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Coca-Ruiz V, Aleu J, Collado IG. Comparing Fungal Sensitivity to Isothiocyanate Products on Different Botrytis spp. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:756. [PMID: 38592765 PMCID: PMC10974099 DOI: 10.3390/plants13060756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Glucosinolates, the main secondary metabolites accumulated in cruciferous flora, have a major impact on fortifying plant immunity against diverse pathogens. Although Botrytis cinerea exhibits varying sensitivity to these compounds, current research has yet to fully understand the intricate mechanisms governing its response to glucosinolates. Different species of the genus Botrytis were exposed to glucosinolate-derived isothiocyanates, revealing that B. fabae, B. deweyae, and B. convolute, species with the mfsG transporter gene (Bcin06g00026) not detected with PCR, were more sensitive to isothiocyanates than Botrytis species containing that gene, such as B. cinerea, B. pseudocinerea, and B. byssoidea. This finding was further corroborated by the inability of species with the mfsG gene not detected with PCR to infect plants with a high concentration of glucosinolate-derived isothiocyanates. These results challenge established correlations, revealing varying aggressiveness on different plant substrates. An expression analysis highlighted the gene's induction in the presence of isothiocyanate, and a bioinformatic investigation identified homologous genes in other Botrytis species. Our study underscored the importance of advanced biotechnology to help understand these proteins and thus offer innovative solutions for agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Coca-Ruiz
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cádiz, 11510 Cádiz, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomoléculas (INBIO), Universidad de Cádiz, 11510 Cádiz, Spain
| | - Josefina Aleu
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cádiz, 11510 Cádiz, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomoléculas (INBIO), Universidad de Cádiz, 11510 Cádiz, Spain
| | - Isidro G. Collado
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cádiz, 11510 Cádiz, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomoléculas (INBIO), Universidad de Cádiz, 11510 Cádiz, Spain
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2
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Bakhat N, Vielba-Fernández A, Padilla-Roji I, Martínez-Cruz J, Polonio Á, Fernández-Ortuño D, Pérez-García A. Suppression of Chitin-Triggered Immunity by Plant Fungal Pathogens: A Case Study of the Cucurbit Powdery Mildew Fungus Podosphaera xanthii. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:771. [PMID: 37504759 PMCID: PMC10381495 DOI: 10.3390/jof9070771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal pathogens are significant plant-destroying microorganisms that present an increasing threat to the world's crop production. Chitin is a crucial component of fungal cell walls and a conserved MAMP (microbe-associated molecular pattern) that can be recognized by specific plant receptors, activating chitin-triggered immunity. The molecular mechanisms underlying the perception of chitin by specific receptors are well known in plants such as rice and Arabidopsis thaliana and are believed to function similarly in many other plants. To become a plant pathogen, fungi have to suppress the activation of chitin-triggered immunity. Therefore, fungal pathogens have evolved various strategies, such as prevention of chitin digestion or interference with plant chitin receptors or chitin signaling, which involve the secretion of fungal proteins in most cases. Since chitin immunity is a very effective defensive response, these fungal mechanisms are believed to work in close coordination. In this review, we first provide an overview of the current understanding of chitin-triggered immune signaling and the fungal proteins developed for its suppression. Second, as an example, we discuss the mechanisms operating in fungal biotrophs such as powdery mildew fungi, particularly in the model species Podosphaera xanthii, the main causal agent of powdery mildew in cucurbits. The key role of fungal effector proteins involved in the modification, degradation, or sequestration of immunogenic chitin oligomers is discussed in the context of fungal pathogenesis and the promotion of powdery mildew disease. Finally, the use of this fundamental knowledge for the development of intervention strategies against powdery mildew fungi is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisrine Bakhat
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora", Universidad de Málaga, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29071 Malaga, Spain
| | - Alejandra Vielba-Fernández
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora", Universidad de Málaga, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29071 Malaga, Spain
| | - Isabel Padilla-Roji
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora", Universidad de Málaga, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29071 Malaga, Spain
| | - Jesús Martínez-Cruz
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora", Universidad de Málaga, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29071 Malaga, Spain
| | - Álvaro Polonio
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora", Universidad de Málaga, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29071 Malaga, Spain
| | - Dolores Fernández-Ortuño
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora", Universidad de Málaga, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29071 Malaga, Spain
| | - Alejandro Pérez-García
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora", Universidad de Málaga, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29071 Malaga, Spain
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3
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Gene Mining for Conserved, Non-Annotated Proteins of Podosphaera xanthii Identifies Novel Target Candidates for Controlling Powdery Mildews by Spray-Induced Gene Silencing. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7090735. [PMID: 34575773 PMCID: PMC8465782 DOI: 10.3390/jof7090735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The powdery mildew fungus Podosphaera xanthii is one of the most important limiting factors for cucurbit production worldwide. Despite the significant efforts made by breeding and chemical companies, effective control of this pathogen remains elusive to growers. In this work, we examined the suitability of RNAi technology called spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS) for controlling cucurbit powdery mildew. Using leaf disc and cotyledon infiltration assays, we tested the efficacy of dsRNA applications to induce gene silencing in P. xanthii. Furthermore, to identify new target candidate genes, we analyzed sixty conserved and non-annotated proteins (CNAPs) deduced from the P. xanthii transcriptome in silico. Six proteins presumably involved in essential functions, specifically respiration (CNAP8878, CNAP9066, CNAP10905 and CNAP30520), glycosylation (CNAP1048) and efflux transport (CNAP948), were identified. Functional analysis of these CNAP coding genes by dsRNA-induced gene silencing resulted in strong silencing phenotypes with large reductions in fungal growth and disease symptoms. Due to their important contributions to fungal development, the CNAP1048, CNAP10905 and CNAP30520 genes were selected as targets to conduct SIGS assays under plant growth chamber conditions. The spray application of these dsRNAs induced high levels of disease control, supporting that SIGS could be a sustainable approach to combat powdery mildew diseases.
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Ullah M, Xia L, Xie S, Sun S. CRISPR/Cas9-based genome engineering: A new breakthrough in the genetic manipulation of filamentous fungi. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2020; 67:835-851. [PMID: 33179815 DOI: 10.1002/bab.2077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi have several industrial, environmental, and medical applications. However, they are rarely utilized owing to the limited availability of full-genome sequences and genetic manipulation tools. Since the recent discovery of the full-genome sequences for certain industrially important filamentous fungi, CRISPR/Cas9 technology has drawn attention for the efficient development of engineered strains of filamentous fungi. CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has been successfully applied to diverse filamentous fungi. In this review, we briefly discuss the use of common genetic transformation techniques as well as CRISPR/Cas9-based systems in filamentous fungi. Furthermore, we describe potential limitations and challenges in the practical application of genome engineering of filamentous fungi. Finally, we provide suggestions and highlight future research prospects in the area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mati Ullah
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lin Xia
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shangxian Xie
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Su Sun
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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5
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Díaz A, Villanueva P, Oliva V, Gil-Durán C, Fierro F, Chávez R, Vaca I. Genetic Transformation of the Filamentous Fungus Pseudogymnoascus verrucosus of Antarctic Origin. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2675. [PMID: 31824460 PMCID: PMC6883257 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cold-adapted fungi isolated from Antarctica, in particular those belonging to the genus Pseudogymnoascus, are producers of secondary metabolites with interesting bioactive properties as well as enzymes with potential biotechnological applications. However, at genetic level, the study of these fungi has been hindered by the lack of suitable genetic tools such as transformation systems. In fungi, the availability of transformation systems is a key to address the functional analysis of genes related with the production of a particular metabolite or enzyme. To the best of our knowledge, the transformation of Pseudogymnoascus strains of Antarctic origin has not been achieved yet. In this work, we describe for the first time the successful transformation of a Pseudogymnoascus verrucosus strain of Antarctic origin, using two methodologies: the polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated transformation, and the electroporation of germinated conidia. We achieved transformation efficiencies of 15.87 ± 5.16 transformants per μg of DNA and 2.67 ± 1.15 transformants per μg of DNA for PEG-mediated transformation and electroporation of germinated conidia, respectively. These results indicate that PEG-mediated transformation is a very efficient method for the transformation of this Antarctic fungus. The genetic transformation of Pseudogymnoascus verrucosus described in this work represents the first example of transformation of a filamentous fungus of Antarctic origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaí Díaz
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo Villanueva
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Vicente Oliva
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carlos Gil-Durán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Fierro
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Renato Chávez
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Inmaculada Vaca
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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MFS transporter from Botrytis cinerea provides tolerance to glucosinolate-breakdown products and is required for pathogenicity. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2886. [PMID: 31253809 PMCID: PMC6599007 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10860-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucosinolates accumulate mainly in cruciferous plants and their hydrolysis-derived products play important roles in plant resistance against pathogens. The pathogen Botrytis cinerea has variable sensitivity to glucosinolates, but the mechanisms by which it responds to them are mostly unknown. Exposure of B. cinerea to glucosinolate-breakdown products induces expression of the Major Facilitator Superfamily transporter, mfsG, which functions in fungitoxic compound efflux. Inoculation of B. cinerea on wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana plants induces mfsG expression to higher levels than on glucosinolate-deficient A. thaliana mutants. A B. cinerea strain lacking functional mfsG transporter is deficient in efflux ability. It accumulates more isothiocyanates (ITCs) and is therefore more sensitive to this compound in vitro; it is also less virulent to glucosinolates-containing plants. Moreover, mfsG mediates ITC efflux in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells, thereby conferring tolerance to ITCs in the yeast. These findings suggest that mfsG transporter is a virulence factor that increases tolerance to glucosinolates. Plant glucosinolates are important in defense against fungal pathogens. Here, the authors identify a major facilitator superfamily transporter protein of the pathogen Botrytis cinerea, mfsG, that plays a role in efflux and detoxification of glucosinolate-breakdown products during plant–pathogen interactions.
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7
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Martínez-Cruz J, Romero D, De Vicente A, Pérez-García A. Transformation by growth onto agro-infiltrated tissues (TGAT), a simple and efficient alternative for transient transformation of the cucurbit powdery mildew pathogen Podosphaera xanthii. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2018; 19:2502-2515. [PMID: 30073764 PMCID: PMC6638186 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
A major limitation of molecular studies in powdery mildew fungi (Erysiphales) is their genetic intractability. This is because they are obligate biotrophs. In these parasites, biotrophy is determined by the presence of haustoria, which are specialized structures of parasitism that play an essential role in the acquisition of nutrients and the deliverance of effectors. Podosphaera xanthii is the main causal agent of cucurbit powdery mildew and a major limitation for crop productivity. In a previous study using P. xanthii conidia, we showed, for the first time, the transformation of powdery mildew fungi by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. In this work, we hypothesized that the haustorium could also act as a natural route for the acquisition of DNA. To test our hypothesis, melon cotyledons were agro-infiltrated with A. tumefaciens that contained diverse transfer DNA (T-DNA) constructs harbouring different marker genes under the control of fungal promoters and, after elimination of the bacterium, the cotyledons were subsequently inoculated with P. xanthii conidia. Our results conclusively demonstrated the transfer of different T-DNAs from A. tumefaciens to P. xanthii, including two fungicide resistance markers (hph and tub2), a reporter gene (gfp) and a translational fusion (cfp-PxEC2). These results were further supported by the co-localization of translational fluorescent fusions of A. tumefaciens VirD2 and P. xanthii Rab5 proteins into small vesicles of haustorial and hyphal cells, suggesting endocytosis as the mechanism for T-DNA uptake, presumably by the haustorium. From our perspective, transformation by growth onto agro-infiltrated tissues (TGAT) is the easiest and most reliable method for the transient transformation of powdery mildew fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Martínez-Cruz
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, 29071, Spain
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora', Universidad de Málaga, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Málaga, 29071, Spain
| | - Diego Romero
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, 29071, Spain
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora', Universidad de Málaga, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Málaga, 29071, Spain
| | - Antonio De Vicente
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, 29071, Spain
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora', Universidad de Málaga, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Málaga, 29071, Spain
| | - Alejandro Pérez-García
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, 29071, Spain
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora', Universidad de Málaga, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Málaga, 29071, Spain
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Martínez-Cruz J, Romero D, de la Torre FN, Fernández-Ortuño D, Torés JA, de Vicente A, Pérez-García A. The Functional Characterization of Podosphaera xanthii Candidate Effector Genes Reveals Novel Target Functions for Fungal Pathogenicity. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2018; 31:914-931. [PMID: 29513627 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-12-17-0318-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Podosphaera xanthii is the main causal agent of powdery mildew disease in cucurbits. In a previous study, we determined that P. xanthii expresses approximately 50 Podosphaera effector candidates (PECs), identified based on the presence of a predicted signal peptide and the absence of functional annotation. In this work, we used host-induced gene silencing (HIGS), employing Agrobacterium tumefaciens as a vector for the delivery of the silencing constructs (ATM-HIGS), to identify genes involved in early plant-pathogen interaction. The analysis of seven selected PEC-encoding genes showed that six of them, PEC007, PEC009, PEC019, PEC032, PEC034, and PEC054, are required for P. xanthii pathogenesis, as revealed by reduced fungal growth and increased production of hydrogen peroxide by host cells. In addition, protein models and protein-ligand predictions allowed us to identify putative functions for these candidates. The biochemical activities of PEC019, PEC032, and PEC054 were elucidated using their corresponding proteins expressed in Escherichia coli. These proteins were confirmed as phospholipid-binding protein, α-mannosidase, and cellulose-binding protein. Further, BLAST searches showed that these three effectors are widely distributed in phytopathogenic fungi. These results suggest novel targets for fungal effectors, such as host-cell plasma membrane, host-cell glycosylation, and damage-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Martínez-Cruz
- 1 Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga and Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora"-Universidad de Málaga-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29071 Málaga, Spain
| | - Diego Romero
- 1 Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga and Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora"-Universidad de Málaga-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29071 Málaga, Spain
| | - Fernando N de la Torre
- 2 Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain; and
| | - Dolores Fernández-Ortuño
- 3 Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora"-Universidad de Málaga-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29750 Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga, Spain
| | - Juan A Torés
- 3 Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora"-Universidad de Málaga-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29750 Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga, Spain
| | - Antonio de Vicente
- 1 Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga and Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora"-Universidad de Málaga-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29071 Málaga, Spain
| | - Alejandro Pérez-García
- 1 Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga and Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora"-Universidad de Málaga-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29071 Málaga, Spain
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9
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Electroporation of germinated conidia and young mycelium as an efficient transformation system for Acremonium chrysogenum. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2018; 64:33-39. [DOI: 10.1007/s12223-018-0625-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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10
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Feehan JM, Scheibel KE, Bourras S, Underwood W, Keller B, Somerville SC. Purification of High Molecular Weight Genomic DNA from Powdery Mildew for Long-Read Sequencing. J Vis Exp 2017. [PMID: 28448006 DOI: 10.3791/55463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The powdery mildew fungi are a group of economically important fungal plant pathogens. Relatively little is known about the molecular biology and genetics of these pathogens, in part due to a lack of well-developed genetic and genomic resources. These organisms have large, repetitive genomes, which have made genome sequencing and assembly prohibitively difficult. Here, we describe methods for the collection, extraction, purification and quality control assessment of high molecular weight genomic DNA from one powdery mildew species, Golovinomyces cichoracearum. The protocol described includes mechanical disruption of spores followed by an optimized phenol/chloroform genomic DNA extraction. A typical yield was 7 µg DNA per 150 mg conidia. The genomic DNA that is isolated using this procedure is suitable for long-read sequencing (i.e., > 48.5 kbp). Quality control measures to ensure the size, yield, and purity of the genomic DNA are also described in this method. Sequencing of the genomic DNA of the quality described here will allow for the assembly and comparison of multiple powdery mildew genomes, which in turn will lead to a better understanding and improved control of this agricultural pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M Feehan
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley; John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park
| | | | - Salim Bourras
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich
| | | | - Beat Keller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich
| | - Shauna C Somerville
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley;
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11
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Martínez-Cruz J, Romero D, de Vicente A, Pérez-García A. Transformation of the cucurbit powdery mildew pathogen Podosphaera xanthii by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 213:1961-1973. [PMID: 27864969 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The obligate biotrophic fungal pathogen Podosphaera xanthii is the main causal agent of powdery mildew in cucurbit crops all over the world. A major limitation of molecular studies of powdery mildew fungi (Erysiphales) is their genetic intractability. In this work, we describe a robust method based on the promiscuous transformation ability of Agrobacterium tumefaciens for reliable transformation of P. xanthii. The A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) system yielded transformants of P. xanthii with diverse transferred DNA (T-DNA) constructs. Analysis of the resultant transformants showed the random integration of T-DNA into the P. xanthii genome. The integrations were maintained in successive generations in the presence of selection pressure. Transformation was found to be transient, because in the absence of selection agent, the introduced genetic markers were lost due to excision of T-DNA from the genome. The ATMT system represents a potent tool for genetic manipulation of P. xanthii and will likely be useful for studying other biotrophic fungi. We hope that this method will contribute to the development of detailed molecular studies of the intimate interaction established between powdery mildew fungi and their host plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Martínez-Cruz
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora' - Universidad de Málaga - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Málaga, 29071, Spain
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga. Bulevar Louis Pasteur 31, Málaga, 29071, Spain
| | - Diego Romero
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora' - Universidad de Málaga - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Málaga, 29071, Spain
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga. Bulevar Louis Pasteur 31, Málaga, 29071, Spain
| | - Antonio de Vicente
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora' - Universidad de Málaga - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Málaga, 29071, Spain
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga. Bulevar Louis Pasteur 31, Málaga, 29071, Spain
| | - Alejandro Pérez-García
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora' - Universidad de Málaga - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Málaga, 29071, Spain
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga. Bulevar Louis Pasteur 31, Málaga, 29071, Spain
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