1
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Bradley JM, Butlin RK, Scholes JD. Comparative secretome analysis of Striga and Cuscuta species identifies candidate virulence factors for two evolutionarily independent parasitic plant lineages. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:251. [PMID: 38582844 PMCID: PMC10998327 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-04935-7] [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: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many parasitic plants of the genera Striga and Cuscuta inflict huge agricultural damage worldwide. To form and maintain a connection with a host plant, parasitic plants deploy virulence factors (VFs) that interact with host biology. They possess a secretome that represents the complement of proteins secreted from cells and like other plant parasites such as fungi, bacteria or nematodes, some secreted proteins represent VFs crucial to successful host colonisation. Understanding the genome-wide complement of putative secreted proteins from parasitic plants, and their expression during host invasion, will advance understanding of virulence mechanisms used by parasitic plants to suppress/evade host immune responses and to establish and maintain a parasite-host interaction. RESULTS We conducted a comparative analysis of the secretomes of root (Striga spp.) and shoot (Cuscuta spp.) parasitic plants, to enable prediction of candidate VFs. Using orthogroup clustering and protein domain analyses we identified gene families/functional annotations common to both Striga and Cuscuta species that were not present in their closest non-parasitic relatives (e.g. strictosidine synthase like enzymes), or specific to either the Striga or Cuscuta secretomes. For example, Striga secretomes were strongly associated with 'PAR1' protein domains. These were rare in the Cuscuta secretomes but an abundance of 'GMC oxidoreductase' domains were found, that were not present in the Striga secretomes. We then conducted transcriptional profiling of genes encoding putatively secreted proteins for the most agriculturally damaging root parasitic weed of cereals, S. hermonthica. A significant portion of the Striga-specific secretome set was differentially expressed during parasitism, which we probed further to identify genes following a 'wave-like' expression pattern peaking in the early penetration stage of infection. We identified 39 genes encoding putative VFs with functions such as cell wall modification, immune suppression, protease, kinase, or peroxidase activities, that are excellent candidates for future functional studies. CONCLUSIONS Our study represents a comprehensive secretome analysis among parasitic plants and revealed both similarities and differences in candidate VFs between Striga and Cuscuta species. This knowledge is crucial for the development of new management strategies and delaying the evolution of virulence in parasitic weeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Bradley
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
- Present address: Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada.
| | - Roger K Butlin
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Julie D Scholes
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
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2
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Leso M, Kokla A, Feng M, Melnyk CW. Pectin modifications promote haustoria development in the parasitic plant Phtheirospermum japonicum. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 194:229-242. [PMID: 37311199 PMCID: PMC10762509 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic plants are globally prevalent pathogens with important ecological functions but also potentially devastating agricultural consequences. Common to all parasites is the formation of the haustorium which requires parasite organ development and tissue invasion into the host. Both processes involve cell wall modifications. Here, we investigated a role for pectins during haustorium development in the facultative parasitic plant Phtheirospermum japonicum. Using transcriptomics data from infected Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa), we identified genes for multiple P. japonicum pectin methylesterases (PMEs) and their inhibitors (PMEIs) whose expression was upregulated by haustoria formation. Changes in PME and PMEI expression were associated with tissue-specific modifications in pectin methylesterification. While de-methylesterified pectins were present in outer haustorial cells, highly methylesterified pectins were present in inner vascular tissues, including the xylem bridge that connects parasite to host. Specifically blocking xylem bridge formation in the haustoria inhibited several PME and PMEI genes from activating. Similarly, inhibiting PME activity using chemicals or by overexpressing PMEI genes delayed haustoria development. Our results suggest a dynamic and tissue-specific regulation of pectin contributes to haustoria initiation and to the establishment of xylem connections between parasite and host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Leso
- Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Almas allé 5, 756 51 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Kokla
- Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Almas allé 5, 756 51 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ming Feng
- Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Almas allé 5, 756 51 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Charles W Melnyk
- Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Almas allé 5, 756 51 Uppsala, Sweden
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3
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Cui S, Inaba S, Suzaki T, Yoshida S. Developing for nutrient uptake: Induced organogenesis in parasitic plants and root nodule symbiosis. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 76:102473. [PMID: 37826989 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102473] [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: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Plants have evolved diverse strategies to meet their nutritional needs. Parasitic plants employ haustoria, specialized structures that facilitate invasion of host plants and nutrient acquisition. Legumes have adapted to nitrogen-limited conditions by developing nodules that accommodate nitrogen-fixing rhizobia. The formation of both haustoria and nodules is induced by signals originating from the interacting organisms, namely host plants and rhizobial bacteria, respectively. Emerging studies showed that both organogenesis crucially involves plant hormones such as auxin, cytokinins, and ethylene and also integrate nutrient availability, particularly nitrogen. In this review, we discuss recent advances on hormonal and environmental control of haustoria and nodules development with side-by-side comparison. These underscore the remarkable plasticity of plant organogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songkui Cui
- Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Shoko Inaba
- Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara, Japan
| | - Takuya Suzaki
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan; Tsukuba Plant-Innovation Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
| | - Satoko Yoshida
- Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara, Japan.
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4
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Kirschner GK, Xiao TT, Jamil M, Al-Babili S, Lube V, Blilou I. A roadmap of haustorium morphogenesis in parasitic plants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:7034-7044. [PMID: 37486862 PMCID: PMC10752351 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad284] [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: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic plants invade their host through their invasive organ, the haustorium. This organ connects to the vasculature of the host roots and hijacks water and nutrients. Although parasitism has evolved independently in plants, haustoria formation follows a similar mechanism throughout different plant species, highlighting the developmental plasticity of plant tissues. Here, we compare three types of haustoria formed by the root and shoot in the plant parasites Striga and Cuscuta. We discuss mechanisms underlying the interactions with their hosts and how different approaches have contributed to major understanding of haustoria formation and host invasion. We also illustrate the role of auxin and cytokinin in controlling this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwendolyn K Kirschner
- BESE Division, Plant Cell and Developmental Biology, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ting Ting Xiao
- BESE Division, Plant Cell and Developmental Biology, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Jamil
- BESE Division, The BioActives Lab, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Salim Al-Babili
- BESE Division, The BioActives Lab, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Vinicius Lube
- BESE Division, Plant Cell and Developmental Biology, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ikram Blilou
- BESE Division, Plant Cell and Developmental Biology, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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5
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Fernández-Fernández ÁD, Stael S, Van Breusegem F. Mechanisms controlling plant proteases and their substrates. Cell Death Differ 2023; 30:1047-1058. [PMID: 36755073 PMCID: PMC10070405 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-023-01120-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In plants, proteolysis is emerging as an important field of study due to a growing understanding of the critical involvement of proteases in plant cell death, disease and development. Because proteases irreversibly modify the structure and function of their target substrates, proteolytic activities are stringently regulated at multiple levels. Most proteases are produced as dormant isoforms and only activated in specific conditions such as altered ion fluxes or by post-translational modifications. Some of the regulatory mechanisms initiating and modulating proteolytic activities are restricted in time and space, thereby ensuring precision activity, and minimizing unwanted side effects. Currently, the activation mechanisms and the substrates of only a few plant proteases have been studied in detail. Most studies focus on the role of proteases in pathogen perception and subsequent modulation of the plant reactions, including the hypersensitive response (HR). Proteases are also required for the maturation of coexpressed peptide hormones that lead essential processes within the immune response and development. Here, we review the known mechanisms for the activation of plant proteases, including post-translational modifications, together with the effects of proteinaceous inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Daniel Fernández-Fernández
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, 8008, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Simon Stael
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Uppsala BioCenter, Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Frank Van Breusegem
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
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6
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Genomic and Epigenomic Mechanisms of the Interaction between Parasitic and Host Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032647. [PMID: 36768970 PMCID: PMC9917227 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic plants extract nutrients from the other plants to finish their life cycle and reproduce. The control of parasitic weeds is notoriously difficult due to their tight physical association and their close biological relationship to their hosts. Parasitic plants differ in their susceptible host ranges, and the host species differ in their susceptibility to parasitic plants. Current data show that adaptations of parasitic plants to various hosts are largely genetically determined. However, multiple cases of rapid adaptation in genetically homogenous parasitic weed populations to new hosts strongly suggest the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms. Recent progress in genome-wide analyses of gene expression and epigenetic features revealed many new molecular details of the parasitic plants' interactions with their host plants. The experimental data obtained in the last several years show that multiple common features have independently evolved in different lines of the parasitic plants. In this review we discuss the most interesting new details in the interaction between parasitic and host plants.
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7
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Aguilar-Venegas M, Quintana-Rodríguez E, Aguilar-Hernández V, López-García CM, Conejo-Dávila E, Brito-Argáez L, Loyola-Vargas VM, Vega-Arreguín J, Orona-Tamayo D. Protein Profiling of Psittacanthus calyculatus during Mesquite Infection. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:464. [PMID: 36771550 PMCID: PMC9920738 DOI: 10.3390/plants12030464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Psittacanthus calyculatus is a hemiparasite mistletoe that represents an ecological problem due to the impacts caused to various tree species of ecological and commercial interest. Although the life cycle for the Psittacanthus genus is well established in the literature, the development stages and molecular mechanism implicated in P. calyculatus host infection are poorly understood. In this study, we used a manageable infestation of P. laevigata with P. calyculatus to clearly trace the infection, which allowed us to describe five phenological infective stages of mistletoe on host tree branches: mature seed (T1), holdfast formation (T2), haustorium activation (T3), haustorium penetration (T4), and haustorium connection (T5) with the host tree. Proteomic analyses revealed proteins with a different accumulation and cellular processes in infective stages. Activities of the cell wall-degrading enzymes cellulase and β-1,4-glucosidase were primarily active in haustorium development (T3), while xylanase, endo-glucanase, and peptidase were highly active in the haustorium penetration (T4) and xylem connection (T5). Patterns of auxins and cytokinin showed spatial concentrations in infective stages and moreover were involved in haustorium development. These results are the first evidence of proteins, cell wall-degrading enzymes, and phytohormones that are involved in early infection for the Psittacanthus genus, and thus represent a general infection mechanism for other mistletoe species. These results could help to understand the molecular dialogue in the establishment of P. calyculatus parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montserrat Aguilar-Venegas
- Ciencias Agrogenómicas, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad León, UNAM, León CP 37684, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | | | - Víctor Aguilar-Hernández
- Unidad de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Plantas, CICY, A.C., Mérida CP 97205, Yucatán, Mexico
| | | | - Efraín Conejo-Dávila
- Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Ingeniería Campus Guanajuato, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Silao de la Victoria CP 36275, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Ligia Brito-Argáez
- Unidad de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Plantas, CICY, A.C., Mérida CP 97205, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Víctor M. Loyola-Vargas
- Unidad de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Plantas, CICY, A.C., Mérida CP 97205, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Julio Vega-Arreguín
- Ciencias Agrogenómicas, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad León, UNAM, León CP 37684, Guanajuato, Mexico
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8
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Ogawa S, Shirasu K. Strigol induces germination of the facultative parasitic plant Phtheirospermum japonicum in the absence of nitrate ions. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2022; 17:2114647. [PMID: 35993137 PMCID: PMC9397475 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2022.2114647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Root parasitic plants in the family Orobanchaceae, such as Striga and Orobanche spp., infest major crops worldwide, leading to a multibillion-dollar loss annually. Host-derived strigolactones (SLs), recognized by a group of α/β hydrolase receptors (KAI2d) in these parasites, are important determinants for germinating root parasitic plants near the roots of host plants. Phtheirospermum japonicum, a facultative hemiparasitic Orobanchaceae plant, can germinate and grow in the presence or absence of the host and can also exhibit root chemotropism to host-derived SLs that are perceived via KAI2d. However, the importance of SLs in P. japonicum germination remains unclear. In this study, we found that germination of P. japonicum was suppressed in the absence of nitrate ions and that germination of P. japonicum was promoted by exogenous strigol, an SL, under such conditions. We propose a model in which P. japonicum may select either independent living or parasitism in response to ambient nitrogen conditions and host presence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ogawa
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Ken Shirasu
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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9
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Westwood JH. Cracking open the witch's spell book: the witchweed genome provides clues to plant parasitism. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:316-318. [PMID: 36001688 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- James H Westwood
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
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10
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Qiu S, Bradley JM, Zhang P, Chaudhuri R, Blaxter M, Butlin RK, Scholes JD. Genome-enabled discovery of candidate virulence loci in Striga hermonthica, a devastating parasite of African cereal crops. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:622-638. [PMID: 35699626 PMCID: PMC9795911 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Parasites have evolved proteins, virulence factors (VFs), that facilitate plant colonisation, however VFs mediating parasitic plant-host interactions are poorly understood. Striga hermonthica is an obligate, root-parasitic plant of cereal hosts in sub-Saharan Africa, causing devastating yield losses. Understanding the molecular nature and allelic variation of VFs in S. hermonthica is essential for breeding resistance and delaying the evolution of parasite virulence. We assembled the S. hermonthica genome and identified secreted proteins using in silico prediction. Pooled sequencing of parasites growing on a susceptible and a strongly resistant rice host allowed us to scan for loci where selection imposed by the resistant host had elevated the frequency of alleles contributing to successful colonisation. Thirty-eight putatively secreted VFs had very different allele frequencies with functions including host cell wall modification, protease or protease inhibitor and kinase activities. These candidate loci had significantly higher Tajima's D than the genomic background, consistent with balancing selection. Our results reveal diverse strategies used by S. hermonthica to overcome different layers of host resistance. Understanding the maintenance of variation at virulence loci by balancing selection will be critical to managing the evolution of virulence as part of a sustainable control strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suo Qiu
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldS10 2TNUK
| | - James M. Bradley
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldS10 2TNUK
| | - Peijun Zhang
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldS10 2TNUK
| | - Roy Chaudhuri
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldS10 2TNUK
| | - Mark Blaxter
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological SciencesThe University of Edinburgh, Ashworth LaboratoriesCharlotte Auerbach RoadEdinburghEH9 3FLUK
- Wellcome Sanger InstituteWellcome Genome Campus, HinxtonCambridgeCB10 1SAUK
| | - Roger K. Butlin
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldS10 2TNUK
- Department of Marine SciencesUniversity of GothenburgS‐405 30GothenburgSweden
| | - Julie D. Scholes
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldS10 2TNUK
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11
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Ogawa S, Cui S, White ARF, Nelson DC, Yoshida S, Shirasu K. Strigolactones are chemoattractants for host tropism in Orobanchaceae parasitic plants. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4653. [PMID: 35970835 PMCID: PMC9378612 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32314-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitic plants are worldwide threats that damage major agricultural crops. To initiate infection, parasitic plants have developed the ability to locate hosts and grow towards them. This ability, called host tropism, is critical for parasite survival, but its underlying mechanism remains mostly unresolved. To characterise host tropism, we used the model facultative root parasite Phtheirospermum japonicum, a member of the Orobanchaceae. Here, we show that strigolactones (SLs) function as host-derived chemoattractants. Chemotropism to SLs is also found in Striga hermonthica, a parasitic member of the Orobanchaceae, but not in non-parasites. Intriguingly, chemotropism to SLs in P. japonicum is attenuated in ammonium ion-rich conditions, where SLs are perceived, but the resulting asymmetrical accumulation of the auxin transporter PIN2 is diminished. P. japonicum encodes putative receptors that sense exogenous SLs, whereas expression of a dominant-negative form reduces its chemotropic ability. We propose a function for SLs as navigators for parasite roots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ogawa
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Songkui Cui
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0192, Japan
| | - Alexandra R F White
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - David C Nelson
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Satoko Yoshida
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0192, Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan
| | - Ken Shirasu
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan. .,Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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12
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Jhu MY, Sinha NR. Parasitic Plants: An Overview of Mechanisms by Which Plants Perceive and Respond to Parasites. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 73:433-455. [PMID: 35363532 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-102820-100635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In contrast to most autotrophic plants, which produce carbohydrates from carbon dioxide using photosynthesis, parasitic plants obtain water and nutrients by parasitizing host plants. Many important crop plants are infested by these heterotrophic plants, leading to severe agricultural loss and reduced food security. Understanding how host plants perceive and resist parasitic plants provides insight into underlying defense mechanisms and the potential for agricultural applications. In this review, we offer a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of host perception of parasitic plants and the pre-attachment and post-attachment defense responses mounted by the host. Since most current research overlooks the role of organ specificity in resistance responses, we also summarize the current understanding and cases of cross-organ parasitism, which indicates nonconventional haustorial connections on other host organs, for example, when stem parasitic plants form haustoria on their host roots. Understanding how different tissue types respond to parasitic plants could provide the potential for developing a universal resistance mechanism in crops against both root and stem parasitic plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Yao Jhu
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA;
- Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Neelima R Sinha
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA;
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13
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Greifenhagen A, Braunstein I, Pfannstiel J, Yoshida S, Shirasu K, Schaller A, Spallek T. The Phtheirospermum japonicum isopentenyltransferase PjIPT1a regulates host cytokinin responses in Arabidopsis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:1582-1590. [PMID: 34254310 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The hemiparasitic plant Phtheirospermum japonicum (Phtheirospermum) is a nutritional specialist that supplements its nutrient requirements by parasitizing other plants through haustoria. During parasitism, the Phtheirospermum haustorium transfers hypertrophy-inducing cytokinins (CKs) to the infected host root. The CK biosynthesis genes required for haustorium-derived CKs and the induction of hypertrophy are still unknown. We searched for haustorium-expressed isopentenyltransferases (IPTs) that catalyze the first step of CK biosynthesis, confirmed the specific expression by in vivo imaging of a promoter-reporter, and further analyzed the subcellular localization, the enzymatic function and contribution to inducing hypertrophy by studying CRISPR-Cas9-induced Phtheirospermum mutants. PjIPT1a was expressed in intrusive cells of the haustorium close to the host vasculature. PjIPT1a and its closest homolog PjIPT1b located to the cytosol and showed IPT activity in vitro with differences in substrate specificity. Mutating PjIPT1a abolished parasite-induced CK responses in the host. A homolog of PjIPT1a also was identified in the related weed Striga hermonthica. With PjIPT1a, we identified the IPT enzyme that induces CK responses in Phtheirospermum japonicum-infected Arabidopsis roots. We propose that PjIPT1a exemplifies how parasitism-related functions evolve through gene duplications and neofunctionalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Greifenhagen
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, 70599, Germany
| | - Isabell Braunstein
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, 70599, Germany
| | - Jens Pfannstiel
- Core Facility Hohenheim, Mass Spectrometry Unit, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, 70599, Germany
| | - Satoko Yoshida
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0192, Japan
| | - Ken Shirasu
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Andreas Schaller
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, 70599, Germany
| | - Thomas Spallek
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, 70599, Germany
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Yoshida S, Kee YJ. Large-scale sequencing paves the way for genomic and genetic analyses in parasitic plants. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 70:248-254. [PMID: 34242992 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic plants pose a serious agricultural threat, but are also precious resources for valuable metabolites. The heterotrophic nature of these plants has resulted in the development of several morphological and physiological features that are of evolutionary significance. Recent advances in large-scale sequencing technology have provided insights into the evolutionary and molecular mechanisms of plant parasitism. Genome sequencing has revealed gene losses and horizontal gene transfers in parasitic plants. Mobile signals traveling between the parasite and host may have contributed to the increased fitness of parasitic life styles. Transcriptome analyses implicate shared processes among various parasitic species and the establishment of functional analysis is beginning to reveal molecular mechanisms during host and parasite interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoko Yoshida
- Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Grad. School Sci. Tech., Ikoma, Nara, Japan; JST, PRESTO, Japan.
| | - Yee Jia Kee
- Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Grad. School Sci. Tech., Ikoma, Nara, Japan
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15
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Furuta KM, Xiang L, Cui S, Yoshida S. Molecular dissection of haustorium development in Orobanchaceae parasitic plants. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 186:1424-1434. [PMID: 33783524 PMCID: PMC8260117 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Characterizing molecular aspects of haustorium development by parasitic plants in the Orobanchaceae family has identified hormone signaling/transport and specific genes as major players.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Miyashima Furuta
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Lei Xiang
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Songkui Cui
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Satoko Yoshida
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
- JST, PRESTO, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
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Bouwmeester H, Sinha N, Scholes J. Parasitic plants: physiology, development, signaling, and ecosystem interactions. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 185:1267-1269. [PMID: 33893817 PMCID: PMC8133663 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Harro Bouwmeester
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94215, Amsterdam, 1090GE, The Netherlands
| | - Neelima Sinha
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Julie Scholes
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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17
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Masumoto N, Suzuki Y, Cui S, Wakazaki M, Sato M, Kumaishi K, Shibata A, Furuta KM, Ichihashi Y, Shirasu K, Toyooka K, Sato Y, Yoshida S. Three-dimensional reconstructions of haustoria in two parasitic plant species in the Orobanchaceae. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 185:1429-1442. [PMID: 33793920 PMCID: PMC8133657 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic plants infect other plants by forming haustoria, specialized multicellular organs consisting of several cell types, each of which has unique morphological features and physiological roles associated with parasitism. Understanding the spatial organization of cell types is, therefore, of great importance in elucidating the functions of haustoria. Here, we report a three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of haustoria from two Orobanchaceae species, the obligate parasite Striga hermonthica infecting rice (Oryza sativa) and the facultative parasite Phtheirospermum japonicum infecting Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). In addition, field-emission scanning electron microscopy observation revealed the presence of various cell types in haustoria. Our images reveal the spatial arrangements of multiple cell types inside haustoria and their interaction with host roots. The 3-D internal structures of haustoria highlight differences between the two parasites, particularly at the xylem connection site with the host. Our study provides cellular and structural insights into haustoria of S. hermonthica and P. japonicum and lays the foundation for understanding haustorium function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsumi Masumoto
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, 630-0192, Japan
| | - Yuki Suzuki
- Division of Information Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, 630-0192, Japan
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Present address: Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Songkui Cui
- Division for Research Strategy, Institute for Research Initiatives, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, 630-0192, Japan
| | - Mayumi Wakazaki
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Mayuko Sato
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Kie Kumaishi
- RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Ibaraki, 305-0074, Japan
| | - Arisa Shibata
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Kaori M Furuta
- Division for Research Strategy, Institute for Research Initiatives, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, 630-0192, Japan
| | | | - Ken Shirasu
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kiminori Toyooka
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Sato
- Division of Information Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, 630-0192, Japan
| | - Satoko Yoshida
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, 630-0192, Japan
- Division for Research Strategy, Institute for Research Initiatives, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, 630-0192, Japan
- Author for communication:
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