1
|
Hao Z, Lu C, Wang M, Li S, Wang Y, Yan Y, Ding Y, Li Y. Systematic investigation on the pharmaceutical components and mechanism of the treatment against zebrafish enteritis by Sporisorium reilianum f. sp. reilianum based on histomorphology and pathology. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 334:118574. [PMID: 39019416 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Sporisorium reilianum f. sp. reilianum (SSR) is a fungus isolated from a medicinal plant. Recorded in the "Compilation of National Chinese Herbal Medicine" and "Compendium of Materia Medica," it was used for preventing and treating intestinal diseases, enhancing immune function, etc. In this study, we investigated the chemical composition and bioactivity of SSR. Network pharmacology is utilized for predictive analysis and targeting pathway studies of anti-inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) mechanisms. Pharmacological activity against enteritis is evaluated using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as model animals. AIM OF THE STUDY To reveal the treatment of IBD by SSR used as traditional medicine and food, based on molecular biology identification of SSR firstly, and the pharmaceutical components & its toxicities, biological activity & mechanism of SSR were explored. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using chromatography and zebrafish IBD model induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), nine compounds were first identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The toxicity of ethanol crude extract and monomers from SSR were evaluated by evaluating the phenotypic characteristics of zebrafish embryos and larvae, histomorphology and pathology of the zebrafish model guided by network pharmacology were conducted. RESULTS The zebrafish embryo development did not show toxicity. The molecular docking and enrichment pathway results predicted that metabolites 3 & 4 (N-trans- feruloyl-3-methoxytyramine & N-cis-feruloyl-3-methoxytyramine) and 7 & 8 (4-N- trans-p-coumaroyltyramine & 4-N-cis--p-coumaroyltyramine) have anti-enteritis activities. This paper lays an experimental foundation for developing new drugs and functional foods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zezhuang Hao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, China.
| | - Chang Lu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, China.
| | - Mengtong Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, China.
| | - Shuxia Li
- Jinmanwu Agricultural Science and Technology Development Co., LTD., Liaoyuan, 136200, China.
| | - Ye Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, China.
| | - Yuli Yan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, China.
| | - Yuling Ding
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, China.
| | - Yong Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pejenaute-Ochoa MD, Tomás-Gallardo L, Ibeas JI, Barrales RR. Row1, a member of a new family of conserved fungal proteins involved in infection, is required for appressoria functionality in Ustilago maydis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 243:1101-1122. [PMID: 38742361 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19798] [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: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
The appressorium of phytopathogenic fungi is a specific structure with a crucial role in plant cuticle penetration. Pathogens with melanized appressoria break the cuticle through cell wall melanization and intracellular turgor pressure. However, in fungi with nonmelanized appressorium, the mechanisms governing cuticle penetration are poorly understood. Here we characterize Row1, a previously uncharacterized appressoria-specific protein of Ustilago maydis that localizes to membrane and secretory vesicles. Deletion of row1 decreases appressoria formation and plant penetration, thereby reducing virulence. Specifically, the Δrow1 mutant has a thicker cell wall that is more resistant to glucanase degradation. We also observed that the Δrow1 mutant has secretion defects. We show that Row1 is functionally conserved at least among Ustilaginaceae and belongs to the Row family, which consists of five other proteins that are highly conserved among Basidiomycota fungi and are involved in U. maydis virulence. We observed similarities in localization between Row1 and Row2, which is also involved in cell wall remodelling and secretion, suggesting similar molecular functions for members of this protein family. Our data suggest that Row1 could modify the chitin-glucan matrix of the fungal cell wall and may be involved in unconventional protein secretion, thereby promoting both appressoria maturation and penetration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- María Dolores Pejenaute-Ochoa
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), Universidad Pablo de Olavide-CSIC-Junta de Andalucía, Ctra. Utrera km.1, 41013, Seville, Spain
| | - Laura Tomás-Gallardo
- Proteomics and Biochemistry Platform, Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), Universidad Pablo de Olavide-CSIC-Junta de Andalucía, Ctra. Utrera km. 1, 41013, Seville, Spain
| | - José I Ibeas
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), Universidad Pablo de Olavide-CSIC-Junta de Andalucía, Ctra. Utrera km.1, 41013, Seville, Spain
| | - Ramón R Barrales
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), Universidad Pablo de Olavide-CSIC-Junta de Andalucía, Ctra. Utrera km.1, 41013, Seville, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wu W, Han Y, Niu B, Yang B, Liu R, Fang X, Chen H, Xiao S, Farag MA, Zheng S, Xiao J, Chen H, Gao H. Recent advances in Zizania latifolia: A comprehensive review on phytochemical, health benefits and applications that maximize its value. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2024; 64:7535-7549. [PMID: 36908217 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2023.2186125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Zizania latifolia is an aquatic and medicinal plant with a long history of development in China and the East Asian region. The smut fungus "Ustilago esculenta" parasitizes Z. latifolia and induces culm expansion to form a vegetable named Jiaobai, which has a unique taste and nutritional attributes. However, the postharvest quality of water bamboo shoots is still a big challenge for farmers and merchants. This paper traced the origin, development process, and morphological characteristics of Z. latifolia. Subsequently, the compilation of the primary nutrients and bioactive substances are presented in context to their effects on ecology a postharvest storage and preservation methods. Furthermore, the industrial, environmental, and material science applications of Z. latifolia in the fields of industry were discussed. Finally, the primary objective of the review proposes future directions for research to support the development of Z. latifolia industry and aid in maximizing its value. To sum up, Z. latifolia, aside from its potential as material it can be utilized to make different productions and improve the existing applications. This paper provides an emerging strategy for researchers undertaking Z. latifolia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weijie Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key laboratory of postharvest handling of fruits, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Postharvest Preservation and Processing of Vegetables (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key laboratory of fruits and vegetables postharvest and processing technology research of Zhejiang province, Key laboratory of postharvest preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables, China National Light Industry, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanchao Han
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key laboratory of postharvest handling of fruits, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Postharvest Preservation and Processing of Vegetables (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key laboratory of fruits and vegetables postharvest and processing technology research of Zhejiang province, Key laboratory of postharvest preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables, China National Light Industry, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ben Niu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key laboratory of postharvest handling of fruits, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Postharvest Preservation and Processing of Vegetables (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key laboratory of fruits and vegetables postharvest and processing technology research of Zhejiang province, Key laboratory of postharvest preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables, China National Light Industry, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Baiqi Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key laboratory of postharvest handling of fruits, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Postharvest Preservation and Processing of Vegetables (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key laboratory of fruits and vegetables postharvest and processing technology research of Zhejiang province, Key laboratory of postharvest preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables, China National Light Industry, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ruiling Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key laboratory of postharvest handling of fruits, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Postharvest Preservation and Processing of Vegetables (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key laboratory of fruits and vegetables postharvest and processing technology research of Zhejiang province, Key laboratory of postharvest preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables, China National Light Industry, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiangjun Fang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key laboratory of postharvest handling of fruits, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Postharvest Preservation and Processing of Vegetables (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key laboratory of fruits and vegetables postharvest and processing technology research of Zhejiang province, Key laboratory of postharvest preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables, China National Light Industry, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huizhi Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key laboratory of postharvest handling of fruits, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Postharvest Preservation and Processing of Vegetables (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key laboratory of fruits and vegetables postharvest and processing technology research of Zhejiang province, Key laboratory of postharvest preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables, China National Light Industry, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shangyue Xiao
- Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Mohamed A Farag
- Pharmacognosy Department, College of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Shiqi Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key laboratory of postharvest handling of fruits, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Postharvest Preservation and Processing of Vegetables (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key laboratory of fruits and vegetables postharvest and processing technology research of Zhejiang province, Key laboratory of postharvest preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables, China National Light Industry, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianbo Xiao
- Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Hangjun Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key laboratory of postharvest handling of fruits, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Postharvest Preservation and Processing of Vegetables (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key laboratory of fruits and vegetables postharvest and processing technology research of Zhejiang province, Key laboratory of postharvest preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables, China National Light Industry, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haiyan Gao
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key laboratory of postharvest handling of fruits, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Postharvest Preservation and Processing of Vegetables (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key laboratory of fruits and vegetables postharvest and processing technology research of Zhejiang province, Key laboratory of postharvest preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables, China National Light Industry, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wu E, Li X, Ma Q, Wang H, Han X, Feng B. Comparative Multi-Omics Analysis of Broomcorn Millet in Response to Anthracocystis destruens Infection. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2024; 114:1215-1225. [PMID: 38281141 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-08-23-0269-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: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Anthracocystis destruens is the causal agent of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) smut disease, which results in serious yield losses in broomcorn millet production. However, the molecular basis underlying broomcorn millet defense against A. destruens is less understood. In this study, we investigated how broomcorn millet responds to infection by A. destruens by employing a comprehensive multi-omics approach. We examined the responses of broomcorn millet across transcriptome, metabolome, and microbiome levels. Infected leaves exhibited an upregulation of genes related to photosynthesis, accompanied by a higher accumulation of photosynthesis-related compounds and alterations in hormonal levels. However, broomcorn millet genes involved in immune response were downregulated post A. destruens infection, suggesting that A. destruens may suppress broomcorn millet immunity. In addition, we show that the immune suppression and altered host metabolism induced by A. destruens have no significant effect on the microbial community structure of broomcorn millet leaf, thus providing a new perspective for understanding the tripartite interaction between plant, pathogen, and microbiota.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enguo Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xuepei Li
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Qian Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Honglu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Xiaowei Han
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
| | - Baili Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ren RC, Kong LG, Zheng GM, Zhao YJ, Jiang X, Wu JW, Liu C, Chu J, Ding XH, Zhang XS, Wang GF, Zhao XY. Maize requires arogenate dehydratase 2 for resistance to Ustilago maydis and plant development. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:1642-1659. [PMID: 38431524 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays) smut is a common biotrophic fungal disease caused by Ustilago maydis and leads to low maize yield. Maize resistance to U. maydis is a quantitative trait. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the resistance of maize to U. maydis is poorly understood. Here, we reported that a maize mutant caused by a single gene mutation exhibited defects in both fungal resistance and plant development. maize mutant highly susceptible to U. maydis (mmsu) with a dwarf phenotype forms tumors in the ear. A map-based cloning and allelism test demonstrated that 1 gene encoding a putative arogenate dehydratase/prephenate dehydratase (ADT/PDT) is responsible for the phenotypes of the mmsu and was designated as ZmADT2. Combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that mmsu had substantial differences in multiple metabolic pathways in response to U. maydis infection compared with the wild type. Disruption of ZmADT2 caused damage to the chloroplast ultrastructure and function, metabolic flux redirection, and reduced the amounts of salicylic acid (SA) and lignin, leading to susceptibility to U. maydis and dwarf phenotype. These results suggested that ZmADT2 is required for maintaining metabolic flux, as well as resistance to U. maydis and plant development in maize. Meanwhile, our findings provided insights into the maize response mechanism to U. maydis infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ru Chang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Ling Guang Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Guang Ming Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Ya Jie Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Xin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Jia Wen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Cuimei Liu
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jinfang Chu
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Beijing 100101, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xin Hua Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Xian Sheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Guan Feng Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Development and Environmental Adaptation Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Xiang Yu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Rhodes AC, Plowes RM, Bowman EA, Gaitho A, Ng'Iru I, Martins DJ, Gilbert LE. Systematic reduction of natural enemies and competition across variable precipitation approximates buffelgrass invasiveness ( Cenchrus ciliaris) in its native range. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11350. [PMID: 38737568 PMCID: PMC11087885 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11350] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Invasive grasses cause devastating losses to biodiversity and ecosystem function directly and indirectly by altering ecosystem processes. Escape from natural enemies, plant-plant competition, and variable resource availability provide frameworks for understanding invasion. However, we lack a clear understanding of how natural stressors interact in their native range to regulate invasiveness. In this study, we reduced diverse guilds of natural enemies and plant competitors of the highly invasive buffelgrass across a precipitation gradient throughout major climatic shifts in Laikipia, Kenya. To do this, we used a long-term ungulate exclosure experiment design across a precipitation gradient with nested treatments that (1) reduced plant competition through clipping, (2) reduced insects through systemic insecticide, and (3) reduced fungal associates through fungicide application. Additionally, we measured the interaction of ungulates on two stem-boring insect species feeding on buffelgrass. Finally, we measured a multiyear smut fungus outbreak. Our findings suggest that buffelgrass exhibits invasive qualities when released from a diverse group of natural stressors in its native range. We show natural enemies interact with precipitation to alter buffelgrass productivity patterns. In addition, interspecific plant competition decreased the basal area of buffelgrass, suggesting that biotic resistance mediates buffelgrass dominance in the home range. Surprisingly, systemic insecticides and fungicides did not impact buffelgrass production or reproduction, perhaps because other guilds filled the niche space in these highly diverse systems. For example, in the absence of ungulates, we showed an increase in host-specific stem-galling insects, where these insects compensated for reduced ungulate use. Finally, we documented a smut outbreak in 2020 and 2021, corresponding to highly variable precipitation patterns caused by a shifting Indian Ocean Dipole. In conclusion, we observed how reducing natural enemies and competitors and certain interactions increased properties related to buffelgrass invasiveness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron C. Rhodes
- Brackenridge Field LaboratoryThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
| | - Robert M. Plowes
- Brackenridge Field LaboratoryThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
| | - Elizabeth A. Bowman
- Brackenridge Field LaboratoryThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
- Hiro Technologies, IncAustinTexasUSA
| | - Aimee Gaitho
- Mpala Research Centre NanyukiNanyukiKenya
- Turkana Basin InstituteNairobiKenya
| | - Ivy Ng'Iru
- UK Centre for Ecology & HydrologyCardiff UniversityWallingfordUK
| | | | - Lawrence E. Gilbert
- Brackenridge Field LaboratoryThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Díaz MS, Soria NW, Figueroa AC, Yang P, Badariotti EH, Alasino VR, Vélez P, Beltramo DM. Transcriptional study of genes involved in the passage from teliospore to hyphae stage in the fungus Thecaphora frezii, the causal agent of peanut smut. Rev Argent Microbiol 2024; 56:175-186. [PMID: 38336597 DOI: 10.1016/j.ram.2023.10.002] [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: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) are among the most important leguminous crops in Argentina. During the growing season, they are frequently attacked by fungal diseases, including Thecaphora frezii. The spores of T. frezii are structures that confer resistance to this phytopathogen. The transition from teliospore to hypha is a characteristic process of some fungi, which is essential for completing their life cycle. Using the transcriptomes of teliospores and hyphae of T. frezii, we aimed to identify genes that were differentially expressed during this transition, and we found 134 up-regulated and 66 down-regulated genes, which would participate in different cellular processes such as: (a) cell cycle and DNA processing; (b) cell fate; (c) rescue, defense and cellular virulence; (d) detoxification by CYP450; (e) energy; (f) nutrient interaction and nutritional adaptation; (g) metabolism; (g) proteins with binding functions or cofactor requirements; (h) stress, cell differentiation and biogenesis of cell components; and (i) transport, cell communication and transcription. The identification of genes in T. frezii and their expression levels during different stages of differentiation could contribute to our understanding of the biological mechanisms in this fungus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- María S Díaz
- Centro de Excelencia en Productos y Procesos de Córdoba (CEPROCOR), Pabellón CEPROCOR (X5164), Santa María de Punilla, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Néstor W Soria
- Cátedra de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Av. Armada Argentina 3555 (X5016DHK), Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Ana C Figueroa
- Centro de Excelencia en Productos y Procesos de Córdoba (CEPROCOR), Pabellón CEPROCOR (X5164), Santa María de Punilla, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Pablo Yang
- Cátedra de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Av. Armada Argentina 3555 (X5016DHK), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Esteban H Badariotti
- Cátedra Introducción a las Ciencias Agropecuarias, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Av. Armada Argentina 3555 (X5016DHK), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Valeria R Alasino
- Centro de Excelencia en Productos y Procesos de Córdoba (CEPROCOR), Pabellón CEPROCOR (X5164), Santa María de Punilla, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Pabellón CEPROCOR (X5164), Santa María de Punilla, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Pablo Vélez
- Centro de Excelencia en Productos y Procesos de Córdoba (CEPROCOR), Pabellón CEPROCOR (X5164), Santa María de Punilla, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Dante M Beltramo
- Centro de Excelencia en Productos y Procesos de Córdoba (CEPROCOR), Pabellón CEPROCOR (X5164), Santa María de Punilla, Córdoba, Argentina; Cátedra de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Av. Armada Argentina 3555 (X5016DHK), Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Pabellón CEPROCOR (X5164), Santa María de Punilla, Córdoba, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Schuster M, Schweizer G, Reißmann S, Happel P, Aßmann D, Rössel N, Güldener U, Mannhaupt G, Ludwig N, Winterberg S, Pellegrin C, Tanaka S, Vincon V, Presti LL, Wang L, Bender L, Gonzalez C, Vranes M, Kämper J, Seong K, Krasileva K, Kahmann R. Novel Secreted Effectors Conserved Among Smut Fungi Contribute to the Virulence of Ustilago maydis. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2024; 37:250-263. [PMID: 38416124 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-09-23-0139-fi] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Fungal pathogens deploy a set of molecules (proteins, specialized metabolites, and sRNAs), so-called effectors, to aid the infection process. In comparison to other plant pathogens, smut fungi have small genomes and secretomes of 20 Mb and around 500 proteins, respectively. Previous comparative genomic studies have shown that many secreted effector proteins without known domains, i.e., novel, are conserved only in the Ustilaginaceae family. By analyzing the secretomes of 11 species within Ustilaginaceae, we identified 53 core homologous groups commonly present in this lineage. By collecting existing mutants and generating additional ones, we gathered 44 Ustilago maydis strains lacking single core effectors as well as 9 strains containing multiple deletions of core effector gene families. Pathogenicity assays revealed that 20 of these 53 mutant strains were affected in virulence. Among the 33 mutants that had no obvious phenotypic changes, 13 carried additional, sequence-divergent, structurally similar paralogs. We report a virulence contribution of seven previously uncharacterized single core effectors and of one effector family. Our results help to prioritize effectors for understanding U. maydis virulence and provide genetic resources for further characterization. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Schuster
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Gabriel Schweizer
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Independent Data Lab UG, 80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Reißmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Petra Happel
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Aßmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Rössel
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Güldener
- Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität München, 80636 München, Germany
| | - Gertrud Mannhaupt
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Ludwig
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Research & Development, Weed Control Bayer AG, Crop Science Division, 65926 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sarah Winterberg
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Clément Pellegrin
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Shigeyuki Tanaka
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Volker Vincon
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Libera Lo Presti
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Lei Wang
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Lena Bender
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Phillips-University Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Carla Gonzalez
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Miroslav Vranes
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Department of Genetics, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jörg Kämper
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Department of Genetics, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Kyungyong Seong
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, U.S.A
| | - Ksenia Krasileva
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, U.S.A
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zhou S, Lin Y, Cai Y, Li L, Yao X, Sun K, Song Q, Zhang Q. The response of rhubarb to smut infection is revealed through a comparative transcriptome and metabolome study. PLANTA 2023; 259:27. [PMID: 38112830 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04306-w] [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: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION Integrated transcriptome and metabolome analysis have unveiled the physiological and molecular responses of rhubarb to infection by smut fungi. Rhubarb is an important medicinal plant that is easily infected by smut fungi during its growth. Thus far, no research on the influence of smut fungi on the growth of rhubarb and its secondary metabolism has been conducted. In this study, petioles of Chinese rhubarb (Rheum officinale) [healthy or infected with smut fungus (Thecaphora schwarzmaniana)] were characterized. Microscopic structure, global gene expression profiling, global metabolic profiling, and key enzyme activity and metabolite levels in infected plants were analyzed. Infection by smut fungi resulted in numerous holes inside the petiole tissue and led to visible tumors on the external surface of the petiole. Through metabolic changes, T. schwarzmaniana induced the production of specific sugars, lipids, and amino acids, and inhibited the metabolism of phenolics and flavonoids in R. officinale. The concentrations of key medicinal compounds (anthraquinones) were decreased because of smut fungus infection. In terms of gene expression, the presence of T. schwarzmaniana led to upregulation of the genes associated with nutrient (sugar, amino acid, etc.) transport and metabolism. The gene expression profiling showed a stimulated cell division activity (the basis of tumor formation). Although plant antioxidative response was enhanced, the plant defense response against pathogen was suppressed by T. schwarzmaniana, as indicated by the expression profiling of genes involved in biotic and abiotic stress-related hormone signaling and the synthesis of plant disease resistance proteins. This study demonstrated physiological and molecular changes in R. officinale under T. schwarzmaniana infection, reflecting the survival tactics employed by smut fungus for parasitizing rhubarb.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuangshuang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Chongqing Nanchuan Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plants, Chongqing, 408407, China
| | - Ya Lin
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Chongqing Nanchuan Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plants, Chongqing, 408407, China
| | - Yu Cai
- Chongqing Nanchuan Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plants, Chongqing, 408407, China
| | - Linfang Li
- Teaching and research group of biology, Kunming No.8 High School, Kunming, China
| | - Xiaohui Yao
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Teaching and research group of biology, Hohhot 35th Middle School, Hohhot, China
| | - Kuan Sun
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Qin Song
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Qingwei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
- Chongqing Nanchuan Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plants, Chongqing, 408407, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ökmen B, Katzy P, Huang L, Wemhöner R, Doehlemann G. A conserved extracellular Ribo1 with broad-spectrum cytotoxic activity enables smut fungi to compete with host-associated bacteria. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:1976-1989. [PMID: 37680042 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Ribotoxins are secreted ribonucleases that specifically target and cleave the universally conserved sarcin-ricin loop sequence of rRNA, which leads to inhibition of protein biosynthesis and subsequently to cell death. We have identified and characterized a secreted Ribo1 protein of plant pathogenic smut fungi. Heterologous expression in different model systems showed that smut Ribo1 has cytotoxic activity against bacteria, yeast, host and nonhost plants. Recombinant expression of Ribo1 in Nicotiana benthamiana induced plant cell death; however, an active site mutant induced cell death only when expressed as a secreted protein. In the maize smut Ustilago maydis, transcription of Ribo1 is specifically induced in early infection stages. While a knockout mutant revealed that Ribo1 is dispensable for U. maydis virulence, the overexpression of Ribo1 in planta had a strong dominant negative effect on virulence and induced host defense responses including cell death. Our findings suggest a function of Ribo1 during the epiphytic development rather than for invasive colonization of the host. Accordingly, in the presence of the biocontrol bacteria Pantoea sp., which were isolated from maize leaves, the ribo1 knockout mutant was significantly impaired in virulence. Together, we conclude that Ribo1 enables smut fungi to compete with host-associated bacteria during epiphytic development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bilal Ökmen
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Center for Molecular Biosciences, 50674, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Microbial Interactions, IMIT/ZMBP, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Katzy
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Center for Molecular Biosciences, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Luyao Huang
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Center for Molecular Biosciences, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Raphael Wemhöner
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Center for Molecular Biosciences, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Center for Molecular Biosciences, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
McCotter SW, Kretschmer M, Lee CWJ, Heimel K, Kronstad JW. The Monothiol Glutaredoxin Grx4 Influences Iron Homeostasis and Virulence in Ustilago maydis. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:1112. [PMID: 37998917 PMCID: PMC10672361 DOI: 10.3390/jof9111112] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The corn smut fungus, Ustilago maydis, is an excellent model for studying biotrophic plant-pathogen interactions, including nutritional adaptation to the host environment. Iron acquisition during host colonization is a key aspect of microbial pathogenesis yet less is known about this process for fungal pathogens of plants. Monothiol glutaredoxins are central regulators of key cellular functions in fungi, including iron homeostasis, cell wall integrity, and redox status via interactions with transcription factors, iron-sulfur clusters, and glutathione. In this study, the roles of the monothiol glutaredoxin Grx4 in the biology of U. maydis were investigated by constructing strains expressing a conditional allele of grx4 under the control of the arabinose-inducible, glucose-repressible promoter Pcrg1. The use of conditional expression was necessary because Grx4 appeared to be essential for U. maydis. Transcriptome and genetic analyses with strains depleted in Grx4 revealed that the protein participates in the regulation of iron acquisition functions and is necessary for the ability of U. maydis to cause disease on maize seedlings. Taken together, this study supports the growing appreciation of monothiol glutaredoxins as key regulators of virulence-related phenotypes in pathogenic fungi.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sean W. McCotter
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 301-2185 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (S.W.M.); (M.K.); (C.W.J.L.)
| | - Matthias Kretschmer
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 301-2185 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (S.W.M.); (M.K.); (C.W.J.L.)
| | - Christopher W. J. Lee
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 301-2185 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (S.W.M.); (M.K.); (C.W.J.L.)
| | - Kai Heimel
- Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Microbial Cell Biology, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - James W. Kronstad
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 301-2185 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (S.W.M.); (M.K.); (C.W.J.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Zuo W, Depotter JRL, Stolze SC, Nakagami H, Doehlemann G. A transcriptional activator effector of Ustilago maydis regulates hyperplasia in maize during pathogen-induced tumor formation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6722. [PMID: 37872143 PMCID: PMC10593772 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42522-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Ustilago maydis causes common smut in maize, which is characterized by tumor formation in aerial parts of maize. Tumors result from the de novo cell division of highly developed bundle sheath and subsequent cell enlargement. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis are still largely unknown. Here, we characterize the U. maydis effector Sts2 (Small tumor on seedlings 2), which promotes the division of hyperplasia tumor cells. Upon infection, Sts2 is translocated into the maize cell nucleus, where it acts as a transcriptional activator, and the transactivation activity is crucial for its virulence function. Sts2 interacts with ZmNECAP1, a yet undescribed plant transcriptional activator, and it activates the expression of several leaf developmental regulators to potentiate tumor formation. On the contrary, fusion of a suppressive SRDX-motif to Sts2 causes dominant negative inhibition of tumor formation, underpinning the central role of Sts2 for tumorigenesis. Our results not only disclose the virulence mechanism of a tumorigenic effector, but also reveal the essential role of leaf developmental regulators in pathogen-induced tumor formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weiliang Zuo
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany.
| | - Jasper R L Depotter
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Sara Christina Stolze
- Protein Mass Spectrometry, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hirofumi Nakagami
- Protein Mass Spectrometry, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany
- Basic Immune System of Plants, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, 50829, Germany
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Tang J, Li Y, Zhang L, Mu J, Jiang Y, Fu H, Zhang Y, Cui H, Yu X, Ye Z. Biosynthetic Pathways and Functions of Indole-3-Acetic Acid in Microorganisms. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2077. [PMID: 37630637 PMCID: PMC10459833 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11082077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) belongs to the family of auxin indole derivatives. IAA regulates almost all aspects of plant growth and development, and is one of the most important plant hormones. In microorganisms too, IAA plays an important role in growth, development, and even plant interaction. Therefore, mechanism studies on the biosynthesis and functions of IAA in microorganisms can promote the production and utilization of IAA in agriculture. This mini-review mainly summarizes the biosynthesis pathways that have been reported in microorganisms, including the indole-3-acetamide pathway, indole-3-pyruvate pathway, tryptamine pathway, indole-3-acetonitrile pathway, tryptophan side chain oxidase pathway, and non-tryptophan dependent pathway. Some pathways interact with each other through common key genes to constitute a network of IAA biosynthesis. In addition, functional studies of IAA in microorganisms, divided into three categories, have also been summarized: the effects on microorganisms, the virulence on plants, and the beneficial impacts on plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Zihong Ye
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China; (J.T.); (L.Z.)
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Weiland P, Dempwolff F, Steinchen W, Freibert S, Tian H, Glatter T, Martin R, Thomma BPHJ, Bange G, Altegoer F. Structural and functional analysis of the cerato-platanin-like protein Cpl1 suggests diverging functions in smut fungi. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2023; 24:768-787. [PMID: 37171083 PMCID: PMC10257043 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Plant-pathogenic fungi are causative agents of the majority of plant diseases and can lead to severe crop loss in infected populations. Fungal colonization is achieved by combining different strategies, such as avoiding and counteracting the plant immune system and manipulating the host metabolome. Of major importance are virulence factors secreted by fungi, which fulfil diverse functions to support the infection process. Most of these proteins are highly specialized, with structural and biochemical information often absent. Here, we present the atomic structures of the cerato-platanin-like protein Cpl1 from Ustilago maydis and its homologue Uvi2 from Ustilago hordei. Both proteins adopt a double-Ψβ-barrel architecture reminiscent of cerato-platanin proteins, a class so far not described in smut fungi. Our structure-function analysis shows that Cpl1 binds to soluble chitin fragments via two extended grooves at the dimer interface of the two monomer molecules. This carbohydrate-binding mode has not been observed previously and expands the repertoire of chitin-binding proteins. Cpl1 localizes to the cell wall of U. maydis and might synergize with cell wall-degrading and decorating proteins during maize infection. The architecture of Cpl1 harbouring four surface-exposed loop regions supports the idea that it might play a role in the spatial coordination of these proteins. While deletion of cpl1 has only mild effects on the virulence of U. maydis, a recent study showed that deletion of uvi2 strongly impairs U. hordei virulence. Our structural comparison between Cpl1 and Uvi2 reveals sequence variations in the loop regions that might explain a diverging function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Weiland
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Faculty of ChemistryPhilipps‐University MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Felix Dempwolff
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Faculty of ChemistryPhilipps‐University MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Wieland Steinchen
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Faculty of ChemistryPhilipps‐University MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Sven‐Andreas Freibert
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Institute of CytobiologyPhilipps‐University MarburgMarburgGermany
- Protein Biochemistry and Spectroscopy Core Facility, Institute of CytobiologyPhilipps‐University MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Hui Tian
- Institute for Plant SciencesUniversity of CologneCologneGermany
| | - Timo Glatter
- Max‐Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyMarburgGermany
| | - Roman Martin
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer SciencePhilipps‐University MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Bart P. H. J. Thomma
- Institute for Plant SciencesUniversity of CologneCologneGermany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS)CologneGermany
| | - Gert Bange
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Faculty of ChemistryPhilipps‐University MarburgMarburgGermany
- Max‐Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyMarburgGermany
| | - Florian Altegoer
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Faculty of ChemistryPhilipps‐University MarburgMarburgGermany
- Max‐Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyMarburgGermany
- Institute of MicrobiologyHeinrich‐Heine‐UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Cui G, Bi X, Lu S, Jiang Z, Deng Y. A Genetically Engineered Escherichia coli for Potential Utilization in Fungal Smut Disease Control. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1564. [PMID: 37375066 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061564] [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: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Sporisorium scitamineum, the basidiomycetous fungus that causes sugarcane smut and leads to severe losses in sugarcane quantity and quality, undergoes sexual mating to form dikaryotic hyphae capable of invading the host cane. Therefore, suppressing dikaryotic hyphae formation would potentially be an effective way to prevent host infection by the smut fungus, and the following disease symptom developments. The phytohormone methyl jasmonate (MeJA) has been shown to induce plant defenses against insects and microbial pathogens. In this study, we will verify that the exogenous addition of MeJA-suppressed dikaryotic hyphae formation in S. scitamineum and Ustilago maydis under in vitro culture conditions, and the maize smut symptom caused by U. maydis, could be effectively suppressed by MeJA in a pot experiment. We constructed an Escherichia coli-expressing plant JMT gene, encoding a jasmonic acid carboxyl methyl transferase that catalyzes conversion from jasmonic acid (JA) to MeJA. By GC-MS, we will confirm that the transformed E. coli, designated as the pJMT strain, was able to produce MeJA in the presence of JA and S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM as methyl donor). Furthermore, the pJMT strain was able to suppress S. scitamineum filamentous growth under in vitro culture conditions. It waits to further optimize JMT expression under field conditions in order to utilize the pJMT strain as a biocontrol agent (BCA) of sugarcane smut disease. Overall, our study provides a potentially novel method for controlling crop fungal diseases by boosting phytohormone biosynthesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guobing Cui
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Henry Fork School of Biology and Agriculture, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512000, China
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xinping Bi
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Shan Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Ago-Bioresouces Ministry and Province Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Sugarcane and Sugar Industry, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Zide Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yizhen Deng
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Advances in molecular interactions on the Rhizoctonia solani-sugar beet pathosystem. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2022.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
17
|
Yu C, Qi J, Han H, Wang P, Liu C. Progress in pathogenesis research of Ustilago maydis, and the metabolites involved along with their biosynthesis. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2023; 24:495-509. [PMID: 36808861 PMCID: PMC10098057 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Ustilago maydis is a pathogenic fungus that causes corn smut. Because of its easy cultivation and genetic transformation, U. maydis has become an important model organism for plant-pathogenic basidiomycetes. U. maydis is able to infect maize by producing effectors and secreted proteins as well as surfactant-like metabolites. In addition, the production of melanin and iron carriers is also associated with its pathogenicity. Here, advances in our understanding of the pathogenicity of U. maydis, the metabolites involved in the pathogenic process, and the biosynthesis of these metabolites, are reviewed and discussed. This summary will provide new insights into the pathogenicity of U. maydis and the functions of associated metabolites, as well as new clues for deciphering the biosynthesis of metabolites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Yu
- Key Laboratory for Enzyme and Enzyme‐Like Material Engineering of Heilongjiang, College of Life ScienceNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
| | - Jianzhao Qi
- Key Laboratory for Enzyme and Enzyme‐Like Material Engineering of Heilongjiang, College of Life ScienceNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry & PharmacyNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Haiyan Han
- Key Laboratory for Enzyme and Enzyme‐Like Material Engineering of Heilongjiang, College of Life ScienceNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
| | - Pengchao Wang
- Key Laboratory for Enzyme and Enzyme‐Like Material Engineering of Heilongjiang, College of Life ScienceNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
| | - Chengwei Liu
- Key Laboratory for Enzyme and Enzyme‐Like Material Engineering of Heilongjiang, College of Life ScienceNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Heucken N, Tang K, Hüsemann L, Heßler N, Müntjes K, Feldbrügge M, Göhre V, Zurbriggen MD. Engineering and Implementation of Synthetic Molecular Tools in the Basidiomycete Fungus Ustilago maydis. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040480. [PMID: 37108934 PMCID: PMC10140897 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040480] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The basidiomycete Ustilago maydis is a well-characterized model organism for studying pathogen-host interactions and of great interest for a broad spectrum of biotechnological applications. To facilitate research and enable applications, in this study, three luminescence-based and one enzymatic quantitative reporter were implemented and characterized. Several dual-reporter constructs were generated for ratiometric normalization that can be used as a fast-screening platform for reporter gene expression, applicable to in vitro and in vivo detection. Furthermore, synthetic bidirectional promoters that enable bicisitronic expression for gene expression studies and engineering strategies were constructed and implemented. These noninvasive, quantitative reporters and expression tools will significantly widen the application range of biotechnology in U. maydis and enable the in planta detection of fungal infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Heucken
- Institute of Synthetic Biology, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kun Tang
- Institute of Synthetic Biology, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lisa Hüsemann
- Institute of Synthetic Biology, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Natascha Heßler
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kira Müntjes
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Michael Feldbrügge
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Vera Göhre
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- CEPLAS-Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Matias D Zurbriggen
- Institute of Synthetic Biology, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- CEPLAS-Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Depotter JRL, Ökmen B, Ebert MK, Beckers J, Kruse J, Thines M, Doehlemann G. High Nucleotide Substitution Rates Associated with Retrotransposon Proliferation Drive Dynamic Secretome Evolution in Smut Pathogens. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0034922. [PMID: 35972267 PMCID: PMC9603552 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00349-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) play a pivotal role in shaping diversity in eukaryotic genomes. The covered smut pathogen on barley, Ustilago hordei, encountered a recent genome expansion. Using long reads, we assembled genomes of 6 U. hordei strains and 3 sister species, to study this genome expansion. We found that larger genome sizes can mainly be attributed to a higher genome fraction of long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs). In the studied smut genomes, LTR-RTs fractions are the largest in U. hordei and are positively correlated with the mating-type locus sizes, which is up to ~560 kb in U. hordei. Furthermore, LTR-RTs were found to be associated with higher nucleotide substitution levels, as these occur in specific genome regions of smut species with a recent LTR-RT proliferation. Moreover, genes in genome regions with higher nucleotide substitution levels generally reside closer to LTR-RTs than other genome regions. Genome regions with many nucleotide substitutions encountered an especially high fraction of CG substitutions, which is not observed for LTR-RT sequences. The high nucleotide substitution levels particularly accelerate the evolution of secretome genes, as their more accessory nature results in substitutions that often lead to amino acid alterations. IMPORTANCE Genomic alteration can be generated through various means, in which transposable elements (TEs) can play a pivotal role. Their mobility causes mutagenesis in itself and can disrupt the function of the sequences they insert into. They also impact genome evolution as their repetitive nature facilitates nonhomologous recombination. Furthermore, TEs have been linked to specific epigenetic genome organizations. We report a recent TE proliferation in the genome of the barley covered smut fungus, Ustilago hordei. This proliferation is associated with a distinct nucleotide substitution regime that has a higher rate and a higher fraction of CG substitutions. This different regime shapes the evolution of genes in subjected genome regions. We hypothesize that TEs may influence the error-rate of DNA polymerase in a hitherto unknown fashion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J. R. L. Depotter
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - B. Ökmen
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - M. K. Ebert
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - J. Beckers
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - J. Kruse
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt a. M., Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt a. M., Germany
| | - M. Thines
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt a. M., Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt a. M., Germany
| | - G. Doehlemann
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
A conserved enzyme of smut fungi facilitates cell-to-cell extension in the plant bundle sheath. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6003. [PMID: 36224193 PMCID: PMC9556619 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33815-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Smut fungi comprise one of the largest groups of fungal plant pathogens causing disease in all cereal crops. They directly penetrate host tissues and establish a biotrophic interaction. To do so, smut fungi secrete a wide range of effector proteins, which suppress plant immunity and modulate cellular functions as well as development of the host, thereby determining the pathogen’s lifestyle and virulence potential. The conserved effector Erc1 (enzyme required for cell-to-cell extension) contributes to virulence of the corn smut Ustilago maydis in maize leaves but not on the tassel. Erc1 binds to host cell wall components and displays 1,3-β-glucanase activity, which is required to attenuate β-glucan-induced defense responses. Here we show that Erc1 has a cell type-specific virulence function, being necessary for fungal cell-to-cell extension in the plant bundle sheath and this function is fully conserved in the Erc1 orthologue of the barley pathogen Ustilago hordei. Smut fungi secrete effector proteins that suppress host plant immunity. Here the authors show that the corn smut effector Erc1 has 1,3-β-glucanase activity and promotes virulence in maize leaves by attenuating β-glucan-induced defense responses.
Collapse
|
21
|
Yoshimoto R, Ishida F, Yamaguchi M, Tanaka S. The production and secretion of tRNA-derived RNA fragments in the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2022; 3:958798. [PMID: 37746175 PMCID: PMC10512261 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2022.958798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
The biogenesis of small non-coding RNAs is a molecular event that contributes to cellular functions. The basidiomycete fungus Ustilago maydis is a biotrophic pathogen parasitizing maize. A hallmark of its genome structure is an absence of RNAi machinery including Dicer and Argonaute proteins, which are responsible for the production of small RNAs in other organisms. However, it remains unclear whether U. maydis produces small RNAs during fungal growth. Here we found that U. maydis cells accumulate approximately 20-30 nucleotides of small RNA fragments during growth in the axenic culture condition. The RNA-seq analysis of these fragments identified that these small RNAs are originated from tRNAs and 5.8S ribosomal RNA. Interestingly, majority of their sequences are generated from tRNAs responsible for asparagine, glutamine and glycine, suggesting a bias of origin. The cleavage of tRNAs mainly occurs at the position near anticodon-stem-loop. We generated the deletion mutants of two genes nuc1 and nuc2 encoding RNase T2, which is a candidate enzyme that cleaves tRNAs. The deletion mutants of two genes largely fail to accumulate tRNA-derived RNA fragments. Nuc1 and tRNA are co-localized at the tip of budding cells and tRNA fragment could be detected in culture supernatant. Our results suggest that specific tRNAs would be cleaved during secretory processes and tRNA fragments might have extracellular functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rei Yoshimoto
- Faculty of Agriculture, Setsunan University, Osaka, Japan
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Fungal endophytes in plants and their relationship to plant disease. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 69:102177. [PMID: 35870225 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The enigmatic endophytic fungi are beginning to reveal their secrets. Like pathogens, they can manipulate the host for their own benefit to create their own optimal habitat. Some endophytic manipulations induce resistance or otherwise outcompete pathogens and can thus be exploited for biological control. Like pathogens and other symbionts, endophytes produce effector proteins and other molecules, ranging from specialised metabolites, phytohormones and microRNAs, to manipulate their hosts and other microorganisms they meet. There is a continuum from endophyte to pathogen: some organisms can infest or cause disease in some hosts, but not in others. Molecular genetics approaches coupled with functional characterisation have demonstrated their worth for understanding the biological phenomena underlying endophytic fungal interactions.
Collapse
|
23
|
Aminotransferase SsAro8 Regulates Tryptophan Metabolism Essential for Filamentous Growth of Sugarcane Smut Fungus
Sporisorium scitamineum. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0057022. [PMID: 35862944 PMCID: PMC9431617 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00570-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sugarcane smut caused by the basidiomycetous fungus Sporisorium scitamineum leads to severe economic losses globally. Sexual mating/filamentation of S. scitamineum is critical for its pathogenicity, as only the dikaryotic hyphae formed after sexual mating are capable of invading the host cane. Our comparative transcriptome analysis showed that the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and the AGC kinase Agc1 (orthologous to yeast Rim15), both governing S. scitamineum mating/filamentation, were induced by elevated tryptophol level, supporting a positive regulation of S. scitamineum mating/filamentation by tryptophol. However, the biosynthesis pathway of tryptophol remains unknown in S. scitamineum. Here, we identified an aminotransferase orthologous to the established tryptophan aminotransferase Tam1/Aro8, catalyzing the first step of tryptophan-dependent indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production as well as that of the Ehrlich pathway for tryptophol production. We designated this S. scitamineum aminotransferase as SsAro8 and found that it was essential for mating/filamentation. Comparative metabolomics analysis revealed that SsAro8 was involved in tryptophan metabolism, likely for producing important intermediate products, including tryptophol. Exogenous addition of tryptophan or tryptophol could differentially restore mating/filamentation in the ssaro8Δ mutant, indicating that in addition to tryptophol, other product(s) of tryptophan catabolism may also be involved in S. scitamineum mating/filamentation regulation. S. scitamineum could also produce IAA, partially dependent on SsAro8 function. Surprisingly, photodestruction of IAA produced the compound(s) able to suppress S. scitamineum growth/differentiation. Lastly, we found that SsAro8 was required for proper biofilm formation, oxidative stress tolerance, and full pathogenicity in S. scitamineum. Overall, our study establishes the aminotransferase SsAro8 as an essential regulator of S. scitamineum pathogenic differentiation, as well as fungus-host interaction, and therefore of great potential as a molecular target for sugarcane smut disease control. IMPORTANCE Sugarcane smut caused by the basidiomycete fungus S. scitamineum leads to massive economic losses in sugarcane plantation globally. Dikaryotic hyphae formation (filamentous growth) and biofilm formation are two important aspects in S. scitamineum pathogenesis, yet the molecular regulation of these two processes was not as extensively investigated as that in the model pathogenic fungi, e.g., Candida albicans, Ustilago maydis, or Cryptococcus neoformans. In this study, a tryptophan aminotransferase ortholog was identified in S. scitamineum, designated SsAro8. Functional characterization showed that SsAro8 positively regulates both filamentous growth and biofilm formation, respectively, via tryptophol-dependent and -independent manners. Furthermore, SsAro8 is required for full pathogenicity and, thus, is a promising molecular target for designing anti-smut strategy.
Collapse
|
24
|
Kretschmer M, Damoo D, Sun S, Lee CWJ, Croll D, Brumer H, Kronstad J. Organic acids and glucose prime late-stage fungal biotrophy in maize. Science 2022; 376:1187-1191. [PMID: 35679407 DOI: 10.1126/science.abo2401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Many plant-associated fungi are obligate biotrophs that depend on living hosts to proliferate. However, little is known about the molecular basis of the biotrophic lifestyle, despite the impact of fungi on the environment and food security. In this work, we show that combinations of organic acids and glucose trigger phenotypes that are associated with the late stage of biotrophy for the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis. These phenotypes include the expression of a set of effectors normally observed only during biotrophic development, as well as the formation of melanin associated with sporulation in plant tumors. U. maydis and other hemibiotrophic fungi also respond to a combination of carbon sources with enhanced proliferation. Thus, the response to combinations of nutrients from the host may be a conserved feature of fungal biotrophy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Kretschmer
- Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Djihane Damoo
- Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sherry Sun
- Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Christopher W J Lee
- Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Daniel Croll
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Biology, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Harry Brumer
- Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - James Kronstad
- Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Wu E, Liu L, Zhu M, Wu H, Yang Q, Li J, Han X, Feng B. The Life Cycle and Ultrastructure of the Host Response of the Smut Pathogen Anthracocystis destruens on Broomcorn Millet. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2022; 112:996-1002. [PMID: 34732077 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-04-21-0154-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: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Broomcorn millet smut caused by the fungus Anthracocystis destruens is one of the most destructive diseases in broomcorn millet production. The life cycle of A. destruens and host defense responses against A. destruens remain elusive. Here we investigated the disease symptom development and the parasitic process of A. destruens as well as the ultrastructure of the host-pathogen interface. The results showed that there are four typical symptoms of broomcorn millet smut, which are blackfly, cluster leaves, hedgehog head, and incomplete fruiting. A. destruens colonizes all tissues of broomcorn millet but produces teliospores only in the inflorescence. After infection, A. destruens proliferates in the host, likely in a systemic manner. Ultrastructural study of the infected inflorescence showed that the pathogen grows intercellularly and intracellularly within the host. The host activates defense response to prevent pathogen infection, accumulation of callose analogs and highly electron-dense deposits to resist A. destruens infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enguo Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Long Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Mingqi Zhu
- College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Huiqin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Qinghua Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Xiaowei Han
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Baili Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Kahmann R. My Personal Journey from the Fascination for Phages to a Tumor-Inducing Fungal Pathogen of Corn. Annu Rev Microbiol 2022; 76:1-19. [PMID: 35395169 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-121721-111032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
My path in science began with a fascination for microbiology and phages and later involved a switch of subjects to the fungus Ustilago maydis and how it causes disease in maize. I will not provide a review of my work but rather focus on decisive findings, serendipitous, lucky moments when major advances made the U. maydis-maize system what it is now-a well-established model for biotrophic fungi. I also want to share with you the joy of finding the needle in a haystack at the very end of my scientific career, a fungal structure likely used for effector delivery, and how we were able to translate this into a potential application in agriculture. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 76 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Regine Kahmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany;
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Zou K, Li Y, Zhang W, Jia Y, Wang Y, Ma Y, Lv X, Xuan Y, Du W. Early infection response of fungal biotroph Ustilago maydis in maize. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:970897. [PMID: 36161006 PMCID: PMC9504671 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.970897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Common smut, caused by Ustilago maydis (DC.) Corda, is a destructive fungal disease of maize worldwide; it forms large tumors, reducing corn yield and quality. However, the molecular defense mechanism to common smut in maize remains unclear. The present study aimed to use a leading maize inbred line Ye478 to analyze the response to U. maydis inoculation. The histological and cytological analyses demonstrated that U. maydis grew gradually to the host cells 6 h post-inoculation (hpi). The samples collected at 0, 3, 6, and 12 hpi were analyzed to assess the maize transcriptomic changes in response to U. maydis. The results revealed differences in hormone signaling, glycometabolism, and photosynthesis after U. maydis infection; specific changes were detected in jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), ethylene (ET), and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathways, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and photosystems I and II, probably related to defense response. MapMan analysis demonstrated that the differentially expressed genes between the treatment and control groups were clustered into light reaction and photorespiration pathways. In addition, U. maydis inoculation induced chloroplast swelling and damage, suggesting a significant effect on the chloroplast activity and subsequent metabolic process, especially hexose metabolism. A further genetic study using wild-type and galactinol-sucrose galactosyltransferase (gsg) and yellow-green leaf-1 (ygl-1) mutants identified that these two U. maydis-induced genes negatively regulated defense against common smut in maize. Our measurements showed the pathogen early-invasion process, and the key pathways of both chlorophyll biosynthesis and sugar transportation were critical modified in the infected maize line, thereby throwing a light on the molecular mechanisms in the maize-U. maydis interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kunkun Zou
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yang Li
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Wenjie Zhang
- College of Agronomy, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Yunfeng Jia
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yang Wang
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yuting Ma
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiangling Lv
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yuanhu Xuan
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Wanli Du
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- *Correspondence: Wanli Du
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Amoozadeh S, Johnston J, Meisrimler CN. Exploiting Structural Modelling Tools to Explore Host-Translocated Effector Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12962. [PMID: 34884778 PMCID: PMC8657640 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Oomycete and fungal interactions with plants can be neutral, symbiotic or pathogenic with different impact on plant health and fitness. Both fungi and oomycetes can generate so-called effector proteins in order to successfully colonize the host plant. These proteins modify stress pathways, developmental processes and the innate immune system to the microbes' benefit, with a very different outcome for the plant. Investigating the biological and functional roles of effectors during plant-microbe interactions are accessible through bioinformatics and experimental approaches. The next generation protein modeling software RoseTTafold and AlphaFold2 have made significant progress in defining the 3D-structure of proteins by utilizing novel machine-learning algorithms using amino acid sequences as their only input. As these two methods rely on super computers, Google Colabfold alternatives have received significant attention, making the approaches more accessible to users. Here, we focus on current structural biology, sequence motif and domain knowledge of effector proteins from filamentous microbes and discuss the broader use of novel modelling strategies, namely AlphaFold2 and RoseTTafold, in the field of effector biology. Finally, we compare the original programs and their Colab versions to assess current strengths, ease of access, limitations and future applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sahel Amoozadeh
- School of Biological Science, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand;
| | - Jodie Johnston
- School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand;
| | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Zhang ZP, Song SX, Liu YC, Zhu XR, Jiang YF, Shi LT, Jiang JZ, Miao MM. Mixed Transcriptome Analysis Revealed the Possible Interaction Mechanisms between Zizania latifolia and Ustilago esculenta Inducing Jiaobai Stem-Gall Formation. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212258. [PMID: 34830140 PMCID: PMC8618054 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The smut fungus Ustilago esculenta infects Zizania latifolia and induces stem expansion to form a unique vegetable named Jiaobai. Although previous studies have demonstrated that hormonal control is essential for triggering stem swelling, the role of hormones synthesized by Z. latifolia and U. esculenta and the underlying molecular mechanism are not yet clear. To study the mechanism that triggers swollen stem formation, we analyzed the gene expression pattern of both interacting organisms during the initial trigger of culm gall formation, at which time the infective hyphae also propagated extensively and penetrated host stem cells. Transcriptional analysis indicated that abundant genes involving fungal pathogenicity and plant resistance were reprogrammed to maintain the subtle balance between the parasite and host. In addition, the expression of genes involved in auxin biosynthesis of U. esculenta obviously decreased during stem swelling, while a large number of genes related to the synthesis, metabolism and signal transduction of hormones of the host plant were stimulated and showed specific expression patterns, particularly, the expression of ZlYUCCA9 (a flavin monooxygenase, the key enzyme in indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis pathway) increased significantly. Simultaneously, the content of IAA increased significantly, while the contents of cytokinin and gibberellin showed the opposite trend. We speculated that auxin produced by the host plant, rather than the fungus, triggers stem swelling. Furthermore, from the differently expressed genes, two candidate Cys2-His2 (C2H2) zinc finger proteins, GME3058_g and GME5963_g, were identified from U. esculenta, which may conduct fungus growth and infection at the initial stage of stem-gall formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Ping Zhang
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Z.-P.Z.); (S.-X.S.); (Y.-C.L.); (X.-R.Z.); (Y.-F.J.); (L.-T.S.); (J.-Z.J.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Si-Xiao Song
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Z.-P.Z.); (S.-X.S.); (Y.-C.L.); (X.-R.Z.); (Y.-F.J.); (L.-T.S.); (J.-Z.J.)
| | - Yan-Cheng Liu
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Z.-P.Z.); (S.-X.S.); (Y.-C.L.); (X.-R.Z.); (Y.-F.J.); (L.-T.S.); (J.-Z.J.)
| | - Xin-Rui Zhu
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Z.-P.Z.); (S.-X.S.); (Y.-C.L.); (X.-R.Z.); (Y.-F.J.); (L.-T.S.); (J.-Z.J.)
| | - Yi-Feng Jiang
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Z.-P.Z.); (S.-X.S.); (Y.-C.L.); (X.-R.Z.); (Y.-F.J.); (L.-T.S.); (J.-Z.J.)
| | - Ling-Tong Shi
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Z.-P.Z.); (S.-X.S.); (Y.-C.L.); (X.-R.Z.); (Y.-F.J.); (L.-T.S.); (J.-Z.J.)
| | - Jie-Zeng Jiang
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Z.-P.Z.); (S.-X.S.); (Y.-C.L.); (X.-R.Z.); (Y.-F.J.); (L.-T.S.); (J.-Z.J.)
| | - Min-Min Miao
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Z.-P.Z.); (S.-X.S.); (Y.-C.L.); (X.-R.Z.); (Y.-F.J.); (L.-T.S.); (J.-Z.J.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Wernet N, Wernet V, Fischer R. The small-secreted cysteine-rich protein CyrA is a virulence factor participating in the attack of Caenorhabditis elegans by Duddingtonia flagrans. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1010028. [PMID: 34735554 PMCID: PMC8568293 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Nematode-trapping fungi (NTF) are a diverse and intriguing group of fungi that live saprotrophically but can switch to a predatory lifestyle when starving and in the presence of nematodes. NTF like Arthrobotrys oligospora or Duddingtonia flagrans produce adhesive trapping networks to catch and immobilize nematodes. After penetration of the cuticle, hyphae grow and develop inside the worm and secrete large amounts of hydrolytic enzymes for digestion. In many microbial pathogenic interactions small-secreted proteins (SSPs) are used to manipulate the host. The genome of D. flagrans encodes more than 100 of such putative SSPs one of which is the cysteine-rich protein CyrA. We have chosen this gene for further analysis because it is only found in NTF and appeared to be upregulated during the interaction. We show that the cyrA gene was transcriptionally induced in trap cells, and the protein accumulated at the inner rim of the hyphal ring before Caenorhabditis elegans capture. After worm penetration, the protein appeared at the fungal infection bulb, where it is likely to be secreted with the help of the exocyst complex. A cyrA-deletion strain was less virulent, and the time from worm capture to paralysis was extended. Heterologous expression of CyrA in C. elegans reduced its lifespan. CyrA accumulated in C. elegans in coelomocytes where the protein possibly is inactivated. This is the first example that SSPs may be important in predatory microbial interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Wernet
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)—South Campus, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Dept. of Microbiology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Valentin Wernet
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)—South Campus, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Dept. of Microbiology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Reinhard Fischer
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)—South Campus, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Dept. of Microbiology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Zuo W, Depotter JRL, Gupta DK, Thines M, Doehlemann G. Cross-species analysis between the maize smut fungi Ustilago maydis and Sporisorium reilianum highlights the role of transcriptional change of effector orthologs for virulence and disease. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:719-733. [PMID: 34270791 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The constitution and regulation of effector repertoires shape host-microbe interactions. Ustilago maydis and Sporisorium reilianum are two closely related smut fungi, which both infect maize but cause distinct disease symptoms. Understanding how effector orthologs are regulated in these two pathogens can therefore provide insights into the evolution of different infection strategies. We tracked the infection progress of U. maydis and S. reilianum in maize leaves and used two distinct infection stages for cross-species RNA-sequencing analyses. We identified 207 of 335 one-to-one effector orthologs as differentially regulated during host colonization, which might reflect the distinct disease development strategies. Using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene conversion, we identified two differentially expressed effector orthologs with conserved function between two pathogens. Thus, differential expression of functionally conserved genes might contribute to species-specific adaptation and symptom development. Interestingly, another differentially expressed orthogroup (UMAG_05318/Sr10075) showed divergent protein function, providing a possible case for neofunctionalization. Collectively, we demonstrated that the diversification of effector genes in related pathogens can be caused both by alteration on the transcriptional level and through functional diversification of the encoded effector proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weiliang Zuo
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| | - Jasper R L Depotter
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| | - Deepak K Gupta
- Department for Biological Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
- Integrative Fungal Research Cluster (IPF), Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
| | - Marco Thines
- Department for Biological Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
- Integrative Fungal Research Cluster (IPF), Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Arias SL, Mary VS, Velez PA, Rodriguez MG, Otaiza-González SN, Theumer MG. Where Does the Peanut Smut Pathogen, Thecaphora frezii, Fit in the Spectrum of Smut Diseases? PLANT DISEASE 2021; 105:2268-2280. [PMID: 33904333 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-11-20-2438-fe] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Smut fungi, such as Ustilago maydis, have been studied extensively as a model for plant-pathogenic basidiomycetes. However, little attention has been paid to smut diseases of agronomic importance that are caused by species of the genus Thecaphora, probably due to their more localized distribution. Peanut smut incited by Thecaphora frezii has been reported only in South America, and Argentina is the only country where this disease has been noted in commercial peanut production. In this work, important advances in deciphering T. frezii specific biology/pathobiology in relation to potato (T. solani), wheat (U. tritici), and barley (U. nuda) smuts are presented. We summarize the state of knowledge of fungal effectors, functionally characterized to date in U. maydis and most recently in T. thlaspeos, as well as the potential to be present in other Thecaphora species involved in dicot-host interactions like T. frezii-peanut. We also discuss applicability and limitations of currently available methods for identification of smut fungi in different situations and management strategies to reduce their impact on agri-food quality. We conclude by describing some of the challenges in elucidating T. frezii strategies that allow it to infect the host and tolerate or evade plant immune defense mechanisms, and assessing other aspects related to pest control and their implications for human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvina L Arias
- Plant Pathology and Microbiology Department, Seed Science Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-4009, U.S.A
| | - Verónica S Mary
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas (FCQ), Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Pilar A Velez
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas (FCQ), Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María G Rodriguez
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas (FCQ), Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Santiago N Otaiza-González
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas (FCQ), Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Martín G Theumer
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas (FCQ), Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Córdoba, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Hoang CV, Bhaskar CK, Ma LS. A Novel Core Effector Vp1 Promotes Fungal Colonization and Virulence of Ustilago maydis. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7080589. [PMID: 34436129 PMCID: PMC8396986 DOI: 10.3390/jof7080589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The biotrophic fungus Ustilago maydis secretes a plethora of uncharacterized effector proteins and causes smut disease in maize. Among the effector genes that are up-regulated during the biotrophic growth in maize, we identified vp1 (virulence promoting 1), which has an expression that was up-regulated and maintained at a high level throughout the life cycle of the fungus. We characterized Vp1 by applying in silico analysis, reverse genetics, phenotypic assessment, microscopy, and protein localization and provided a fundamental understanding of the Vp1 protein in U. maydis. The reduction in fungal virulence and colonization in the vp1 mutant suggests the virulence-promoting function of Vp1. The deletion studies on the NLS (nuclear localization signal) sequence and the protein localization study revealed that the C-terminus of Vp1 is processed after secretion in plant apoplast and could localize to the plant nucleus. The Ustilago hordei ortholog UhVp1 lacks NLS localized in the plant cytoplasm, suggesting that the orthologs might have a distinct subcellular localization. Further complementation studies of the Vp1 orthologs in related smut fungi revealed that none of them could complement the virulence function of U. maydis Vp1, suggesting that UmVp1 could acquire a specialized function via sequence divergence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cuong V. Hoang
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; (C.V.H.); (C.K.B.)
- Molecular and Biological Agricultural Sciences Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, National Chung Hsing University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Chibbhi K. Bhaskar
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; (C.V.H.); (C.K.B.)
- Molecular and Biological Agricultural Sciences Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, National Chung Hsing University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Lay-Sun Ma
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; (C.V.H.); (C.K.B.)
- Molecular and Biological Agricultural Sciences Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, National Chung Hsing University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-2-2787-1145
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Weiland P, Altegoer F. Identification and Characterization of Two Transmembrane Proteins Required for Virulence of Ustilago maydis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:669835. [PMID: 34093627 PMCID: PMC8176221 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.669835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Smut fungi comprise a large group of biotrophic phytopathogens infecting important crops such as wheat and corn. Through the secretion of effector proteins, the fungus actively suppresses plant immune reactions and modulates its host's metabolism. Consequently, how soluble effector proteins contribute to virulence is already characterized in a range of phytopathogens. However, membrane-associated virulence factors have been much less studied to date. Here, we investigated six transmembrane (TM) proteins that show elevated gene expression during biotrophic development of the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis. We show that two of the six proteins, named Vmp1 and Vmp2 (virulence-associated membrane protein), are essential for the full virulence of U. maydis. The deletion of the corresponding genes leads to a substantial attenuation in the virulence of U. maydis. Furthermore, both are conserved in various related smuts and contain no domains of known function. Our biochemical analysis clearly shows that Vmp1 and Vmp2 are membrane-associated proteins, potentially localizing to the U. maydis plasma membrane. Mass photometry and light scattering suggest that Vmp1 mainly occurs as a monomer, while Vmp2 is dimeric. Notably, the large and partially unstructured C-terminal domain of Vmp2 is crucial for virulence while not contributing to dimerization. Taken together, we here provide an initial characterization of two membrane proteins as virulence factors of U. maydis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Weiland
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Faculty of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Florian Altegoer
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Faculty of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max-Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Singh Y, Nair AM, Verma PK. Surviving the odds: From perception to survival of fungal phytopathogens under host-generated oxidative burst. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2021; 2:100142. [PMID: 34027389 PMCID: PMC8132124 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2021.100142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Fungal phytopathogens pose a serious threat to global crop production. Only a handful of strategies are available to combat these fungal infections, and the increasing incidence of fungicide resistance is making the situation worse. Hence, the molecular understanding of plant-fungus interactions remains a primary focus of plant pathology. One of the hallmarks of host-pathogen interactions is the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a plant defense mechanism, collectively termed the oxidative burst. In general, high accumulation of ROS restricts the growth of pathogenic organisms by causing localized cell death around the site of infection. To survive the oxidative burst and achieve successful host colonization, fungal phytopathogens employ intricate mechanisms for ROS perception, ROS neutralization, and protection from ROS-mediated damage. Together, these countermeasures maintain the physiological redox homeostasis that is essential for cell viability. In addition to intracellular antioxidant systems, phytopathogenic fungi also deploy interesting effector-mediated mechanisms for extracellular ROS modulation. This aspect of plant-pathogen interactions is significantly under-studied and provides enormous scope for future research. These adaptive responses, broadly categorized into "escape" and "exploitation" mechanisms, are poorly understood. In this review, we discuss the oxidative stress response of filamentous fungi, their perception signaling, and recent insights that provide a comprehensive understanding of the distinct survival mechanisms of fungal pathogens in response to the host-generated oxidative burst.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yeshveer Singh
- Plant Immunity Laboratory, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Athira Mohandas Nair
- Plant Immunity Laboratory, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Praveen Kumar Verma
- Plant Immunity Laboratory, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Schurack S, Depotter JRL, Gupta D, Thines M, Doehlemann G. Comparative transcriptome profiling identifies maize line specificity of fungal effectors in the maize-Ustilago maydis interaction. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 106:733-752. [PMID: 33570802 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The biotrophic pathogen Ustilago maydis causes smut disease on maize (Zea mays) and induces the formation of tumours on all aerial parts of the plant. Unlike in other biotrophic interactions, no gene-for-gene interactions have been identified in the maize-U. maydis pathosystem. Thus, maize resistance to U. maydis is considered a polygenic, quantitative trait. Here, we study the molecular mechanisms of quantitative disease resistance (QDR) in maize, and how U. maydis interferes with its components. Based on quantitative scoring of disease symptoms in 26 maize lines, we performed an RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis of six U. maydis-infected maize lines of highly distinct resistance levels. The different maize lines showed specific responses of diverse cellular processes to U. maydis infection. For U. maydis, our analysis identified 406 genes being differentially expressed between maize lines, of which 102 encode predicted effector proteins. Based on this analysis, we generated U. maydis CRISPR/Cas9 knock-out mutants for selected candidate effector sets. After infections of different maize lines with the fungal mutants, RNA-Seq analysis identified effectors with quantitative, maize line-specific virulence functions, and revealed auxin-related processes as a possible target for one of them. Thus, we show that both transcriptional activity and virulence function of fungal effector genes are modified according to the infected maize line, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying QDR in the maize-U. maydis interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Selma Schurack
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- IMPRS, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jasper R L Depotter
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Deepak Gupta
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt a. M, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Frankfurt a. M, Germany
| | - Marco Thines
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt a. M, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Frankfurt a. M, Germany
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Zhu M, Tong L, Xu M, Zhong T. Genetic dissection of maize disease resistance and its applications in molecular breeding. MOLECULAR BREEDING : NEW STRATEGIES IN PLANT IMPROVEMENT 2021; 41:32. [PMID: 37309327 PMCID: PMC10236108 DOI: 10.1007/s11032-021-01219-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Disease resistance is essential for reliable maize production. In a long-term tug-of-war between maize and its pathogenic microbes, naturally occurring resistance genes gradually accumulate and play a key role in protecting maize from various destructive diseases. Recently, significant progress has been made in deciphering the genetic basis of disease resistance in maize. Enhancing disease resistance can now be explored at the molecular level, from marker-assisted selection to genomic selection, transgenesis technique, and genome editing. In view of the continuing accumulation of cloned resistance genes and in-depth understanding of their resistance mechanisms, coupled with rapid progress of biotechnology, it is expected that the large-scale commercial application of molecular breeding of resistant maize varieties will soon become a reality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry/College of Agronomy and Biotechnology/National Maize Improvement Center/Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Lixiu Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry/College of Agronomy and Biotechnology/National Maize Improvement Center/Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Mingliang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry/College of Agronomy and Biotechnology/National Maize Improvement Center/Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Tao Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry/College of Agronomy and Biotechnology/National Maize Improvement Center/Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
van der Linde K, Göhre V. How Do Smut Fungi Use Plant Signals to Spatiotemporally Orientate on and In Planta? J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:107. [PMID: 33540708 PMCID: PMC7913117 DOI: 10.3390/jof7020107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Smut fungi represent a large group of biotrophic plant pathogens that cause extensive yield loss and are also model organisms for studying plant-pathogen interactions. In recent years, they have become biotechnological tools. After initial penetration of the plant epidermis, smut fungi grow intra-and intercellularly without disrupting the plant-plasma membrane. Following the colonialization step, teliospores are formed and later released. While some smuts only invade the tissues around the initial penetration site, others colonize in multiple plant organs resulting in spore formation distal from the original infection site. The intimate contact zone between fungal hyphae and the host is termed the biotrophic interaction zone and enables exchange of signals and nutrient uptake. Obviously, all steps of on and in planta growth require fine sensing of host conditions as well as reprogramming of the host by the smut fungus. In this review, we highlight selected examples of smut fungal colonization styles, directional growth in planta, induction of spore formation, and the signals required, pointing to excellent reviews for details, to draw attention to some of the open questions in this important research field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karina van der Linde
- Department of Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Vera Göhre
- Institute for Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Heinrich-Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Ökmen B, Schwammbach D, Bakkeren G, Neumann U, Doehlemann G. The Ustilago hordei-Barley Interaction Is a Versatile System for Characterization of Fungal Effectors. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:86. [PMID: 33513785 PMCID: PMC7912019 DOI: 10.3390/jof7020086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Obligate biotrophic fungal pathogens, such as Blumeria graminis and Puccinia graminis, are amongst the most devastating plant pathogens, causing dramatic yield losses in many economically important crops worldwide. However, a lack of reliable tools for the efficient genetic transformation has hampered studies into the molecular basis of their virulence or pathogenicity. In this study, we present the Ustilago hordei-barley pathosystem as a model to characterize effectors from different plant pathogenic fungi. We generate U. hordei solopathogenic strains, which form infectious filaments without the presence of a compatible mating partner. Solopathogenic strains are suitable for heterologous expression system for fungal virulence factors. A highly efficient Crispr/Cas9 gene editing system is made available for U. hordei. In addition, U. hordei infection structures during barley colonization are analyzed using transmission electron microscopy, showing that U. hordei forms intracellular infection structures sharing high similarity to haustoria formed by obligate rust and powdery mildew fungi. Thus, U. hordei has high potential as a fungal expression platform for functional studies of heterologous effector proteins in barley.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bilal Ökmen
- BioCenter, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47a, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Daniela Schwammbach
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl von Frisch Straße, 35043 Marburg, Germany;
| | - Guus Bakkeren
- Summerland Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Summerland, BC V0H 1Z0, Canada;
| | - Ulla Neumann
- Central Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, 50829 Cologne, Germany;
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- BioCenter, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47a, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Eitzen K, Sengupta P, Kroll S, Kemen E, Doehlemann G. A fungal member of the Arabidopsis thaliana phyllosphere antagonizes Albugo laibachii via a GH25 lysozyme. eLife 2021; 10:65306. [PMID: 33427195 PMCID: PMC7870139 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants are not only challenged by pathogenic organisms but also colonized by commensal microbes. The network of interactions these microbes establish with their host and among each other is suggested to contribute to the immune responses of plants against pathogens. In wild Arabidopsis thaliana populations, the oomycete pathogen Albugo laibachii plays an influential role in structuring the leaf phyllosphere. We show that the epiphytic yeast Moesziomyces bullatus ex Albugo on Arabidopsis, a close relative of pathogenic smut fungi, is an antagonistic member of the A. thaliana phyllosphere, which reduces infection of A. thaliana by A. laibachii. Combination of transcriptomics, reverse genetics, and protein characterization identified a GH25 hydrolase with lysozyme activity as a major effector of this microbial antagonism. Our findings broaden the understanding of microbial interactions within the phyllosphere, provide insights into the evolution of epiphytic basidiomycete yeasts, and pave the way for novel biocontrol strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Eitzen
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Center for Molecular Biosciences, Cologne, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Priyamedha Sengupta
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Center for Molecular Biosciences, Cologne, Germany
| | - Samuel Kroll
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Eric Kemen
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany.,Department of Microbial Interactions, IMIT/ZMBP, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Center for Molecular Biosciences, Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Depotter JRL, Zuo W, Hansen M, Zhang B, Xu M, Doehlemann G. Effectors with Different Gears: Divergence of Ustilago maydis Effector Genes Is Associated with Their Temporal Expression Pattern during Plant Infection. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 7:16. [PMID: 33383948 PMCID: PMC7823823 DOI: 10.3390/jof7010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant pathogens secrete a variety of effector proteins that enable host colonization but are also typical pathogen detection targets for the host immune system. Consequently, effector genes encounter high selection pressures, which typically makes them fast evolving. The corn smut pathogen Ustilago maydis has an effector gene repertoire with a dynamic expression across the different disease stages. We determined the amino acid divergence of U. maydis effector candidates with Sporisorium reilianum orthologs, a close relative of U. maydis. Intriguingly, there are two distinct groups of effector candidates, ones with a respective conserved and diverged protein evolution. Conservatively evolving effector genes especially have their peak expression during the (pre-)penetration stages of the disease cycle. In contrast, expression of divergently evolving effector genes generally peaks during fungal proliferation within the host. To test if this interspecific effector diversity corresponds to intraspecific diversity, we sampled and sequenced a diverse collection of U. maydis strains from the most important maize breeding and production regions in China. Effector candidates with a diverged interspecific evolution had more intraspecific amino acid variation than candidates with a conserved evolution. In conclusion, we highlight diversity in evolution within the U. maydis effector repertoire with dynamically and conservatively evolving members.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jasper R. L. Depotter
- Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, CEPLAS, D-50674 Cologne, Germany; (J.R.L.D.); (W.Z.); (M.H.)
| | - Weiliang Zuo
- Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, CEPLAS, D-50674 Cologne, Germany; (J.R.L.D.); (W.Z.); (M.H.)
| | - Maike Hansen
- Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, CEPLAS, D-50674 Cologne, Germany; (J.R.L.D.); (W.Z.); (M.H.)
| | - Boqi Zhang
- National Maize Improvement Centre of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (B.Z.); (M.X.)
| | - Mingliang Xu
- National Maize Improvement Centre of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (B.Z.); (M.X.)
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, CEPLAS, D-50674 Cologne, Germany; (J.R.L.D.); (W.Z.); (M.H.)
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Burkholderia gladioli CGB10: A Novel Strain Biocontrolling the Sugarcane Smut Disease. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8121943. [PMID: 33297590 PMCID: PMC7762381 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8121943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we isolated an endophytic Burkholderia gladioli strain, named CGB10, from sugarcane leaves. B. gladioli CGB10 displayed strong inhibitory activity against filamentous growth of fungal pathogens, one of which is Sporisorium scitamineum that causes sugarcane smut, a major disease affecting the quality and production of sugarcane in tropical and subtropical regions. CGB10 could effectively suppress sugarcane smut under field conditions, without itself causing any obvious damage or disease, thus underscoring a great potential as a biocontrol agent (BCA) for the management of sugarcane smut. A toxoflavin biosynthesis and transport gene cluster potentially responsible for such antifungal activity was identified in the CGB10 genome. Additionally, a quorum-sensing gene cluster was identified too and compared with two close Burkholderia species, thus supporting an overall connection to the regulation of toxoflavin synthesis therein. Overall, this work describes the in vitro and field Sporisorium scitamineum biocontrol by a new B. gladioli strain, and reports genes and molecular mechanisms potentially involved.
Collapse
|
43
|
Montenegro Alonso AP, Ali S, Song X, Linning R, Bakkeren G. UhAVR1, an HR-Triggering Avirulence Effector of Ustilago hordei, Is Secreted via the ER-Golgi Pathway, Localizes to the Cytosol of Barley Cells during in Planta-Expression, and Contributes to Virulence Early in Infection. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:E178. [PMID: 32961976 PMCID: PMC7559581 DOI: 10.3390/jof6030178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The basidiomycete Ustilago hordei causes covered smut disease of barley and oats. Virulence effectors promoting infection and supporting pathogen lifestyle have been described for this fungus. Genetically, six avirulence genes are known and one codes for UhAVR1, the only proven avirulence effector identified in smuts to date that triggers complete immunity in barley cultivars carrying resistance gene Ruh1. A prerequisite for resistance breeding is understanding the host targets and molecular function of UhAVR1. Analysis of this effector upon natural infection of barley coleoptiles using teliospores showed that UhAVR1 is expressed during the early stages of fungal infection where it leads to HR triggering in resistant cultivars or performs its virulence function in susceptible cultivars. Fungal secretion of UhAVR1 is directed by its signal peptide and occurs via the BrefeldinA-sensitive ER-Golgi pathway in cell culture away from its host. Transient in planta expression of UhAVR1 in barley and a nonhost, Nicotiana benthamiana, supports a cytosolic localization. Delivery of UhAVR1 via foxtail mosaic virus or Pseudomonas species in both barley and N. benthamiana reveals a role in suppressing components common to both plant systems of Effector- and Pattern-Triggered Immunity, including necrosis triggered by Agrobacterium-delivered cell death inducers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Priscilla Montenegro Alonso
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada;
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Summerland Research and Development Centre, Summerland, BC V0H 1Z0, Canada;
| | - Shawkat Ali
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Kentville Research and Development Centre, Kentville, NS B4N 1J5, Canada;
| | - Xiao Song
- Sandstone Pharmacies Glenmore Landing Calgary-Compounding, 167D, 1600–90 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2V 5A8, Canada;
| | - Rob Linning
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Summerland Research and Development Centre, Summerland, BC V0H 1Z0, Canada;
| | - Guus Bakkeren
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Summerland Research and Development Centre, Summerland, BC V0H 1Z0, Canada;
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Jaswal R, Rajarammohan S, Dubey H, Sharma TR. Smut fungi as a stratagem to characterize rust effectors: opportunities and challenges. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 36:150. [PMID: 32924088 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-020-02927-x] [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: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The rust pathogens are one of the most complex fungi in the Basidiomycetes. The development of genomic resources for rust and other plant pathogens has opened the opportunities for functional genomics of fungal genes. Despite significant progress in the field of fungal genomics, functional characterization of the genome components has lacked, especially for the rust pathogens. Their obligate nature and lack of standard stable transformation protocol are the primary reasons for rusts to be one of the least explored genera despite its significance. In the recently sequenced rust genomes, a vast catalogue of predicted effectors and pathogenicity genes have been reported. However, most of these candidate genes remained unexplored due to the lack of suitable characterization methods. The heterologous expression of putative effectors in Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis thaliana has proved to be a rapid screening method for identifying the role of these effectors in virulence. However, no fungal system has been used for the functional validation of these candidate genes. The smuts, from the evolutionary point of view, are closely related to the rust pathogens. Moreover, they have been widely studied and hence could be a suitable model system for expressing rust fungal genes heterologously. The genetic manipulation methods for smuts are also well standardized. Complementation assays can be used for functional validation of the homologous genes present in rust and smut fungal pathogens, while the species-specific proteins can be expressed in the mutant strains of smut pathogens having reduced or no virulence for virulence analysis. We propose that smuts, especially Ustilago maydis, may prove to be a good model system to characterize rust effector proteins in the absence of methods to manipulate the rust genomes directly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rajdeep Jaswal
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81 (Knowledge City), PO Manauli, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Sivasubramanian Rajarammohan
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81 (Knowledge City), PO Manauli, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Himanshu Dubey
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - T R Sharma
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81 (Knowledge City), PO Manauli, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India.
- Crop Science Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, 110001, India.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Jaswal R, Kiran K, Rajarammohan S, Dubey H, Singh PK, Sharma Y, Deshmukh R, Sonah H, Gupta N, Sharma TR. Effector Biology of Biotrophic Plant Fungal Pathogens: Current Advances and Future Prospects. Microbiol Res 2020; 241:126567. [PMID: 33080488 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2020.126567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The interaction of fungal pathogens with their host requires a novel invading mechanism and the presence of various virulence-associated components responsible for promoting the infection. The small secretory proteins, explicitly known as effector proteins, are one of the prime mechanisms of host manipulation utilized by the pathogen to disarm the host. Several effector proteins are known to translocate from fungus to the plant cell for host manipulation. Many fungal effectors have been identified using genomic, transcriptomic, and bioinformatics approaches. Most of the effector proteins are devoid of any conserved signatures, and their prediction based on sequence homology is very challenging, therefore by combining the sequence consensus based upon machine learning features, multiple tools have also been developed for predicting apoplastic and cytoplasmic effectors. Various post-genomics approaches like transcriptomics of virulent isolates have also been utilized for identifying active consortia of effectors. Significant progress has been made in understanding biotrophic effectors; however, most of it is underway due to their complex interaction with host and complicated recognition and signaling networks. This review discusses advances, and challenges in effector identification and highlighted various features of the potential effector proteins and approaches for understanding their genetics and strategies for regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rajdeep Jaswal
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India; Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, Punjab, 160014, India
| | - Kanti Kiran
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus New Delhi, 110012, India
| | | | - Himanshu Dubey
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Pankaj Kumar Singh
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Yogesh Sharma
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Rupesh Deshmukh
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Humira Sonah
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Naveen Gupta
- Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, Punjab, 160014, India.
| | - T R Sharma
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Tanaka S, Gollin I, Rössel N, Kahmann R. The functionally conserved effector Sta1 is a fungal cell wall protein required for virulence in Ustilago maydis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 227:185-199. [PMID: 32112567 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The biotrophic fungus Ustilago maydis causes the smut disease of maize. The interaction with its host and induction of characteristic tumors are governed largely by secreted effectors whose function is mostly unknown. To identify effectors with a prominent role in virulence, we used RNA sequencing and found that the gene sta1 is upregulated during early stages of infection. We characterized Sta1 by comparative genomics, reverse genetics, protein localization, stress assays, and microscopy. sta1 mutants show a dramatic reduction of virulence and show altered colonization of tissue neighboring the vascular bundles. Functional orthologues of Sta1 are found in related smut pathogens infecting monocot and dicot plants. Sta1 is secreted by budding cells but is attached to the cell wall of filamentous hyphae. Upon constitutive expression of Sta1, fungal filaments become susceptible to Congo red, β-glucanase, and chitinase, suggesting that Sta1 alters the structure of the fungal cell wall. Constitutive or delayed expression of sta1 during plant colonization negatively impacts on virulence. Our results suggest that Sta1 is a novel kind of effector, which needs to modify the hyphal cell wall to allow hyphae to be accommodated in tissue next to the vascular bundles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shigeyuki Tanaka
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 10, D-35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Isabelle Gollin
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 10, D-35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Rössel
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 10, D-35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 10, D-35043, Marburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Zhang Y, Hu Y, Cao Q, Yin Y, Xia W, Cui H, Yu X, Ye Z. Functional Properties of the MAP Kinase UeKpp2 in Ustilago esculenta. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1053. [PMID: 32582058 PMCID: PMC7295950 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ustilago esculenta undergoes an endophytic life cycle in Zizania latifolia. It induces the stem of its host to swell, forming the edible galls called jiaobai in China, which are the second most commonly cultivated aquatic vegetable in China. Z. latifolia raised for jiaobai can only reproduce asexually because the U. esculenta infection completely inhibits flowering. The infection and proliferation in the host plants during the formation of edible gall differ from those of conventional pathogens. Previous studies have shown a close relationship between mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and fungal pathogenesis. In this study, we explored the functional properties of the MAPK UeKpp2. Cross-species complementation assays were carried out, which indicated a functional complementation between the UeKpp2 of U. esculenta and the Kpp2 of Ustilago maydis. Next, UeKpp2 mutants of the UeT14 and the UeT55 sporidia background were generated; these showed an aberrant morphology of budding cells, and attenuated mating and filamentous growth in vitro, in the context of normal pathogenicity. Interestingly, we identified another protein kinase, UeUkc1, which acted downstream of UeKpp2 and may participate in the regulation of cell shape. We also found a defect of filamentous growth in UeKpp2 mutants that was not related to a defect of the induction of mating-type genes but was directly related to a defect in UeRbf1 induction. Overall, our results indicate an important role for UeKpp2 in U. esculenta that is slightly different from those reported for other smut fungi.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yafen Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yingli Hu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qianchao Cao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yumei Yin
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenqiang Xia
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haifeng Cui
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoping Yu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zihong Ye
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|