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Zhu Y, Wu C, Deng Y, Yuan W, Zhang T, Lu J. Recent advances in virulence of a broad host range plant pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum: a mini-review. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1424130. [PMID: 38962122 PMCID: PMC11220166 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1424130] [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: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a typical necrotrophic plant pathogenic fungus, which has a wide host range and can cause a variety of diseases, leading to serious loss of agricultural production around the world. It is difficult to control and completely eliminate the characteristics, chemical control methods is not ideal. Therefore, it is very important to know the pathogenic mechanism of S. sclerotiorum for improving host living environment, relieving agricultural pressure and promoting economic development. In this paper, the life cycle of S. sclerotiorum is introduced to understand the whole process of S. sclerotiorum infection. Through the analysis of the pathogenic mechanism, this paper summarized the reported content, mainly focused on the oxalic acid, cell wall degrading enzyme and effector protein in the process of infection and its mechanism. Besides, recent studies reported virulence-related genes in S. sclerotiorum have been summarized in the paper. According to analysis, those genes were related to the growth and development of the hypha and appressorium, the signaling and regulatory factors of S. sclerotiorum and so on, to further influence the ability to infect the host critically. The application of host-induced gene silencing (HIGS)is considered as a potential effective tool to control various fungi in crops, which provides an important reference for the study of pathogenesis and green control of S. sclerotiorum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Junxing Lu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Adaptations, College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
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Tian L, Li J, Xu Y, Qiu Y, Zhang Y, Li X. A MAP kinase cascade broadly regulates the lifestyle of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and can be targeted by HIGS for disease control. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 118:324-344. [PMID: 38149487 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes white mold or stem rot in a wide range of economically important plants, bringing significant yield losses worldwide. Control of this pathogen is difficult as its resting structure sclerotia can survive in soil for years, and no Resistance genes have been identified in S. sclerotiorum hosts. Host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) has shown promising effects in controlling many fungal pathogens, including S. sclerotiorum. However, better molecular genetic understanding of signaling pathways involved in its development and pathogenicity is needed to provide effective HIGS gene targets. Here, by employing a forward genetic screen, we characterized an evolutionarily conserved mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade in S. sclerotiorum, consisting of SsSte50-SsSte11-SsSte7-Smk1, which controls mycelial growth, sclerotia development, compound appressoria formation, virulence, and hyphal fusion. Moreover, disruption of the putative downstream transcription factor SsSte12 led to normal sclerotia but deformed appressoria and attenuated host penetration, as well as impaired apothecia formation, suggestive of diverged regulation downstream of the MAPK cascade. Most importantly, targeting SsSte50 using host-expressed double-stranded RNA resulted in largely reduced virulence of S. sclerotiorum on both Nicotiana benthamiana leaves and transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Therefore, this MAPK signaling cascade is generally needed for its growth, development, and pathogenesis and can serve as ideal HIGS targets for mitigating economic damages caused by S. sclerotiorum infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Tian
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Josh Li
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Yan Xu
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Yilan Qiu
- Department of Life Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Yuelin Zhang
- College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Xin Li
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
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Shang Q, Jiang D, Xie J, Cheng J, Xiao X. The schizotrophic lifestyle of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2024; 25:e13423. [PMID: 38407560 PMCID: PMC10895550 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13423] [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: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a cosmopolitan and typical necrotrophic phytopathogenic fungus that infects hundreds of plant species. Because no cultivars highly resistant to S. sclerotiorum are available, managing Sclerotinia disease caused by S. sclerotiorum is still challenging. However, recent studies have demonstrated that S. sclerotiorum has a beneficial effect and can live mutualistically as an endophyte in graminaceous plants, protecting the plants against major fungal diseases. An in-depth understanding of the schizotrophic lifestyle of S. sclerotiorum during interactions with plants under different environmental conditions will provide new strategies for controlling fungal disease. In this review, we summarize the pathogenesis mechanisms of S. sclerotiorum during its attack of host plants as a destructive pathogen and discuss its lifestyle as a beneficial endophytic fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingna Shang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural MicrobiologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Hongshan LaboratoryWuhanChina
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Daohong Jiang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural MicrobiologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Hongshan LaboratoryWuhanChina
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Jiatao Xie
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural MicrobiologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Hongshan LaboratoryWuhanChina
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Jiasen Cheng
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural MicrobiologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Hongshan LaboratoryWuhanChina
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Xueqiong Xiao
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural MicrobiologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
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