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Liang X, Yu W, Meng Y, Shang S, Tian H, Zhang Z, Rollins JA, Zhang R, Sun G. Genome comparisons reveal accessory genes crucial for the evolution of apple Glomerella leaf spot pathogenicity in Colletotrichum fungi. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2024; 25:e13454. [PMID: 38619507 PMCID: PMC11018114 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Apple Glomerella leaf spot (GLS) is an emerging fungal disease caused by Colletotrichum fructicola and other Colletotrichum species. These species are polyphyletic and it is currently unknown how these pathogens convergently evolved to infect apple. We generated chromosome-level genome assemblies of a GLS-adapted isolate and a non-adapted isolate in C. fructicola using long-read sequencing. Additionally, we resequenced 17 C. fructicola and C. aenigma isolates varying in GLS pathogenicity using short-read sequencing. Genome comparisons revealed a conserved bipartite genome architecture involving minichromosomes (accessory chromosomes) shared by C. fructicola and other closely related species within the C. gloeosporioides species complex. Moreover, two repeat-rich genomic regions (1.61 Mb in total) were specifically conserved among GLS-pathogenic isolates in C. fructicola and C. aenigma. Single-gene deletion of 10 accessory genes within the GLS-specific regions of C. fructicola identified three that were essential for GLS pathogenicity. These genes encoded a putative non-ribosomal peptide synthetase, a flavin-binding monooxygenase and a small protein with unknown function. These results highlight the crucial role accessory genes play in the evolution of Colletotrichum pathogenicity and imply the significance of an unidentified secondary metabolite in GLS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid AreasCollege of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Wei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid AreasCollege of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Yanan Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid AreasCollege of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Shengping Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid AreasCollege of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Huanhuan Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid AreasCollege of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Zhaohui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid AreasCollege of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | | | - Rong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid AreasCollege of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Guangyu Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid AreasCollege of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
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Chicowski AS, Bredow M, Utiyama AS, Marcelino‐Guimarães FC, Whitham SA. Soybean-Phakopsora pachyrhizi interactions: towards the development of next-generation disease-resistant plants. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024; 22:296-315. [PMID: 37883664 PMCID: PMC10826999 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14206] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Soybean rust (SBR), caused by the obligate biotrophic fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, is a devastating foliar disease threatening soybean production. To date, no commercial cultivars conferring durable resistance to SBR are available. The development of long-lasting SBR resistance has been hindered by the lack of understanding of this complex pathosystem, encompassing challenges posed by intricate genetic structures in both the host and pathogen, leading to a gap in the knowledge of gene-for-gene interactions between soybean and P. pachyrhizi. In this review, we focus on recent advancements and emerging technologies that can be used to improve our understanding of the P. pachyrhizi-soybean molecular interactions. We further explore approaches used to combat SBR, including conventional breeding, transgenic approaches and RNA interference, and how advances in our understanding of plant immune networks, the availability of new molecular tools, and the recent sequencing of the P. pachyrhizi genome could be used to aid in the development of better genetic resistance against SBR. Lastly, we discuss the research gaps of this pathosystem and how new technologies can be used to shed light on these questions and to develop durable next-generation SBR-resistant soybean plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Sartor Chicowski
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and MicrobiologyIowa State UniversityAmesIowaUSA
| | - Melissa Bredow
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and MicrobiologyIowa State UniversityAmesIowaUSA
| | - Alice Satiko Utiyama
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation – National Soybean Research Center (Embrapa Soja)LondrinaParanáBrazil
- Department of AgronomyFederal University of ViçosaViçosaMinas GeraisBrazil
| | | | - Steven A. Whitham
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and MicrobiologyIowa State UniversityAmesIowaUSA
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Petre B, Duplessis S. A decade after the first Pucciniales genomes: A bibliometric snapshot of (post) genomics studies in three model rust fungi. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:989580. [PMID: 36187960 PMCID: PMC9515648 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.989580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pucciniales (rust fungi) are one of the largest fungal order of plant pathogens. They collectively infect key crops such as wheat and soybean, and threaten global food security. In the early 2010s, the genome sequences of three rust fungi were released: Melampsora larici-populina (the poplar leaf rust fungus), Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (the wheat stem rust fungus), and Puccinia striiformis f. sp. triciti (the wheat stripe rust or wheat yellow rust fungus). The availability of those genomes has forwarded rust biology into the post-genomic era, sparking a series of genomics, transcriptomics, in silico, and functional studies. Here, we snapshot the last 10 years of post-genomics studies addressing M. larici-populina, P. graminis f. sp. tritici, and/or P. striiformis f. sp. tritici. This mini-review notably reveals the model species-centered structure of the research community, and highlights the drastic increase of the number of functional studies focused on effectors since 2014, which notably revealed chloroplasts as a central host compartment targeted by rust fungi. This mini-review also discusses genomics-facilitated studies in other rust species, and emerging post-genomic research trends related to fully-phased rust genomes.
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Zhou X, Yu D, Cao Z. Convergence Analysis of Rust Fungi and Anther Smuts Reveals Their Common Molecular Adaptation to a Phytoparasitic Lifestyle. Front Genet 2022; 13:863617. [PMID: 35464858 PMCID: PMC9023891 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.863617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Convergent evolution between distantly related taxa often mirrors adaptation to similar environments. Rust fungi and anther smuts, which belong to different classes in Pucciniomycotina, have independently evolved a phytoparasitic lifestyle, representing an example of convergent evolution in the fungal kingdom. To investigate their adaptations and the genetic bases underlying their phytoparasitic lifestyles, we performed genome-wide convergence analysis of amino acid substitutions, evolutionary rates, and gene gains and losses. Convergent substitutions were detected in ATPeV0D and RP-S27Ae, two genes important for the generation of turgor pressure and ribosomal biosynthesis, respectively. A total of 51 positively selected genes were identified, including eight genes associated with translation and three genes related to the secretion pathway. In addition, rust fungi and anther smuts contained more proteins associated with oligopeptide transporters and vacuolar proteases than did other fungi. For rust fungi and anther smuts, these forms of convergence suggest four adaptive mechanisms for a phytoparasitic lifestyle: 1) reducing the metabolic demand for hyphal growth and penetration at the pre-penetration stage, 2) maintaining the efficiency of protein synthesis during colonization, 3) ensuring the normal secretion of rapidly evolving secreted proteins, and 4) improving the capacity for oligopeptide metabolism. Our results are the first to shed light on the genetic convergence mechanisms and molecular adaptation underlying phytoparasitic lifestyles in fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zhimin Cao
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
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Zubair M, Farzand A, Mumtaz F, Khan AR, Sheikh TMM, Haider MS, Yu C, Wang Y, Ayaz M, Gu Q, Gao X, Wu H. Novel Genetic Dysregulations and Oxidative Damage in Fusarium graminearum Induced by Plant Defense Eliciting Psychrophilic Bacillus atrophaeus TS1. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212094. [PMID: 34829976 PMCID: PMC8622878 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212094] [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: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
This study elaborates inter-kingdom signaling mechanisms, presenting a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to combat biotic as well as abiotic stress in wheat. Fusarium graminearum is a devastating pathogen causing head and seedling blight in wheat, leading to huge yield and economic losses. Psychrophilic Bacillus atrophaeus strain TS1 was found as a potential biocontrol agent for suppression of F. graminearum under low temperature by carrying out extensive biochemical and molecular studies in comparison with a temperate biocontrol model strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 at 15 and 25 °C. TS1 was able to produce hydrolytic extracellular enzymes as well as antimicrobial lipopeptides, i.e., surfactin, bacillomycin, and fengycin, efficiently at low temperatures. The Bacillus strain-induced oxidative cellular damage, ultrastructural deformities, and novel genetic dysregulations in the fungal pathogen as the bacterial treatment at low temperature were able to downregulate the expression of newly predicted novel fungal genes potentially belonging to necrosis inducing protein families (fgHCE and fgNPP1). The wheat pot experiments conducted at 15 and 25 °C revealed the potential of TS1 to elicit sudden induction of plant defense, namely, H2O2 and callose enhanced activity of plant defense-related enzymes and induced over-expression of defense-related genes which accumulatively lead to the suppression of F. graminearum and decreased diseased leaf area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Zubair
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China; (M.Z.); (A.F.); (A.R.K.); (T.M.M.S.); (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (M.A.); (Q.G.); (X.G.)
| | - Ayaz Farzand
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China; (M.Z.); (A.F.); (A.R.K.); (T.M.M.S.); (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (M.A.); (Q.G.); (X.G.)
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | - Faiza Mumtaz
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 13145-784, Tehran 13145-784, Iran;
| | - Abdur Rashid Khan
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China; (M.Z.); (A.F.); (A.R.K.); (T.M.M.S.); (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (M.A.); (Q.G.); (X.G.)
| | - Taha Majid Mahmood Sheikh
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China; (M.Z.); (A.F.); (A.R.K.); (T.M.M.S.); (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (M.A.); (Q.G.); (X.G.)
| | | | - Chenjie Yu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China; (M.Z.); (A.F.); (A.R.K.); (T.M.M.S.); (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (M.A.); (Q.G.); (X.G.)
| | - Yujie Wang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China; (M.Z.); (A.F.); (A.R.K.); (T.M.M.S.); (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (M.A.); (Q.G.); (X.G.)
| | - Muhammad Ayaz
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China; (M.Z.); (A.F.); (A.R.K.); (T.M.M.S.); (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (M.A.); (Q.G.); (X.G.)
| | - Qin Gu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China; (M.Z.); (A.F.); (A.R.K.); (T.M.M.S.); (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (M.A.); (Q.G.); (X.G.)
| | - Xuewen Gao
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China; (M.Z.); (A.F.); (A.R.K.); (T.M.M.S.); (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (M.A.); (Q.G.); (X.G.)
| | - Huijun Wu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China; (M.Z.); (A.F.); (A.R.K.); (T.M.M.S.); (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (M.A.); (Q.G.); (X.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel./Fax: +86-25-84395268
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Paediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship for Respiratory Infections in the Emergency Setting: A Systematic Review. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10111366. [PMID: 34827304 PMCID: PMC8615165 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10111366] [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: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance occurs due to the propensity of microbial pathogens to develop resistance to antibiotics over time. Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) have been developed in response to this growing crisis, to limit unnecessary antibiotic prescription through initiatives such as education-based seminars, prescribing guidelines, and rapid respiratory pathogen (RRP) testing. Paediatric patients who present to the emergency setting with respiratory symptoms are a particularly high-risk population susceptible to inappropriate antibiotic prescribing behaviours and are therefore an ideal cohort for focused ASPs. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the efficacy and safety of ASPs in this clinical context. A systematic search of PubMed, Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was conducted to review the current evidence. Thirteen studies were included in the review and these studies assessed a range of stewardship interventions and outcome measures. Overall, ASPs reduced the rates of antibiotic prescription, increased the prescription of narrow-spectrum antibiotics, and shortened the duration of antibiotic therapy. Multimodal interventions that were education-based and those that used RRP testing were found to be the most effective. Whilst we found strong evidence that ASPs are effective in reducing antibiotic prescribing, further studies are required to assess whether they translate to equivalent clinical outcomes.
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Kiran K, Rawal HC, Dubey H, Jaswal R, Bhardwaj SC, Deshmukh R, Sharma TR. Genome-Wide Analysis of Four Pathotypes of Wheat Rust Pathogen ( Puccinia graminis) Reveals Structural Variations and Diversifying Selection. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:701. [PMID: 34575739 PMCID: PMC8468629 DOI: 10.3390/jof7090701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Diseases caused by Puccinia graminis are some of the most devastating diseases of wheat. Extensive genomic understanding of the pathogen has proven helpful not only in understanding host- pathogen interaction but also in finding appropriate control measures. In the present study, whole-genome sequencing of four diverse P. graminis pathotypes was performed to understand the genetic variation and evolution. An average of 63.5 Gb of data per pathotype with about 100× average genomic coverage was achieved with 100-base paired-end sequencing performed with Illumina Hiseq 1000. Genome structural annotations collectively predicted 9273 functional proteins including ~583 extracellular secreted proteins. Approximately 7.4% of the genes showed similarity with the PHI database which is suggestive of their significance in pathogenesis. Genome-wide analysis demonstrated pathotype 117-6 as likely distinct and descended through a different lineage. The 3-6% more SNPs in the regulatory regions and 154 genes under positive selection with their orthologs and under negative selection in the other three pathotypes further supported pathotype 117-6 to be highly diverse in nature. The genomic information generated in the present study could serve as an important source for comparative genomic studies across the genus Puccinia and lead to better rust management in wheat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanti Kiran
- Pusa Campus, ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India; (K.K.); (H.C.R.); (H.D.); (R.J.)
| | - Hukam C. Rawal
- Pusa Campus, ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India; (K.K.); (H.C.R.); (H.D.); (R.J.)
| | - Himanshu Dubey
- Pusa Campus, ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India; (K.K.); (H.C.R.); (H.D.); (R.J.)
| | - Rajdeep Jaswal
- Pusa Campus, ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India; (K.K.); (H.C.R.); (H.D.); (R.J.)
| | - Subhash C. Bhardwaj
- Regional Station, ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Shimla 171002, India;
| | - Rupesh Deshmukh
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Punjab 140306, India;
| | - Tilak Raj Sharma
- Pusa Campus, ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India; (K.K.); (H.C.R.); (H.D.); (R.J.)
- Division of Crop Science, ICAR-Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi 110001, India
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8
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Derbyshire MC, Harper LA, Lopez-Ruiz FJ. Positive Selection of Transcription Factors Is a Prominent Feature of the Evolution of a Plant Pathogenic Genus Originating in the Miocene. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6325025. [PMID: 34289036 PMCID: PMC8379374 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Tests based on the dN/dS statistic are used to identify positive selection of nonsynonymous polymorphisms. Using these tests on alignments of all orthologs from related species can provide insights into which gene categories have been most frequently positively selected. However, longer alignments have more power to detect positive selection, creating a detection bias that could create misleading results from functional enrichment tests. Most studies of positive selection in plant pathogens focus on genes with specific virulence functions, with little emphasis on broader molecular processes. Furthermore, no studies in plant pathogens have accounted for detection bias due to alignment length when performing functional enrichment tests. To address these research gaps, we analyze 12 genomes of the phytopathogenic fungal genus Botrytis, including two sequenced in this study. To establish a temporal context, we estimated fossil-calibrated divergence times for the genus. We find that Botrytis likely originated 16–18 Ma in the Miocene and underwent continuous radiation ending in the Pliocene. An untargeted scan of Botrytis single-copy orthologs for positive selection with three different statistical tests uncovered evidence for positive selection among proteases, signaling proteins, CAZymes, and secreted proteins. There was also a strong overrepresentation of transcription factors among positively selected genes. This overrepresentation was still apparent after two complementary controls for detection bias due to sequence length. Positively selected sites were depleted within DNA-binding domains, suggesting changes in transcriptional responses to internal and external cues or protein–protein interactions have undergone positive selection more frequently than changes in promoter fidelity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Derbyshire
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Lincoln A Harper
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Francisco J Lopez-Ruiz
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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Schweizer G, Haider MB, Barroso GV, Rössel N, Münch K, Kahmann R, Dutheil JY. Population Genomics of the Maize Pathogen Ustilago maydis: Demographic History and Role of Virulence Clusters in Adaptation. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evab073. [PMID: 33837781 PMCID: PMC8120014 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The tight interaction between pathogens and their hosts results in reciprocal selective forces that impact the genetic diversity of the interacting species. The footprints of this selection differ between pathosystems because of distinct life-history traits, demographic histories, or genome architectures. Here, we studied the genome-wide patterns of genetic diversity of 22 isolates of the causative agent of the corn smut disease, Ustilago maydis, originating from five locations in Mexico, the presumed center of origin of this species. In this species, many genes encoding secreted effector proteins reside in so-called virulence clusters in the genome, an arrangement that is so far not found in other filamentous plant pathogens. Using a combination of population genomic statistical analyses, we assessed the geographical, historical, and genome-wide variation of genetic diversity in this fungal pathogen. We report evidence of two partially admixed subpopulations that are only loosely associated with geographic origin. Using the multiple sequentially Markov coalescent model, we inferred the demographic history of the two pathogen subpopulations over the last 0.5 Myr. We show that both populations experienced a recent strong bottleneck starting around 10,000 years ago, coinciding with the assumed time of maize domestication. Although the genome average genetic diversity is low compared with other fungal pathogens, we estimated that the rate of nonsynonymous adaptive substitutions is three times higher in genes located within virulence clusters compared with nonclustered genes, including nonclustered effector genes. These results highlight the role that these singular genomic regions play in the evolution of this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Schweizer
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Muhammad Bilal Haider
- Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Research Group Molecular Systems Evolution, Plön, Germany
| | - Gustavo V Barroso
- Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Research Group Molecular Systems Evolution, Plön, Germany
| | - Nicole Rössel
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Karin Münch
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Julien Y Dutheil
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Research Group Molecular Systems Evolution, Plön, Germany
- Institute of Evolutionary Sciences of Montpellier, University of Montpellier 2, France
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10
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Mathur M, Nair A, Kadoo N. Plant-pathogen interactions: MicroRNA-mediated trans-kingdom gene regulation in fungi and their host plants. Genomics 2020; 112:3021-3035. [PMID: 32454170 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2020.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been prevalently studied in plants, animals, and viruses. However, recent studies show evidences of miRNA-like RNAs (milRNAs) in fungi as well. It is known that after successful infection, pathogens hijack the host machinery and use it for their own growth and multiplication. Alternatively, resistant plants can overcome the pathogen attack by a variety of mechanisms. Based on this prior knowledge, we computationally predicted milRNAs from 13 fungi, and identified their targets in transcriptomes of the respective fungi as well as their host plants. The expressions of the milRNAs and targets were confirmed using qRT-PCR. We found that plant miRNAs targeted fungal virulence genes, while fungal milRNAs targeted plant resistance genes; corroborating miRNA-mediated trans-kingdom gene regulation and the roles of miRNAs in plant-pathogen interactions. Transgenic plants with miRNAs targeting fungal virulence genes, or anti-sense of fungal milRNAs, would be expected to be highly resistant to the fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Mathur
- Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Aswathy Nair
- Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India
| | - Narendra Kadoo
- Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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Derbyshire MC. Bioinformatic Detection of Positive Selection Pressure in Plant Pathogens: The Neutral Theory of Molecular Sequence Evolution in Action. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:644. [PMID: 32328056 PMCID: PMC7160247 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The genomes of plant pathogenic fungi and oomycetes are often exposed to strong positive selection pressure. During speciation, shifts in host range and preference can lead to major adaptive changes. Furthermore, evolution of total host resistance to most isolates can force rapid evolutionary changes in host-specific pathogens. Crop pathogens are subjected to particularly intense selective pressures from monocultures and fungicides. Detection of the footprints of positive selection in plant pathogen genomes is a worthwhile endeavor as it aids understanding of the fundamental biology of these important organisms. There are two main classes of test for detection of positively selected alleles. Tests based on the ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous substitutions per site detect the footprints of multiple fixation events between divergent lineages. Thus, they are well-suited to the study of ancient adaptation events spanning speciations. On the other hand, tests that scan genomes for local fluctuations in allelic diversity within populations are suitable for detection of recent positive selection in populations. In this review, I briefly describe some of the more widely used tests of positive selection and the theory underlying them. I then discuss various examples of their application to plant pathogen genomes, emphasizing the types of genes that are associated with signatures of positive selection. I conclude with a discussion of the practicality of such tests for identification of pathogen genes of interest and the important features of pathogen ecology that must be taken into account for accurate interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C. Derbyshire
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
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12
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Zhao S, An B, Guo Y, Hou X, Luo H, He C, Wang Q. Label free proteomics and systematic analysis of secretome reveals effector candidates regulated by SGE1 and FTF1 in the plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:275. [PMID: 32245409 PMCID: PMC7119298 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-6695-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phytopathogens secreted effectors during host colonization to suppress or trigger plant immunity. Identification of new effectors is one of the research focuses in recent years. There is only a limited knowledge about effectors of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), the causal agent of wilt disease in Cavendish banana. RESULTS Two transcription factors, SGE1 and FTF1, were constitutively over-expressed in Foc TR4 to partially mimic the in-planta state. Secreted proteins with high purity were prepared through a two-round extraction method. Then the secretome were analyzed via label free proteomics method. A total of 919 non-redundant proteins were detected, of which 74 proteins were predicted to be effector candidates. Among these candidates, 29 were up-regulated and 13 down-regulated in the strain over-expressing SGE1 and FTF1, 8 were up-regulated and 4 down-regulated in either SGE1 or FTF1 over expression strain. CONCLUSIONS Through label free proteomics analysis, a series of effector candidates were identified in secretome of Foc TR4. Our work put a foundation for functional research of these effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shixue Zhao
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, People's Republic of China
| | - Bang An
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanhua Guo
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingrong Hou
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya, Hainan, 572022, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongli Luo
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, People's Republic of China
| | - Chaozu He
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiannan Wang
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, 570228, People's Republic of China.
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Denton‐Giles M, McCarthy H, Sehrish T, Dijkwel Y, Mesarich CH, Bradshaw RE, Cox MP, Dijkwel PP. Conservation and expansion of a necrosis-inducing small secreted protein family from host-variable phytopathogens of the Sclerotiniaceae. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2020; 21:512-526. [PMID: 32061186 PMCID: PMC7060139 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Fungal effector proteins facilitate host-plant colonization and have generally been characterized as small secreted proteins (SSPs). We classified and functionally tested SSPs from the secretomes of three closely related necrotrophic phytopathogens: Ciborinia camelliae, Botrytis cinerea, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Alignment of predicted SSPs identified a large protein family that share greater than 41% amino acid identity and that have key characteristics of previously described microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs). Strikingly, 73 of the 75 SSP family members were predicted within the secretome of the host-specialist C. camelliae with single-copy homologs identified in the secretomes of the host generalists S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea. To explore the potential function of this family of SSPs, 10 of the 73 C. camelliae proteins, together with the single-copy homologs from S. sclerotiorum (SsSSP3) and B. cinerea (BcSSP2), were cloned and expressed as recombinant proteins. Infiltration of SsSSP3 and BcSSP2 into host tissue induced rapid necrosis. In contrast, only one of the 10 tested C. camelliae SSPs was able to induce a limited amount of necrosis. Analysis of chimeric proteins consisting of domains from both a necrosis-inducing and a non-necrosis-inducing SSP demonstrated that the C-terminus of the S. sclerotiorum SSP is essential for necrosis-inducing function. Deletion of the BcSSP2 homolog from B. cinerea did not affect growth or pathogenesis. Thus, this research uncovered a family of highly conserved SSPs present in diverse ascomycetes that exhibit contrasting necrosis-inducing functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Denton‐Giles
- Centre for Crop and Disease ManagementCurtin UniversityPerthAustralia
- School of Fundamental SciencesMassey UniversityPalmerston NorthNew Zealand
| | - Hannah McCarthy
- School of Fundamental SciencesMassey UniversityPalmerston NorthNew Zealand
| | - Tina Sehrish
- School of Fundamental SciencesMassey UniversityPalmerston NorthNew Zealand
| | - Yasmin Dijkwel
- School of Fundamental SciencesMassey UniversityPalmerston NorthNew Zealand
| | - Carl H. Mesarich
- School of Agriculture and EnvironmentMassey UniversityPalmerston NorthNew Zealand
| | - Rosie E. Bradshaw
- School of Fundamental SciencesMassey UniversityPalmerston NorthNew Zealand
| | - Murray P. Cox
- School of Fundamental SciencesMassey UniversityPalmerston NorthNew Zealand
| | - Paul P. Dijkwel
- School of Fundamental SciencesMassey UniversityPalmerston NorthNew Zealand
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14
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Guo Y, Hunziker L, Mesarich CH, Chettri P, Dupont PY, Ganley RJ, McDougal RL, Barnes I, Bradshaw RE. DsEcp2-1 is a polymorphic effector that restricts growth of Dothistroma septosporum in pine. Fungal Genet Biol 2020; 135:103300. [PMID: 31730909 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.103300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The detrimental effect of fungal pathogens on forest trees is an increasingly important problem that has implications for the health of our planet. Despite this, the study of molecular plant-microbe interactions in forest trees is in its infancy, and very little is known about the roles of effector molecules from forest pathogens. Dothistroma septosporum causes a devastating needle blight disease of pines, and intriguingly, is closely related to Cladosporium fulvum, a tomato pathogen in which pioneering effector biology studies have been carried out. Here, we studied D. septosporum effectors that are shared with C. fulvum, by comparing gene sequences from global isolates of D. septosporum and assessing effector function in both host and non-host plants. Many of the effectors were predicted to be non-functional in D. septosporum due to their pseudogenization or low expression in planta, suggesting adaptation to lifestyle and host. Effector sequences were polymorphic among a global collection of D. septosporum isolates, but there was no evidence for positive selection. The DsEcp2-1 effector elicited cell death in the non-host plant Nicotiana tabacum, whilst D. septosporum DsEcp2-1 mutants showed increased colonization of pine needles. Together these results suggest that DsEcp2-1 might be recognized by an immune receptor in both angiosperm and gymnosperm plants. This work may lead to the identification of plant targets for DsEcp2-1 that will provide much needed information on the molecular basis of gymnosperm-pathogen interactions in forests, and may also lead to novel methods of disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Guo
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, School of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand.
| | - Lukas Hunziker
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, School of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand
| | - Carl H Mesarich
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand
| | - Pranav Chettri
- AgResearch Ltd, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Pierre-Yves Dupont
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Rebecca J Ganley
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Te Puke, New Zealand
| | - Rebecca L McDougal
- Scion, New Zealand Forest Research Institute Ltd, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
| | - Irene Barnes
- Department of Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Rosie E Bradshaw
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, School of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand
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15
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Ma Z, Liu JJ, Zamany A. Identification and Functional Characterization of an Effector Secreted by Cronartium ribicola. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2019; 109:942-951. [PMID: 31066346 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-11-18-0427-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Cri-9402 was identified as a protein effector from Cronartium ribicola, based on the effect of its expression on growth of Pseudomonas syringae Psm ES4326 introduced into transiently transformed tobacco leaves and stably transformed Arabidopsis seedlings. In tobacco leaves transiently expressing its coding sequence, growth of P. syringae Psm ES4326 was inhibited. Expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) protein 2 (PR2), PR4a, endochitinase B, hypersensitive-related 201 (HSR201), HSR203J, and proteinase inhibitor 1 was upregulated but expression of PR1, coronatine insensitive 1, and abscisic acid 1 was significantly suppressed. In transformed Arabidopsis seedlings, the effector stimulated growth of P. syringae Psm ES4326; significantly suppressed expression of PR1, PR2, nonexpresser of pathogenesis-related genes 1 (NPR1), NPR3, NPR4, phytoalexin deficient 4, and salicylic acid induction deficient 2; and enhanced expression of plant defensin 1.2 (PDF1.2). The above results showed that the majority of responses to this effector in tobacco leaves were converse to those in transformed Arabidopsis. We could conclude that Cri-9402 promoted disease resistance in tobacco leaves and disease susceptibility in Arabidopsis seedlings. Its transcript was mainly expressed in aeciospores of C. ribicola and was probably involved in production or germination of aeciospores, and it was an effector potentially functioning in white pine-blister rust interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenguo Ma
- Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 506 West Burnside Road, Victoria, BC V8Z 1M5, Canada
| | - Jun-Jun Liu
- Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 506 West Burnside Road, Victoria, BC V8Z 1M5, Canada
| | - Arezoo Zamany
- Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 506 West Burnside Road, Victoria, BC V8Z 1M5, Canada
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16
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Mohd-Assaad N, McDonald BA, Croll D. The emergence of the multi-species NIP1 effector in Rhynchosporium was accompanied by high rates of gene duplications and losses. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:2677-2695. [PMID: 30838748 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Plant pathogens secrete effector proteins to manipulate the host and facilitate infection. Cognate hosts trigger strong defence responses upon detection of these effectors. Consequently, pathogens and hosts undergo rapid coevolutionary arms races driven by adaptive evolution of effectors and receptors. Because of their high rate of turnover, most effectors are thought to be species-specific and the evolutionary trajectories are poorly understood. Here, we investigate the necrosis-inducing protein 1 (NIP1) effector in the multihost pathogen genus Rhynchosporium. We retraced the evolutionary history of the NIP1 locus using whole-genome assemblies of 146 strains covering four closely related species. NIP1 orthologues were present in all species but the locus consistently segregated presence-absence polymorphisms suggesting long-term balancing selection. We also identified previously unknown paralogues of NIP1 that were shared among multiple species and showed substantial copy-number variation within R. commune. The NIP1A paralogue was under significant positive selection suggesting that NIP1A is the dominant effector variant coevolving with host immune receptors. Consistent with this prediction, we found that copy number variation at NIP1A had a stronger effect on virulence than NIP1B. Our analyses unravelled the origins and diversification mechanisms of a pathogen effector family shedding light on how pathogens gain adaptive genetic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norfarhan Mohd-Assaad
- Plant Pathology, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH, Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.,School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Bruce A McDonald
- Plant Pathology, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH, Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Croll
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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17
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Ökmen B, Mathow D, Hof A, Lahrmann U, Aßmann D, Doehlemann G. Mining the effector repertoire of the biotrophic fungal pathogen Ustilago hordei during host and non-host infection. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2018; 19:2603-2622. [PMID: 30047221 PMCID: PMC6638180 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The success of plant-pathogenic fungi mostly relies on their arsenal of virulence factors which are expressed and delivered into the host tissue during colonization. The biotrophic fungal pathogen Ustilago hordei causes covered smut disease on both barley and oat. In this study, we combined cytological, genomics and molecular biological methods to achieve a better understanding of the molecular interactions in the U. hordei-barley pathosystem. Microscopic analysis revealed that U. hordei densely colonizes barley leaves on penetration, in particular the vascular system. Transcriptome analysis of U. hordei at different stages of host infection revealed differential expression of the transcript levels of 273 effector gene candidates. Furthermore, U. hordei transcriptionally activates core effector genes which may suppress even non-host early defence responses. Based on expression profiles and novelty of sequences, knockout studies of 14 effector candidates were performed in U. hordei, which resulted in the identification of four virulence factors required for host colonization. Yeast two-hybrid screening identified potential barley targets for two of the effectors. Overall, this study provides a first systematic analysis of the effector repertoire of U. hordei and identifies four effectors (Uvi1-Uvi4) as virulence factors for the infection of barley.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilal Ökmen
- Botanical Institute and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS)University of CologneBioCenter, Zuelpicher Str. 47a50674CologneGermany
| | - Daniel Mathow
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic InteractionsKarl von Frisch StrD‐35043MarburgGermany
| | - Alexander Hof
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic InteractionsKarl von Frisch StrD‐35043MarburgGermany
| | - Urs Lahrmann
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM, Division of Personalized Tumor Therapy93053RegensburgGermany
| | - Daniela Aßmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic InteractionsKarl von Frisch StrD‐35043MarburgGermany
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- Botanical Institute and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS)University of CologneBioCenter, Zuelpicher Str. 47a50674CologneGermany
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18
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Rajaraman J, Douchkov D, Lück S, Hensel G, Nowara D, Pogoda M, Rutten T, Meitzel T, Brassac J, Höfle C, Hückelhoven R, Klinkenberg J, Trujillo M, Bauer E, Schmutzer T, Himmelbach A, Mascher M, Lazzari B, Stein N, Kumlehn J, Schweizer P. Evolutionarily conserved partial gene duplication in the Triticeae tribe of grasses confers pathogen resistance. Genome Biol 2018; 19:116. [PMID: 30111359 PMCID: PMC6092874 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1472-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The large and highly repetitive genomes of the cultivated species Hordeum vulgare (barley), Triticum aestivum (wheat), and Secale cereale (rye) belonging to the Triticeae tribe of grasses appear to be particularly rich in gene-like sequences including partial duplicates. Most of them have been classified as putative pseudogenes. In this study we employ transient and stable gene silencing- and over-expression systems in barley to study the function of HvARM1 (for H. vulgare Armadillo 1), a partial gene duplicate of the U-box/armadillo-repeat E3 ligase HvPUB15 (for H. vulgare Plant U-Box 15). Results The partial ARM1 gene is derived from a gene-duplication event in a common ancestor of the Triticeae and contributes to quantitative host as well as nonhost resistance to the biotrophic powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis. In barley, allelic variants of HvARM1 but not of HvPUB15 are significantly associated with levels of powdery mildew infection. Both HvPUB15 and HvARM1 proteins interact in yeast and plant cells with the susceptibility-related, plastid-localized barley homologs of THF1 (for Thylakoid formation 1) and of ClpS1 (for Clp-protease adaptor S1) of Arabidopsis thaliana. A genome-wide scan for partial gene duplicates reveals further events in barley resulting in stress-regulated, potentially neo-functionalized, genes. Conclusion The results suggest neo-functionalization of the partial gene copy HvARM1 increases resistance against powdery mildew infection. It further links plastid function with susceptibility to biotrophic pathogen attack. These findings shed new light on a novel mechanism to employ partial duplication of protein-protein interaction domains to facilitate the expansion of immune signaling networks. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13059-018-1472-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeyaraman Rajaraman
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany.
| | - Dimitar Douchkov
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany.
| | - Stefanie Lück
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Götz Hensel
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Daniela Nowara
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Maria Pogoda
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Twan Rutten
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Tobias Meitzel
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Jonathan Brassac
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Caroline Höfle
- Technische Universität München, Emil-Ramann-Straße 2, D-85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Ralph Hückelhoven
- Technische Universität München, Emil-Ramann-Straße 2, D-85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Jörn Klinkenberg
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzenbiochemie, Weinberg 3, D-06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Marco Trujillo
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzenbiochemie, Weinberg 3, D-06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Institut für Biologie II, Zellbiologie, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Eva Bauer
- Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Straße 2, D-85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmutzer
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Axel Himmelbach
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Martin Mascher
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Barbara Lazzari
- Parco Technologico Padano, Via Einstein, Loc. Cascina Codazza, 26900, Lodi, Italy
| | - Nils Stein
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Jochen Kumlehn
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Patrick Schweizer
- Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK Gatersleben), Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany
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19
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Buckley J, Holub EB, Koch MA, Vergeer P, Mable BK. Restriction associated DNA-genotyping at multiple spatial scales in Arabidopsis lyrata reveals signatures of pathogen-mediated selection. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:496. [PMID: 29945543 PMCID: PMC6020377 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4806-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genome scans based on outlier analyses have revolutionized detection of genes involved in adaptive processes, but reports of some forms of selection, such as balancing selection, are still limited. It is unclear whether high throughput genotyping approaches for identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms have sufficient power to detect modes of selection expected to result in reduced genetic differentiation among populations. In this study, we used Arabidopsis lyrata to investigate whether signatures of balancing selection can be detected based on genomic smoothing of Restriction Associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) data. We compared how different sampling approaches (both within and between subspecies) and different background levels of polymorphism (inbreeding or outcrossing populations) affected the ability to detect genomic regions showing key signatures of balancing selection, specifically elevated polymorphism, reduced differentiation and shifts towards intermediate allele frequencies. We then tested whether candidate genes associated with disease resistance (R-gene analogs) were detected more frequently in these regions compared to other regions of the genome. Results We found that genomic regions showing elevated polymorphism contained a significantly higher density of R-gene analogs predicted to be under pathogen-mediated selection than regions of non-elevated polymorphism, and that many of these also showed evidence for an intermediate site-frequency spectrum based on Tajima’s D. However, we found few genomic regions that showed both elevated polymorphism and reduced FST among populations, despite strong background levels of genetic differentiation among populations. This suggests either insufficient power to detect the reduced population structure predicted for genes under balancing selection using sparsely distributed RAD markers, or that other forms of diversifying selection are more common for the R-gene analogs tested. Conclusions Genome scans based on a small number of individuals sampled from a wide range of populations were sufficient to confirm the relative scarcity of signatures of balancing selection across the genome, but also identified new potential disease resistance candidates within genomic regions showing signatures of balancing selection that would be strong candidates for further sequencing efforts. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-4806-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Buckley
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK. .,Adaptation to a Changing Environment, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, CH-8092, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Eric B Holub
- School of Life Sciences, Warwick Crop Centre, University of Warwick, Wellesbourne, CV35 9EF, UK
| | - Marcus A Koch
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, D69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Philippine Vergeer
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, P.O.Box 47, 6700, AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara K Mable
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
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20
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Sperschneider J, Dodds PN, Singh KB, Taylor JM. ApoplastP: prediction of effectors and plant proteins in the apoplast using machine learning. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018; 217:1764-1778. [PMID: 29243824 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The plant apoplast is integral to intercellular signalling, transport and plant-pathogen interactions. Plant pathogens deliver effectors both into the apoplast and inside host cells, but no computational method currently exists to discriminate between these localizations. We present ApoplastP, the first method for predicting whether an effector or plant protein localizes to the apoplast. ApoplastP uncovers features of apoplastic localization common to both effectors and plant proteins, namely depletion in glutamic acid, acidic amino acids and charged amino acids and enrichment in small amino acids. ApoplastP predicts apoplastic localization in effectors with a sensitivity of 75% and a false positive rate of 5%, improving the accuracy of cysteine-rich classifiers by > 13%. ApoplastP does not depend on the presence of a signal peptide and correctly predicts the localization of unconventionally secreted proteins. The secretomes of fungal saprophytes as well as necrotrophic, hemibiotrophic and extracellular fungal pathogens are enriched for predicted apoplastic proteins. Rust pathogens have low proportions of predicted apoplastic proteins, but these are highly enriched for predicted effectors. ApoplastP pioneers apoplastic localization prediction using machine learning. It will facilitate functional studies and will be valuable for predicting if an effector localizes to the apoplast or if it enters plant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Sperschneider
- Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Perth, WA, 6014, Australia
| | - Peter N Dodds
- Black Mountain Laboratories, CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Karam B Singh
- Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Perth, WA, 6014, Australia
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Jennifer M Taylor
- Black Mountain Laboratories, CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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21
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Schweizer G, Münch K, Mannhaupt G, Schirawski J, Kahmann R, Dutheil JY. Positively Selected Effector Genes and Their Contribution to Virulence in the Smut Fungus Sporisorium reilianum. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:629-645. [PMID: 29390140 PMCID: PMC5811872 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants and fungi display a broad range of interactions in natural and agricultural ecosystems ranging from symbiosis to parasitism. These ecological interactions result in coevolution between genes belonging to different partners. A well-understood example is secreted fungal effector proteins and their host targets, which play an important role in pathogenic interactions. Biotrophic smut fungi (Basidiomycota) are well-suited to investigate the evolution of plant pathogens, because several reference genomes and genetic tools are available for these species. Here, we used the genomes of Sporisorium reilianum f. sp. zeae and S. reilianum f. sp. reilianum, two closely related formae speciales infecting maize and sorghum, respectively, together with the genomes of Ustilago hordei, Ustilago maydis, and Sporisorium scitamineum to identify and characterize genes displaying signatures of positive selection. We identified 154 gene families having undergone positive selection during species divergence in at least one lineage, among which 77% were identified in the two investigated formae speciales of S. reilianum. Remarkably, only 29% of positively selected genes encode predicted secreted proteins. We assessed the contribution to virulence of nine of these candidate effector genes in S. reilianum f. sp. zeae by deleting individual genes, including a homologue of the effector gene pit2 previously characterized in U. maydis. Only the pit2 deletion mutant was found to be strongly reduced in virulence. Additional experiments are required to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the selection forces acting on the other candidate effector genes, as well as the large fraction of positively selected genes encoding predicted cytoplasmic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Schweizer
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Karin Münch
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Gertrud Mannhaupt
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jan Schirawski
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Julien Y Dutheil
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Institute of Evolutionary Sciences of Montpellier, “Genome” Department, CNRS, University of Montpellier 2, France
- Research Group Molecular Systems Evolution, Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
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22
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Dalio RJD, Herlihy J, Oliveira TS, McDowell JM, Machado M. Effector Biology in Focus: A Primer for Computational Prediction and Functional Characterization. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2018; 31:22-33. [PMID: 29023190 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-07-17-0174-fi] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Plant-pathogen interactions are controlled by a multilayered immune system, which is activated by pathogen recognition in the host. Pathogens secrete effector molecules to interfere with the immune recognition or signaling network and reprogram cell structure or metabolism. Understanding the effector repertoires of diverse pathogens will contribute to unraveling the molecular mechanism of virulence and developing sustainable disease-control strategies for crops and natural ecosystems. Effector functionality has been investigated extensively in only a small number of pathogen species. However, many more pathogen genomes are becoming available, and much can be learned from a broader view of effector biology in diverse pathosystems. The purpose of this review is to summarize methodology for computational prediction of protein effectors, functional characterization of effector proteins and their targets, and the use of effectors as probes to screen for new sources of host resistance. Although these techniques were generally developed in model pathosystems, many of the approaches are directly applicable for exploration and exploitation of effector biology in pathosystems that are less well studied. We hope to facilitate such exploration, which will broaden understanding of the mechanisms that underpin the biological diversity of plant-pathogen interactions, and maximize the impact of new approaches that leverage effector biology for disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronaldo J D Dalio
- 1 Citrus Biotechnology Lab, Centro de Citricultura Sylvio Moreira, IA, Cordeirópolis-SP, Brazil; and
| | - John Herlihy
- 2 Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-0329, U.S.A
| | - Tiago S Oliveira
- 1 Citrus Biotechnology Lab, Centro de Citricultura Sylvio Moreira, IA, Cordeirópolis-SP, Brazil; and
| | - John M McDowell
- 2 Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-0329, U.S.A
| | - Marcos Machado
- 1 Citrus Biotechnology Lab, Centro de Citricultura Sylvio Moreira, IA, Cordeirópolis-SP, Brazil; and
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23
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Anderson JP, Sperschneider J, Win J, Kidd B, Yoshida K, Hane J, Saunders DGO, Singh KB. Comparative secretome analysis of Rhizoctonia solani isolates with different host ranges reveals unique secretomes and cell death inducing effectors. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10410. [PMID: 28874693 PMCID: PMC5585356 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10405-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhizoctonia solani is a fungal pathogen causing substantial damage to many of the worlds’ largest food crops including wheat, rice, maize and soybean. Despite impacting global food security, little is known about the pathogenicity mechanisms employed by R. solani. To enable prediction of effectors possessing either broad efficacy or host specificity, a combined secretome was constructed from a monocot specific isolate, a dicot specific isolate and broad host range isolate infecting both monocot and dicot hosts. Secretome analysis suggested R. solani employs largely different virulence mechanisms to well-studied pathogens, despite in many instances infecting the same host plants. Furthermore, the secretome of the broad host range AG8 isolate may be shaped by maintaining functions for saprophytic life stages while minimising opportunities for host plant recognition. Analysis of possible co-evolution with host plants and in-planta up-regulation in particular, aided identification of effectors including xylanase and inhibitor I9 domain containing proteins able to induce cell death in-planta. The inhibitor I9 domain was more abundant in the secretomes of a wide range of necrotising fungi relative to biotrophs. These findings provide novel targets for further dissection of the virulence mechanisms and potential avenues to control this under-characterised but important pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P Anderson
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Floreat, Western Australia, Australia. .,The UWA Institute of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
| | | | - Joe Win
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK
| | - Brendan Kidd
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Floreat, Western Australia, Australia
| | | | - James Hane
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Floreat, Western Australia, Australia.,Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Diane G O Saunders
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK.,The John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
| | - Karam B Singh
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Floreat, Western Australia, Australia.,The UWA Institute of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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24
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Rutter WB, Salcedo A, Akhunova A, He F, Wang S, Liang H, Bowden RL, Akhunov E. Divergent and convergent modes of interaction between wheat and Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici isolates revealed by the comparative gene co-expression network and genome analyses. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:291. [PMID: 28403814 PMCID: PMC5389088 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3678-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Two opposing evolutionary constraints exert pressure on plant pathogens: one to diversify virulence factors in order to evade plant defenses, and the other to retain virulence factors critical for maintaining a compatible interaction with the plant host. To better understand how the diversified arsenals of fungal genes promote interaction with the same compatible wheat line, we performed a comparative genomic analysis of two North American isolates of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt). RESULTS The patterns of inter-isolate divergence in the secreted candidate effector genes were compared with the levels of conservation and divergence of plant-pathogen gene co-expression networks (GCN) developed for each isolate. Comprative genomic analyses revealed substantial level of interisolate divergence in effector gene complement and sequence divergence. Gene Ontology (GO) analyses of the conserved and unique parts of the isolate-specific GCNs identified a number of conserved host pathways targeted by both isolates. Interestingly, the degree of inter-isolate sub-network conservation varied widely for the different host pathways and was positively associated with the proportion of conserved effector candidates associated with each sub-network. While different Pgt isolates tended to exploit similar wheat pathways for infection, the mode of plant-pathogen interaction varied for different pathways with some pathways being associated with the conserved set of effectors and others being linked with the diverged or isolate-specific effectors. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that at the intra-species level pathogen populations likely maintain divergent sets of effectors capable of targeting the same plant host pathways. This functional redundancy may play an important role in the dynamic of the "arms-race" between host and pathogen serving as the basis for diverse virulence strategies and creating conditions where mutations in certain effector groups will not have a major effect on the pathogen's ability to infect the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- William B. Rutter
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
- USDA-ARS, U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, 2700 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29414 USA
| | - Andres Salcedo
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
| | - Alina Akhunova
- Integrated Genomics Facility, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
| | - Fei He
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
| | - Shichen Wang
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
- TEES-AgriLife Center for Bioinformatics and Genomic Systems Engineering, Texas A&M University, 101 Gateway, Suite A, College Station, TX 77845 USA
| | - Hanquan Liang
- Integrated Genomics Facility, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
- School of Data and Computer Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Robert L. Bowden
- USDA ARS, Hard Winter Wheat Genetics Research Unit, Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
| | - Eduard Akhunov
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
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25
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Plissonneau C, Benevenuto J, Mohd-Assaad N, Fouché S, Hartmann FE, Croll D. Using Population and Comparative Genomics to Understand the Genetic Basis of Effector-Driven Fungal Pathogen Evolution. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:119. [PMID: 28217138 PMCID: PMC5289978 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Epidemics caused by fungal plant pathogens pose a major threat to agro-ecosystems and impact global food security. High-throughput sequencing enabled major advances in understanding how pathogens cause disease on crops. Hundreds of fungal genomes are now available and analyzing these genomes highlighted the key role of effector genes in disease. Effectors are small secreted proteins that enhance infection by manipulating host metabolism. Fungal genomes carry 100s of putative effector genes, but the lack of homology among effector genes, even for closely related species, challenges evolutionary and functional analyses. Furthermore, effector genes are often found in rapidly evolving chromosome compartments which are difficult to assemble. We review how population and comparative genomics toolsets can be combined to address these challenges. We highlight studies that associated genome-scale polymorphisms with pathogen lifestyles and adaptation to different environments. We show how genome-wide association studies can be used to identify effectors and other pathogenicity-related genes underlying rapid adaptation. We also discuss how the compartmentalization of fungal genomes into core and accessory regions shapes the evolution of effector genes. We argue that an understanding of genome evolution provides important insight into the trajectory of host-pathogen co-evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Plissonneau
- Plant Pathology, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH ZurichZurich, Switzerland
- UMR, BIOGER, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-SaclayThiverval-Grignon, France
| | - Juliana Benevenuto
- College of Agriculture “Luiz de Queiroz”, University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Norfarhan Mohd-Assaad
- Plant Pathology, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH ZurichZurich, Switzerland
- School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan MalaysiaSelangor, Malaysia
| | - Simone Fouché
- Plant Pathology, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH ZurichZurich, Switzerland
| | - Fanny E. Hartmann
- Plant Pathology, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH ZurichZurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Croll
- Plant Pathology, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH ZurichZurich, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Biology, University of NeuchatelNeuchatel, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Daniel Croll,
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26
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Sperschneider J, Dodds PN, Taylor JM, Duplessis S. Computational Methods for Predicting Effectors in Rust Pathogens. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1659:73-83. [PMID: 28856642 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7249-4_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Lower costs and improved sequencing technologies have led to a large number of high-quality rust pathogen genomes and deeper characterization of gene expression profiles during early and late infection stages. However, the set of secreted proteins expressed during infection is too large for experimental investigations and contains not only effectors but also proteins that play a role in niche colonization or in fighting off competing microbes. Therefore, accurate computational prediction is essential for identifying high-priority rust effector candidates from secretomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Sperschneider
- Centre for Environmental and Life Sciences, CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Underwood Avenue, Floreat, WA, Australia.
| | - Peter N Dodds
- Black Mountain Laboratories, CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Jennifer M Taylor
- Black Mountain Laboratories, CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Sébastien Duplessis
- INRA, Unité Mixte de Recherche INRA/Université de Lorraine 1136 Interactions Arbres-Microorganismes, INRA Centre Grand Est - Nancy, Champenoux, France
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27
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Burdon JJ, Zhan J, Barrett LG, Papaïx J, Thrall PH. Addressing the Challenges of Pathogen Evolution on the World's Arable Crops. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2016; 106:1117-1127. [PMID: 27584868 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-01-16-0036-fi] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Advances in genomic and molecular technologies coupled with an increasing understanding of the fine structure of many resistance and infectivity genes, have opened up a new era of hope in controlling the many plant pathogens that continue to be a major source of loss in arable crops. Some new approaches are under consideration including the use of nonhost resistance and the targeting of critical developmental constraints. However, the major thrust of these genomic and molecular approaches is to enhance the identification of resistance genes, to increase their ease of manipulation through marker and gene editing technologies and to lock a range of resistance genes together in simply manipulable resistance gene cassettes. All these approaches essentially continue a strategy that assumes the ability to construct genetic-based resistance barriers that are insurmountable to target pathogens. Here we show how the recent advances in knowledge and marker technologies can be used to generate more durable disease resistance strategies that are based on broad evolutionary principles aimed at presenting pathogens with a shifting, landscape of fluctuating directional selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy J Burdon
- First and second authors: Fujian Key Lab of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology; Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China; first, third, and fifth authors: CSIRO Agriculture, PO Box 1600, Canberra, A.C.T. 2601, Australia; and fourth author: INRA Biostatistics and Spatial Processes, Domaine Saint-Paul AgroParc, 84914 Avignon, France
| | - Jiasui Zhan
- First and second authors: Fujian Key Lab of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology; Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China; first, third, and fifth authors: CSIRO Agriculture, PO Box 1600, Canberra, A.C.T. 2601, Australia; and fourth author: INRA Biostatistics and Spatial Processes, Domaine Saint-Paul AgroParc, 84914 Avignon, France
| | - Luke G Barrett
- First and second authors: Fujian Key Lab of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology; Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China; first, third, and fifth authors: CSIRO Agriculture, PO Box 1600, Canberra, A.C.T. 2601, Australia; and fourth author: INRA Biostatistics and Spatial Processes, Domaine Saint-Paul AgroParc, 84914 Avignon, France
| | - Julien Papaïx
- First and second authors: Fujian Key Lab of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology; Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China; first, third, and fifth authors: CSIRO Agriculture, PO Box 1600, Canberra, A.C.T. 2601, Australia; and fourth author: INRA Biostatistics and Spatial Processes, Domaine Saint-Paul AgroParc, 84914 Avignon, France
| | - Peter H Thrall
- First and second authors: Fujian Key Lab of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology; Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China; first, third, and fifth authors: CSIRO Agriculture, PO Box 1600, Canberra, A.C.T. 2601, Australia; and fourth author: INRA Biostatistics and Spatial Processes, Domaine Saint-Paul AgroParc, 84914 Avignon, France
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28
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McTaggart AR, van der Nest MA, Steenkamp ET, Roux J, Slippers B, Shuey LS, Wingfield MJ, Drenth A. Fungal Genomics Challenges the Dogma of Name-Based Biosecurity. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005475. [PMID: 27149511 PMCID: PMC4858198 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alistair R. McTaggart
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Magriet A. van der Nest
- Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Emma T. Steenkamp
- Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Jolanda Roux
- Department of Plant Sciences, Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Bernard Slippers
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Louise S. Shuey
- Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Michael J. Wingfield
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - André Drenth
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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29
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Sperschneider J, Gardiner DM, Dodds PN, Tini F, Covarelli L, Singh KB, Manners JM, Taylor JM. EffectorP: predicting fungal effector proteins from secretomes using machine learning. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 210:743-61. [PMID: 26680733 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 251] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic filamentous plant pathogens secrete effector proteins that modulate the host cell to facilitate infection. Computational effector candidate identification and subsequent functional characterization delivers valuable insights into plant-pathogen interactions. However, effector prediction in fungi has been challenging due to a lack of unifying sequence features such as conserved N-terminal sequence motifs. Fungal effectors are commonly predicted from secretomes based on criteria such as small size and cysteine-rich, which suffers from poor accuracy. We present EffectorP which pioneers the application of machine learning to fungal effector prediction. EffectorP improves fungal effector prediction from secretomes based on a robust signal of sequence-derived properties, achieving sensitivity and specificity of over 80%. Features that discriminate fungal effectors from secreted noneffectors are predominantly sequence length, molecular weight and protein net charge, as well as cysteine, serine and tryptophan content. We demonstrate that EffectorP is powerful when combined with in planta expression data for predicting high-priority effector candidates. EffectorP is the first prediction program for fungal effectors based on machine learning. Our findings will facilitate functional fungal effector studies and improve our understanding of effectors in plant-pathogen interactions. EffectorP is available at http://effectorp.csiro.au.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Sperschneider
- Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, CSIRO Agriculture, Perth, 6014, WA, Australia
| | - Donald M Gardiner
- Queensland Bioscience Precinct, CSIRO Agriculture, Brisbane, 4067, QLD, Australia
| | - Peter N Dodds
- Black Mountain Laboratories, CSIRO Agriculture, Canberra, 2601, ACT, Australia
| | - Francesco Tini
- Queensland Bioscience Precinct, CSIRO Agriculture, Brisbane, 4067, QLD, Australia
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, 06121, Umbria, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Covarelli
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, 06121, Umbria, Italy
| | - Karam B Singh
- Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, CSIRO Agriculture, Perth, 6014, WA, Australia
| | - John M Manners
- Black Mountain Laboratories, CSIRO Agriculture, Canberra, 2601, ACT, Australia
| | - Jennifer M Taylor
- Black Mountain Laboratories, CSIRO Agriculture, Canberra, 2601, ACT, Australia
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30
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Figueroa M, Upadhyaya NM, Sperschneider J, Park RF, Szabo LJ, Steffenson B, Ellis JG, Dodds PN. Changing the Game: Using Integrative Genomics to Probe Virulence Mechanisms of the Stem Rust Pathogen Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:205. [PMID: 26941766 PMCID: PMC4764693 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 02/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The recent resurgence of wheat stem rust caused by new virulent races of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt) poses a threat to food security. These concerns have catalyzed an extensive global effort toward controlling this disease. Substantial research and breeding programs target the identification and introduction of new stem rust resistance (Sr) genes in cultivars for genetic protection against the disease. Such resistance genes typically encode immune receptor proteins that recognize specific components of the pathogen, known as avirulence (Avr) proteins. A significant drawback to deploying cultivars with single Sr genes is that they are often overcome by evolution of the pathogen to escape recognition through alterations in Avr genes. Thus, a key element in achieving durable rust control is the deployment of multiple effective Sr genes in combination, either through conventional breeding or transgenic approaches, to minimize the risk of resistance breakdown. In this situation, evolution of pathogen virulence would require changes in multiple Avr genes in order to bypass recognition. However, choosing the optimal Sr gene combinations to deploy is a challenge that requires detailed knowledge of the pathogen Avr genes with which they interact and the virulence phenotypes of Pgt existing in nature. Identifying specific Avr genes from Pgt will provide screening tools to enhance pathogen virulence monitoring, assess heterozygosity and propensity for mutation in pathogen populations, and confirm individual Sr gene functions in crop varieties carrying multiple effective resistance genes. Toward this goal, much progress has been made in assembling a high quality reference genome sequence for Pgt, as well as a Pan-genome encompassing variation between multiple field isolates with diverse virulence spectra. In turn this has allowed prediction of Pgt effector gene candidates based on known features of Avr genes in other plant pathogens, including the related flax rust fungus. Upregulation of gene expression in haustoria and evidence for diversifying selection are two useful parameters to identify candidate Avr genes. Recently, we have also applied machine learning approaches to agnostically predict candidate effectors. Here, we review progress in stem rust pathogenomics and approaches currently underway to identify Avr genes recognized by wheat Sr genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melania Figueroa
- Department of Plant Pathology and the Stakman-Borlaug Center for Sustainable Plant Health, University of MinnesotaSt. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Narayana M. Upadhyaya
- Agriculture, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationCanberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Jana Sperschneider
- Agriculture, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationPerth, WA, Australia
| | - Robert F. Park
- Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Plant Breeding Institute, The University of SydneyNarellan, NSW, Australia
| | - Les J. Szabo
- Department of Plant Pathology and the Stakman-Borlaug Center for Sustainable Plant Health, University of MinnesotaSt. Paul, MN, USA
- Cereal Disease Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research ServiceSt. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Brian Steffenson
- Department of Plant Pathology and the Stakman-Borlaug Center for Sustainable Plant Health, University of MinnesotaSt. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Jeff G. Ellis
- Agriculture, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationCanberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Peter N. Dodds
- Agriculture, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationCanberra, ACT, Australia
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31
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Bradshaw RE, Guo Y, Sim AD, Kabir MS, Chettri P, Ozturk IK, Hunziker L, Ganley RJ, Cox MP. Genome-wide gene expression dynamics of the fungal pathogen Dothistroma septosporum throughout its infection cycle of the gymnosperm host Pinus radiata. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2016; 17:210-24. [PMID: 25919703 PMCID: PMC4746707 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
We present genome-wide gene expression patterns as a time series through the infection cycle of the fungal pine needle blight pathogen, Dothistroma septosporum, as it invades its gymnosperm host, Pinus radiata. We determined the molecular changes at three stages of the disease cycle: epiphytic/biotrophic (early), initial necrosis (mid) and mature sporulating lesion (late). Over 1.7 billion combined plant and fungal reads were sequenced to obtain 3.2 million fungal-specific reads, which comprised as little as 0.1% of the sample reads early in infection. This enriched dataset shows that the initial biotrophic stage is characterized by the up-regulation of genes encoding fungal cell wall-modifying enzymes and signalling proteins. Later necrotrophic stages show the up-regulation of genes for secondary metabolism, putative effectors, oxidoreductases, transporters and starch degradation. This in-depth through-time transcriptomic study provides our first snapshot of the gene expression dynamics that characterize infection by this fungal pathogen in its gymnosperm host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosie E Bradshaw
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4474, New Zealand
| | - Yanan Guo
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4474, New Zealand
| | - Andre D Sim
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4474, New Zealand
| | - M Shahjahan Kabir
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4474, New Zealand
| | - Pranav Chettri
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4474, New Zealand
| | - Ibrahim K Ozturk
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4474, New Zealand
| | - Lukas Hunziker
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4474, New Zealand
| | - Rebecca J Ganley
- Scion, NZ Forest Research Institute Ltd, Rotorua, 3010, New Zealand
| | - Murray P Cox
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4474, New Zealand
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Badet T, Peyraud R, Raffaele S. Common protein sequence signatures associate with Sclerotinia borealis lifestyle and secretion in fungal pathogens of the Sclerotiniaceae. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2015; 6:776. [PMID: 26442085 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00776issn=1664-462x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Fungal plant pathogens produce secreted proteins adapted to function outside fungal cells to facilitate colonization of their hosts. In many cases such as for fungi from the Sclerotiniaceae family the repertoire and function of secreted proteins remains elusive. In the Sclerotiniaceae, whereas Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea are cosmopolitan broad host-range plant pathogens, Sclerotinia borealis has a psychrophilic lifestyle with a low optimal growth temperature, a narrow host range and geographic distribution. To spread successfully, S. borealis must synthesize proteins adapted to function in its specific environment. The search for signatures of adaptation to S. borealis lifestyle may therefore help revealing proteins critical for colonization of the environment by Sclerotiniaceae fungi. Here, we analyzed amino acids usage and intrinsic protein disorder in alignments of groups of orthologous proteins from the three Sclerotiniaceae species. We found that enrichment in Thr, depletion in Glu and Lys, and low disorder frequency in hot loops are significantly associated with S. borealis proteins. We designed an index to report bias in these properties and found that high index proteins were enriched among secreted proteins in the three Sclerotiniaceae fungi. High index proteins were also enriched in function associated with plant colonization in S. borealis, and in in planta-induced genes in S. sclerotiorum. We highlight a novel putative antifreeze protein and a novel putative lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase identified through our pipeline as candidate proteins involved in colonization of the environment. Our findings suggest that similar protein signatures associate with S. borealis lifestyle and with secretion in the Sclerotiniaceae. These signatures may be useful for identifying proteins of interest as targets for the management of plant diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Badet
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR441 Castanet-Tolosan, France ; Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR2594 Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Rémi Peyraud
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR441 Castanet-Tolosan, France ; Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR2594 Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Sylvain Raffaele
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR441 Castanet-Tolosan, France ; Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR2594 Castanet-Tolosan, France
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Genetic and molecular characterization of a locus involved in avirulence of Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici on wheat Pm3 resistance alleles. Fungal Genet Biol 2015; 82:181-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Revised: 05/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Sperschneider J, Dodds PN, Gardiner DM, Manners JM, Singh KB, Taylor JM. Advances and challenges in computational prediction of effectors from plant pathogenic fungi. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1004806. [PMID: 26020524 PMCID: PMC4447458 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jana Sperschneider
- CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Peter N. Dodds
- CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Black Mountain Laboratories, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Donald M. Gardiner
- CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - John M. Manners
- CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Black Mountain Laboratories, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Karam B. Singh
- CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- University of Western Australia Institute of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jennifer M. Taylor
- CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Black Mountain Laboratories, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Sperschneider J, Gardiner DM, Thatcher LF, Lyons R, Singh KB, Manners JM, Taylor JM. Genome-Wide Analysis in Three Fusarium Pathogens Identifies Rapidly Evolving Chromosomes and Genes Associated with Pathogenicity. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 7:1613-27. [PMID: 25994930 PMCID: PMC4494044 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogens and hosts are in an ongoing arms race and genes involved in host–pathogen interactions are likely to undergo diversifying selection. Fusarium plant pathogens have evolved diverse infection strategies, but how they interact with their hosts in the biotrophic infection stage remains puzzling. To address this, we analyzed the genomes of three Fusarium plant pathogens for genes that are under diversifying selection. We found a two-speed genome structure both on the chromosome and gene group level. Diversifying selection acts strongly on the dispensable chromosomes in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici and on distinct core chromosome regions in Fusarium graminearum, all of which have associations with virulence. Members of two gene groups evolve rapidly, namely those that encode proteins with an N-terminal [SG]-P-C-[KR]-P sequence motif and proteins that are conserved predominantly in pathogens. Specifically, 29 F. graminearum genes are rapidly evolving, in planta induced and encode secreted proteins, strongly pointing toward effector function. In summary, diversifying selection in Fusarium is strongly reflected as genomic footprints and can be used to predict a small gene set likely to be involved in host–pathogen interactions for experimental verification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Sperschneider
- CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Donald M Gardiner
- CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Louise F Thatcher
- CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Rebecca Lyons
- CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Karam B Singh
- CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Perth, Western Australia, Australia University of Western Australia Institute of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - John M Manners
- CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Black Mountain Laboratories, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Jennifer M Taylor
- CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Black Mountain Laboratories, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Badet T, Peyraud R, Raffaele S. Common protein sequence signatures associate with Sclerotinia borealis lifestyle and secretion in fungal pathogens of the Sclerotiniaceae. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2015; 6:776. [PMID: 26442085 PMCID: PMC4585107 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Fungal plant pathogens produce secreted proteins adapted to function outside fungal cells to facilitate colonization of their hosts. In many cases such as for fungi from the Sclerotiniaceae family the repertoire and function of secreted proteins remains elusive. In the Sclerotiniaceae, whereas Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea are cosmopolitan broad host-range plant pathogens, Sclerotinia borealis has a psychrophilic lifestyle with a low optimal growth temperature, a narrow host range and geographic distribution. To spread successfully, S. borealis must synthesize proteins adapted to function in its specific environment. The search for signatures of adaptation to S. borealis lifestyle may therefore help revealing proteins critical for colonization of the environment by Sclerotiniaceae fungi. Here, we analyzed amino acids usage and intrinsic protein disorder in alignments of groups of orthologous proteins from the three Sclerotiniaceae species. We found that enrichment in Thr, depletion in Glu and Lys, and low disorder frequency in hot loops are significantly associated with S. borealis proteins. We designed an index to report bias in these properties and found that high index proteins were enriched among secreted proteins in the three Sclerotiniaceae fungi. High index proteins were also enriched in function associated with plant colonization in S. borealis, and in in planta-induced genes in S. sclerotiorum. We highlight a novel putative antifreeze protein and a novel putative lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase identified through our pipeline as candidate proteins involved in colonization of the environment. Our findings suggest that similar protein signatures associate with S. borealis lifestyle and with secretion in the Sclerotiniaceae. These signatures may be useful for identifying proteins of interest as targets for the management of plant diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Badet
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR441Castanet-Tolosan, France
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR2594Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Rémi Peyraud
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR441Castanet-Tolosan, France
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR2594Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Sylvain Raffaele
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR441Castanet-Tolosan, France
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR2594Castanet-Tolosan, France
- *Correspondence: Sylvain Raffaele, Laboratoire des Interactions Plante Micro-organismes, 24 Chemin de Borde Rouge – Auzeville, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana P. Garnica
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Adnane Nemri
- Division of Plant Industry, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Narayana M. Upadhyaya
- Division of Plant Industry, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - John P. Rathjen
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Peter N. Dodds
- Division of Plant Industry, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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