2 detected by the unrelated wheat NLR PM2. The AVR effectors adopt a common scaffold, which is shared with the RNase T1/F1 family. We found striking variations in the number, position, and length of individual structural elements between RALPH AVRs, which is associated with a differentiation of RALPH effector subfamilies. We show that all RALPH AVRs tested have lost nuclease and synthetase activities of the RNase T1/F1 family and lack significant binding to RNA, implying that their virulence activities are associated with neo-functionalization events. Structure-guided mutagenesis identified six AVRA6 residues that are sufficient to turn a sequence-diverged member of the same RALPH subfamily into an effector specifically detected by MLA6. Similar structure-guided information for AVRA10 and AVRA22 indicates that MLA receptors detect largely distinct effector surface patches. Thus, coupling of sequence and structural polymorphisms within the RALPH scaffold of PMs facilitated escape from NLR recognition and potential acquisition of diverse virulence functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Cao
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne50829, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Cologne50674, Germany
| | - Florian Kümmel
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne50829, Germany
| | - Elke Logemann
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne50829, Germany
| | - Jan M. Gebauer
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Cologne50674, Germany
| | - Aaron W. Lawson
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne50829, Germany
| | - Dongli Yu
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne50829, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Cologne50674, Germany
| | - Matthias Uthoff
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Cologne50674, Germany
| | - Beat Keller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich8008, Switzerland
| | - Jan Jirschitzka
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne50829, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Cologne50674, Germany
| | - Ulrich Baumann
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Cologne50674, Germany
| | - Kenichi Tsuda
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne50829, Germany
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Hubei Key Lab of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan430070, China
| | - Jijie Chai
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne50829, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Cologne50674, Germany
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou310024, China
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Paul Schulze-Lefert
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne50829, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne50829, Germany
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36
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McLellan H, Boevink PC, Birch PRJ. How to convert host plants into nonhosts. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 28:876-879. [PMID: 37270351 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Recent research demonstrates that undermining interactions between pathogen effectors and their host target proteins can reduce infection. As more effector-target pairs are identified, their structures and interaction surfaces exposed, and there is the possibility of making multiple edits to diverse plant genomes, the desire to convert crops to nonhosts could become reality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazel McLellan
- Division of Plant Science, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, @James Hutton Institute, Errol Road, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
| | - Petra C Boevink
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Errol Road, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
| | - Paul R J Birch
- Division of Plant Science, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, @James Hutton Institute, Errol Road, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK; Cell and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Errol Road, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK.
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37
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Kumar R, Acharya V. Effector protein structures: a tale of evolutionary relationship. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 28:746-748. [PMID: 37127498 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Effector proteins are highly diverse, often lacking similarity in their protein sequences, making it challenging to determine their biological function. Using AlphaFold2 (AF2), Seong and Krasileva recently found that effector structures, but not sequences, share commonality. This helps further understanding of effector evolution across fungal species and reveals unique sequence-unrelated, structurally similar, effector families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Kumar
- Functional Genomics and Complex System Lab, Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Vishal Acharya
- Functional Genomics and Complex System Lab, Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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38
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Aparicio Chacón MV, Van Dingenen J, Goormachtig S. Characterization of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Effector Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119125. [PMID: 37298075 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants are colonized by various fungi with both pathogenic and beneficial lifestyles. One type of colonization strategy is through the secretion of effector proteins that alter the plant's physiology to accommodate the fungus. The oldest plant symbionts, the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), may exploit effectors to their benefit. Genome analysis coupled with transcriptomic studies in different AMFs has intensified research on the effector function, evolution, and diversification of AMF. However, of the current 338 predicted effector proteins from the AM fungus Rhizophagus irregularis, only five have been characterized, of which merely two have been studied in detail to understand which plant proteins they associate with to affect the host physiology. Here, we review the most recent findings in AMF effector research and discuss the techniques used for the functional characterization of effector proteins, from their in silico prediction to their mode of action, with an emphasis on high-throughput approaches for the identification of plant targets of the effectors through which they manipulate their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- María V Aparicio Chacón
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Judith Van Dingenen
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sofie Goormachtig
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
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39
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Amezrou R, Audéon C, Compain J, Gélisse S, Ducasse A, Saintenac C, Lapalu N, Louet C, Orford S, Croll D, Amselem J, Fillinger S, Marcel TC. A secreted protease-like protein in Zymoseptoria tritici is responsible for avirulence on Stb9 resistance gene in wheat. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011376. [PMID: 37172036 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Zymoseptoria tritici is the fungal pathogen responsible for Septoria tritici blotch on wheat. Disease outcome in this pathosystem is partly determined by isolate-specific resistance, where wheat resistance genes recognize specific fungal factors triggering an immune response. Despite the large number of known wheat resistance genes, fungal molecular determinants involved in such cultivar-specific resistance remain largely unknown. We identified the avirulence factor AvrStb9 using association mapping and functional validation approaches. Pathotyping AvrStb9 transgenic strains on Stb9 cultivars, near isogenic lines and wheat mapping populations, showed that AvrStb9 interacts with Stb9 resistance gene, triggering an immune response. AvrStb9 encodes an unusually large avirulence gene with a predicted secretion signal and a protease domain. It belongs to a S41 protease family conserved across different filamentous fungi in the Ascomycota class and may constitute a core effector. AvrStb9 is also conserved among a global Z. tritici population and carries multiple amino acid substitutions caused by strong positive diversifying selection. These results demonstrate the contribution of an 'atypical' conserved effector protein to fungal avirulence and the role of sequence diversification in the escape of host recognition, adding to our understanding of host-pathogen interactions and the evolutionary processes underlying pathogen adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reda Amezrou
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Palaiseau, France
| | - Colette Audéon
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Palaiseau, France
| | - Jérôme Compain
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR URGI, Versailles, France
| | | | - Aurélie Ducasse
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Palaiseau, France
| | | | - Nicolas Lapalu
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Palaiseau, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR URGI, Versailles, France
| | | | - Simon Orford
- Crop Genetics, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Croll
- University of Neuchâtel, Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Joëlle Amselem
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR URGI, Versailles, France
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40
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Banfield MJ. Manipulation of plant immunity via an mRNA decapping pathogen effector. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023. [PMID: 37096655 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Banfield
- Department of Biochemistry & Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
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41
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De Vallée A, Dupuy JW, Moriscot C, Gallet B, Vanderperre S, Guignard G, Rascle C, Calvar G, Malbert B, Gillet FX, Dieryckx C, Choquer M, Girard V, Poussereau N, Bruel C. Extracellular Vesicles of the Plant Pathogen Botrytis cinerea. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040495. [PMID: 37108947 PMCID: PMC10146736 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal secretomes are known to contain a multitude of components involved in nutrition, cell growth or biotic interactions. Recently, extra-cellular vesicles have been identified in a few fungal species. Here, we used a multidisciplinary approach to identify and characterize extracellular vesicles produced by the plant necrotroph Botrytis cinerea. Transmission electron microscopy of infectious hyphae and hyphae grown in vitro revealed extracellular vesicles of various sizes and densities. Electron tomography showed the co-existence of ovoid and tubular vesicles and pointed to their release via the fusion of multi-vesicular bodies with the cell plasma membrane. The isolation of these vesicles and exploration of their protein content using mass spectrometry led to the identification of soluble and membrane proteins involved in transport, metabolism, cell wall synthesis and remodeling, proteostasis, oxidoreduction and traffic. Confocal microscopy highlighted the capacity of fluorescently labeled vesicles to target cells of B. cinerea, cells of the fungus Fusarium graminearum, and onion epidermal cells but not yeast cells. In addition, a specific positive effect of these vesicles on the growth of B. cinerea was quantified. Altogether, this study broadens our view on the secretion capacity of B. cinerea and its cell-to-cell communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie De Vallée
- Univ. Lyon, UCBL, INSA Lyon, CNRS, MAP, UMR5240, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | | | | | - Benoit Gallet
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Solène Vanderperre
- Centre Technologique des Microstructures, Université Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Gaëtan Guignard
- Univ. Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Christine Rascle
- Univ. Lyon, UCBL, INSA Lyon, CNRS, MAP, UMR5240, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Glen Calvar
- Univ. Lyon, UCBL, INSA Lyon, CNRS, MAP, UMR5240, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Bastien Malbert
- Bayer SAS, Crop Science Division Centre de Recherche La Dargoire, 69009 Lyon, France
| | | | - Cindy Dieryckx
- Univ. Lyon, UCBL, INSA Lyon, CNRS, MAP, UMR5240, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Mathias Choquer
- Univ. Lyon, UCBL, INSA Lyon, CNRS, MAP, UMR5240, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Vincent Girard
- Univ. Lyon, UCBL, INSA Lyon, CNRS, MAP, UMR5240, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Christophe Bruel
- Univ. Lyon, UCBL, INSA Lyon, CNRS, MAP, UMR5240, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
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42
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Laflamme B. Reeling in countless effectors (RICE): time-course transcriptomics of rice blast disease reveal an expanded effector repertoire for Magnaporthe oryzae. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:1290-1291. [PMID: 36780918 PMCID: PMC10118253 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
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43
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Boys IN, Johnson AG, Quinlan M, Kranzusch PJ, Elde NC. Structural homology screens reveal poxvirus-encoded proteins impacting inflammasome-mediated defenses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.26.529821. [PMID: 36909515 PMCID: PMC10002665 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.26.529821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Viruses acquire host genes via horizontal gene transfer and can express them to manipulate host biology during infections. Some viral and host homologs retain sequence identity, but evolutionary divergence can obscure host origins. We used structural modeling to compare vaccinia virus proteins with metazoan proteomes. We identified vaccinia A47L as a homolog of gasdermins, the executioners of pyroptosis. An X-ray crystal structure of A47 confirmed this homology and cell-based assays revealed that A47 inhibits pyroptosis. We also identified vaccinia C1L as the product of a cryptic gene fusion event coupling a Bcl-2 related fold with a pyrin domain. C1 associates with components of the inflammasome, a cytosolic innate immune sensor involved in pyroptosis, yet paradoxically enhances inflammasome activity, suggesting a benefit to poxvirus replication in some circumstances. Our findings demonstrate the potential of structural homology screens to reveal genes that viruses capture from hosts and repurpose to benefit viral fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian N. Boys
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112 USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 20815, USA
| | - Alex G. Johnson
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Meghan Quinlan
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112 USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 20815, USA
| | - Philip J. Kranzusch
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Nels C. Elde
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112 USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 20815, USA
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Roth MG, Westrick NM, Baldwin TT. Fungal biotechnology: From yesterday to tomorrow. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2023; 4:1135263. [PMID: 37746125 PMCID: PMC10512358 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2023.1135263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Fungi have been used to better the lives of everyday people and unravel the mysteries of higher eukaryotic organisms for decades. However, comparing progress and development stemming from fungal research to that of human, plant, and bacterial research, fungi remain largely understudied and underutilized. Recent commercial ventures have begun to gain popularity in society, providing a new surge of interest in fungi, mycelia, and potential new applications of these organisms to various aspects of research. Biotechnological advancements in fungal research cannot occur without intensive amounts of time, investments, and research tool development. In this review, we highlight past breakthroughs in fungal biotechnology, discuss requirements to advance fungal biotechnology even further, and touch on the horizon of new breakthroughs with the highest potential to positively impact both research and society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell G. Roth
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, United States
| | - Nathaniel M. Westrick
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Thomas T. Baldwin
- Department of Plant Pathology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States
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Rozano L, Mukuka YM, Hane JK, Mancera RL. Ab Initio Modelling of the Structure of ToxA-like and MAX Fungal Effector Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076262. [PMID: 37047233 PMCID: PMC10094246 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic fungal diseases in crops are mediated by the release of effector proteins that facilitate infection. Characterising the structure of these fungal effectors is vital to understanding their virulence mechanisms and interactions with their hosts, which is crucial in the breeding of plant cultivars for disease resistance. Several effectors have been identified and validated experimentally; however, their lack of sequence conservation often impedes the identification and prediction of their structure using sequence similarity approaches. Structural similarity has, nonetheless, been observed within fungal effector protein families, creating interest in validating the use of computational methods to predict their tertiary structure from their sequence. We used Rosetta ab initio modelling to predict the structures of members of the ToxA-like and MAX effector families for which experimental structures are known to validate this method. An optimised approach was then used to predict the structures of phenotypically validated effectors lacking known structures. Rosetta was found to successfully predict the structure of fungal effectors in the ToxA-like and MAX families, as well as phenotypically validated but structurally unconfirmed effector sequences. Interestingly, potential new effector structural families were identified on the basis of comparisons with structural homologues and the identification of associated protein domains.
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Kunz L, Sotiropoulos AG, Graf J, Razavi M, Keller B, Müller MC. The broad use of the Pm8 resistance gene in wheat resulted in hypermutation of the AvrPm8 gene in the powdery mildew pathogen. BMC Biol 2023; 21:29. [PMID: 36755285 PMCID: PMC9909948 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01513-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Worldwide wheat production is under constant threat by fast-evolving fungal pathogens. In the last decades, wheat breeding for disease resistance heavily relied on the introgression of chromosomal segments from related species as genetic sources of new resistance. The Pm8 resistance gene against the powdery mildew disease has been introgressed from rye into wheat as part of a large 1BL.1RS chromosomal translocation encompassing multiple disease resistance genes and yield components. Due to its high agronomic value, this translocation has seen continuous global use since the 1960s on large growth areas, even after Pm8 resistance was overcome by the powdery mildew pathogen. The long-term use of Pm8 at a global scale provided the unique opportunity to study the consequences of such extensive resistance gene application on pathogen evolution. RESULTS Using genome-wide association studies in a population of wheat mildew isolates, we identified the avirulence effector AvrPm8 specifically recognized by Pm8. Haplovariant mining in a global mildew population covering all major wheat growing areas of the world revealed 17 virulent haplotypes of the AvrPm8 gene that grouped into two functional categories. The first one comprised amino acid polymorphisms at a single position along the AvrPm8 protein, which we confirmed to be crucial for the recognition by Pm8. The second category consisted of numerous destructive mutations to the AvrPm8 open reading frame such as disruptions of the start codon, gene truncations, gene deletions, and interference with mRNA splicing. With the exception of a single, likely ancient, gain-of-virulence mutation found in mildew isolates around the world, all AvrPm8 virulence haplotypes were found in geographically restricted regions, indicating that they occurred recently as a consequence of the frequent Pm8 use. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we show that the broad and prolonged use of the Pm8 gene in wheat production worldwide resulted in a multitude of gain-of-virulence mechanisms affecting the AvrPm8 gene in the wheat powdery mildew pathogen. Based on our findings, we conclude that both standing genetic variation as well as locally occurring new mutations contributed to the global breakdown of the Pm8 resistance gene introgression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Kunz
- grid.7400.30000 0004 1937 0650Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexandros G. Sotiropoulos
- grid.7400.30000 0004 1937 0650Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Graf
- grid.7400.30000 0004 1937 0650Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mohammad Razavi
- grid.419414.d0000 0000 9770 1268Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran
| | - Beat Keller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Marion C. Müller
- grid.7400.30000 0004 1937 0650Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland ,grid.6936.a0000000123222966Chair of Phytopathology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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