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Franco FP, Túler AC, Gallan DZ, Gonçalves FG, Favaris AP, Peñaflor MFGV, Leal WS, Moura DS, Bento JMS, Silva-Filho MC. Fungal phytopathogen modulates plant and insect responses to promote its dissemination. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:3522-3533. [PMID: 34127802 PMCID: PMC8630062 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01010-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Vector-borne plant pathogens often change host traits to manipulate vector behavior in a way that favors their spread. By contrast, infection by opportunistic fungi does not depend on vectors, although damage caused by an herbivore may facilitate infection. Manipulation of hosts and vectors, such as insect herbivores, has not been demonstrated in interactions with fungal pathogens. Herein, we establish a new paradigm for the plant-insect-fungus association in sugarcane. It has long been assumed that Fusarium verticillioides is an opportunistic fungus, where it takes advantage of the openings left by Diatraea saccharalis caterpillar attack to infect the plant. In this work, we show that volatile emissions from F. verticillioides attract D. saccharalis caterpillars. Once they become adults, the fungus is transmitted vertically to their offspring, which continues the cycle by inoculating the fungus into healthy plants. Females not carrying the fungus prefer to lay their eggs on fungus-infected plants than mock plants, while females carrying the fungus prefer to lay their eggs on mock plants than fungus-infected plants. Even though the fungus impacts D. saccharalis sex behavior, larval weight and reproduction rate, most individuals complete their development. Our data demonstrate that the fungus manipulates both the host plant and insect herbivore across life cycle to promote its infection and dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flávia P. Franco
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP Brazil
| | - Amanda C. Túler
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP Brazil
| | - Diego Z. Gallan
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP Brazil
| | - Felipe G. Gonçalves
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP Brazil
| | - Arodí P. Favaris
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP Brazil
| | | | - Walter S. Leal
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA USA
| | - Daniel S. Moura
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP Brazil
| | - José Maurício S. Bento
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP Brazil
| | - Marcio C. Silva-Filho
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP Brazil
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Franco FP, Santiago AC, Henrique-Silva F, de Castro PA, Goldman GH, Moura DS, Silva-Filho MC. The sugarcane defense protein SUGARWIN2 causes cell death in Colletotrichum falcatum but not in non-pathogenic fungi. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91159. [PMID: 24608349 PMCID: PMC3946703 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants respond to pathogens and insect attacks by inducing and accumulating a large set of defense-related proteins. Two homologues of a barley wound-inducible protein (BARWIN) have been characterized in sugarcane, SUGARWIN1 and SUGARWIN2 (sugarcane wound-inducible proteins). Induction of SUGARWINs occurs in response to Diatraea saccharalis damage but not to pathogen infection. In addition, the protein itself does not show any effect on insect development; instead, it has antimicrobial activities toward Fusarium verticillioides, an opportunistic fungus that usually occurs after D. saccharalis borer attacks on sugarcane. In this study, we sought to evaluate the specificity of SUGARWIN2 to better understand its mechanism of action against phytopathogens and the associations between fungi and insects that affect plants. We used Colletotrichum falcatum, a fungus that causes red rot disease in sugarcane fields infested by D. saccharalis, and Ceratocystis paradoxa, which causes pineapple disease in sugarcane. We also tested whether SUGARWIN2 is able to cause cell death in Aspergillus nidulans, a fungus that does not infect sugarcane, and in the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is used for bioethanol production. Recombinant SUGARWIN2 altered C. falcatum morphology by increasing vacuolization, points of fractures and a leak of intracellular material, leading to germling apoptosis. In C. paradoxa, SUGARWIN2 showed increased vacuolization in hyphae but did not kill the fungi. Neither the non-pathogenic fungus A. nidulans nor the yeast S. cerevisiae was affected by recombinant SUGARWIN2, suggesting that the protein is specific to sugarcane opportunistic fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flávia P. Franco
- Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Adelita C. Santiago
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Flávio Henrique-Silva
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Gustavo H. Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Daniel S. Moura
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcio C. Silva-Filho
- Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
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