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Rogers A, Jaiswal N, Roggenkamp E, Kim HS, MacCready JS, Chilvers MI, Scofield SR, Iyer-Pascuzzi AS, Helm M. Genome-Informed Trophic Classification and Functional Characterization of Virulence Proteins from the Maize Tar Spot Pathogen Phyllachora maydis. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2024; 114:1940-1949. [PMID: 38717940 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-01-24-0037-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
Phyllachora maydis is an ascomycete foliar fungal pathogen and the causal agent of tar spot in maize. Although P. maydis is considered an economically important foliar pathogen of maize, our general knowledge of the trophic lifestyle and functional role of effector proteins from this fungal pathogen remains limited. Here, we utilized a genome-informed approach to predict the trophic lifestyle of P. maydis and functionally characterized a subset of candidate effectors from this fungal pathogen. Leveraging the most recent P. maydis genome annotation and the CATAStrophy pipeline, we show that this fungal pathogen encodes a predicted carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) repertoire consistent with that of biotrophs. To investigate fungal pathogenicity, we selected 18 candidate effector proteins that were previously shown to be expressed during primary disease development. We assessed whether these putative effectors share predicted structural similarity with other characterized fungal effectors and determined whether any suppress plant immune responses. Using AlphaFold2 and Foldseek, we showed that one candidate effector, PM02_g1115, adopts a predicted protein structure similar to that of an effector from Verticillium dahlia. Furthermore, transient expression of candidate effector-fluorescent protein fusions in Nicotiana benthamiana revealed two putative effectors, PM02_g378 and PM02_g2610, accumulated predominantly in the cytosol, and three candidate effectors, PM02_g1115, PM02_g7882, and PM02_g8240, consistently attenuated chitin-mediated reactive oxygen species production. Collectively, the results presented herein provide insights into the predicted trophic lifestyle and putative functions of effectors from P. maydis and will likely stimulate continued research to elucidate the molecular mechanisms used by P. maydis to induce tar spot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Rogers
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Namrata Jaiswal
- Crop Production and Pest Control Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Emily Roggenkamp
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
| | - Hye-Seon Kim
- U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, Peoria, IL 61604
| | - Joshua S MacCready
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
| | - Martin I Chilvers
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
| | - Steven R Scofield
- Crop Production and Pest Control Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | | | - Matthew Helm
- Crop Production and Pest Control Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, West Lafayette, IN 47907
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Ross TJ, Allen TW, Shim S, Thompson NM, Telenko DEP. Investigations into Economic Returns Resulting from Foliar Fungicides and Application Timing on Management of Tar Spot in Indiana Hybrid Corn. PLANT DISEASE 2024; 108:461-472. [PMID: 37669181 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-05-23-0932-re] [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: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Tar spot, caused by Phyllachora maydis, is the most significant yield-limiting disease of corn (Zea mays L.) in Indiana. Currently, fungicides are an effective management tool for this disease, and partial returns from their use under different disease severity conditions has not previously been studied. Between 2019 and 2021, two separate field experiments were conducted in each year in Indiana to assess the efficacy of nine foliar fungicide products and nine fungicide application timings based on corn growth stages on tar spot symptoms and stromata, canopy greenness, yield, and influence on partial returns. All fungicides evaluated significantly suppressed tar spot development in the canopy and increased canopy greenness over the nontreated control. Additionally, applications of mefentrifluconazole + pyraclostrobin, metconazole + pyraclostrobin, cyproconazole + picoxystrobin at tassel, and propiconazole + benzovindiflupyr + azoxystrobin between the tassel and dough growth stages were the most effective at significantly reducing disease severity, increasing canopy greenness, protecting yield, and offered the greatest partial return. Fungicide products varied in their ability to protect yield under low and high disease severity conditions relative to the nontreated control. Consistently, positive yield increases were observed when disease severity was high, which translated to greater profitability relative to low severity conditions. On average, the yield increases across foliar fungicide products and timed application treatments were 544.6 and 1,020.7 kg/ha greater, and partial returns using a grain value of $0.17/kg were $92.6/ha and $173.5/ha greater, respectively, when high severity conditions occurred. This research demonstrates that foliar fungicides and appropriately timed fungicide applications can profitably be used to manage tar spot in Indiana under high disease severity conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffanna J Ross
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Tom W Allen
- Delta Research and Extension Center, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, MS 38776
| | - Sujoung Shim
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Nathanael M Thompson
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Darcy E P Telenko
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
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Webster RW, Nicolli C, Allen TW, Bish MD, Bissonnette K, Check JC, Chilvers MI, Duffeck MR, Kleczewski N, Luis JM, Mueller BD, Paul PA, Price PP, Robertson AE, Ross TJ, Schmidt C, Schmidt R, Schmidt T, Shim S, Telenko DEP, Wise K, Smith DL. Uncovering the environmental conditions required for Phyllachora maydis infection and tar spot development on corn in the United States for use as predictive models for future epidemics. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17064. [PMID: 37816924 PMCID: PMC10564858 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44338-6] [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: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Phyllachora maydis is a fungal pathogen causing tar spot of corn (Zea mays L.), a new and emerging, yield-limiting disease in the United States. Since being first reported in Illinois and Indiana in 2015, P. maydis can now be found across much of the corn growing regions of the United States. Knowledge of the epidemiology of P. maydis is limited but could be useful in developing tar spot prediction tools. The research presented here aims to elucidate the environmental conditions necessary for the development of tar spot in the field and the creation of predictive models to anticipate future tar spot epidemics. Extended periods (30-day windowpanes) of moderate mean ambient temperature (18-23 °C) were most significant for explaining the development of tar spot. Shorter periods (14- to 21-day windowpanes) of moisture (relative humidity, dew point, number of hours with predicted leaf wetness) were negatively correlated with tar spot development. These weather variables were used to develop multiple logistic regression models, an ensembled model, and two machine learning models for the prediction of tar spot development. This work has improved the understanding of P. maydis epidemiology and provided the foundation for the development of a predictive tool for anticipating future tar spot epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard W Webster
- Department of Plant Pathology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, 58108, USA
| | - Camila Nicolli
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Tom W Allen
- Delta Research and Extension Center, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, MS, 38776, USA
| | - Mandy D Bish
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Bissonnette
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Jill C Check
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Martin I Chilvers
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Maíra R Duffeck
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA
| | - Nathan Kleczewski
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Jane Marian Luis
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA
| | - Brian D Mueller
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Pierce A Paul
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA
| | - Paul P Price
- Macon Ridge Research Station, LSU AgCenter, Winnsboro, LA, 71295, USA
| | - Alison E Robertson
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Tiffanna J Ross
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Clarice Schmidt
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Roger Schmidt
- Nutrient and Pest Management Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Teryl Schmidt
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Sujoung Shim
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Darcy E P Telenko
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Kiersten Wise
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Princeton, KY, 42445, USA
| | - Damon L Smith
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
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