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Zhang S, Li R, Fan W, Chen X, Liu S, Zhu P, Gu X, Wang S, Zhao A. Effector Cs02526 from Ciboria shiraiana induces cell death and modulates plant immunity. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 196:579-591. [PMID: 38753366 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024]
Abstract
Sclerotinia disease is one of the most devastating fungal diseases worldwide, as it reduces the yields of many economically important crops. Pathogen-secreted effectors play crucial roles in infection processes. However, key effectors of Ciboria shiraiana, the pathogen primarily responsible for sclerotinia disease in mulberry (Morus spp.), remain poorly understood. In this study, we identified and functionally characterized the effector Cs02526 in C. shiraiana and found that Cs02526 could induce cell death in a variety of plants. Moreover, Cs02526-induced cell death was mediated by the central immune regulator brassinosteroid insensitive 1-associated receptor kinase 1, dependent on a 67-amino acid fragment. Notably, Cs02526 homologs were widely distributed in hemibiotrophic and necrotrophic phytopathogenic fungi, but the homologs failed to induce cell death in plants. Pretreatment of plants with recombinant Cs02526 protein enhanced resistance against both C. shiraiana and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Furthermore, the pathogenicity of C. shiraiana was diminished upon spraying plants with synthetic dsRNA-Cs02526. In conclusion, our findings highlight the cell death-inducing effector Cs02526 as a potential target for future biological control strategies against plant diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Sericulture and Systems Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Ruolan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Sericulture and Systems Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Wei Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Sericulture and Systems Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xuefei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Sericulture and Systems Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Shuman Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Sericulture and Systems Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Panpan Zhu
- Resource Institute for Chinese & Ethnic Materia Medica, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Xiaohui Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Sericulture and Systems Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Shuchang Wang
- Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Environment and Plant Protection, Haikou 570100, China
| | - Aichun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Sericulture and Systems Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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Calia G, Cestaro A, Schuler H, Janik K, Donati C, Moser M, Bottini S. Definition of the effector landscape across 13 phytoplasma proteomes with LEAPH and EffectorComb. NAR Genom Bioinform 2024; 6:lqae087. [PMID: 39081684 PMCID: PMC11287381 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqae087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
'Candidatus Phytoplasma' genus, a group of fastidious phloem-restricted bacteria, can infect a wide variety of both ornamental and agro-economically important plants. Phytoplasmas secrete effector proteins responsible for the symptoms associated with the disease. Identifying and characterizing these proteins is of prime importance for expanding our knowledge of the molecular bases of the disease. We faced the challenge of identifying phytoplasma's effectors by developing LEAPH, a machine learning ensemble predictor composed of four models. LEAPH was trained on 479 proteins from 53 phytoplasma species, described by 30 features. LEAPH achieved 97.49% accuracy, 95.26% precision and 98.37% recall, ensuring a low false-positive rate and outperforming available state-of-the-art methods. The application of LEAPH to 13 phytoplasma proteomes yields a comprehensive landscape of 2089 putative pathogenicity proteins. We identified three classes according to different secretion models: 'classical', 'classical-like' and 'non-classical'. Importantly, LEAPH identified 15 out of 17 known experimentally validated effectors belonging to the three classes. Furthermore, to help the selection of novel candidates for biological validation, we applied the Self-Organizing Maps algorithm and developed a Shiny app called EffectorComb. LEAPH and the EffectorComb app can be used to boost the characterization of putative effectors at both computational and experimental levels, and can be employed in other phytopathological models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Calia
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy
- INRAE, Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, 06903 Sophia-Antipolis, France
| | - Alessandro Cestaro
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies (IBIOM), National Research Council (CNR), 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Hannes Schuler
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
- Competence Centre for Plant Health, Free University of Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Katrin Janik
- Institute for Plant Health, Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Laimburg Research Centre, 47141 Pfatten-Vadena, Italy
| | - Claudio Donati
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy
| | - Mirko Moser
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy
| | - Silvia Bottini
- INRAE, Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, 06903 Sophia-Antipolis, France
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3
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He Y, Li P, Zhou X, Ali S, Zhu J, Ma Y, Li J, Zhang N, Li H, Li Y, Nie Y. A ribonuclease T2 protein FocRnt2 contributes to the virulence of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2024; 25:e13502. [PMID: 39118198 PMCID: PMC11310096 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13502] [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: 06/23/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Banana Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), is a major disease of banana plants worldwide. Effector proteins play critical roles in banana-Foc TR4 interaction. Our previous studies highlighted a ribonuclease protein belonging to the T2 family (named as FocRnt2) in the Foc TR4 secretome, which was predicted to be an effector. However, its biological function in Foc TR4 infection is still unclear. Herein, we observed significant expression of FocRnt2 during the early stage of fungal infection in planta. A yeast signal sequence trap assay showed that FocRnt2 contained a functional signal peptide for secretion. FocRnt2 possessed ribonuclease activity that could degrade the banana total RNA in vitro. Subcellular localization showed that FocRnt2 was localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm of Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Transient expression of FocRnt2 suppressed the expression of salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid-signalling marker genes, reactive oxygen species accumulation, and BAX-mediated cell death in N. benthamiana. FocRnt2 deletion limited fungal penetration, reduced fusaric acid biosynthesis in Foc TR4, and attenuated fungal virulence against banana plants, but had little effect on Foc TR4 growth and sensitivity to various stresses. Furthermore, FocRnt2 deletion mutants induced higher expression of the defence-related genes in banana plants. These results suggest that FocRnt2 plays an important role in full virulence of Foc TR4, further improving our understanding of effector-mediated Foc TR4 pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanqiu He
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Plant ProtectionSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
- Institute of Plant Protection and Agro‐Products SafetyAnhui Academy of Agricultural SciencesHefeiChina
| | - Pengfei Li
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Plant ProtectionSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Xiaoshu Zhou
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Plant ProtectionSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Shaukat Ali
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Plant ProtectionSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Jie Zhu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Plant ProtectionSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Yini Ma
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Plant ProtectionSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Jieling Li
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Plant ProtectionSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Nan Zhang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Plant ProtectionSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Huaping Li
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Plant ProtectionSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Yunfeng Li
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Plant ProtectionSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Yanfang Nie
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Plant ProtectionSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
- College of Materials and EnergySouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
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Upadhaya A, Upadhaya SGC, Brueggeman R. Identification of Candidate Avirulence and Virulence Genes Corresponding to Stem Rust ( Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) Resistance Genes in Wheat. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2024; 37:635-649. [PMID: 38780476 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-05-24-0056-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: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Stem rust, caused by the biotrophic fungal pathogen Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt), is an important disease of wheat. However, the majority of Pgt virulence/avirulence loci and underlying genes remain uncharacterized due to the constraints of developing bi-parental populations with this obligate biotroph. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using a sexual Pgt population mainly collected from the Pacific Northwestern United States were used to identify candidate virulence/avirulence effector genes corresponding to the six wheat Sr genes: Sr5, Sr21, Sr8a, Sr17, Sr9a, and Sr9d. The Pgt isolates were genotyped using whole-genome shotgun sequencing that identified approximately 1.2 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and were phenotyped at the seedling stage on six Sr gene differential lines. Association mapping analyses identified 17 Pgt loci associated with virulence or avirulence phenotypes on six Pgt resistance genes. Among these loci, 16 interacted with a specific Sr gene, indicating Sr-gene specific interactions. However, one avirulence locus interacted with two separate Sr genes (Sr9a and Sr17), suggesting two distinct Sr genes identifying a single avirulence effector. A total of 24 unique effector gene candidates were identified, and haplotype analysis suggests that within this population, AvrSr5, AvrSr21, AvrSr8a, AvrSr17, and AvrSr9a are dominant avirulence genes, while avrSr9d is a dominant virulence gene. The putative effector genes will be fundamental for future effector gene cloning efforts, allowing for further understanding of rust effector biology and the mechanisms underlying virulence evolution in Pgt with respect to race-specific R-genes. [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)
- Arjun Upadhaya
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6420, U.S.A
| | - Sudha G C Upadhaya
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6420, U.S.A
| | - Robert Brueggeman
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6420, U.S.A
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Lapalu N, Simon A, Lu A, Plaumann PL, Amselem J, Pigné S, Auger A, Koch C, Dallery JF, O'Connell RJ. Complete genome of the Medicago anthracnose fungus, Colletotrichum destructivum, reveals a mini-chromosome-like region within a core chromosome. Microb Genom 2024; 10:001283. [PMID: 39166978 PMCID: PMC11338638 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001283] [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: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Colletotrichum destructivum (Cd) is a phytopathogenic fungus causing significant economic losses on forage legume crops (Medicago and Trifolium species) worldwide. To gain insights into the genetic basis of fungal virulence and host specificity, we sequenced the genome of an isolate from Medicago sativa using long-read (PacBio) technology. The resulting genome assembly has a total length of 51.7 Mb and comprises ten core chromosomes and two accessory chromosomes, all of which were sequenced from telomere to telomere. A total of 15, 631 gene models were predicted, including genes encoding potentially pathogenicity-related proteins such as candidate-secreted effectors (484), secondary metabolism key enzymes (110) and carbohydrate-active enzymes (619). Synteny analysis revealed extensive structural rearrangements in the genome of Cd relative to the closely related Brassicaceae pathogen, Colletotrichum higginsianum. In addition, a 1.2 Mb species-specific region was detected within the largest core chromosome of Cd that has all the characteristics of fungal accessory chromosomes (transposon-rich, gene-poor, distinct codon usage), providing evidence for exchange between these two genomic compartments. This region was also unique in having undergone extensive intra-chromosomal segmental duplications. Our findings provide insights into the evolution of accessory regions and possible mechanisms for generating genetic diversity in this asexual fungal pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Lapalu
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Adeline Simon
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Antoine Lu
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Peter-Louis Plaumann
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Joëlle Amselem
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, URGI, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - Sandrine Pigné
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Annie Auger
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Christian Koch
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
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6
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Emser J, Wernet N, Hetzer B, Wohlmann E, Fischer R. The cysteine-rich virulence factor NipA of Arthrobotrys flagrans interferes with cuticle integrity of Caenorhabditis elegans. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5795. [PMID: 38987250 PMCID: PMC11237121 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50096-4] [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: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals protect themself from microbial attacks by robust skins or a cuticle as in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nematode-trapping fungi, like Arthrobotrys flagrans, overcome the cuticle barrier and colonize the nematode body. While lytic enzymes are important for infection, small-secreted proteins (SSPs) without enzymatic activity, emerge as crucial virulence factors. Here, we characterized NipA (nematode induced protein) which A. flagrans secretes at the penetration site. In the absence of NipA, A. flagrans required more time to penetrate C. elegans. Heterologous expression of the fungal protein in the epidermis of C. elegans led to blister formation. NipA contains 13 cysteines, 12 of which are likely to form disulfide bridges, and the remaining cysteine was crucial for blister formation. We hypothesize that NipA interferes with cuticle integrity to facilitate fungal entry. Genome-wide expression analyses of C. elegans expressing NipA revealed mis-regulation of genes associated with extracellular matrix (ECM) maintenance and innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Emser
- Institute for Applied Biosciences. Department of Microbiology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - South Campus, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany
| | - Nicole Wernet
- Institute for Applied Biosciences. Department of Microbiology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - South Campus, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany
| | - Birgit Hetzer
- Max Rubner-Institut (MRI) - Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Haid-und-Neu-Strasse 9, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany
| | - Elke Wohlmann
- Institute for Applied Biosciences. Department of Microbiology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - South Campus, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany
| | - Reinhard Fischer
- Institute for Applied Biosciences. Department of Microbiology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - South Campus, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany.
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Shu X, Yin D, Liang J, Xiang T, Zhang C, Li H, Zheng A, Li P, Wang A. Tilletia horrida glycoside hydrolase family 128 protein, designated ThGhd_7, modulates plant immunity by blocking reactive oxygen species production. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024; 47:2459-2474. [PMID: 38501941 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14893] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Tilletia horrida is an important soilborne fungal pathogen that causes rice kernel smut worldwide. We found a glycoside hydrolase family 128 protein, designated ThGhd_7, caused cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. The predicted signal peptide (SP) of ThGhd_7 targets it for secretion. However, loss of the SP did not affect its ability to induce cell death. The 23-201 amino acid sequence of ThGhd_7 was sufficient to trigger cell death in N. benthamiana. ThGhd_7 expression was induced and upregulated during T. horrida infection. ThGhd_7 localised to both the cytoplasm and nucleus of plant cells, and nuclear localisation was required to induce cell death. The ability of ThGhd_7 to trigger cell death in N. benthamiana depends on RAR1 (required for Mla12 resistance), SGT1 (suppressor of G2 allele of Skp1), and BAK1/SERK3 (somatic embryogenesis receptor-like kinase 3). Heterologous overexpression of ThGhd_7 in rice reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and enhanced susceptibility to T. horrida. Further research revealed that ThGhd_7 interacted with and destabilised OsSGT1, which is required for ROS production and is a positive regulator of rice resistance to T. horrida. Taken together, these findings suggest that T. horrida employs ThGhd_7 to disrupt ROS production and thereby promote infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Shu
- The Engineering Research Center for Plant Health Protection Technology in Henan Province, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Desuo Yin
- Food Crop Research Institute, Hubei Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Juan Liang
- The Engineering Research Center for Plant Health Protection Technology in Henan Province, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ting Xiang
- The Engineering Research Center for Plant Health Protection Technology in Henan Province, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- The Engineering Research Center for Plant Health Protection Technology in Henan Province, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Honglian Li
- The Engineering Research Center for Plant Health Protection Technology in Henan Province, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Aiping Zheng
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ping Li
- Rice Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Aijun Wang
- The Engineering Research Center for Plant Health Protection Technology in Henan Province, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
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Cohen AB, Cai G, Price DC, Molnar TJ, Zhang N, Hillman BI. The massive 340 megabase genome of Anisogramma anomala, a biotrophic ascomycete that causes eastern filbert blight of hazelnut. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:347. [PMID: 38580927 PMCID: PMC10998396 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10198-1] [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: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ascomycete fungus Anisogramma anomala causes Eastern Filbert Blight (EFB) on hazelnut (Corylus spp.) trees. It is a minor disease on its native host, the American hazelnut (C. americana), but is highly destructive on the commercially important European hazelnut (C. avellana). In North America, EFB has historically limited commercial production of hazelnut to west of the Rocky Mountains. A. anomala is an obligately biotrophic fungus that has not been grown in continuous culture, rendering its study challenging. There is a 15-month latency before symptoms appear on infected hazelnut trees, and only a sexual reproductive stage has been observed. Here we report the sequencing, annotation, and characterization of its genome. RESULTS The genome of A. anomala was assembled into 108 scaffolds totaling 342,498,352 nt with a GC content of 34.46%. Scaffold N50 was 33.3 Mb and L50 was 5. Nineteen scaffolds with lengths over 1 Mb constituted 99% of the assembly. Telomere sequences were identified on both ends of two scaffolds and on one end of another 10 scaffolds. Flow cytometry estimated the genome size of A. anomala at 370 Mb. The genome exhibits two-speed evolution, with 93% of the assembly as AT-rich regions (32.9% GC) and the other 7% as GC-rich (57.1% GC). The AT-rich regions consist predominantly of repeats with low gene content, while 90% of predicted protein coding genes were identified in GC-rich regions. Copia-like retrotransposons accounted for more than half of the genome. Evidence of repeat-induced point mutation (RIP) was identified throughout the AT-rich regions, and two copies of the rid gene and one of dim-2, the key genes in the RIP mutation pathway, were identified in the genome. Consistent with its homothallic sexual reproduction cycle, both MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 idiomorphs were found. We identified a large suite of genes likely involved in pathogenicity, including 614 carbohydrate active enzymes, 762 secreted proteins and 165 effectors. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals the genomic structure, composition, and putative gene function of the important pathogen A. anomala. It provides insight into the molecular basis of the pathogen's life cycle and a solid foundation for studying EFB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alanna B Cohen
- Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- Graduate Program in Microbial Biology, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Guohong Cai
- Crop Production and Pest Control Research Unit, USDA-ARS, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
| | - Dana C Price
- Department of Entomology, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Thomas J Molnar
- Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Ning Zhang
- Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- Graduate Program in Microbial Biology, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Bradley I Hillman
- Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
- Graduate Program in Microbial Biology, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
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9
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Rozano L, Jones DAB, Hane JK, Mancera RL. Template-Based Modelling of the Structure of Fungal Effector Proteins. Mol Biotechnol 2024; 66:784-813. [PMID: 36940017 PMCID: PMC11043172 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-00703-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
The discovery of new fungal effector proteins is necessary to enable the screening of cultivars for disease resistance. Sequence-based bioinformatics methods have been used for this purpose, but only a limited number of functional effector proteins have been successfully predicted and subsequently validated experimentally. A significant obstacle is that many fungal effector proteins discovered so far lack sequence similarity or conserved sequence motifs. The availability of experimentally determined three-dimensional (3D) structures of a number of effector proteins has recently highlighted structural similarities amongst groups of sequence-dissimilar fungal effectors, enabling the search for similar structural folds amongst effector sequence candidates. We have applied template-based modelling to predict the 3D structures of candidate effector sequences obtained from bioinformatics predictions and the PHI-BASE database. Structural matches were found not only with ToxA- and MAX-like effector candidates but also with non-fungal effector-like proteins-including plant defensins and animal venoms-suggesting the broad conservation of ancestral structural folds amongst cytotoxic peptides from a diverse range of distant species. Accurate modelling of fungal effectors were achieved using RaptorX. The utility of predicted structures of effector proteins lies in the prediction of their interactions with plant receptors through molecular docking, which will improve the understanding of effector-plant interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Rozano
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia
- Curtin Institute for Computation, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia
| | - Darcy A B Jones
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia
- Curtin Institute for Computation, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia
| | - James K Hane
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia
- Curtin Institute for Computation, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia
| | - Ricardo L Mancera
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia.
- Curtin Institute for Computation, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia.
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10
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Jaswal R, Rajarammohan S, Dubey H, Kiran K, Rawal H, Sonah H, Deshmukh R, Sharma TR. Intrinsically Disordered Kiwellin Protein-Like Effectors Target Plant Chloroplasts and are Extensively Present in Rust Fungi. Mol Biotechnol 2024; 66:845-864. [PMID: 37000361 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-00717-y] [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: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
The effector proteins produced by plant pathogens are one of the essential components of host-pathogen interaction. Despite being important, most of the effector proteins remain unexplored due to the diversity in their primary sequence generated by the high selection pressure of the host immune system. However to maintain the primary function in the infection process, these effectors may tend to maintain their native protein fold to perform the corresponding biological function. In the present study, unannotated candidate secretory effector proteins of sixteen major plant fungal pathogens were analyzed to find the conserved known protein folds using homology, ab initio, and Alpha Fold/Rosetta Fold protein dimensional (3D) structure approaches. Several unannotated candidate effector proteins were found to match various known conserved protein families potentially involved in host defense manipulation in different plant pathogens. Surprisingly a large number of plant Kiwellin proteins fold like secretory proteins (> 100) were found in studied rust fungal pathogens. Many of them were predicted as potential effector proteins. Furthermore, template independent modelling using Alpha Fold/Rosetta Fold analysis and structural comparison of these candidates also predicted them to match with plant Kiwellin proteins. We also found plant Kiwellin matching proteins outside rusts including several non-pathogenic fungi suggesting the broad function of these proteins. One of the highest confidently modeled Kiwellin matching candidates effectors, Pstr_13960 (97.8%), from the Indian P. striiformis race Yr9 was characterized using overexpression, localization, and deletion studies in Nicotiana benthamiana. The Pstr_13960 suppressed the BAX-induced cell death and localized in the chloroplast. Furthermore, the expression of the Kiwellin matching region (Pst_13960_kiwi) alone suppressed the BAX-induced cell death in N. benthamiana despite the change of location to the cytoplasm and nucleus, suggesting the novel function of the Kiwellin core fold in rust fungi. Molecular docking showed that Pstr_13960 can interact with plant Chorismate mutases (CMs) using three loops conserved in plant and rust Kiwellins. Further analysis of Pstr_13960 showed to contain Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in place of the N-terminal β1/β2 region found in plant Kiwellins suggesting the evolution of rust Kiwellins-like effectors (KLEs). Overall, this study reports the presence of a Kiwellin protein-like fold containing a novel effector protein family in rust fungi depicting a classical example of the evolution of effectors at the structure level as Kiwellin effectors show very low significant similarity to plant Kiwellin at the sequence level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajdeep Jaswal
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | | | - Himanshu Dubey
- National Institute On Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Kanti Kiran
- National Institute On Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Hukam Rawal
- National Institute On Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Humira Sonah
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Rupesh Deshmukh
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Tilak Raj Sharma
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India.
- Division of Crop Science, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi, 110001, India.
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11
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Murmu S, Sinha D, Chaurasia H, Sharma S, Das R, Jha GK, Archak S. A review of artificial intelligence-assisted omics techniques in plant defense: current trends and future directions. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1292054. [PMID: 38504888 PMCID: PMC10948452 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1292054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Plants intricately deploy defense systems to counter diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. Omics technologies, spanning genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, have revolutionized the exploration of plant defense mechanisms, unraveling molecular intricacies in response to various stressors. However, the complexity and scale of omics data necessitate sophisticated analytical tools for meaningful insights. This review delves into the application of artificial intelligence algorithms, particularly machine learning and deep learning, as promising approaches for deciphering complex omics data in plant defense research. The overview encompasses key omics techniques and addresses the challenges and limitations inherent in current AI-assisted omics approaches. Moreover, it contemplates potential future directions in this dynamic field. In summary, AI-assisted omics techniques present a robust toolkit, enabling a profound understanding of the molecular foundations of plant defense and paving the way for more effective crop protection strategies amidst climate change and emerging diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sneha Murmu
- Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, India
| | - Dipro Sinha
- Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, India
| | - Himanshushekhar Chaurasia
- Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Mumbai, India
| | - Soumya Sharma
- Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, India
| | - Ritwika Das
- Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, India
| | - Girish Kumar Jha
- Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, India
| | - Sunil Archak
- National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, India
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12
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Zhao M, Lei C, Zhou K, Huang Y, Fu C, Yang S, Zhang Z. POOE: predicting oomycete effectors based on a pre-trained large protein language model. mSystems 2024; 9:e0100423. [PMID: 38078741 PMCID: PMC10804963 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01004-23] [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: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Oomycetes are fungus-like eukaryotic microorganisms which can cause catastrophic diseases in many plants. Successful infection of oomycetes depends highly on their effector proteins that are secreted into plant cells to subvert plant immunity. Thus, systematic identification of effectors from the oomycete proteomes remains an initial but crucial step in understanding plant-pathogen relationships. However, the number of experimentally identified oomycete effectors is still limited. Currently, only a few bioinformatics predictors exist to detect potential effectors, and their prediction performance needs to be improved. Here, we used the sequence embeddings from a pre-trained large protein language model (ProtTrans) as input and developed a support vector machine-based method called POOE for predicting oomycete effectors. POOE could achieve a highly accurate performance with an area under the precision-recall curve of 0.804 (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.893, accuracy = 0.874, precision = 0.777, recall = 0.684, and specificity = 0.936) in the fivefold cross-validation, considerably outperforming various combinations of popular machine learning algorithms and other commonly used sequence encoding schemes. A similar prediction performance was also observed in the independent test. Compared with the existing oomycete effector prediction methods, POOE provided very competitive and promising performance, suggesting that ProtTrans effectively captures rich protein semantic information and dramatically improves the prediction task. We anticipate that POOE can accelerate the identification of oomycete effectors and provide new hints to systematically understand the functional roles of effectors in plant-pathogen interactions. The web server of POOE is freely accessible at http://zzdlab.com/pooe/index.php. The corresponding source codes and data sets are also available at https://github.com/zzdlabzm/POOE.IMPORTANCEIn this work, we use the sequence representations from a pre-trained large protein language model (ProtTrans) as input and develop a Support Vector Machine-based method called POOE for predicting oomycete effectors. POOE could achieve a highly accurate performance in the independent test set, considerably outperforming existing oomycete effector prediction methods. We expect that this new bioinformatics tool will accelerate the identification of oomycete effectors and further guide the experimental efforts to interrogate the functional roles of effectors in plant-pathogen interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Chenping Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Kewei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Fu
- School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
| | - Shiping Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Ziding Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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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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14
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Taliadoros D, Feurtey A, Wyatt N, Barrès B, Gladieux P, Friesen TL, Stukenbrock EH. Emergence and spread of the barley net blotch pathogen coincided with crop domestication and cultivation history. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1010884. [PMID: 38285729 PMCID: PMC10852282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010884] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Fungal pathogens cause devastating disease in crops. Understanding the evolutionary origin of pathogens is essential to the prediction of future disease emergence and the potential of pathogens to disperse. The fungus Pyrenophora teres f. teres causes net form net blotch (NFNB), an economically significant disease of barley. In this study, we have used 104 P. teres f. teres genomes from four continents to explore the population structure and demographic history of the fungal pathogen. We showed that P. teres f. teres is structured into populations that tend to be geographically restricted to different regions. Using Multiple Sequentially Markovian Coalescent and machine learning approaches we demonstrated that the demographic history of the pathogen correlates with the history of barley, highlighting the importance of human migration and trade in spreading the pathogen. Exploring signatures of natural selection, we identified several population-specific selective sweeps that colocalized with genomic regions enriched in putative virulence genes, and loci previously identified as determinants of virulence specificities by quantitative trait locus analyses. This reflects rapid adaptation to local hosts and environmental conditions of P. teres f. teres as it spread with barley. Our research highlights how human activities can contribute to the spread of pathogens that significantly impact the productivity of field crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demetris Taliadoros
- Environmental Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
- Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Alice Feurtey
- Environmental Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Plant Pathology, D-USYS, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nathan Wyatt
- Cereal Crops Research Unit, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
- Sugar Beet and Potato Research Unit, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Benoit Barrès
- Université de Lyon, Anses, INRAE, USC CASPER, Lyon, France
| | - Pierre Gladieux
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Timothy L. Friesen
- Cereal Crops Research Unit, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Eva H. Stukenbrock
- Environmental Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
- Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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15
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Chavarro-Carrero EA, Snelders NC, Torres DE, Kraege A, López-Moral A, Petti GC, Punt W, Wieneke J, García-Velasco R, López-Herrera CJ, Seidl MF, Thomma BPHJ. The soil-borne white root rot pathogen Rosellinia necatrix expresses antimicrobial proteins during host colonization. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011866. [PMID: 38236788 PMCID: PMC10796067 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Rosellinia necatrix is a prevalent soil-borne plant-pathogenic fungus that is the causal agent of white root rot disease in a broad range of host plants. The limited availability of genomic resources for R. necatrix has complicated a thorough understanding of its infection biology. Here, we sequenced nine R. necatrix strains with Oxford Nanopore sequencing technology, and with DNA proximity ligation we generated a gapless assembly of one of the genomes into ten chromosomes. Whereas many filamentous pathogens display a so-called two-speed genome with more dynamic and more conserved compartments, the R. necatrix genome does not display such genome compartmentalization. It has recently been proposed that fungal plant pathogens may employ effectors with antimicrobial activity to manipulate the host microbiota to promote infection. In the predicted secretome of R. necatrix, 26 putative antimicrobial effector proteins were identified, nine of which are expressed during plant colonization. Two of the candidates were tested, both of which were found to possess selective antimicrobial activity. Intriguingly, some of the inhibited bacteria are antagonists of R. necatrix growth in vitro and can alleviate R. necatrix infection on cotton plants. Collectively, our data show that R. necatrix encodes antimicrobials that are expressed during host colonization and that may contribute to modulation of host-associated microbiota to stimulate disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar A. Chavarro-Carrero
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Institute for Plant Sciences, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nick C. Snelders
- Institute for Plant Sciences, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Theoretical Biology & Bioinformatics Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - David E. Torres
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Theoretical Biology & Bioinformatics Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anton Kraege
- Institute for Plant Sciences, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ana López-Moral
- Institute for Plant Sciences, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gabriella C. Petti
- Institute for Plant Sciences, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Wilko Punt
- Institute for Plant Sciences, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jan Wieneke
- Institute for Plant Sciences, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Rómulo García-Velasco
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Tenancingo University Center, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Tenancingo, State of Mexico, Mexico
| | - Carlos J. López-Herrera
- CSIC, Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible, Dept. Protección de Cultivos, C/Alameda del Obispo s/n, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Michael F. Seidl
- Theoretical Biology & Bioinformatics Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bart P. H. J. Thomma
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Institute for Plant Sciences, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Vannier N, Mesny F, Getzke F, Chesneau G, Dethier L, Ordon J, Thiergart T, Hacquard S. Genome-resolved metatranscriptomics reveals conserved root colonization determinants in a synthetic microbiota. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8274. [PMID: 38092730 PMCID: PMC10719396 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43688-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The identification of processes activated by specific microbes during microbiota colonization of plant roots has been hampered by technical constraints in metatranscriptomics. These include lack of reference genomes, high representation of host or microbial rRNA sequences in datasets, or difficulty to experimentally validate gene functions. Here, we recolonized germ-free Arabidopsis thaliana with a synthetic, yet representative root microbiota comprising 106 genome-sequenced bacterial and fungal isolates. We used multi-kingdom rRNA depletion, deep RNA-sequencing and read mapping against reference microbial genomes to analyse the in planta metatranscriptome of abundant colonizers. We identified over 3,000 microbial genes that were differentially regulated at the soil-root interface. Translation and energy production processes were consistently activated in planta, and their induction correlated with bacterial strains' abundance in roots. Finally, we used targeted mutagenesis to show that several genes consistently induced by multiple bacteria are required for root colonization in one of the abundant bacterial strains (a genetically tractable Rhodanobacter). Our results indicate that microbiota members activate strain-specific processes but also common gene sets to colonize plant roots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Vannier
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, 50829, Cologne, Germany
- IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes, 35653, Le Rheu, France
| | - Fantin Mesny
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, 50829, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, 50923, Cologne, Germany
| | - Felix Getzke
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Guillaume Chesneau
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Laura Dethier
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jana Ordon
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thorsten Thiergart
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Stéphane Hacquard
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, 50829, Cologne, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, 50829, Cologne, Germany.
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17
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Khelghatibana F, Javan-Nikkhah M, Safaie N, Sobhani A, Shams S, Sari E. A reference transcriptome for walnut anthracnose pathogen, Ophiognomonia leptostyla, guides the discovery of candidate virulence genes. Fungal Genet Biol 2023; 169:103828. [PMID: 37657751 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103828] [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: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Despite the economic losses due to the walnut anthracnose, Ophiognomonia leptostyla is an orphan fungus with respect to genomic resources. In the present study, the transcriptome of O. leptostyla was assembled for the first time. RNA sequencing was conducted for the fungal mycelia grown in a liquid media, and the inoculated leaf samples of walnut with the fungal conidia sampled at 48, 96 and 144 h post inoculation (hpi). The completeness, correctness, and contiguity of the de novo transcriptome assemblies generated with Trinity, Oases, SOAPdenovo-Trans and Bridger were compared to identify a single superior reference assembly. In most of the assessment criteria including N50, Transrate score, number of ORFs with known description in gene bank, the percentage of reads mapped back to the transcript (RMBT), BUSCO score, Swiss-Prot coverage bin and RESM-EVAL score, the Bridger assembly was the superior and thus used as a reference for profiling the O. leptostyla transcriptome in liquid media vs. during walnut infection. The k-means clustering of transcripts resulted in four distinct transcription patterns across the three sampling time points. Most of the detected CAZy transcripts had elevated transcription at 96 hpi that is hypothetically concurrent with the start of intracellular growth. The in-silico analysis revealed 103 candidate effectors of which six were members of Necrosis and Ethylene Inducing Like Protein (NLP) gene family belonging to three distinct k-means clusters. This study provided a complex and temporal pattern of the CAZys and candidate effectors transcription during six days post O. leptostyla inoculation on walnut leaves, introducing a list of candidate virulence genes for validation in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Khelghatibana
- Department of Plant Pathology, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Javan-Nikkhah
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Naser Safaie
- Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad Sobhani
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran - Isfahan Branch, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Isfahan, Iran
| | - Somayeh Shams
- Department of Plant Production and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Lorestan, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Ehsan Sari
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
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18
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Abraham LN, Croll D. Genome-wide expression QTL mapping reveals the highly dynamic regulatory landscape of a major wheat pathogen. BMC Biol 2023; 21:263. [PMID: 37981685 PMCID: PMC10658818 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01763-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In agricultural ecosystems, outbreaks of diseases are frequent and pose a significant threat to food security. A successful pathogen undergoes a complex and well-timed sequence of regulatory changes to avoid detection by the host immune system; hence, well-tuned gene regulation is essential for survival. However, the extent to which the regulatory polymorphisms in a pathogen population provide an adaptive advantage is poorly understood. RESULTS We used Zymoseptoria tritici, one of the most important pathogens of wheat, to generate a genome-wide map of regulatory polymorphism governing gene expression. We investigated genome-wide transcription levels of 146 strains grown under nutrient starvation and performed expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) mapping. We identified cis-eQTLs for 65.3% of all genes and the majority of all eQTL loci are within 2kb upstream and downstream of the transcription start site (TSS). We also show that polymorphism in different gene elements contributes disproportionally to gene expression variation. Investigating regulatory polymorphism in gene categories, we found an enrichment of regulatory variants for genes predicted to be important for fungal pathogenesis but with comparatively low effect size, suggesting a separate layer of gene regulation involving epigenetics. We also show that previously reported trait-associated SNPs in pathogen populations are frequently cis-regulatory variants of neighboring genes with implications for the trait architecture. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our study provides extensive evidence that single populations segregate large-scale regulatory variation and are likely to fuel rapid adaptation to resistant hosts and environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leen Nanchira Abraham
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Present address: Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Daniel Croll
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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Child HT, Deeks MJ, Rudd JJ, Bates S. Comparison of the impact of two key fungal signalling pathways on Zymoseptoria tritici infection reveals divergent contribution to invasive growth through distinct regulation of infection-associated genes. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2023; 24:1220-1237. [PMID: 37306534 PMCID: PMC10502814 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13365] [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: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The lifecycle of Zymoseptoria tritici requires a carefully regulated asymptomatic phase within the wheat leaf following penetration of the mesophyll via stomata. Here we compare the roles in this process of two key fungal signalling pathways, mutants of which were identified through forward genetics due to their avirulence on wheat. Whole-genome resequencing of avirulent Z. tritici T-DNA transformants identified disruptive mutations in ZtBCK1 from the kinase cascade of the cell wall integrity (CWI) pathway, and the adenylate cyclase gene ZtCYR1. Targeted deletion of these genes abolished the pathogenicity of the fungus and led to similar in vitro phenotypes to those associated with disruption of putative downstream kinases, both supporting previous studies and confirming the importance of these pathways in virulence. RNA sequencing was used to investigate the effect of ZtBCK1 and ZtCYR1 deletion on gene expression in both the pathogen and host during infection. ZtBCK1 was found to be required for the adaptation to the host environment, controlling expression of infection-associated secreted proteins, including known virulence factors. Meanwhile, ZtCYR1 is implicated in controlling the switch to necrotrophy, regulating expression of effectors associated with this transition. This represents the first study to compare the influence of CWI and cAMP signalling on in planta transcription of a fungal plant pathogen, providing insights into their differential regulation of candidate effectors during invasive growth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jason J. Rudd
- Department of Protecting Crops and the EnvironmentRothamsted ResearchHarpendenUK
| | - Steven Bates
- Department of BiosciencesUniversity of ExeterExeterUK
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20
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Carreón-Anguiano KG, Gómez-Tah R, Pech-Balan E, Ek-Hernández GE, De los Santos-Briones C, Islas-Flores I, Canto-Canché B. Pseudocercospora fijiensis Conidial Germination Is Dominated by Pathogenicity Factors and Effectors. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:970. [PMID: 37888226 PMCID: PMC10607838 DOI: 10.3390/jof9100970] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Conidia play a vital role in the survival and rapid spread of fungi. Many biological processes of conidia, such as adhesion, signal transduction, the regulation of oxidative stress, and autophagy, have been well studied. In contrast, the contribution of pathogenicity factors during the development of conidia in fungal phytopathogens has been poorly investigated. To date, few reports have centered on the pathogenicity functions of fungal phytopathogen conidia. Pseudocercospora fijiensis is a hemibiotrophic fungus and the causal agent of the black Sigatoka disease in bananas and plantains. Here, a conidial transcriptome of P. fijiensis was characterized computationally. Carbohydrates, amino acids, and lipid metabolisms presented the highest number of annotations in Gene Ontology. Common conidial functions were found, but interestingly, pathogenicity factors and effectors were also identified. Upon analysis of the resulting proteins against the Pathogen-Host Interaction (PHI) database, 754 hits were identified. WideEffHunter and EffHunter effector predictors identified 618 effectors, 265 of them were shared with the PHI database. A total of 1107 conidial functions devoted to pathogenesis were found after our analysis. Regarding the conidial effectorome, it was found to comprise 40 canonical and 578 non-canonical effectors. Effectorome characterization revealed that RXLR, LysM, and Y/F/WxC are the largest effector families in the P. fijiensis conidial effectorome. Gene Ontology classification suggests that they are involved in many biological processes and metabolisms, expanding our current knowledge of fungal effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Gisel Carreón-Anguiano
- Unidad de Biotecnología, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C., Calle 43 No. 130 x 32 y 34, Colonia Chuburná de Hidalgo, Mérida C.P. 97205, Yucatán, Mexico; (K.G.C.-A.); (R.G.-T.); (E.P.-B.); (G.E.E.-H.); (C.D.l.S.-B.)
| | - Rufino Gómez-Tah
- Unidad de Biotecnología, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C., Calle 43 No. 130 x 32 y 34, Colonia Chuburná de Hidalgo, Mérida C.P. 97205, Yucatán, Mexico; (K.G.C.-A.); (R.G.-T.); (E.P.-B.); (G.E.E.-H.); (C.D.l.S.-B.)
| | - Efren Pech-Balan
- Unidad de Biotecnología, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C., Calle 43 No. 130 x 32 y 34, Colonia Chuburná de Hidalgo, Mérida C.P. 97205, Yucatán, Mexico; (K.G.C.-A.); (R.G.-T.); (E.P.-B.); (G.E.E.-H.); (C.D.l.S.-B.)
| | - Gemaly Elisama Ek-Hernández
- Unidad de Biotecnología, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C., Calle 43 No. 130 x 32 y 34, Colonia Chuburná de Hidalgo, Mérida C.P. 97205, Yucatán, Mexico; (K.G.C.-A.); (R.G.-T.); (E.P.-B.); (G.E.E.-H.); (C.D.l.S.-B.)
| | - César De los Santos-Briones
- Unidad de Biotecnología, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C., Calle 43 No. 130 x 32 y 34, Colonia Chuburná de Hidalgo, Mérida C.P. 97205, Yucatán, Mexico; (K.G.C.-A.); (R.G.-T.); (E.P.-B.); (G.E.E.-H.); (C.D.l.S.-B.)
| | - Ignacio Islas-Flores
- Unidad de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Plantas, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C., Calle 43 No. 130 x 32 y 34, Colonia Chuburná de Hidalgo, Mérida C.P. 97205, Yucatán, Mexico;
| | - Blondy Canto-Canché
- Unidad de Biotecnología, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C., Calle 43 No. 130 x 32 y 34, Colonia Chuburná de Hidalgo, Mérida C.P. 97205, Yucatán, Mexico; (K.G.C.-A.); (R.G.-T.); (E.P.-B.); (G.E.E.-H.); (C.D.l.S.-B.)
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21
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Prasad P, Jain N, Chaudhary J, Thakur RK, Savadi S, Bhardwaj SC, Gangwar OP, Lata C, Adhikari S, Kumar S, Balyan HS, Gupta PK. Candidate effectors for leaf rust resistance gene Lr28 identified through transcriptome and in-silico analysis. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1143703. [PMID: 37789861 PMCID: PMC10543267 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1143703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Puccinia spp. causing rust diseases in wheat and other cereals secrete several specialized effector proteins into host cells. Characterization of these proteins and their interaction with host's R proteins could greatly help to limit crop losses due to diseases. Prediction of effector proteins by combining the transcriptome analysis and multiple in-silico approaches is gaining importance in revealing the pathogenic mechanism. The present study involved identification of 13 Puccinia triticina (Pt) coding sequences (CDSs), through transcriptome analysis, that were differentially expressed during wheat-leaf rust interaction; and prediction of their effector like features using different in-silico tools. NCBI-BLAST and pathogen-host interaction BLAST (PHI-BLAST) tools were used to annotate and classify these sequences based on their most closely matched counterpart in both the databases. Homology between CDSs and the annotated sequences in the NCBI database ranged from 79 to 94% and with putative effectors of other plant pathogens in PHI-BLAST from 24.46 to 54.35%. Nine of the 13 CDSs had effector-like features according to EffectorP 3.0 (≥0.546 probability of these sequences to be effector). The qRT-PCR expression analysis revealed that the relative expression of all CDSs in compatible interaction (HD2329) was maximum at 11 days post inoculation (dpi) and that in incompatible interactions (HD2329 + Lr28) was maximum at 3 dpi in seven and 9 dpi in five CDSs. These results suggest that six CDSs (>0.8 effector probability as per EffectorP 3.0) could be considered as putative Pt effectors. The molecular docking and MD simulation analysis of these six CDSs suggested that candidate Lr28 protein binds more strongly to candidate effector c14094_g1_i1 to form more stable complex than the remaining five. Further functional characterization of these six candidate effectors should prove useful for a better understanding of wheat-leaf rust interaction. In turn, this should facilitate effector-based leaf rust resistance breeding in wheat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pramod Prasad
- ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Regional Station, Shimla, India
| | - Neelu Jain
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India
| | - Jyoti Chaudhary
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, India
| | - Rajni Kant Thakur
- ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Regional Station, Shimla, India
| | | | | | - Om Prakash Gangwar
- ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Regional Station, Shimla, India
| | - Charu Lata
- ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Regional Station, Shimla, India
| | - Sneha Adhikari
- ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Regional Station, Shimla, India
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India
| | - Subodh Kumar
- ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Regional Station, Shimla, India
| | - Harindra Singh Balyan
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, India
| | - Pushpendra Kumar Gupta
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, India
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22
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Wang H, Huang R, Ren J, Tang L, Huang S, Chen X, Fan J, Li B, Wang Q, Hsiang T, Liu H, Li Q. The evolution of mini-chromosomes in the fungal genus Colletotrichum. mBio 2023; 14:e0062923. [PMID: 37283539 PMCID: PMC10470602 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00629-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthracnose diseases caused by Colletotrichum species are among the most common fungal diseases. These symptoms typically manifest as dark, sunken lesions on leaves, stems, and fruit. In China, mango anthracnose seriously affects fruit yield and quality. Genome sequencing of several species shows the presence of mini-chromosomes. These are thought to contribute to virulence, but their formation and activity remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we assembled 17 Colletotrichum genomes (16 isolated from mango plus one from persimmon) through PacBio long-read sequencing. Half of the assembled scaffolds had telomeric repeats at both ends indicating full-length chromosomes. Based on comparative genomics analysis at interspecies and intraspecies levels, we identified extensive chromosomal rearrangements events. We analyzed mini-chromosomes of Colletotrichum spp. and found large variation among close relatives. In C. fructicola, homology between core chromosomes and mini-chromosomes suggested that some mini-chromosomes were generated by recombination of core chromosomes. In C. musae GZ23-3, we found 26 horizontally transferred genes arranged in clusters on mini-chromosomes. In C. asianum FJ11-1, several potential pathogenesis-related genes on mini-chromosomes were upregulated, especially in strains with highly pathogenic phenotypes. Mutants of these upregulated genes showed obvious defects in virulence. Our findings provide insights into the evolution and potential relationships to virulence associated with mini-chromosomes. IMPORTANCE Colletotrichum is a cosmopolitan fungal genus that seriously affects fruit yield and quality of many plant species. Mini-chromosomes have been found to be related to virulence in Colletotrichum. Further examination of mini-chromosomes can help us elucidate some pathogenic mechanisms of Colletotrichum. In this study, we generated novel assemblies of several Colletotrichum strains. Comparative genomic analyses within and between Colletotrichum species were conducted. We then identified mini-chromosomes in our sequenced strains systematically. The characteristics and generation of mini-chromosomes were investigated. Transcriptome analysis and gene knockout revealed pathogenesis-related genes located on mini-chromosomes of C. asianum FJ11-1. This study represents the most comprehensive investigation of chromosome evolution and potential pathogenicity of mini-chromosomes in the Colletotrichum genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Rong Huang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Biology for Crop Diseases and Insect Pests, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Jingyi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lihua Tang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Biology for Crop Diseases and Insect Pests, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Suiping Huang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Biology for Crop Diseases and Insect Pests, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Biology for Crop Diseases and Insect Pests, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Jun Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Bintao Li
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qinhu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Tom Hsiang
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Huiquan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qili Li
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Biology for Crop Diseases and Insect Pests, Nanning, Guangxi, China
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23
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Minio A, Figueroa-Balderas R, Cohen SP, Ali SS, Carriel D, Britto D, Stack C, Baruah IK, Marelli JP, Cantu D, Bailey BA. Clonal reproduction of Moniliophthora roreri and the emergence of unique lineages with distinct genomes during range expansion. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad125. [PMID: 37337677 PMCID: PMC10468315 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad125] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
The basidiomycete Moniliophthora roreri causes frosty pod rot of cacao (Theobroma cacao) in the western hemisphere. Moniliophthora roreri is considered asexual and haploid throughout its hemibiotrophic life cycle. To understand the processes driving genome modification, using long-read sequencing technology, we sequenced and assembled 5 high-quality M. roreri genomes out of a collection of 99 isolates collected throughout the pathogen's range. We obtained chromosome-scale assemblies composed of 11 scaffolds. We used short-read technology to sequence the genomes of 22 similarly chosen isolates. Alignments among the 5 reference assemblies revealed inversions, translocations, and duplications between and within scaffolds. Isolates at the front of the pathogens' expanding range tend to share lineage-specific structural variants, as confirmed by short-read sequencing. We identified, for the first time, 3 new mating type A locus alleles (5 in total) and 1 new potential mating type B locus allele (3 in total). Currently, only 2 mating type combinations, A1B1 and A2B2, are known to exist outside of Colombia. A systematic survey of the M. roreri transcriptome across 2 isolates identified an expanded candidate effector pool and provided evidence that effector candidate genes unique to the Moniliophthoras are preferentially expressed during the biotrophic phase of disease. Notably, M. roreri isolates in Costa Rica carry a chromosome segment duplication that has doubled the associated gene complement and includes secreted proteins and candidate effectors. Clonal reproduction of the haploid M. roreri genome has allowed lineages with unique genome structures and compositions to dominate as it expands its range, displaying a significant founder effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Minio
- Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California Davis, Davis 95616, CA, USA
- Genome Center, University of California Davis, 95616 Davis, CA, USA
| | - Rosa Figueroa-Balderas
- Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California Davis, Davis 95616, CA, USA
| | - Stephen P Cohen
- Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory, USDA/ARS, Beltsville 20705, MD, USA
| | - Shahin S Ali
- Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory, USDA/ARS, Beltsville 20705, MD, USA
| | - Denny Carriel
- Mars La Chola (MLCH), Mars Inc., Guayaquil 090103, Ecuador
| | - Dahyana Britto
- Mars Center for Cocoa Science, Mars Inc., Fazenda Almirante, Caixa Postal 55, Itajuípe, BA, CEP 45630-000, Brazil
| | - Conrad Stack
- Mars Digital Technologies, Mars Inc., Chicago 60642, IL, USA
| | - Indrani K Baruah
- Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory, USDA/ARS, Beltsville 20705, MD, USA
| | | | - Dario Cantu
- Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California Davis, Davis 95616, CA, USA
| | - Bryan A Bailey
- Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory, USDA/ARS, Beltsville 20705, MD, USA
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24
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Hayashibara CADA, Lopes MDS, Tobias PA, dos Santos IB, Figueredo EF, Ferrarezi JA, Marques JPR, Marcon J, Park RF, Teixeira PJPL, Quecine MC. In Planta Study Localizes an Effector Candidate from Austropuccinia psidii Strain MF-1 to the Nucleus and Demonstrates In Vitro Cuticular Wax-Dependent Differential Expression. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:848. [PMID: 37623619 PMCID: PMC10455828 DOI: 10.3390/jof9080848] [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: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Austropuccinia psidii is a biotrophic fungus that causes myrtle rust. First described in Brazil, it has since spread to become a globally important pathogen that infects more than 480 myrtaceous species. One of the most important commercial crops affected by A. psidii is eucalypt, a widely grown forestry tree. The A. psidii-Eucalyptus spp. interaction is poorly understood, but pathogenesis is likely driven by pathogen-secreted effector molecules. Here, we identified and characterized a total of 255 virulence effector candidates using a genome assembly of A. psidii strain MF-1, which was recovered from Eucalyptus grandis in Brazil. We show that the expression of seven effector candidate genes is modulated by cell wax from leaves sourced from resistant and susceptible hosts. Two effector candidates with different subcellular localization predictions, and with specific gene expression profiles, were transiently expressed with GFP-fusions in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Interestingly, we observed the accumulation of an effector candidate, Ap28303, which was upregulated under cell wax from rust susceptible E. grandis and described as a peptidase inhibitor I9 domain-containing protein in the nucleus. This was in accordance with in silico analyses. Few studies have characterized nuclear effectors. Our findings open new perspectives on the study of A. psidii-Eucalyptus interactions by providing a potential entry point to understand how the pathogen manipulates its hosts in modulating physiology, structure, or function with effector proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Alessandra de Almeida Hayashibara
- Department of Genetics, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil; (C.A.d.A.H.); (M.d.S.L.); (I.B.d.S.); (J.A.F.); (J.M.)
| | - Mariana da Silva Lopes
- Department of Genetics, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil; (C.A.d.A.H.); (M.d.S.L.); (I.B.d.S.); (J.A.F.); (J.M.)
| | - Peri A. Tobias
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia;
| | - Isaneli Batista dos Santos
- Department of Genetics, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil; (C.A.d.A.H.); (M.d.S.L.); (I.B.d.S.); (J.A.F.); (J.M.)
| | | | - Jessica Aparecida Ferrarezi
- Department of Genetics, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil; (C.A.d.A.H.); (M.d.S.L.); (I.B.d.S.); (J.A.F.); (J.M.)
| | - João Paulo Rodrigues Marques
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga 13635-900, SP, Brazil;
| | - Joelma Marcon
- Department of Genetics, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil; (C.A.d.A.H.); (M.d.S.L.); (I.B.d.S.); (J.A.F.); (J.M.)
| | - Robert F. Park
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Plant Breeding Institute, The University of Sydney, Cobbitty, NSW 2570, Australia;
| | - Paulo José Pereira Lima Teixeira
- Department of Biological Sciences, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil;
| | - Maria Carolina Quecine
- Department of Genetics, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil; (C.A.d.A.H.); (M.d.S.L.); (I.B.d.S.); (J.A.F.); (J.M.)
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25
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Gunamalai L, Duanis-Assaf D, Sharir T, Maurer D, Feygenberg O, Sela N, Alkan N. Comparative Characterization of Virulent and Less-Virulent Lasiodiplodia theobromae Isolates. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2023; 36:502-515. [PMID: 37147768 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-11-22-0234-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: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Lasiodiplodia theobromae attacks over 500 plant species and is an important pathogen of tropical and subtropical fruit. Due to global warming and climate change, the incidence of disease associated with L. theobromae is rising. Virulence tests performed on avocado and mango branches and fruit showed a large diversity of virulence of different L. theobromae isolates. Genome sequencing was performed for two L. theobromae isolates, representing more virulent (Avo62) and less-virulent (Man7) strains, to determine the cause of their variation. Comparative genomics, including orthologous and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analyses, identified SNPs in the less-virulent strain in genes related to secreted cell wall-degrading enzymes, stress, transporters, sucrose, and proline metabolism, genes in secondary metabolic clusters, effectors, genes involved in the cell cycle, and genes belonging to transcription factors that may contribute to the virulence of L. theobromae. Moreover, carbohydrate-active enzyme analysis revealed a minor increase in gene counts of cutinases and pectinases and the absence of a few glycoside hydrolases in the less-virulent isolate. Changes in gene-copy numbers might explain the morphological differences found in the in-vitro experiments. The more virulent Avo62 grew faster on glucose, sucrose, or starch as a single carbon source. It also grew faster under stress conditions, such as osmotic stress, alkaline pH, and relatively high temperature. Furthermore, the more virulent isolate secreted more ammonia than the less-virulent one both in vitro and in vivo. These study results describe genome-based variability related to L. theobromae virulence, which might prove useful for the mitigation of postharvest stem-end rot. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavanya Gunamalai
- Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
| | - Danielle Duanis-Assaf
- Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
- Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Tom Sharir
- Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
- Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Dalia Maurer
- Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
| | - Oleg Feygenberg
- Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
| | - Noa Sela
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, ARO, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
| | - Noam Alkan
- Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
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26
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Osborne R, Rehneke L, Lehmann S, Roberts J, Altmann M, Altmann S, Zhang Y, Köpff E, Dominguez-Ferreras A, Okechukwu E, Sergaki C, Rich-Griffin C, Ntoukakis V, Eichmann R, Shan W, Falter-Braun P, Schäfer P. Symbiont-host interactome mapping reveals effector-targeted modulation of hormone networks and activation of growth promotion. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4065. [PMID: 37429856 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39885-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants have benefited from interactions with symbionts for coping with challenging environments since the colonisation of land. The mechanisms of symbiont-mediated beneficial effects and similarities and differences to pathogen strategies are mostly unknown. Here, we use 106 (effector-) proteins, secreted by the symbiont Serendipita indica (Si) to modulate host physiology, to map interactions with Arabidopsis thaliana host proteins. Using integrative network analysis, we show significant convergence on target-proteins shared with pathogens and exclusive targeting of Arabidopsis proteins in the phytohormone signalling network. Functional in planta screening and phenotyping of Si effectors and interacting proteins reveals previously unknown hormone functions of Arabidopsis proteins and direct beneficial activities mediated by effectors in Arabidopsis. Thus, symbionts and pathogens target a shared molecular microbe-host interface. At the same time Si effectors specifically target the plant hormone network and constitute a powerful resource for elucidating the signalling network function and boosting plant productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory Osborne
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Laura Rehneke
- Institute of Phytopathology, Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Justus Liebig University, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Silke Lehmann
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Marine Chemistry LBCM, EA3884, IUEM, Southern Brittany University, 56000, Vannes, France
| | - Jemma Roberts
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Melina Altmann
- Institute of Network Biology, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz Munich, 85764, Munich-Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Altmann
- Institute of Network Biology, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz Munich, 85764, Munich-Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Yingqi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas and College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Eva Köpff
- Institute of Molecular Botany, Ulm University, 89069, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Emeka Okechukwu
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Chrysi Sergaki
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | | | - Vardis Ntoukakis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Ruth Eichmann
- Institute of Phytopathology, Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Justus Liebig University, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Weixing Shan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas and College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Pascal Falter-Braun
- Institute of Network Biology, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz Munich, 85764, Munich-Neuherberg, Germany.
- Microbe-Host Interactions, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Patrick Schäfer
- Institute of Phytopathology, Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Justus Liebig University, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
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27
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Nur M, Wood K, Michelmore R. EffectorO: Motif-Independent Prediction of Effectors in Oomycete Genomes Using Machine Learning and Lineage Specificity. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2023; 36:397-410. [PMID: 36853198 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-11-22-0236-ta] [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] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Oomycete plant pathogens cause a wide variety of diseases, including late blight of potato, sudden oak death, and downy mildews of plants. These pathogens are major contributors to loss in numerous food crops. Oomycetes secrete effector proteins to manipulate their hosts to the advantage of the pathogen. Plants have evolved to recognize effectors, resulting in an evolutionary cycle of defense and counter-defense in plant-microbe interactions. This selective pressure results in highly diverse effector sequences that can be difficult to computationally identify using only sequence similarity. We developed a novel effector prediction tool, EffectorO, that uses two complementary approaches to predict effectors in oomycete pathogen genomes: i) a machine learning-based pipeline that predicts effector probability based on the biochemical properties of the N-terminal amino-acid sequence of a protein and ii) a pipeline based on lineage specificity to find proteins that are unique to one species or genus, a sign of evolutionary divergence due to adaptation to the host. We tested EffectorO on Bremia lactucae, which causes lettuce downy mildew, and Phytophthora infestans, which causes late blight of potato and tomato, and predicted many novel effector candidates while recovering the majority of known effector candidates. EffectorO will be useful for discovering novel families of oomycete effectors without relying on sequence similarity to known effectors. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munir Nur
- The Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
| | - Kelsey Wood
- The Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
- Integrative Genetics & Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
| | - Richard Michelmore
- The Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
- Departments of Plant Sciences, Molecular & Cellular Biology, Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
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28
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Fernandez J. The Phantom Menace: latest findings on effector biology in the rice blast fungus. ABIOTECH 2023; 4:140-154. [PMID: 37581025 PMCID: PMC10423181 DOI: 10.1007/s42994-023-00099-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Magnaporthe oryzae is a hemibiotrophic fungus responsible for the economically devastating and recalcitrant rice blast disease. However, the blast fungus is not only restricted to rice plants as it can also infect wheat, millet, and other crops. Despite previous outstanding discoveries aimed to understand and control the disease, the fungus remains one of the most important pathogens that threatens global food security. To cause disease, M. oryzae initiates morphological changes to attach, penetrate, and colonize rice cells, all while suppressing plant immune defenses that would otherwise hinder its proliferation. As such, M. oryzae actively secretes a battery of small proteins called "effectors" to manipulate host machinery. In this review, we summarize the latest findings in effector identification, expression, regulation, and functionality. We review the most studied effectors and their roles in pathogenesis. Additionally, we discern the current methodologies to structurally catalog effectors, and we highlight the importance of climate change and its impact on the future of rice blast disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Fernandez
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agricultural Science, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
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29
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Langlands-Perry C, Pitarch A, Lapalu N, Cuenin M, Bergez C, Noly A, Amezrou R, Gélisse S, Barrachina C, Parrinello H, Suffert F, Valade R, Marcel TC. Quantitative and qualitative plant-pathogen interactions call upon similar pathogenicity genes with a spectrum of effects. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1128546. [PMID: 37235026 PMCID: PMC10206311 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1128546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Septoria leaf blotch is a foliar wheat disease controlled by a combination of plant genetic resistances and fungicides use. R-gene-based qualitative resistance durability is limited due to gene-for-gene interactions with fungal avirulence (Avr) genes. Quantitative resistance is considered more durable but the mechanisms involved are not well documented. We hypothesize that genes involved in quantitative and qualitative plant-pathogen interactions are similar. A bi-parental population of Zymoseptoria tritici was inoculated on wheat cultivar 'Renan' and a linkage analysis performed to map QTL. Three pathogenicity QTL, Qzt-I05-1, Qzt-I05-6 and Qzt-I07-13, were mapped on chromosomes 1, 6 and 13 in Z. tritici, and a candidate pathogenicity gene on chromosome 6 was selected based on its effector-like characteristics. The candidate gene was cloned by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation, and a pathology test assessed the effect of the mutant strains on 'Renan'. This gene was demonstrated to be involved in quantitative pathogenicity. By cloning a newly annotated quantitative-effect gene in Z. tritici that is effector-like, we demonstrated that genes underlying pathogenicity QTL can be similar to Avr genes. This opens up the previously probed possibility that 'gene-for-gene' underlies not only qualitative but also quantitative plant-pathogen interactions in this pathosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Langlands-Perry
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Palaiseau, France
- ARVALIS Institut du Végétal, Boigneville, France
| | - Anaïs Pitarch
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Palaiseau, France
| | - Nicolas Lapalu
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Palaiseau, France
| | - Murielle Cuenin
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Palaiseau, France
| | | | - Alicia Noly
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Palaiseau, France
| | - Reda Amezrou
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, Palaiseau, France
| | | | - Célia Barrachina
- MGX-Montpellier GenomiX, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Hugues Parrinello
- MGX-Montpellier GenomiX, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
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30
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Pineda-Fretez A, Orrego A, Iehisa JCM, Flores-Giubi ME, Barúa JE, Sánchez-Lucas R, Jorrín-Novo J, Romero-Rodríguez MC. Secretome analysis of the phytopathogen Macrophomina phaseolina cultivated in liquid medium supplemented with and without soybean leaf infusion. Fungal Biol 2023; 127:1043-1052. [PMID: 37142363 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2023.04.001] [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: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. is a fungal pathogen that causes root and stem rot in several economically important crops. However, most of disease control strategies have shown limited effectiveness. Despite its impact on agriculture, molecular mechanisms involved in the interaction with host plant remains poorly understood. Nevertheless, it has been proven that fungal pathogens secrete a variety of proteins and metabolites to successfully infect their host plants. In this study, a proteomic analysis of proteins secreted by M. phaseolina in culture media supplemented with soybean leaf infusion was performed. A total of 250 proteins were identified with a predominance of hydrolytic enzymes. Plant cell wall degrading enzymes together peptidases were found, probably involved in the infection process. Predicted effector proteins were also found that could induce plant cell death or suppress plant immune response. Some of the putative effectors presented similarities to known fungal virulence factors. Expression analysis of ten selected protein-coding genes showed that these genes are induced during host tissue infection and suggested their participation in the infection process. The identification of secreted proteins of M. phaseolina could be used to improve the understanding of the biology and pathogenesis of this fungus. Although leaf infusion was able to induce changes at the proteome level, it is necessary to study the changes induced under conditions that mimic the natural infection process of the soil-borne pathogen M. phaseolina to identify virulence factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amiliana Pineda-Fretez
- Department of Chemical Biology, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay
| | - Adriana Orrego
- Department of Biotechnology, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay
| | - Julio César Masaru Iehisa
- Department of Biotechnology, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay.
| | - María Eugenia Flores-Giubi
- Department of Chemical Biology, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay
| | - Javier E Barúa
- Department of Chemical Biology, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay
| | - Rosa Sánchez-Lucas
- Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Campus, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Jesús Jorrín-Novo
- Agroforestry and Plant Biochemistry, Proteomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Cordoba, UCO-CeiA3, 14014, Cordoba, Spain
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31
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Yang Y, An B, Guo Y, Luo H, He C, Wang Q. A Novel Effector, FSE1, Regulates the Pathogenicity of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 to Banana by Targeting the MYB Transcription Factor MaEFM-Like. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040472. [PMID: 37108926 PMCID: PMC10144757 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040472] [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: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Phytopathogenic fungi secretes a range of effectors to manipulate plant defenses. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4) is a soil-borne pathogen that causes destructive banana wilt disease. Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind Foc TR4 effectors and their regulation of pathogenicity is helpful for developing disease control strategies. In the present study, we identified a novel effector, Fusarium special effector 1 (FSE1), in Foc TR4. We constructed FSE1 knock-out and overexpression mutants and investigated the functions of this effector. In vitro assays revealed that FSE1 was not required for vegetative growth and conidiation of Foc TR4. However, inoculation analysis of banana plantlets demonstrated that knock-out of FSE1 increased the disease index, while overexpression of FSE1 decreased it. Microscope analysis suggested that FSE1 was distributed in the cytoplasm and nuclei of plant cells. Furthermore, we identified an MYB transcription factor, MaEFM-like, as the target of FSE1, and the two proteins physically interacted in the nuclei of plant cells. In addition, Transient expression of MaEFM-like induced cell death in tobacco leaves. Our findings suggest that FSE1 is involved in the pathogenicity of Foc TR4 by targeting MaEFM-like.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongbao Yang
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Bang An
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Yunfeng Guo
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Hongli Luo
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Chaozu He
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Qiannan Wang
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
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32
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See PT, Moffat CS. Profiling the Pyrenophora tritici-repentis secretome: The Pf2 transcription factor regulates the secretion of the effector proteins ToxA and ToxB. Mol Microbiol 2023; 119:612-629. [PMID: 37059688 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15058] [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: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
The global wheat disease tan spot is caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr) which secretes necrotrophic effectors to facilitate host plant colonization. We previously reported a role of the Zn2 Cys6 binuclear cluster transcription factor Pf2 in the regulation of the Ptr effector ToxA. Here, we show that Pf2 is also a positive regulator of ToxB, via targeted deletion of PtrPf2 which resulted in reduced ToxB expression and defects in conidiation and pathogenicity. To further investigate the function of Ptr Pf2 in regulating protein secretion, the secretome profiles of two Δptrpf2 mutants of two Ptr races (races 1 and 5) were evaluated using a SWATH-mass spectrometry (MS) quantitative approach. Analysis of the secretomes of the Δptrpf2 mutants from in vitro culture filtrate identified more than 500 secreted proteins, with 25% unique to each race. Of the identified proteins, less than 6% were significantly differentially regulated by Ptr Pf2. Among the downregulated proteins were ToxA and ToxB, specific to race 1 and race 5 respectively, demonstrating the role of Ptr Pf2 as a positive regulator of both effectors. Significant motif sequences identified in both ToxA and ToxB putative promoter regions were further explored via GFP reporter assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pao Theen See
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australian, 6102, Australia
| | - Caroline S Moffat
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australian, 6102, Australia
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33
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Chandra Kaladhar V, Singh Y, Mohandas Nair A, Kumar K, Kumar Singh A, Kumar Verma P. A small cysteine-rich fungal effector, BsCE66 is essential for the virulence of Bipolaris sorokiniana on wheat plants. Fungal Genet Biol 2023; 166:103798. [PMID: 37059379 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103798] [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: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
The Spot Blotch (SB) caused by hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana is one of the most devastating wheat diseases leading to 15-100% crop loss. However, the biology of Triticum-Bipolaris interactions and host immunity modulation by secreted effector proteins remain underexplored. Here, we identified a total of 692 secretory proteins including 186 predicted effectors encoded by B. sorokiniana genome. Gene Ontology categorization showed that these proteins belong to cellular, metabolic and signaling processes, and exhibit catalytic and binding activities. Further, we functionally characterized a cysteine-rich, B. sorokiniana Candidate Effector 66 (BsCE66) that was induced at 24-96 hpi during host colonization. The Δbsce66 mutant did not show vegetative growth defects or stress sensitivity compared to wild-type, but developed drastically reduced necrotic lesions upon infection in wheat plants. The loss-of-virulence phenotype was rescued upon complementing the Δbsce66 mutant with BsCE66 gene. Moreover, BsCE66 does not form homodimer and conserved cysteine residues form intra-molecular disulphide bonds. BsCE66 localizes to the host nucleus and cytosol, and triggers a strong oxidative burst and cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana. Overall, our findings demonstrate that BsCE66 is a key virulence factor that is necessary for host immunity modulation and SB disease progression. These findings would significantly improve our understanding of Triticum-Bipolaris interactions and assist in the development of SB resistant wheat varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vemula Chandra Kaladhar
- School of Life Sciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India - 382030
| | - Yeshveer Singh
- Transcription Regulation Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India - 110067
| | - Athira Mohandas Nair
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India - 110067
| | - Kamal Kumar
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Marg, New Delhi, India - 110021
| | - Achuit Kumar Singh
- ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India - 221305
| | - Praveen Kumar Verma
- Plant Immunity Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India - 110067.
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34
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Gupta YK, Marcelino-Guimarães FC, Lorrain C, Farmer A, Haridas S, Ferreira EGC, Lopes-Caitar VS, Oliveira LS, Morin E, Widdison S, Cameron C, Inoue Y, Thor K, Robinson K, Drula E, Henrissat B, LaButti K, Bini AMR, Paget E, Singan V, Daum C, Dorme C, van Hoek M, Janssen A, Chandat L, Tarriotte Y, Richardson J, Melo BDVA, Wittenberg AHJ, Schneiders H, Peyrard S, Zanardo LG, Holtman VC, Coulombier-Chauvel F, Link TI, Balmer D, Müller AN, Kind S, Bohnert S, Wirtz L, Chen C, Yan M, Ng V, Gautier P, Meyer MC, Voegele RT, Liu Q, Grigoriev IV, Conrath U, Brommonschenkel SH, Loehrer M, Schaffrath U, Sirven C, Scalliet G, Duplessis S, van Esse HP. Major proliferation of transposable elements shaped the genome of the soybean rust pathogen Phakopsora pachyrhizi. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1835. [PMID: 37005409 PMCID: PMC10067951 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37551-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
With >7000 species the order of rust fungi has a disproportionately large impact on agriculture, horticulture, forestry and foreign ecosystems. The infectious spores are typically dikaryotic, a feature unique to fungi in which two haploid nuclei reside in the same cell. A key example is Phakopsora pachyrhizi, the causal agent of Asian soybean rust disease, one of the world's most economically damaging agricultural diseases. Despite P. pachyrhizi's impact, the exceptional size and complexity of its genome prevented generation of an accurate genome assembly. Here, we sequence three independent P. pachyrhizi genomes and uncover a genome up to 1.25 Gb comprising two haplotypes with a transposable element (TE) content of ~93%. We study the incursion and dominant impact of these TEs on the genome and show how they have a key impact on various processes such as host range adaptation, stress responses and genetic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogesh K Gupta
- 2Blades, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Cécile Lorrain
- Pathogen Evolutionary Ecology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Andrew Farmer
- National Center for Genome Resources, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
| | - Sajeet Haridas
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Everton Geraldo Capote Ferreira
- 2Blades, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - National Soybean Research Center (Embrapa Soja), Paraná, Brazil
| | - Valéria S Lopes-Caitar
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - National Soybean Research Center (Embrapa Soja), Paraná, Brazil
| | - Liliane Santana Oliveira
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - National Soybean Research Center (Embrapa Soja), Paraná, Brazil
- Department of Computer Science, Federal University of Technology of Paraná (UTFPR), Paraná, Brazil
| | | | | | - Connor Cameron
- National Center for Genome Resources, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
| | - Yoshihiro Inoue
- 2Blades, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Kathrin Thor
- 2Blades, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Kelly Robinson
- 2Blades, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Elodie Drula
- AFMB, Aix-Marseille Univ., INRAE, Marseille, France
- Biodiversité et Biotechnologie Fongiques, INRAE, Marseille, France
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Kurt LaButti
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Aline Mara Rudsit Bini
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - National Soybean Research Center (Embrapa Soja), Paraná, Brazil
- Department of Computer Science, Federal University of Technology of Paraná (UTFPR), Paraná, Brazil
| | - Eric Paget
- Bayer SAS, Crop Science Division, Lyon, France
| | - Vasanth Singan
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Christopher Daum
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Tobias I Link
- Institute of Phytomedicine, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Dirk Balmer
- Syngenta Crop Protection AG, Stein, Switzerland
| | - André N Müller
- Department of Plant Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Sabine Kind
- Department of Plant Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Bohnert
- Department of Plant Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Louisa Wirtz
- Department of Plant Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Cindy Chen
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Mi Yan
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Vivian Ng
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | - Maurício Conrado Meyer
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - National Soybean Research Center (Embrapa Soja), Paraná, Brazil
| | | | - Qingli Liu
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Uwe Conrath
- Department of Plant Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Marco Loehrer
- Department of Plant Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schaffrath
- Department of Plant Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | | | | | | | - H Peter van Esse
- 2Blades, Evanston, Illinois, USA.
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
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35
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Müller M, Kües U, Budde KB, Gailing O. Applying molecular and genetic methods to trees and their fungal communities. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:2783-2830. [PMID: 36988668 PMCID: PMC10106355 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12480-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Forests provide invaluable economic, ecological, and social services. At the same time, they are exposed to several threats, such as fragmentation, changing climatic conditions, or increasingly destructive pests and pathogens. Trees, the inherent species of forests, cannot be viewed as isolated organisms. Manifold (micro)organisms are associated with trees playing a pivotal role in forest ecosystems. Of these organisms, fungi may have the greatest impact on the life of trees. A multitude of molecular and genetic methods are now available to investigate tree species and their associated organisms. Due to their smaller genome sizes compared to tree species, whole genomes of different fungi are routinely compared. Such studies have only recently started in forest tree species. Here, we summarize the application of molecular and genetic methods in forest conservation genetics, tree breeding, and association genetics as well as for the investigation of fungal communities and their interrelated ecological functions. These techniques provide valuable insights into the molecular basis of adaptive traits, the impacts of forest management, and changing environmental conditions on tree species and fungal communities and can enhance tree-breeding cycles due to reduced time for field testing. It becomes clear that there are multifaceted interactions among microbial species as well as between these organisms and trees. We demonstrate the versatility of the different approaches based on case studies on trees and fungi. KEY POINTS: • Current knowledge of genetic methods applied to forest trees and associated fungi. • Genomic methods are essential in conservation, breeding, management, and research. • Important role of phytobiomes for trees and their ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Müller
- Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, Faculty for Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
- Center for Integrated Breeding Research (CiBreed), University of Goettingen, 37073, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Ursula Kües
- Molecular Wood Biotechnology and Technical Mycology, Faculty for Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Center of Sustainable Land Use (CBL), Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Katharina B Budde
- Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, Faculty for Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Center of Sustainable Land Use (CBL), Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Gailing
- Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, Faculty for Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Center for Integrated Breeding Research (CiBreed), University of Goettingen, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
- Center of Sustainable Land Use (CBL), Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
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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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Achari SR, Mann RC, Sharma M, Edwards J. Diagnosis of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris causing Fusarium wilt of chickpea using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and conventional end-point PCR. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2640. [PMID: 36788315 PMCID: PMC9929042 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29730-6] [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: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Fusarium oxysporum (Fo) is ubiquitous in soil and forms a species complex of pathogenic and putatively non-pathogenic strains. Pathogenic strains cause disease in over 150 plant species. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris (Foc) is a major fungal pathogen causing Fusarium wilt in chickpeas (Cicer arietinum). In some countries such as Australia, Foc is a high-priority pest of biosecurity concern. Specific, sensitive, robust and rapid diagnostic assays are essential for effective disease management on the farm and serve as an effective biosecurity control measure. We developed and validated a novel and highly specific PCR and a LAMP assay for detecting the Indian Foc race 1 based on a putative effector gene uniquely present in its genome. These assays were assessed against 39 Fo formae speciales and found to be specific, only amplifying the target species, in a portable real-time fluorometer (Genie III) and qPCR machine in under 13 min with an anneal derivative temperature ranging from 87.7 to 88.3 °C. The LAMP assay is sensitive to low levels of target DNA (> 0.009 ng/µl). The expected PCR product size is 143 bp. The LAMP assay developed in this study was simple, fast, sensitive and specific and could be explored for other Foc races due to the uniqueness of this marker to the Foc genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saidi R. Achari
- grid.452283.a0000 0004 0407 2669AgriBio, Agriculture Victoria Research, DJPR, Bundoora, VIC Australia
| | - Ross C. Mann
- grid.452283.a0000 0004 0407 2669AgriBio, Agriculture Victoria Research, DJPR, Bundoora, VIC Australia
| | - Mamta Sharma
- grid.419337.b0000 0000 9323 1772International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Hyderabad, India
| | - Jacqueline Edwards
- grid.452283.a0000 0004 0407 2669AgriBio, Agriculture Victoria Research, DJPR, Bundoora, VIC Australia ,grid.1018.80000 0001 2342 0938School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC Australia
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Sinha S, Navathe S, Singh S, Gupta DK, Kharwar RN, Chand R. Genome sequencing and annotation of Cercospora sesami, a fungal pathogen causing leaf spot to Sesamum indicum. 3 Biotech 2023; 13:55. [PMID: 36685323 PMCID: PMC9852405 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-023-03468-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cercospora sesami is a plant pathogen that causes leaf spot disease in sesame plants worldwide. In this study, genome sequence assembly of C. sesami isolate Cers 52-10 (MCC 9069) was generated using native paired-end and mate-pair DNA sequencing based on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. The genome assembly of C. sesami is 34.3 Mb in size with an N50 of 26,222 bp and an average GC content of 53.02%. A total number of 10,872 genes were predicted in this study, out of which 9,712 genes were functionally annotated. Genes assigned to carbohydrate-active enzyme classes were also identified during the study. A total of 80 putative effector candidates were predicted and functionally annotated. The C. sesami genome sequence is available at DDBJ/ENA/GenBank, and other associated information is submitted to Mendeley's data. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03468-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shagun Sinha
- Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221005 India
- Center of Advanced Studies in Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221005 India
| | - Sudhir Navathe
- Agharkar Research Institute, G. G. Agarkar Road, Pune, Maharashtra 411004 India
| | - Sakshi Singh
- Core Unit for Molecular Tumor Diagnostics, National Center for Tumor Diseases, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Dresden, 01307 Germany
| | - Deepak K. Gupta
- Neogen Informatics Inc, Office 101, First Floor, A-121, Vikas Marg, New Delhi, 110092 India
| | - Ravindra Nath Kharwar
- Center of Advanced Studies in Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221005 India
| | - Ramesh Chand
- Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221005 India
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Qi Y, Li J, Mapuranga J, Zhang N, Chang J, Shen Q, Zhang Y, Wei J, Cui L, Liu D, Yang W. Wheat leaf rust fungus effector Pt13024 is avirulent to TcLr30. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 13:1098549. [PMID: 36726676 PMCID: PMC9885084 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1098549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Wheat leaf rust, caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks. (Pt), is a global wheat disease threatening wheat production. Dissecting how Pt effector proteins interact with wheat has great significance in understanding the pathogenicity mechanisms of Pt. In the study, the cDNA of Pt 13-5-72 interacting with susceptible cultivar Thatcher was used as template to amplify Pt13024 gene. The expression pattern and structure of Pt13024 were analyzed by qRT-PCR and online softwares. The secretion function of Pt13024 signal peptide was verified by the yeast system. Subcellular localization of Pt13024 was analyzed using transient expression on Nicotiana benthamiana. The verification that Pt13024 inhibited programmed cell death (PCD) was conducted on N. benthamiana and wheat. The deletion mutation of Pt13024 was used to identify the virulence function motif. The transient transformation of wheat mediated by the type III secretion system (TTSS) was used to analyze the activity of regulating the host defense response of Pt13024. Pt13024 gene silencing was performed by host-induced gene silencing (HIGS). The results showed that Pt13024 was identified as an effector and localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus on the N. benthamiana. It can inhibit PCD induced by the Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) from mice and infestans 1 (INF1) from Phytophthora infestans on N. benthamiana, and it can also inhibit PCD induced by DC3000 on wheat. The amino acids 22 to 41 at N-terminal of the Pt13024 are essential for the inhibition of programmed cell death (PCD) induced by BAX. The accumulation of reactive oxygen species and deposition of callose in near-isogenic line TcLr30, which is in Thatcher background with Lr30, induced by Pt13024 was higher than that in 41 wheat leaf rust-resistant near-isogenic lines (monogenic lines) with different resistance genes and Thatcher. Silencing of Pt13024 reduced the leaf rust resistance of Lr30 during the interaction between Pt and TcLr30. We can conclude that Pt13024 is avirulent to TcLr30 when Pt interacts with TcLr30. These findings lay the foundation for further investigations into the role of Pt effector proteins in pathogenesis and their regulatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Qi
- Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural University of Hebei/Technological Innovation Center for Biological Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests of Hebei Province/National Engineering Research Center for Agriculture in Northern Mountainous Areas, Baoding, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianyuan Li
- Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural University of Hebei/Technological Innovation Center for Biological Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests of Hebei Province/National Engineering Research Center for Agriculture in Northern Mountainous Areas, Baoding, China
- College of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Xingtai University, Xingtai, China
| | - Johannes Mapuranga
- Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural University of Hebei/Technological Innovation Center for Biological Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests of Hebei Province/National Engineering Research Center for Agriculture in Northern Mountainous Areas, Baoding, China
| | - Na Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural University of Hebei/Technological Innovation Center for Biological Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests of Hebei Province/National Engineering Research Center for Agriculture in Northern Mountainous Areas, Baoding, China
| | - Jiaying Chang
- Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural University of Hebei/Technological Innovation Center for Biological Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests of Hebei Province/National Engineering Research Center for Agriculture in Northern Mountainous Areas, Baoding, China
| | - Qianhua Shen
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural University of Hebei/Technological Innovation Center for Biological Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests of Hebei Province/National Engineering Research Center for Agriculture in Northern Mountainous Areas, Baoding, China
- Dryland Farming Institute, Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Science, Hengshui, China
| | - Jie Wei
- Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural University of Hebei/Technological Innovation Center for Biological Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests of Hebei Province/National Engineering Research Center for Agriculture in Northern Mountainous Areas, Baoding, China
- Department of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Engineering, Cangzhou Technical College, Cangzhou, China
| | - Liping Cui
- Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural University of Hebei/Technological Innovation Center for Biological Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests of Hebei Province/National Engineering Research Center for Agriculture in Northern Mountainous Areas, Baoding, China
| | - Daqun Liu
- Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural University of Hebei/Technological Innovation Center for Biological Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests of Hebei Province/National Engineering Research Center for Agriculture in Northern Mountainous Areas, Baoding, China
| | - Wenxiang Yang
- Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural University of Hebei/Technological Innovation Center for Biological Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests of Hebei Province/National Engineering Research Center for Agriculture in Northern Mountainous Areas, Baoding, China
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A small secreted protein, RsMf8HN, in Rhizoctonia solani triggers plant immune response, which interacts with rice OsHIPP28. Microbiol Res 2023; 266:127219. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Blackman C, Subramaniam R. A Bioinformatic Guide to Identify Protein Effectors from Phytopathogens. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2659:95-101. [PMID: 37249888 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3159-1_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Phytopathogenic fungi are a diverse and widespread group that has a significant detrimental impact on crops with an estimated annual average loss of 15% worldwide. Understanding the interaction between host plants and pathogenic fungi is critical to delineate underlying mechanisms of plant defense to mitigate agricultural losses. Fungal pathogens utilize suites of secreted molecules, called effectors, to modulate plant metabolism and immune response to overcome host defenses and promote colonization. Effectors come in many flavors including proteinaceous products, small RNAs, and metabolites such as mycotoxins. This review will focus on methods for identifying protein effectors from fungi. Excellent reviews have been published to identify secondary metabolites and small RNAs from fungi and therefore will not be part of this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Blackman
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rajagopal Subramaniam
- Ottawa Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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Jia M, Gong X, Fan M, Liu H, Zhou H, Gu S, Liu Y, Dong J. Identification and analysis of the secretome of plant pathogenic fungi reveals lifestyle adaptation. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1171618. [PMID: 37152749 PMCID: PMC10156984 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1171618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The secretory proteome plays an important role in the pathogenesis of phytopathogenic fungi. However, the relationship between the large-scale secretome of phytopathogenic fungi and their lifestyle is not fully understood. In the present study, the secretomes of 150 plant pathogenic fungi were predicted and the characteristics associated with different lifestyles were investigated. In total, 94,974 secreted proteins (SPs) were predicted from these fungi. The number of the SPs ranged from 64 to 1,662. Among these fungi, hemibiotrophic fungi had the highest number (average of 970) and proportion (7.1%) of SPs. Functional annotation showed that hemibiotrophic and necrotroph fungi, differ from biotrophic and symbiotic fungi, contained much more carbohydrate enzymes, especially polysaccharide lyases and carbohydrate esterases. Furthermore, the core and lifestyle-specific SPs orthogroups were identified. Twenty-seven core orthogroups contained 16% of the total SPs and their motif function annotation was represented by serine carboxypeptidase, carboxylesterase and asparaginase. In contrast, 97 lifestyle-specific orthogroups contained only 1% of the total SPs, with diverse functions such as PAN_AP in hemibiotroph-specific and flavin monooxygenases in necrotroph-specific. Moreover, obligate biotrophic fungi had the largest number of effectors (average of 150), followed by hemibiotrophic fungi (average of 120). Among these effectors, 4,155 had known functional annotation and pectin lyase had the highest proportion in the functionally annotated effectors. In addition, 32 sets of RNA-Seq data on pathogen-host interactions were collected and the expression levels of SPs were higher than that of non-SPs, and the expression level of effector genes was higher in biotrophic and hemibiotrophic fungi than in necrotrophic fungi, while secretase genes were highly expressed in necrotrophic fungi. Finally, the secretory activity of five predicted SPs from Setosphearia turcica was experimentally verified. In conclusion, our results provide a foundation for the study of pathogen-host interaction and help us to understand the fungal lifestyle adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxuan Jia
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Baoding, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Xiaodong Gong
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Baoding, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
- Hebei Bioinformatic Utilization and Technological Innovation Center for Agricultural Microbes, Baoding, China
| | - Mengmeng Fan
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Baoding, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Haoran Liu
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Baoding, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - He Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Baoding, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Shouqin Gu
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Baoding, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
- Hebei Bioinformatic Utilization and Technological Innovation Center for Agricultural Microbes, Baoding, China
- *Correspondence: Shouqin Gu, ; Yuwei Liu, ; Jingao Dong,
| | - Yuwei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Baoding, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
- Hebei Bioinformatic Utilization and Technological Innovation Center for Agricultural Microbes, Baoding, China
- *Correspondence: Shouqin Gu, ; Yuwei Liu, ; Jingao Dong,
| | - Jingao Dong
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Baoding, China
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
- *Correspondence: Shouqin Gu, ; Yuwei Liu, ; Jingao Dong,
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Lapalu N, Simon A, Demenou B, Paumier D, Guillot MP, Gout L, Suffert F, Valade R. Complete Genome Sequences of Septoria linicola: A Resource for Studying a Damaging Flax Pathogen. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2023; 36:59-63. [PMID: 36537804 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-09-22-0185-a] [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: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Fungal genus Septoria causes diseases in a wide range of plants. Here, we report the first genome sequences of two strains of Septoria linicola, the causal agent of the pasmo disease of flax (Linum usitatissimum). The genome of the first strain, SE15195, was fully assembled in 16 chromosomes, while 35 unitigs were obtained for a second strain, SE14017. Structural annotations predicted 13,096 and 13,085 protein-encoding genes and transposable elements content of 19.0 and 18.1% of the genome for SE15195 and SE14017, respectively. The four smaller chromosomes 13 to 16 show genomics features of potential accessory chromosomes. The assembly of these two genomes is a new resource for studying S. linicola and improving management of pasmo. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 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)
- Nicolas Lapalu
- Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | - Adeline Simon
- Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | | | | | | | - Lilian Gout
- Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | - Frederic Suffert
- Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, UR BIOGER, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | - Romain Valade
- ARVALIS Institut du Végétal, 91720 Boigneville, France
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Emir M, Ozketen AC, Andac Ozketen A, Çelik Oğuz A, Huang M, Karakaya A, Rampitsch C, Gunel A. Increased levels of cell wall degrading enzymes and peptidases are associated with aggressiveness in a virulent isolate of Pyrenophora teres f. maculata. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 279:153839. [PMID: 36370615 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2022.153839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Pyrenophora teres f. maculata (Ptm) is a fungal pathogen that causes the spot form of net blotch on barley and leads to economic losses in many of the world's barley-growing regions. Isolates of Ptm exhibit varying levels of aggressiveness that result in quantifiable changes in the severity of the disease. Previous research on plant-pathogen interactions has shown that such divergence is reflected in the proteome and secretome of the pathogen, with certain classes of proteins more prominent in aggressive isolates. Here we have made a detailed comparative analysis of the secretomes of two Ptm isolates, GPS79 and E35 (highly and mildly aggressive, respectively) using a proteomics-based approach. The secretomes were obtained in vitro using media amended with barley leaf sections. Secreted proteins therein were harvested, digested with trypsin, and fractionated offline by HPLC prior to LC-MS in a high-resolution instrument to obtain deep coverage of the proteome. The subsequent analysis used a label-free quantitative proteomics approach with relative quantification of proteins based on precursor ion intensities. A total of 1175 proteins were identified, 931 from Ptm and 244 from barley. Further analysis revealed 160 differentially abundant proteins with at least a two-fold abundance difference between the isolates, with the most enriched in the aggressive GPS79 secretome. These proteins were mainly cell-wall (carbohydrate) degrading enzymes and peptidases, with some oxidoreductases and other pathogenesis-related proteins also identified, suggesting that aggressiveness is associated with an improved ability of GPS79 to overcome cell wall barriers and neutralize host defense responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmut Emir
- Kirsehir-Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Kirsehir, Turkey
| | | | | | - Arzu Çelik Oğuz
- Ankara University Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Plant Protection, Dışkapı, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mei Huang
- Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, Morden Research and Development Centre, Morden MB, Canada
| | - Aziz Karakaya
- Ankara University Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Plant Protection, Dışkapı, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Christof Rampitsch
- Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, Morden Research and Development Centre, Morden MB, Canada.
| | - Aslihan Gunel
- Kirsehir-Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Kirsehir, Turkey.
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Comparative genomic analysis reveals contraction of gene families with putative roles in pathogenesis in the fungal boxwood pathogens Calonectria henricotiae and C. pseudonaviculata. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:79. [PMID: 35725368 PMCID: PMC9210730 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02035-4] [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: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Boxwood blight disease caused by Calonectria henricotiae and C. pseudonaviculata is of ecological and economic significance in cultivated and native ecosystems worldwide. Prior research has focused on understanding the population genetic and genomic diversity of C. henricotiae and C. pseudonaviculata, but gene family evolution in the context of host adaptation, plant pathogenesis, and trophic lifestyle is poorly understood. This study applied bioinformatic and phylogenetic methods to examine gene family evolution in C. henricotiae, C. pseudonaviculata and 22 related fungi in the Nectriaceae that vary in pathogenic and saprobic (apathogenic) lifestyles. Results A total of 19,750 gene families were identified in the 24 genomes, of which 422 were rapidly evolving. Among the six Calonectria species, C. henricotiae and C. pseudonaviculata were the only species to experience high levels of rapid contraction of pathogenesis-related gene families (89% and 78%, respectively). In contrast, saprobic species Calonectria multiphialidica and C. naviculata, two of the closest known relatives of C. henricotiae and C. pseudonaviculata, showed rapid expansion of pathogenesis-related gene families. Conclusions Our results provide novel insight into gene family evolution within C. henricotiae and C. pseudonaviculata and suggest gene family contraction may have contributed to limited host-range expansion of these pathogens within the plant family Buxaceae. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-02035-4.
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Shu X, Xu D, Jiang Y, Liang J, Xiang T, Wang Y, Zhang W, Han X, Jiao C, Zheng A, Li P, Yin D, Wang A. Functional Analyses of a Small Secreted Cysteine-Rich Protein ThSCSP_14 in Tilletia horrida. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315042. [PMID: 36499367 PMCID: PMC9736875 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Tilletia horrida is a biotrophic basidiomycete fungus that causes rice kernel smut, one of the most significant diseases in hybrid rice-growing areas worldwide. Little is known about the pathogenic mechanisms and functions of effectors in T. horrida. Here, we performed functional studies of the effectors in T. horrida and found that, of six putative effectors tested, only ThSCSP_14 caused the cell death phenotype in epidermal cells of Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. ThSCSP_14 was upregulated early on during the infection process, and the encoded protein was secreted. The predicted signal peptide (SP) of ThSCSP_14 was required for its ability to induce the necrosis phenotype. Furthermore, the ability of ThSCSP_14 to trigger cell death in N. benthamiana depended on suppressing the G2 allele of Skp1 (SGT1), required for Mla12 resistance (RAR1), heat-shock protein 90 (HSP90), and somatic embryogenesis receptor-like kinase (SERK3). It is important to note that ThSCSP_14 induced a plant defense response in N. benthamiana leaves. Hence, these results demonstrate that ThSCSP_14 is a possible effector that plays an essential role in T. horrida-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Shu
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Deze Xu
- Food Crop Research Institute, Hubei Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China
| | - Yuqi Jiang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Juan Liang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Ting Xiang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yuxuan Wang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Weike Zhang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Xue Han
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Chunhai Jiao
- Food Crop Research Institute, Hubei Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China
| | - Aiping Zheng
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Ping Li
- Rice Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Desuo Yin
- Food Crop Research Institute, Hubei Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China
- Correspondence: (D.Y.); (A.W.)
| | - Aijun Wang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
- Correspondence: (D.Y.); (A.W.)
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ThSCSP_12: Novel Effector in Tilletia horrida That Induces Cell Death and Defense Responses in Non-Host Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314752. [PMID: 36499087 PMCID: PMC9736266 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The basidiomycete fungus Tilletia horrida causes rice kernel smut (RKS), a crucial disease afflicting hybrid-rice-growing areas worldwide, which results in significant economic losses. However, few studies have investigated the pathogenic mechanisms and functions of effectors in T. horrida. In this study, we found that the candidate effector ThSCSP_12 caused cell necrosis in the leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana. The predicted signal peptide (SP) of this protein has a secreting function, which is required for ThSCSP_12 to induce cell death. The 1- 189 amino acid (aa) sequences of ThSCSP_12 are sufficient to confer it the ability to trigger cell death in N. benthamiana. The expression of ThSCSP_12 was induced and up-regulated during T. horrida infection. In addition, we also found that ThSCSP_12 localized in both the cytoplasm and nucleus of plant cells and that nuclear localization of this protein is required to induce cell death. Furthermore, the ability of ThSCSP_12 to trigger cell death in N. benthamiana depends on the (RAR1) protein required for Mla12 resistance but not on the suppressor of the G2 allele of Skp1 (SGT1), heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), or somatic embryogenesis receptor-like kinase (SERK3). Crucially, however, ThSCSP_12 induced a defense response in N. benthamiana leaves; yet, the expression of multiple defense-related genes was suppressed in response to heterologous expression in host plants. To sum up, these results strongly suggest that ThSCSP_12 operates as an effector in T. horrida-host interactions.
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Joubert PM, Krasileva KV. The extrachromosomal circular DNAs of the rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae contain a wide variety of LTR retrotransposons, genes, and effectors. BMC Biol 2022; 20:260. [PMID: 36424609 PMCID: PMC9694575 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01457-2] [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: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the ways genomes respond to stress is by producing extrachromosomal circular DNAs (eccDNAs). EccDNAs can contain genes and dramatically increase their copy number. They can also reinsert into the genome, generating structural variation. They have been shown to provide a source of phenotypic and genotypic plasticity in several species. However, whole circularome studies have so far been limited to a few model organisms. Fungal plant pathogens are a serious threat to global food security in part because of their rapid adaptation to disease prevention strategies. Understanding the mechanisms fungal pathogens use to escape disease control is paramount to curbing their threat. RESULTS We present a whole circularome sequencing study of the rice blast pathogen, Magnaporthe oryzae. We find that M. oryzae has a highly diverse circularome that contains many genes and shows evidence of large LTR retrotransposon activity. We find that genes enriched on eccDNAs in M. oryzae occur in genomic regions prone to presence-absence variation and that disease-associated genes are frequently on eccDNAs. Finally, we find that a subset of genes is never present on eccDNAs in our data, which indicates that the presence of these genes on eccDNAs is selected against. CONCLUSIONS Our study paves the way to understanding how eccDNAs contribute to adaptation in M. oryzae. Our analysis also reveals how M. oryzae eccDNAs differ from those of other species and highlights the need for further comparative characterization of eccDNAs across species to gain a better understanding of these molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre M Joubert
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Ksenia V Krasileva
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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Kataria R, Kaundal R. TRustDB: A comprehensive bioinformatics resource for understanding the complete Wheat-Stem rust host-pathogen interactome. Database (Oxford) 2022; 2022:6832105. [PMID: 36394420 PMCID: PMC9670741 DOI: 10.1093/database/baac068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The increasing infectious diseases in wheat immensely reduce crop yield and quality, thus affecting global wheat production. The evolution in phytopathogens hinders the understanding of the disease infection mechanisms. TRustDB is an open-access, comprehensive database that is specifically focused on the disease stem rust (also known as black rust) in Triticum aestivum, which is caused by the fungal pathogen Puccinia graminis (Pgt), strains 'Ug99' and '21-0'. The database aims at a broader focus of providing the researchers with comprehensive tools to predict the protein-protein interactions and avail the functional annotations of the proteins involved in the interactions that cause the disease. The network of the predicted interactome can also be visualized on the browser. Various modules for the functional annotations of the host and pathogen proteins such as subcellular localization, functional domains, gene ontology annotations, pathogen orthologs and effector proteins have been implemented. The host proteins that serve as transcription factors, along with the respective Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways are also available, which further enhance the understanding of the disease infection mechanisms and the defense responses of the host. The database is also linked with several other databases such as InterPro, KEGG pathways, Ensembl and National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). TRustDB has a user-friendly web interface, which can be accessed through . Database URL http://bioinfo.usu.edu/trustdb/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghav Kataria
- Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Rakesh Kaundal
- *Corresponding author: Tel: +1 (435) 797-4117; Fax: +1 (435) 797-2766;
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Wu N, Ozketen AC, Cheng Y, Jiang W, Zhou X, Zhao X, Guan Y, Xiang Z, Akkaya MS. Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici effectors in wheat immune responses. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1012216. [PMID: 36420019 PMCID: PMC9677129 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1012216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The obligate biotrophic fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, which causes yellow (stripe) rust disease, is among the leading biological agents resulting in tremendous yield losses on global wheat productions per annum. The combatting strategies include, but are not limited to, fungicide applications and the development of resistant cultivars. However, evolutionary pressure drives rapid changes, especially in its "effectorome" repertoire, thus allowing pathogens to evade and breach resistance. The extracellular and intracellular effectors, predominantly secreted proteins, are tactical arsenals aiming for many defense processes of plants. Hence, the identity of the effectors and the molecular mechanisms of the interactions between the effectors and the plant immune system have long been targeted in research. The obligate biotrophic nature of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici and the challenging nature of its host, the wheat, impede research on this topic. Next-generation sequencing and novel prediction algorithms in bioinformatics, which are accompanied by in vitro and in vivo validation approaches, offer a speedy pace for the discovery of new effectors and investigations of their biological functions. Here, we briefly review recent findings exploring the roles of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici effectors together with their cellular/subcellular localizations, host responses, and interactors. The current status and the challenges will be discussed. We hope that the overall work will provide a broader view of where we stand and a reference point to compare and evaluate new findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Wu
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | | | - Yu Cheng
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Wanqing Jiang
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Xuan Zhou
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Xinran Zhao
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Yaorong Guan
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Zhaoxia Xiang
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Mahinur S. Akkaya
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
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