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Schuster M, Schweizer G, Reißmann S, Happel P, Aßmann D, Rössel N, Güldener U, Mannhaupt G, Ludwig N, Winterberg S, Pellegrin C, Tanaka S, Vincon V, Presti LL, Wang L, Bender L, Gonzalez C, Vranes M, Kämper J, Seong K, Krasileva K, Kahmann R. Novel Secreted Effectors Conserved Among Smut Fungi Contribute to the Virulence of Ustilago maydis. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2024; 37:250-263. [PMID: 38416124 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-09-23-0139-fi] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Fungal pathogens deploy a set of molecules (proteins, specialized metabolites, and sRNAs), so-called effectors, to aid the infection process. In comparison to other plant pathogens, smut fungi have small genomes and secretomes of 20 Mb and around 500 proteins, respectively. Previous comparative genomic studies have shown that many secreted effector proteins without known domains, i.e., novel, are conserved only in the Ustilaginaceae family. By analyzing the secretomes of 11 species within Ustilaginaceae, we identified 53 core homologous groups commonly present in this lineage. By collecting existing mutants and generating additional ones, we gathered 44 Ustilago maydis strains lacking single core effectors as well as 9 strains containing multiple deletions of core effector gene families. Pathogenicity assays revealed that 20 of these 53 mutant strains were affected in virulence. Among the 33 mutants that had no obvious phenotypic changes, 13 carried additional, sequence-divergent, structurally similar paralogs. We report a virulence contribution of seven previously uncharacterized single core effectors and of one effector family. Our results help to prioritize effectors for understanding U. maydis virulence and provide genetic resources for further characterization. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Schuster
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Gabriel Schweizer
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Independent Data Lab UG, 80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Reißmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Petra Happel
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Aßmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Rössel
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Güldener
- Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität München, 80636 München, Germany
| | - Gertrud Mannhaupt
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Ludwig
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Research & Development, Weed Control Bayer AG, Crop Science Division, 65926 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sarah Winterberg
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Clément Pellegrin
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Shigeyuki Tanaka
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Volker Vincon
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Libera Lo Presti
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Lei Wang
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Lena Bender
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Phillips-University Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Carla Gonzalez
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Miroslav Vranes
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Department of Genetics, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jörg Kämper
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Department of Genetics, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Kyungyong Seong
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, U.S.A
| | - Ksenia Krasileva
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, U.S.A
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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Cuamatzi-Flores J, Colón-González M, Requena-Romo F, Quiñones-Galeana S, Cervantes-Chávez JA, Morales L. Enhanced oxidative stress resistance in Ustilago maydis and its implications on the virulence. Int Microbiol 2024:10.1007/s10123-024-00489-8. [PMID: 38401003 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-024-00489-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
The phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis causes corn smut by suppressing host plant defenses, including the oxidative burst response. While many studies have investigated how U. maydis responds to oxidative stress during infection, the consequences of heightened resistance to oxidative stress on virulence remain understudied. This study aimed to identify the effects on virulence in U. maydis strains exhibiting enhanced resistance to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).To achieve this, we exposed U. maydis SG200 to 20 escalating H2O2 shocks, resulting in an adapted strain resistant to concentrations as high as 60 mM of H2O2, a lethal dose for the initial strain. Genetic analysis of the adapted strain revealed five nucleotide substitutions, two minor copy number variants, and a large amplification event on chromosome nine (1-149 kb) encompassing the sole catalase gene. Overexpressing catalase increased resistance to H2O2; however, this resistance was lower than that observed in the adapted strain. Additionally, virulence was reduced in both strains with enhanced H2O2 resistance.In summary, enhanced H2O2 resistance, achieved through either continuous exposure to the oxidative agent or through catalase overexpression, decreased virulence. This suggests that the response to the oxidative stress burst in U. maydis is optimal and that increasing the resistance to H2O2 does not translate into increased virulence. These findings illuminate the intricate relationship between oxidative stress resistance and virulence in U. maydis, offering insights into its infection mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Cuamatzi-Flores
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, 76230, Querétaro, México.
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 76230, Querétaro, México.
| | - Maritrini Colón-González
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 76230, Querétaro, México
| | - Fernanda Requena-Romo
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 76230, Querétaro, México
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 76230, Querétaro, México
| | - Samuel Quiñones-Galeana
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 76230, Querétaro, México
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 76230, Querétaro, México
| | - José Antonio Cervantes-Chávez
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, 76230, Querétaro, México.
| | - Lucia Morales
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 76230, Querétaro, México.
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Metatranscriptomics captures dynamic shifts in mycorrhizal coordination in boreal forests. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2118852119. [PMID: 35727987 PMCID: PMC9245616 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2118852119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in DNA sequencing have provided an unprecedented view of the complex microbial communities that populate global ecosystems. We present a metatranscriptomic analysis of samples from the boreal forest—the largest terrestrial carbon store—capturing the seasonally resolved transcriptomes of Norway spruce roots and more than 350 root-associated fungal species. Our findings link the functional response of host-trees to increased nutrient availability, with profound perturbations in the fungal community. Notably, we observed an exchange in prevalence and host-coordination of specialist ectomycorrhizal species critical for enzymatic cycling of recalcitrant carbon, to metabolically versatile species with resilient melanized cell walls. This research unites kingdom-spanning taxonomic and functional details of the boreal root microbiome, contributing a missing perspective toward modeling global carbon cycling. Carbon storage and cycling in boreal forests—the largest terrestrial carbon store—is moderated by complex interactions between trees and soil microorganisms. However, existing methods limit our ability to predict how changes in environmental conditions will alter these associations and the essential ecosystem services they provide. To address this, we developed a metatranscriptomic approach to analyze the impact of nutrient enrichment on Norway spruce fine roots and the community structure, function, and tree–microbe coordination of over 350 root-associated fungal species. In response to altered nutrient status, host trees redefined their relationship with the fungal community by reducing sugar efflux carriers and enhancing defense processes. This resulted in a profound restructuring of the fungal community and a collapse in functional coordination between the tree and the dominant Basidiomycete species, and an increase in functional coordination with versatile Ascomycete species. As such, there was a functional shift in community dominance from Basidiomycetes species, with important roles in enzymatically cycling recalcitrant carbon, to Ascomycete species that have melanized cell walls that are highly resistant to degradation. These changes were accompanied by prominent shifts in transcriptional coordination between over 60 predicted fungal effectors, with more than 5,000 Norway spruce transcripts, providing mechanistic insight into the complex molecular dialogue coordinating host trees and their fungal partners. The host–microbe dynamics captured by this study functionally inform how these complex and sensitive biological relationships may mediate the carbon storage potential of boreal soils under changing nutrient conditions.
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Zuo W, Depotter JRL, Gupta DK, Thines M, Doehlemann G. Cross-species analysis between the maize smut fungi Ustilago maydis and Sporisorium reilianum highlights the role of transcriptional change of effector orthologs for virulence and disease. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:719-733. [PMID: 34270791 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The constitution and regulation of effector repertoires shape host-microbe interactions. Ustilago maydis and Sporisorium reilianum are two closely related smut fungi, which both infect maize but cause distinct disease symptoms. Understanding how effector orthologs are regulated in these two pathogens can therefore provide insights into the evolution of different infection strategies. We tracked the infection progress of U. maydis and S. reilianum in maize leaves and used two distinct infection stages for cross-species RNA-sequencing analyses. We identified 207 of 335 one-to-one effector orthologs as differentially regulated during host colonization, which might reflect the distinct disease development strategies. Using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene conversion, we identified two differentially expressed effector orthologs with conserved function between two pathogens. Thus, differential expression of functionally conserved genes might contribute to species-specific adaptation and symptom development. Interestingly, another differentially expressed orthogroup (UMAG_05318/Sr10075) showed divergent protein function, providing a possible case for neofunctionalization. Collectively, we demonstrated that the diversification of effector genes in related pathogens can be caused both by alteration on the transcriptional level and through functional diversification of the encoded effector proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiliang Zuo
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| | - Jasper R L Depotter
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| | - Deepak K Gupta
- Department for Biological Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
- Integrative Fungal Research Cluster (IPF), Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
| | - Marco Thines
- Department for Biological Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
- Integrative Fungal Research Cluster (IPF), Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, Cologne, 50674, Germany
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Smuts to the Power of Three: Biotechnology, Biotrophy, and Basic Biology. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7080660. [PMID: 34436199 PMCID: PMC8401932 DOI: 10.3390/jof7080660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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Mat Razali N, Hisham SN, Kumar IS, Shukla RN, Lee M, Abu Bakar MF, Nadarajah K. Comparative Genomics: Insights on the Pathogenicity and Lifestyle of Rhizoctonia solani. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22042183. [PMID: 33671736 PMCID: PMC7926851 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22042183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper management of agricultural disease is important to ensure sustainable food security. Staple food crops like rice, wheat, cereals, and other cash crops hold great export value for countries. Ensuring proper supply is critical; hence any biotic or abiotic factors contributing to the shortfall in yield of these crops should be alleviated. Rhizoctonia solani is a major biotic factor that results in yield losses in many agriculturally important crops. This paper focuses on genome informatics of our Malaysian Draft R. solani AG1-IA, and the comparative genomics (inter- and intra- AG) with four AGs including China AG1-IA (AG1-IA_KB317705.1), AG1-IB, AG3, and AG8. The genomic content of repeat elements, transposable elements (TEs), syntenic genomic blocks, functions of protein-coding genes as well as core orthologous genic information that underlies R. solani’s pathogenicity strategy were investigated. Our analyses show that all studied AGs have low content and varying profiles of TEs. All AGs were dominant for Class I TE, much like other basidiomycete pathogens. All AGs demonstrate dominance in Glycoside Hydrolase protein-coding gene assignments suggesting its importance in infiltration and infection of host. Our profiling also provides a basis for further investigation on lack of correlation observed between number of pathogenicity and enzyme-related genes with host range. Despite being grouped within the same AG with China AG1-IA, our Draft AG1-IA exhibits differences in terms of protein-coding gene proportions and classifications. This implies that strains from similar AG do not necessarily have to retain similar proportions and classification of TE but must have the necessary arsenal to enable successful infiltration and colonization of host. In a larger perspective, all the studied AGs essentially share core genes that are generally involved in adhesion, penetration, and host colonization. However, the different infiltration strategies will depend on the level of host resilience where this is clearly exhibited by the gene sets encoded for the process of infiltration, infection, and protection from host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurhani Mat Razali
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia; (N.M.R.); (S.N.H.); (I.S.K.)
| | - Siti Norvahida Hisham
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia; (N.M.R.); (S.N.H.); (I.S.K.)
| | - Ilakiya Sharanee Kumar
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia; (N.M.R.); (S.N.H.); (I.S.K.)
| | - Rohit Nandan Shukla
- Bionivid Technology Pte Ltd., 209, 4th Cross Rd, B Channasandra, East of NGEF Layout, Kasturi Nagar, Bengaluru 560043, Karnataka, India;
| | - Melvin Lee
- Codon Genomics Sdn. Bhd., No 26, Jalan Dutamas 7 Taman Dutamas Balakong, Seri Kembangan 43200, Selangor, Malaysia;
| | | | - Kalaivani Nadarajah
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia; (N.M.R.); (S.N.H.); (I.S.K.)
- Correspondence:
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