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Castañeda de León V, Martínez-Carrera D, Morales P, Sobal M, Gil-Muñoz A, Severiano-Pérez P, Leal-Lara H. Productivity and flavor of diverse genotypes of Ustilago maydis "cuitlacoche" for human consumption. Fungal Biol 2019; 123:481-488. [PMID: 31126425 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2019.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Maize plants infected by Ustilago maydis develop galls known as "cuitlacoche", a food product appreciated in the Mexican gastronomy. The virulence of different U. maydis isolates was assessed, as well as the development of the infection on one commercial maize variety. Sporidia were isolated of wild galls collected in Mexico. Sexual compatibility patterns were determined using the Fuzz reaction, showing a 1:1:1:1 segregation of mating type specificities. Ten U. maydis compatible strains were selected on the basis of their virulence, namely: four wild-type compatible sporidia, one multi-teliosporic strain, two hybrids between wild-type and tester strains, and three tester strains. Maize plants of a commercial hybrid (Tornado XR™) were inoculated with these strains of U. maydis, using a randomized complete block experimental design. Phenological and phenotypic characteristics of plants, as well as production, quality and sensory attributes of the resulting galls, were evaluated. Greater yields of galls were recorded in tester strains (incidence >90 %, severity >80 %, productivity >12 t/ha), a hybrid strain (EM1-6 × FB1) [incidence 82.6 %, severity 51.8 %, productivity 5.6 t/ha] and a wild-type strain (EM4-10 × EM2-4) [incidence 68.2 %, severity 44.0 %, productivity 4.8 t/ha]. Wild-type strains showed better flavor, characterized by less bitterness and acidity, but prevailing sweet, umami and maize flavor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Castañeda de León
- Colegio de Postgraduados (CP), Campus Puebla, Biotecnología de Hongos Comestibles, Funcionales y Medicinales & Recursos Fitogenéticos, Apartado Postal 129, 72001, Puebla, Mexico.
| | - Daniel Martínez-Carrera
- Colegio de Postgraduados (CP), Campus Puebla, Biotecnología de Hongos Comestibles, Funcionales y Medicinales & Recursos Fitogenéticos, Apartado Postal 129, 72001, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Porfirio Morales
- Colegio de Postgraduados (CP), Campus Puebla, Biotecnología de Hongos Comestibles, Funcionales y Medicinales & Recursos Fitogenéticos, Apartado Postal 129, 72001, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Mercedes Sobal
- Colegio de Postgraduados (CP), Campus Puebla, Biotecnología de Hongos Comestibles, Funcionales y Medicinales & Recursos Fitogenéticos, Apartado Postal 129, 72001, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Abel Gil-Muñoz
- Colegio de Postgraduados (CP), Campus Puebla, Biotecnología de Hongos Comestibles, Funcionales y Medicinales & Recursos Fitogenéticos, Apartado Postal 129, 72001, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Patricia Severiano-Pérez
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Departamento de Alimentos y Biotecnología, Facultad de Química, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, CDMX, 04510, Mexico
| | - Hermilo Leal-Lara
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Departamento de Alimentos y Biotecnología, Facultad de Química, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, CDMX, 04510, Mexico
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Pinter N, Hach CA, Hampel M, Rekhter D, Zienkiewicz K, Feussner I, Poehlein A, Daniel R, Finkernagel F, Heimel K. Signal peptide peptidase activity connects the unfolded protein response to plant defense suppression by Ustilago maydis. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007734. [PMID: 30998787 PMCID: PMC6490947 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis requires the unfolded protein response (UPR) to maintain homeostasis of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during the biotrophic interaction with its host plant Zea mays (maize). Crosstalk between the UPR and pathways controlling pathogenic development is mediated by protein-protein interactions between the UPR regulator Cib1 and the developmental regulator Clp1. Cib1/Clp1 complex formation results in mutual modification of the connected regulatory networks thereby aligning fungal proliferation in planta, efficient effector secretion with increased ER stress tolerance and long-term UPR activation in planta. Here we address UPR-dependent gene expression and its modulation by Clp1 using combinatorial RNAseq/ChIPseq analyses. We show that increased ER stress resistance is connected to Clp1-dependent alterations of Cib1 phosphorylation, protein stability and UPR gene expression. Importantly, we identify by deletion screening of UPR core genes the signal peptide peptidase Spp1 as a novel key factor that is required for establishing a compatible biotrophic interaction between U. maydis and its host plant maize. Spp1 is dispensable for ER stress resistance and vegetative growth but requires catalytic activity to interfere with the plant defense, revealing a novel virulence specific function for signal peptide peptidases in a biotrophic fungal/plant interaction. Biotrophic pathogens establish compatible interactions with their host to cause disease. A critical step in this process is the suppression of plant defense responses by secreted effector proteins. In the maize infecting fungus Ustilago maydis expression of effector encoding genes is coordinately upregulated at defined stages of pathogenic development in so-called effector waves. Efficient secretion of the multitude of effectors relies on the unfolded protein response (UPR) to maintain homeostasis of the endoplasmic reticulum. Activation of the UPR is connected to the control of fungal proliferation through direct protein-protein interactions between the UPR regulator Cib1 and the developmental regulator Clp1. Here, we show that this interaction leads to functional modification of Cib1 and modulation of UPR gene expression to adapt the UPR for long-term activity in the plant. Within a core set of UPR regulated genes we identify the signal peptide peptidase Spp1 as a key factor for fungal virulence. We show that Spp1 requires its conserved catalytic activity to suppress the plant defense and cause disease. The virulence specific function of Spp1 does not involve pathways previously known to be associated with Spp1-like proteins or plant defense suppression, suggesting a novel role for Spp1 substrates in biotrophic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niko Pinter
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christina Andrea Hach
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Martin Hampel
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dmitrij Rekhter
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Krzysztof Zienkiewicz
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anja Poehlein
- Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology & Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rolf Daniel
- Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology & Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Florian Finkernagel
- Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology (ZTI), Institute of Molecular Biology and Tumor Research (IMT), Marburg, Germany
| | - Kai Heimel
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Zhang Z, Guo J, Zhao Y, Chen J. Identification and characterization of maize ACD6-like gene reveal ZmACD6 as the maize orthologue conferring resistance to Ustilago maydis. Plant Signal Behav 2019; 14:e1651604. [PMID: 31397626 PMCID: PMC6768228 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2019.1651604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Enhancing broad-spectrum resistance is a major goal of crop breeding. However, broad-spectrum resistance has not been thoroughly investigated, and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In the model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), ACCELERATED CELL DEATH6 (ACD6) is a key component of broad-spectrum resistance that acts in a positive feedback loop with salicylic acid (SA) to regulate multiple pattern recognition receptors. However, the role of ACD6 in disease resistance in crop plants is unclear. Here, we show that the transcript of ANK23, one of the 15 ACD6-like genes in maize (Zea mays), is induced by SA and by infection with the pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis. Heterologous expression of ANK23 restored disease resistance in the Arabidopsis mutant acd6-2. We show that ANK23 is a maize ortholog of ACD6 and therefore rename ANK23 as ZmACD6. Furthermore, using CRISPR/Cas9, we generated ZmACD6 knockout maize plants, which are more susceptible to U. maydis than wild-type plants. We also identified a maize line (SC-9) with relatively high ZmACD6 expression levels from a diverse natural maize population. SC-9 has increased disease resistance to U. maydis and defense activation, suggesting a practical approach to cultivate elite varieties with enhanced disease resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongqin Zhang
- Hebei Sub-center of the Chinese National Maize Improvement Center, North China Key Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Resources of Education Ministry, College of Agronomy, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China
- CONTACT Zhongqin Zhang Hebei Sub-center of the Chinese National Maize Improvement Center, North China Key Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Resources of Education Ministry, College of Agronomy, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China
| | - Jinjie Guo
- Hebei Sub-center of the Chinese National Maize Improvement Center, North China Key Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Resources of Education Ministry, College of Agronomy, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China
| | - Yongfeng Zhao
- Hebei Sub-center of the Chinese National Maize Improvement Center, North China Key Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Resources of Education Ministry, College of Agronomy, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China
| | - Jingtang Chen
- Hebei Sub-center of the Chinese National Maize Improvement Center, North China Key Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Resources of Education Ministry, College of Agronomy, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China
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Czedik‐Eysenberg A, Seitner S, Güldener U, Koemeda S, Jez J, Colombini M, Djamei A. The 'PhenoBox', a flexible, automated, open-source plant phenotyping solution. New Phytol 2018; 219:808-823. [PMID: 29621393 PMCID: PMC6485332 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
There is a need for flexible and affordable plant phenotyping solutions for basic research and plant breeding. We demonstrate our open source plant imaging and processing solution ('PhenoBox'/'PhenoPipe') and provide construction plans, source code and documentation to rebuild the system. Use of the PhenoBox is exemplified by studying infection of the model grass Brachypodium distachyon by the head smut fungus Ustilago bromivora, comparing phenotypic responses of maize to infection with a solopathogenic Ustilago maydis (corn smut) strain and effector deletion strains, and studying salt stress response in Nicotiana benthamiana. In U. bromivora-infected grass, phenotypic differences between infected and uninfected plants were detectable weeks before qualitative head smut symptoms. Based on this, we could predict the infection outcome for individual plants with high accuracy. Using a PhenoPipe module for calculation of multi-dimensional distances from phenotyping data, we observe a time after infection-dependent impact of U. maydis effector deletion strains on phenotypic response in maize. The PhenoBox/PhenoPipe system is able to detect established salt stress responses in N. benthamiana. We have developed an affordable, automated, open source imaging and data processing solution that can be adapted to various phenotyping applications in plant biology and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelika Czedik‐Eysenberg
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI)Austrian Academy of SciencesVienna BioCenter (VBC)Dr. Bohr‐Gasse 31030ViennaAustria
| | - Sebastian Seitner
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI)Austrian Academy of SciencesVienna BioCenter (VBC)Dr. Bohr‐Gasse 31030ViennaAustria
| | - Ulrich Güldener
- Department of Genome‐oriented BioinformaticsTechnische Universität MünchenWissenschaftszentrum WeihenstephanFreisingGermany
| | - Stefanie Koemeda
- Vienna Biocenter Core Facilities (VBCF)Dr. Bohr‐Gasse 31030ViennaAustria
| | - Jakub Jez
- Vienna Biocenter Core Facilities (VBCF)Dr. Bohr‐Gasse 31030ViennaAustria
| | - Martin Colombini
- Workshop, Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP)Vienna BioCenter (VBC)Campus‐Vienna‐Biocenter 11030ViennaAustria
| | - Armin Djamei
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI)Austrian Academy of SciencesVienna BioCenter (VBC)Dr. Bohr‐Gasse 31030ViennaAustria
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Antonovics J, Abbate JL, Bruns EL, Fields PD, Forrester NJ, Gilbert KJ, Hood ME, Park T, Taylor DR. Effect of the anther-smut fungus Microbotryum on the juvenile growth of its host Silene latifolia. Am J Bot 2018; 105:1088-1095. [PMID: 29995339 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Plant pathogens that form persistent systemic infections within plants have the potential to affect multiple plant life history traits, yet we tend to focus only on visible symptoms. Anther smut of Silene latifolia caused by the fungus Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae induces the anthers of its host to support fungal spore production instead of pollen, and the pathogen is primarily transmitted among flowering plants by pollinators. Nevertheless, most of its life cycle is spent in the asymptomatic vegetative phase, and spores falling on seedlings or nonflowering plants can also infect the host. The purpose of this study was to ask whether the fungus also had an effect on its host plant in the juvenile vegetative phase before flowering as this is important for the disease dynamics in species where infection of seedlings is commonplace. METHODS Leaf length and leaf number of inoculated and uninoculated juvenile plants were compared in greenhouse experiments, and in one experiment, disease status of the plants at flowering was determined. KEY RESULTS Inoculated plants had shorter but more leaves, and reduced root mass at the early juvenile (preflowering) stage. Some of these effects were detectable in plants that were inoculated but showed no disease symptoms at flowering. CONCLUSIONS These results show that pathogenic fungi can have endophyte-like effects even in the total absence of their typical and more charismatic symptoms, and conversely that the assessment of endophyte effects on the fitness of their hosts should include all stages of the host life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janis Antonovics
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Jessica L Abbate
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Emily L Bruns
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Peter D Fields
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | | | | | - Michael E Hood
- Biology Department, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Timothy Park
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Douglas R Taylor
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
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Matei A, Ernst C, Günl M, Thiele B, Altmüller J, Walbot V, Usadel B, Doehlemann G. How to make a tumour: cell type specific dissection of Ustilago maydis-induced tumour development in maize leaves. New Phytol 2018; 217:1681-1695. [PMID: 29314018 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The biotrophic fungus Ustilago maydis causes smut disease on maize (Zea mays), which is characterized by immense plant tumours. To establish disease and reprogram organ primordia to tumours, U. maydis deploys effector proteins in an organ-specific manner. However, the cellular contribution to leaf tumours remains unknown. We investigated leaf tumour formation at the tissue- and cell type-specific levels. Cytology and metabolite analysis were deployed to understand the cellular basis for tumourigenesis. Laser-capture microdissection was performed to gain a cell type-specific transcriptome of U. maydis during tumour formation. In vivo visualization of plant DNA synthesis identified bundle sheath cells as the origin of hyperplasic tumour cells, while mesophyll cells become hypertrophic tumour cells. Cell type-specific transcriptome profiling of U. maydis revealed tailored expression of fungal effector genes. Moreover, U. maydis See1 was identified as the first cell type-specific fungal effector, being required for induction of cell cycle reactivation in bundle sheath cells. Identification of distinct cellular mechanisms in two different leaf cell types and of See1 as an effector for induction of proliferation of bundle sheath cells are major steps in understanding U. maydis-induced tumour formation. Moreover, the cell type-specific U. maydis transcriptome data are a valuable resource to the scientific community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Matei
- Botanical Institute and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), BioCenter, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| | - Corinna Ernst
- Center for Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, NRW, 50931, Germany
| | - Markus Günl
- Plant Sciences, IBG-2, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen Str, Jülich, 52428, Germany
| | - Björn Thiele
- Plant Sciences, IBG-2, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen Str, Jülich, 52428, Germany
| | - Janine Altmüller
- Cologne Center for Genomics and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, D-50674, Germany
| | - Virginia Walbot
- Department of Biology MC5020, Stanford University, 385 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Björn Usadel
- BioSC, IBG-2, Institute for Botany, RWTH Aachen, Worringer Weg 3, Aachen, 52078, Germany
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- Botanical Institute and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), BioCenter, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, Cologne, 50674, Germany
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Lanver D, Müller AN, Happel P, Schweizer G, Haas FB, Franitza M, Pellegrin C, Reissmann S, Altmüller J, Rensing SA, Kahmann R. The Biotrophic Development of Ustilago maydis Studied by RNA-Seq Analysis. Plant Cell 2018; 30:300-323. [PMID: 29371439 PMCID: PMC5868686 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.17.00764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The maize smut fungus Ustilago maydis is a model organism for elucidating host colonization strategies of biotrophic fungi. Here, we performed an in depth transcriptional profiling of the entire plant-associated development of U. maydis wild-type strains. In our analysis, we focused on fungal metabolism, nutritional strategies, secreted effectors, and regulatory networks. Secreted proteins were enriched in three distinct expression modules corresponding to stages on the plant surface, establishment of biotrophy, and induction of tumors. These modules are likely the key determinants for U. maydis virulence. With respect to nutrient utilization, we observed that expression of several nutrient transporters was tied to these virulence modules rather than being controlled by nutrient availability. We show that oligopeptide transporters likely involved in nitrogen assimilation are important virulence factors. By measuring the intramodular connectivity of transcription factors, we identified the potential drivers for the virulence modules. While known components of the b-mating type cascade emerged as inducers for the plant surface and biotrophy module, we identified a set of yet uncharacterized transcription factors as likely responsible for expression of the tumor module. We demonstrate a crucial role for leaf tumor formation and effector gene expression for one of these transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Lanver
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Abteilung Organismische Interaktionen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - André N Müller
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Abteilung Organismische Interaktionen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Petra Happel
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Abteilung Organismische Interaktionen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Gabriel Schweizer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Abteilung Organismische Interaktionen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Fabian B Haas
- Philipps Universität Marburg, Fb17 Biologie, AG Zellbiologie der Pflanzen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Marek Franitza
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Clément Pellegrin
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Abteilung Organismische Interaktionen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Reissmann
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Abteilung Organismische Interaktionen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Janine Altmüller
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Stefan A Rensing
- Philipps Universität Marburg, Fb17 Biologie, AG Zellbiologie der Pflanzen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Abteilung Organismische Interaktionen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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Wang ZD, Yan N, Wang ZH, Zhang XH, Zhang JZ, Xue HM, Wang LX, Zhan Q, Xu YP, Guo DP. RNA-seq analysis provides insight into reprogramming of culm development in Zizania latifolia induced by Ustilago esculenta. Plant Mol Biol 2017; 95:533-547. [PMID: 29076026 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-017-0658-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
We report a transcriptome assembly and expression profiles from RNA-Seq data and identify genes responsible for culm gall formation in Zizania latifolia induced by Ustilago esculenta. The smut fungus Ustilago esculenta can induce culm gall in Zizania latifolia, which is used as a vegetable in Asian countries. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of culm gall formation is still unclear. To characterize the processes underlying this host-fungus association, we performed transcriptomic and expression profiling analyses of culms from Z. latifolia infected by the fungus U. esculenta. Transcriptomic analysis detected U. esculenta induced differential expression of 19,033 and 17,669 genes in Jiaobai (JB) and Huijiao (HJ) type of gall, respectively. Additionally, to detect the potential gall inducing genes, expression profiles of infected culms collected at -7, 1 and 10 DAS of culm gall development were analyzed. Compared to control, we detected 8089 genes (4389 up-regulated, 3700 down-regulated) and 5251 genes (3121 up-regulated, 2130 down-regulated) were differentially expressed in JB and HJ, respectively. And we identified 376 host and 187 fungal candidate genes that showed stage-specific expression pattern, which are possibly responsible for gall formation at the initial and later phases, respectively. Our results indicated that cytokinins play more prominent roles in regulating gall formation than do auxins. Together, our work provides general implications for the understanding of gene regulatory networks for culm gall development in Z. latifolia, and potential targets for genetic manipulation to improve the future yield of this crop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Dan Wang
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Ning Yan
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Zheng-Hong Wang
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Xiao-Huan Zhang
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Jing-Ze Zhang
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Hui-Min Xue
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Li-Xia Wang
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Qi Zhan
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Ying-Ping Xu
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - De-Ping Guo
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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Rabe F, Bosch J, Stirnberg A, Guse T, Bauer L, Seitner D, Rabanal FA, Czedik-Eysenberg A, Uhse S, Bindics J, Genenncher B, Navarrete F, Kellner R, Ekker H, Kumlehn J, Vogel JP, Gordon SP, Marcel TC, Münsterkötter M, Walter MC, Sieber CMK, Mannhaupt G, Güldener U, Kahmann R, Djamei A. A complete toolset for the study of Ustilago bromivora and Brachypodium sp. as a fungal-temperate grass pathosystem. eLife 2016; 5:e20522. [PMID: 27835569 PMCID: PMC5106213 DOI: 10.7554/elife.20522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to their economic relevance, the study of plant pathogen interactions is of importance. However, elucidating these interactions and their underlying molecular mechanisms remains challenging since both host and pathogen need to be fully genetically accessible organisms. Here we present milestones in the establishment of a new biotrophic model pathosystem: Ustilago bromivora and Brachypodium sp. We provide a complete toolset, including an annotated fungal genome and methods for genetic manipulation of the fungus and its host plant. This toolset will enable researchers to easily study biotrophic interactions at the molecular level on both the pathogen and the host side. Moreover, our research on the fungal life cycle revealed a mating type bias phenomenon. U. bromivora harbors a haplo-lethal allele that is linked to one mating type region. As a result, the identified mating type bias strongly promotes inbreeding, which we consider to be a potential speciation driver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Rabe
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jason Bosch
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexandra Stirnberg
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tilo Guse
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Bauer
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Denise Seitner
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fernando A Rabanal
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Simon Uhse
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Janos Bindics
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bianca Genenncher
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fernando Navarrete
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ronny Kellner
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Heinz Ekker
- Vienna Biocenter Core Facilities GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jochen Kumlehn
- Leibniz-Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, Gatersleben, Germany
| | - John P Vogel
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, California, United States
| | - Sean P Gordon
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, California, United States
| | - Thierry C Marcel
- INRA UMR BIOGER, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | - Martin Münsterkötter
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Mathias C Walter
- Department of Genome-oriented Bioinformatics, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Christian MK Sieber
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Gertrud Mannhaupt
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Güldener
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Genome-oriented Bioinformatics, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Armin Djamei
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna, Austria
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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10
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Li Z, Yan L, Yan Z. [Parasitic strategy and regulation mechanism of Ustilago maydis - A review]. Wei Sheng Wu Xue Bao 2016; 56:1385-1397. [PMID: 29738207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Corn smut is a disease caused by Basidiomycetous fungus Ustilago maydis. This pathogen is a dimorphic fungus that needs to complete its sexual reproduction in living corn. We reviewed recent research reports of this disease, we divided the parasitization course of U. maydis into 7 stages in this paper, including the formation of pathogenic dikaryotic hyphae, attaching to the surface of host plant, penetrating the host epidermis, weakening host defense response, prolifering mycelium in host plant, inducing tumor in host tissue and the formation of chlamydospore. We also reviewed key genes involved in each stage and elaborate their function during pathogenesis. We present the sophisticated parasitic strategy of U. maydis in the process to achieve its sexual reproduction. The division of U. maydis parasitization course in this review will help understanding the interaction mechanisms between the pathogen and host plant, and provide new ideas for the prevention and control of such diseases.
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11
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Jasso-Robles FI, Jiménez-Bremont JF, Becerra-Flora A, Juárez-Montiel M, Gonzalez ME, Pieckenstain FL, García de la Cruz RF, Rodríguez-Kessler M. Inhibition of polyamine oxidase activity affects tumor development during the maize-Ustilago maydis interaction. Plant Physiol Biochem 2016; 102:115-24. [PMID: 26926794 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2016.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Ustilago maydis is a biotrophic plant pathogenic fungus that leads to tumor development in the aerial tissues of its host, Zea mays. These tumors are the result of cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia, and are accompanied by the reprograming of primary and secondary metabolism of infected plants. Up to now, little is known regarding key plant actors and their role in tumor development during the interaction with U. maydis. Polyamines are small aliphatic amines that regulate plant growth, development and stress responses. In a previous study, we found substantial increases of polyamine levels in tumors. In the present work, we describe the maize polyamine oxidase (PAO) gene family, its contribution to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production and its possible role in tumor development induced by U. maydis. Histochemical analysis revealed that chlorotic lesions and maize tumors induced by U. maydis accumulate H2O2 to significant levels. Maize plants inoculated with U. maydis and treated with the PAO inhibitor 1,8-diaminooctane exhibit a notable reduction of H2O2 accumulation in infected tissues and a significant drop in PAO activity. This treatment also reduced disease symptoms in infected plants. Finally, among six maize PAO genes only the ZmPAO1, which encodes an extracellular enzyme, is up-regulated in tumors. Our data suggest that H2O2 produced through PA catabolism by ZmPAO1 plays an important role in tumor development during the maize-U. maydis interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Ignacio Jasso-Robles
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Dr. Salvador Nava Mtz. s/n, Zona Universitaria, C.P. 78290, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Juan Francisco Jiménez-Bremont
- División de Biología Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa de San José 2055, Apartado Postal 3-74 Tangamanga, 78210, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Alicia Becerra-Flora
- División de Biología Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa de San José 2055, Apartado Postal 3-74 Tangamanga, 78210, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Margarita Juárez-Montiel
- División de Biología Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa de San José 2055, Apartado Postal 3-74 Tangamanga, 78210, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - María Elisa Gonzalez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECH, UNSAM-CONICET), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Fernando Luis Pieckenstain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECH, UNSAM-CONICET), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Ramón Fernando García de la Cruz
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Manuel Nava Mtz, Zona Universitaria, C.P. 78290, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Margarita Rodríguez-Kessler
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Dr. Salvador Nava Mtz. s/n, Zona Universitaria, C.P. 78290, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
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12
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Abstract
EMBRYO SAC1-4 (ES1-4) peptides belong to the defensin subgroup of cysteine-rich peptides known to mediate pollen tube burst in Zea mays (maize). ES1-4 are reported here to also be capable of inhibiting germination and growth of the maize fungal pathogens Fusarium graminearum and Ustilago maydis at higher concentrations. Dividing the peptides into smaller pieces showed that a 15-amino-acid peptide located in a highly variable loop region lacking similarity to other defensins or defensin-like peptides binds to maize pollen tube surfaces, causing swelling prior to burst. This peptide fragment and a second conserved neighbouring fragment showed suppression of fungal germination and growth. The two peptides caused swelling of fungal cells, production of reactive oxygen species, and finally the formation of big vacuoles prior to burst at high peptide concentration. Furthermore, peptide fragments were found to bind differently to fungal cells. In necrotrophic F. graminearum, a peptide fragment named ES-d bound only at cell surfaces whereas the peptide ES-c bound at cell surfaces and also accumulated inside cells. Conversely, in biotrophic U. maydis, both peptide fragments accumulated inside cells, but, if applied at higher concentration, ES-c but not ES-d accumulated mainly in vacuoles. Mapping of peptide interaction sites identified amino acids differing in pollen tube burst and fungal response reactions. In summary, these findings indicate that residues targeting pollen tube burst in maize are specific to the ES family, while residues targeting fungal growth are conserved within defensins and defensin-like peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayada Woriedh
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, Biochemie-Zentrum Regensburg, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Rainer Merkl
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, Biochemie-Zentrum Regensburg, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Dresselhaus
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, Biochemie-Zentrum Regensburg, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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13
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Ruiz-Herrera J, León-Ramírez C, Vera-Nuñez A, Sánchez-Arreguín A, Ruiz-Medrano R, Salgado-Lugo H, Sánchez-Segura L, Peña-Cabriales JJ. A novel intracellular nitrogen-fixing symbiosis made by Ustilago maydis and Bacillus spp. New Phytol 2015; 207:769-777. [PMID: 25754368 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We observed that the maize pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis grew in nitrogen (N)-free media at a rate similar to that observed in media containing ammonium nitrate, suggesting that it was able to fix atmospheric N2 . Because only prokaryotic organisms have the capacity to reduce N2 , we entertained the possibility that U. maydis was associated with an intracellular bacterium. The presence of nitrogenase in the fungus was analyzed by acetylene reduction, and capacity to fix N2 by use of (15) N2 . Presence of an intracellular N2 -fixing bacterium was analyzed by PCR amplification of bacterial 16S rRNA and nifH genes, and by microscopic observations. Nitrogenase activity and (15) N incorporation into the cells proved that U. maydis fixed N2 . Light and electron microscopy, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments revealed the presence of intracellular bacteria related to Bacillus pumilus, as evidenced by sequencing of the PCR-amplified fragments. These observations reveal for the first time the existence of an endosymbiotic N2 -fixing association involving a fungus and a bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Ruiz-Herrera
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Claudia León-Ramírez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Antonio Vera-Nuñez
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioquímica, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Alejandro Sánchez-Arreguín
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Roberto Ruiz-Medrano
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, Unidad Zacatenco, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, México
| | - Holjes Salgado-Lugo
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Lino Sánchez-Segura
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Juan José Peña-Cabriales
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioquímica, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
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14
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Castanheira S, Pérez-Martín J. Appressorium formation in the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis requires a G2 cell cycle arrest. Plant Signal Behav 2015; 10:e1001227. [PMID: 25876077 PMCID: PMC4623337 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2014.1001227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Many of the most important plant diseases are caused by fungal pathogens that form specialized cell structures to breach the leaf surface as well as to proliferate inside the plant. To initiate pathogenic development, the fungus responds to a set of inductive cues. Some of them are of extracellular nature (environmental signals) while others respond to intracellular conditions (developmental signals). These signals have to be integrated into a single response that has as a major outcome changes in the morphogenesis of the fungus. The cell cycle regulation is pivotal during these cellular differentiations, and we hypothesized that cell cycle regulation would be likely to provide control points for infection development by fungal pathogens. Although efforts have been done in various fungal systems, there is still limited information available regarding the relationship of these processes with the induction of the virulence programs. Hence, the role of fungal cell cycle regulators -which are wide conserved elements- as true virulence factors, has yet to be defined. Here we discuss the recent finding that the formation of the appressorium, a structure required for plant penetration, in the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis seems to be incompatible with an active cell cycle and, therefore genetic circuits evolved in this fungus to arrest the cell cycle during the growth of this fungus on plant surface, before the appressorium-mediated penetration into the plant tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sónia Castanheira
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Salamanca, Spain
| | - José Pérez-Martín
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Salamanca, Spain
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15
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Verdú AMC, Mas MT. Density-related effects on the infectivity and aggressiveness of a sterilising smut in a wild population of Digitaria sanguinalis. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2015; 17:281-287. [PMID: 24990686 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/17/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Understanding host-pathogen evolutionary dynamics needs characterisation and quantification of processes occurring at many spatiotemporal scales. With this aim, the effects of smut on a naturally infected population of the summer annual Digitaria sanguinalis were followed for 4 years in an uncropped field. The main purpose of the study was to quantify the effects of within-population density on the infectivity and the aggressiveness of the pathogen in a range of densities that occurred naturally. The infectivity-related variable measured was the proportion of smutted plants at the end of each growing season; proportions were analysed using a generalised linear model with a binomial distribution considering the year, the density and their interaction as effects. The aggressiveness-related variables chosen were the number of smutted inflorescences per plant and per area, obtained over the last 2 years; they were analysed by means of ancova considering disease status (seeded or smutted), year, density and all the interactions between them. Although the disease is monocyclic, results showed clearly that infectivity increased with plant density. The number of inflorescences per plant was 1.5 times higher in smutted plants than in healthy plants throughout the range of densities. This variable declined when density increased, but as the infectivity increased at a higher rate, the aggressiveness also increased with density. The surprising results on infectivity are discussed in the context of current knowledge of plant-pathogen interaction dynamics, as well as neighbour effects on pathogen aggressiveness. Moreover, the results could be useful to develop weed biological control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M C Verdú
- Departament d'Enginyeria Agroalimentària i Biotecnologia (DEAB), Escola Superior d'Agricultura de Barcelona (ESAB), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
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16
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Ni X, Toews MD, Buntin GD, Carpenter JE, Huffaker A, Schmelz EA, Cottrell TE, Abdo Z. Influence of brown stink bug feeding, planting date and sampling time on common smut infection of maize. Insect Sci 2014; 21:564-571. [PMID: 24963742 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Phytopathogen infections are frequently influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors in a crop field. The effect of brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), feeding and planting date and sampling time on common smut (Ustilago maydis) infection percentage of maize plants was examined in 2005 and 2006, and 2010 and 2011, respectively. Brown stink bug adult feeding on maize hybrid "DKC6971" at flowering in 2005 and 2006 did not influence smut infection percentage when examined using 3 treatments (i.e., 0 adult, 5 adults, and 5 adults mixed with the smut spores). The smut infection percentages were <3% (n = 12) in the 3 treatments. The smut infection percentage among the 4 weekly samplings was the same, so was natural aflatoxin contamination at harvest among the treatments. The 2nd experiment showed that planting date did not affect the smut infection percentage in either 2010 or 2011. But, the smut infection percentage from the postflowering sampling was greater than preflowering sampling in both years. The smut infection percentage varied among the germplasm lines in 2010, but not in 2011. This study demonstrated that brown stink bug feeding at flowering had no effect on smut infection in maize, and the best time for smut evaluation would be after flowering. The temperature and precipitation might have also influenced the percentage of smut-infected maize plants during the 4 years when the experiments were conducted. The similarity between kernel-colonizing U. maydis and Aspergillus flavus infections and genotype × environment interaction were also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinzhi Ni
- USDA-ARS, Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit, Tifton, GA, 31793
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17
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Okmen B, Doehlemann G. Inside plant: biotrophic strategies to modulate host immunity and metabolism. Curr Opin Plant Biol 2014; 20:19-25. [PMID: 24780462 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2014.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Revised: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Filamentous plant pathogens that establish biotrophic interactions need to avoid plant immune responses. Recent findings from different pathosystems suggest that sufficient suppression of host immunity is based on the modulation of a rather limited number of host targets. Microbial strategies to target host physiology dependent on the duration of biotrophy, the style of host tissue colonization and the degree of interference with plant development. In this article, we present current concepts in biotrophic virulence strategies and discuss mechanisms of pathogen adaptation and effector specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilal Okmen
- Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department for Organismic Interactions, Marburg, Germany
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department for Organismic Interactions, Marburg, Germany.
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18
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Wollenberg
- RWTH Aachen University, Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jan Schirawski
- RWTH Aachen University, Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, Aachen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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19
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Kawagishi H, Hota K, Masuda K, Yamaguchi K, Yazawa K, Shibata K, Uzuka N, Matahira Y. Osteoclast-Forming Suppressive Compounds from Makomotake,Zizania latifoliaInfected withUstilago esculenta. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2014; 70:2800-2. [PMID: 17090930 DOI: 10.1271/bbb.60376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A novel compound (1) and a known one (2) were isolated from Makomotake, Zizania latifolia infected with Ustilago esculenta, as osteoclast-forming suppressive substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Kawagishi
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka, Japan.
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20
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Hof A, Zechmann B, Schwammbach D, Hückelhoven R, Doehlemann G. Alternative cell death mechanisms determine epidermal resistance in incompatible barley-Ustilago interactions. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2014; 27:403-414. [PMID: 24329174 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-10-13-0317-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Programmed cell death is a key feature of epidermal plant immunity, which is particularly effective against biotrophic microbes that depend on living host tissue. The covered smut fungus Ustilago hordei establishes a compatible biotrophic interaction with its host plant barley. The maize smut U. maydis triggers a nonhost response in barley, which results in epidermal cell death. Similarly, Ustilago mutants being deleted for pep1, a gene encoding a secreted effector, are blocked upon host penetration. We studied the epidermal responses of barley to incompatible Ustilago strains. Molecular and cellular analyses were used to test the impact of Bax inhibitor-1 (BI-1), a suppressor of programmed cell death, on the barley nonhost resistance to U. maydis as well as Ustilago Δpep1 mutants. Overexpression of BI-1 resulted in partial break of barley nonhost resistance to U. maydis. By contrast, the epidermal cell death response triggered by pep1 deletion mutants was not impaired by BI-1. Hypersensitive-response-like cell death caused by U. maydis wild-type infection showed features of necrotic cell death, while Δpep1 mutant-induced host responses involved hallmarks of autophagy. Therefore, we propose that the mechanisms of epidermal cell death in response to different types of incompatible pathogens depend on spatial and temporal appearance of cell-death-triggering stimuli.
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21
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Göhre
- Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Institute for Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Carl Haag
- Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Institute for Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Michael Feldbrügge
- Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Institute for Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
- * E-mail:
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22
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Gao L, Kelliher T, Nguyen L, Walbot V. Ustilago maydis reprograms cell proliferation in maize anthers. Plant J 2013; 75:903-14. [PMID: 23795972 PMCID: PMC3769448 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Revised: 05/04/2013] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The basidiomycete Ustilago maydis is a ubiquitous pathogen of maize (Zea mays), one of the world's most important cereal crops. Infection by this smut fungus triggers tumor formation in aerial plant parts within which the fungus sporulates. Using confocal microscopy to track U. maydis infection on corn anthers for 7 days post-injection, we found that U. maydis is located on the epidermis during the first 2 days, and has reached all anther lobe cell types by 3 days post-injection. Fungal infection alters cell-fate specification events, cell division patterns, host cell expansion and host cell senescence, depending on the developmental stage and cell type. Fungal effects on tassel and plant growth were also quantified. Transcriptome profiling using a dual organism microarray identified thousands of anther genes affected by fungal infection at 3 days post-injection during the cell-fate specification and rapid cell proliferation phases of anther development. In total, 4147 (17%) of anther-expressed genes were altered by infection, 2018 fungal genes were expressed in anthers, and 206 fungal secretome genes may be anther-specific. The results confirm that U. maydis deploys distinct genes to cause disease in specific maize organs, and suggest mechanisms by which the host plant is manipulated to generate a tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Gao
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
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Mueller AN, Ziemann S, Treitschke S, Aßmann D, Doehlemann G. Compatibility in the Ustilago maydis-maize interaction requires inhibition of host cysteine proteases by the fungal effector Pit2. PLoS Pathog 2013; 9:e1003177. [PMID: 23459172 PMCID: PMC3573112 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2012] [Accepted: 12/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The basidiomycete Ustilago maydis causes smut disease in maize, with large plant tumors being formed as the most prominent disease symptoms. During all steps of infection, U. maydis depends on a biotrophic interaction, which requires an efficient suppression of plant immunity. In a previous study, we identified the secreted effector protein Pit2, which is essential for maintenance of biotrophy and induction of tumors. Deletion mutants for pit2 successfully penetrate host cells but elicit various defense responses, which stops further fungal proliferation. We now show that Pit2 functions as an inhibitor of a set of apoplastic maize cysteine proteases, whose activity is directly linked with salicylic-acid-associated plant defenses. Consequently, protease inhibition by Pit2 is required for U. maydis virulence. Sequence comparisons with Pit2 orthologs from related smut fungi identified a conserved sequence motif. Mutation of this sequence caused loss of Pit2 function. Consequently, expression of the mutated protein in U. maydis could not restore virulence of the pit2 deletion mutant, indicating that the protease inhibition by Pit2 is essential for fungal virulence. Moreover, synthetic peptides of the conserved sequence motif showed full activity as protease inhibitor, which identifies this domain as a new, minimal protease inhibitor domain in plant-pathogenic fungi. Biotrophic plant-pathogen interactions depend on the suppression of the host immune system. In the compatible Ustilago maydis–maize interaction, living host cells are colonized without inducing defense responses. Thereby, host metabolism and gene expression are widely reprogrammed, resulting in the formation of large plant tumors. This manipulation of the host plant requires so-called effector proteins, which are secreted by U. maydis to promote disease. Recently we identified the effector Pit2 (protein involved in tumors 2), which is encoded within a cluster of four plant-induced genes. Deletion mutants for pit2 can infect maize plants but fail to maintain biotrophy. They elicit various defense responses and fail to induce tumors. We now show that Pit2 interacts with a group of apoplastic maize cysteine proteases, which themselves are crucial factors for maize defense induction. Pit2 efficiently inhibits these proteases to suppress maize host resistance. By sequence comparisons, we identified a 14 amino acid motif of Pit2, which is required for protease inhibition and, consequently, for U. maydis virulence. Moreover, synthetic peptides of this motif, but not mutated versions, inhibit maize cysteine proteases. This identifies a novel type of fungal protease inhibitor with an essential role in suppression of maize immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- André N. Mueller
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Steffi Treitschke
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- ¤ Current address: Fraunhofer ITEM-R, Biopark I, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Aßmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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van der Linde K, Doehlemann G. Utilizing virus-induced gene silencing for the functional characterization of maize genes during infection with the fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis. Methods Mol Biol 2013; 975:47-60. [PMID: 23386294 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-278-0_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
While in dicotyledonous plants virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is well established to study plant-pathogen interaction, in monocots only few examples of efficient VIGS have been reported so far. One of the available systems is based on the brome mosaic virus (BMV) which allows gene silencing in different cereals including barley (Hordeum vulgare), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and maize (Zea mays).Infection of maize plants by the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis leads to the formation of large tumors on stem, leaves, and inflorescences. During this biotrophic interaction, plant defense responses are actively suppressed by the pathogen, and previous transcriptome analyses of infected maize plants showed comprehensive and stage-specific changes in host gene expression during disease progression.To identify maize genes that are functionally involved in the interaction with U. maydis, we adapted a VIGS system based on the Brome mosaic virus (BMV) to maize at conditions that allow successful U. maydis infection of BMV pre-infected maize plants. This setup enables quantification of VIGS and its impact on U. maydis infection using a quantitative real-time PCR (q(RT)-PCR)-based readout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina van der Linde
- Department of Organismic Interaction, Max Planck Institute for terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Djamei
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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26
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van der Linde K, Kastner C, Kumlehn J, Kahmann R, Doehlemann G. Systemic virus-induced gene silencing allows functional characterization of maize genes during biotrophic interaction with Ustilago maydis. New Phytol 2011; 189:471-83. [PMID: 21039559 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03474.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Infection of maize (Zea mays) plants with the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis leads to the formation of large tumors on the stem, leaves and inflorescences. In this biotrophic interaction, plant defense responses are actively suppressed by the pathogen, and previous transcriptome analyses of infected maize plants showed massive and stage-specific changes in host gene expression during disease progression. To identify maize genes that are functionally involved in the interaction with U. maydis, we adapted a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system based on the brome mosaic virus (BMV) for maize. Conditions were established that allowed successful U. maydis infection of BMV-preinfected maize plants. This set-up enabled quantification of VIGS and its impact on U. maydis infection using a quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR)-based readout. In proof-of-principle experiments, an U. maydis-induced terpene synthase was shown to negatively regulate disease development while a protein involved in cell death inhibition was required for full virulence of U. maydis. The results suggest that this system is a versatile tool for the rapid identification of maize genes that determine compatibility with U. maydis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina van der Linde
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl von Frisch Str., D-35043 Marburg, Germany
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Abstract
Pathogen genes that shut down specific host plant immune responses are highly divergent and have evolved rapidly to accommodate adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter N Dodds
- Division of Plant Industry, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT 2614, Australia.
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29
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Gaudet DA, Wang Y, Penniket C, Lu ZX, Bakkeren G, Laroche A. Morphological and molecular analyses of host and nonhost interactions involving barley and wheat and the covered smut pathogen Ustilago hordei. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2010; 23:1619-1634. [PMID: 20822422 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-11-09-0271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Ustilago hordei interactions on coleoptiles of barley host cultivars Odessa (compatible), Hannchen (incompatible, carrying the Ruh1 resistance gene), and on nonhost Neepawa wheat were studied using light and fluorescent microscopy. Autofluorescence, mainly caused by callose accumulation, was more rapidly expressed in nonhost wheat at 30 to 72 h compared with the incompatible reaction between 72 and 144 h. Microarray results demonstrated that more than half of the 893 differentially regulated genes were observed in Neepawa; of these genes, 45% fell into the defense- and stress-related classes in Neepawa compared with 25 and 37% in Odessa and Hannchen, respectively. Their expression coincided with the early morphological defense responses observed and were associated with the jasmonic acid and ethylene (JA/ET) signaling pathway. Expression patterns in Odessa and Hannchen were similar, involving fewer genes and coinciding with later morphological defense responses of these varieties. Although no visible hypersensitive response was apparent in Hannchen or Neepawa, specific upregulation of hypersensitivity-related proteins was observed, such as beta-VPE at 48 h. Expression levels of the callose synthase gene were closely associated with callose accumulation. Differential responses in defense-gene expression among disease reaction types included upregulation of PR-1.1b and downregulation of a nonspecific lipid transfer protein in the incompatible and compatible interactions, respectively. Transcript levels of EDS1 and PAD4, involved in both basal resistance and R-mediated resistance to avirulent pathogens, were up-regulated during both nonhost and Ruh1-mediated resistance. Application of methyl-jasmonate, salicylic acid and ET to leaves revealed that only PR1.1b is strongly up-regulated by all three compounds, while the majority of the defense-related genes are only slightly up-regulated by these signaling compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis A Gaudet
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Centre, PO Box 3000, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
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Valdés-Santiago L, Guzmán-de-Peña D, Ruiz-Herrera J. Life without putrescine: disruption of the gene-encoding polyamine oxidase in Ustilago maydis odc mutants. FEMS Yeast Res 2010; 10:928-40. [PMID: 20840600 DOI: 10.1111/j.1567-1364.2010.00675.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In previous communications the essential role of spermidine in Ustilago maydis was demonstrated by means of the disruption of the genes encoding ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and spermidine synthase (SPE). However, the assignation of specific roles to each polyamine in different cellular functions was not possible because the spermidine added to satisfy the auxotrophic requirement of odc/spe double mutants is partly back converted into putrescine. In this study, we have approached this problem through the disruption of the gene-encoding polyamine oxidase (PAO), required for the conversion of spermidine into putrescine, and the construction of odc/pao double mutants that were unable to synthesize putrescine by either ornithine decarboxylation or retroconversion from spermidine. Phenotypic analysis of the mutants provided evidence that putrescine is only an intermediary in spermidine biosynthesis, and has no direct role in cell growth, dimorphic transition, or any other vital function of U. maydis. Nevertheless, our results show that putrescine may play a role in the protection of U. maydis against salt and osmotic stress, and possibly virulence. Evidence was also obtained that the retroconversion of spermidine into putrescine is not essential for U. maydis growth but may be important for its survival under natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Valdés-Santiago
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
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Li G, Peng J, Gao W, Li R, Zhao J, Wang Z. [Identification of disease resistance to Ustilago coicis in southern Coix germplasm]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi 2010; 35:2950-2953. [PMID: 21355258 DOI: 10.4268/cjcmm20102203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identified the resistance of Coix to Ustilago coicis and screen the high disease-resistance Coix germplasm. METHOD Field and laboratory biochemical methods were used for the resistance identification. Ninteen germplasms collected from 7 provinces in southern of China such as Yunnan, Zhejiang, Fujian etc. were inoculated with chlamydospore of U. coicis, respectively. The incidence of a disease in field was investigated and the level of resistance was evaluated. The PAL activity dynamic changes in different level resistant germplasms were further determined. RESULT The result of field test showed 1 germplasm was immune, 1 germplasm was high resistance which incidence rate was under 20%, 6 germplasms were moderate resistance with the average incidence rates ranged within 20% - 40%, 11 of 19 germplasms that average incidence rates above 40% were identified as sensitive resistance. The value of PLA activity peak of resistant germplasm in seedling was significant higher and appeared earlier than that of the sensitive ones after inoculating. CONCLUSION Most collected C. lacryma-jobi germplasms are sensitive to smut in our investigation; the PAL activity may play important role in Coix germplasm for resistance to smut and the biochemical method may be as an aiding method to resistance identification of Coix germplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Li
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development Yunnan Branch, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Jinghong 666100, China.
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Abstract
The biotrophic pathogen Ustilago maydis causes tumors by redirecting vegetative and floral development in maize (Zea mays L.). After fungal injection into immature tassels, tumors were found in all floral organs, with a progression of organ susceptibility that mirrors the sequential location of foci of cell division in developing spikelets. There is sharp demarcation between tumor-forming zones and areas with normal spikelet maturation and pollen shed; within and immediately adjacent to the tumor zone, developing anthers often emerge precociously and exhibit a range of developmental defects suggesting that U. maydis signals and host responses are restricted spatially. Male-sterile maize mutants with defects in anther cell division patterns and cell fate acquisition prior to meiosis formed normal adult leaf tumors, but failed to form anther tumors. Methyl jasmonate and brassinosteroid phenocopied these early-acting anther developmental mutants by generating sterile zones within tassels that never formed tumors. Although auxin, cytokinin, abscisic acid and gibberellin did not impede tassel development, the Dwarf8 mutant defective in gibberellin signaling lacked tassel tumors; the anther ear1 mutant reduced in gibberellin content formed normal tumors; and Knotted1, in which there is excessive growth of leaf tissue, formed much larger vegetative and tassel tumors. We propose the hypothesis that host growth potential and tissue identity modulate the ability of U. maydis to redirect differentiation and induce tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Walbot
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305-5020, USA.
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García-Pedrajas MD, Baeza-Montañez L, Gold SE. Regulation of Ustilago maydis dimorphism, sporulation, and pathogenic development by a transcription factor with a highly conserved APSES domain. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2010; 23:211-222. [PMID: 20064064 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-23-2-0211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In Ustilago maydis, the causal agent of corn smut, the morphological transition from yeast to filamentous growth is inextricably linked to pathogenicity; budding haploid cells are saprobic and, upon mating of compatible strains, the fungus converts to dikaryotic filamentous growth and obligate parasitism. The filamentous dikaryon proliferates in the host plant, inducing tumor formation and undergoing additional morphological changes that eventually result in the production of melanized diploid teliospores. In an attempt to identify new trans-acting factors that regulate morphogenesis in U. maydis, we searched for the presence of common binding sequences in the promoter region of a set of 37 genes downregulated in the filamentous form. Putative cis-acting regulatory sequences fitting the consensus binding site for the Aspergillus nidulans transcription factor StuA were identified in 13 of these genes. StuA is a member of the APSES transcription factors which contain a highly conserved DNA-binding domain with a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH)-like structure. This class of proteins comprises critical regulators of developmental processes in ascomycete fungi such as dimorphic growth, mating, and sporulation but has not been studied in any fungus of the phylum Basidiomycota. A search for StuA orthologs in the U. maydis genome identified a single closely related protein that we designated Ust1. Deletion of ust1 in budding haploid wild-type and solopathogenic strains led to filamentous growth and abolished mating, gall induction, and, consequently, in planta teliosporogenesis. Furthermore, cultures of ust1 null mutants produced abundant thick-walled, highly pigmented cells resembling teliospores which are normally produced only in planta. We showed that ssp1, a gene highly induced in teliospores produced in the host, is also abundantly expressed in cultures of ust1 null mutants containing these pigmented cells. Our results are consistent with a major role for ust1 in regulating dimorphism, virulence, and the sporulation program in U. maydis.
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Horst RJ, Doehlemann G, Wahl R, Hofmann J, Schmiedl A, Kahmann R, Kämper J, Sonnewald U, Voll LM. Ustilago maydis infection strongly alters organic nitrogen allocation in maize and stimulates productivity of systemic source leaves. Plant Physiol 2010; 152:293-308. [PMID: 19923237 PMCID: PMC2799364 DOI: 10.1104/pp.109.147702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2009] [Accepted: 11/12/2009] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The basidiomycete Ustilago maydis is the causal agent of corn smut disease and induces tumor formation during biotrophic growth in its host maize (Zea mays). We have conducted a combined metabolome and transcriptome survey of infected leaves between 1 d post infection (dpi) and 8 dpi, representing infected leaf primordia and fully developed tumors, respectively. At 4 and 8 dpi, we observed a substantial increase in contents of the nitrogen-rich amino acids glutamine and asparagine, while the activities of enzymes involved in primary nitrogen assimilation and the content of ammonia and nitrate were reduced by 50% in tumors compared with mock controls. Employing stable isotope labeling, we could demonstrate that U. maydis-induced tumors show a reduced assimilation of soil-derived (15)NO(3)(-) and represent strong sinks for nitrogen. Specific labeling of the free amino acid pool of systemic source leaves with [(15)N]urea revealed an increased import of organic nitrogen from systemic leaves to tumor tissue, indicating that organic nitrogen provision supports the formation of U. maydis-induced tumors. In turn, amino acid export from systemic source leaves was doubled in infected plants. The analysis of the phloem amino acid pool revealed that glutamine and asparagine are not transported to the tumor tissue, although these two amino acids were found to accumulate within the tumor. Photosynthesis was increased and senescence was delayed in systemic source leaves upon tumor development on infected plants, indicating that the elevated sink demand for nitrogen could determine photosynthetic rates in source leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lars M. Voll
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, 91058 Erlangen, Germany (R.J.H., J.H., A.S., U.S., L.M.V.); Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, D–35043 Marburg, Germany (G.D., R.K.); and University of Karlsruhe, Institute of Applied Biosciences, Department of Genetics, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany (R.W., J.K.)
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Egan JD, García-Pedrajas MD, Andrews DL, Gold SE. Calcineurin is an antagonist to PKA protein phosphorylation required for postmating filamentation and virulence, while PP2A is required for viability in Ustilago maydis. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2009; 22:1293-1301. [PMID: 19737102 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-22-10-1293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Ustilago maydis is a dimorphic basidiomycete and the causal agent of corn smut disease. It serves as a genetic model for understanding dimorphism, pathogenicity, and mating response in filamentous fungi. Previous studies indicated the importance of regulated cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) for filamentous growth and pathogenicity in U. maydis. The roles of two protein phosphatases that potentially act antagonistically to PKA were assessed. A reverse genetics approach to mutate the catalytic subunits of calcineurin (CN, protein phosphatase [PP]2B) and PP2A in U. maydis was employed. A mutation in the CN catalytic subunit ucn1 caused a dramatic multiple-budding phenotype and mating between two ucn1 mutants was severely reduced. The pathogenicity of ucn1 mutant strains was also severely reduced, even in a solopathogenic haploid strain. Importantly, mutations disrupting protein phosphorylation by PKA were epistatic to ucn1 mutation, indicating a major role of ucn1 as a PKA antagonistic phosphatase. Genetic and inhibitor studies indicated that the U. maydis PP2A catalytic subunit gene (upa2) was essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Egan
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-7274, USA
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Fedler M, Luh KS, Stelter K, Nieto-Jacobo F, Basse CW. The a2 mating-type locus genes lga2 and rga2 direct uniparental mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) inheritance and constrain mtDNA recombination during sexual development of Ustilago maydis. Genetics 2009; 181:847-60. [PMID: 19104076 PMCID: PMC2651059 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.108.096859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2008] [Accepted: 12/22/2008] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Uniparental inheritance of mitochondria dominates among sexual eukaryotes. However, little is known about the mechanisms and genetic determinants. We have investigated the role of the plant pathogen Ustilago maydis genes lga2 and rga2 in uniparental mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) inheritance during sexual development. The lga2 and rga2 genes are specific to the a2 mating-type locus and encode small mitochondrial proteins. On the basis of identified sequence polymorphisms due to variable intron numbers in mitochondrial genotypes, we could demonstrate that lga2 and rga2 decisively influence mtDNA inheritance in matings between a1 and a2 strains. Deletion of lga2 favored biparental inheritance and generation of recombinant mtDNA molecules in combinations in which inheritance of mtDNA of the a2 partner dominated. Conversely, deletion of rga2 resulted in predominant loss of a2-specific mtDNA and favored inheritance of the a1 mtDNA. Furthermore, expression of rga2 in the a1 partner protected the associated mtDNA from elimination. Our results indicate that Lga2 in conjunction with Rga2 directs uniparental mtDNA inheritance by mediating loss of the a1-associated mtDNA. This study shows for the first time an interplay of mitochondrial proteins in regulating uniparental mtDNA inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Fedler
- Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Marburg, Germany
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Abstract
The Ustilago maydis-maize pathosystem has emerged as the current model for plant pathogenic basidiomycetes and as one of the few models for a true biotrophic interaction that persists throughout fungal development inside the host plant. This is based on the highly advanced genetic system for both the pathogen and its host, the ability to propagate U. maydis in axenic culture, and its unique capacity to induce prominent disease symptoms (tumors) on all aerial parts of maize within less than a week. The corn smut pathogen, though economically not threatening, will continue to serve as a model for related obligate biotrophic fungi such as the rusts, but also for closely related smut species that induce symptoms only in the flower organs of their hosts. In this review we describe the most prominent features of the U. maydis-maize pathosystem as well as genes and pathways most relevant to disease. We highlight recent developments that place this system at the forefront of understanding the function of secreted effectors in eukaryotic pathogens and describe the expected spin-offs for closely related species exploiting comparative genomics approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Brefort
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
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Munkacsi AB, Stoxen S, May G. Ustilago maydis populations tracked maize through domestication and cultivation in the Americas. Proc Biol Sci 2008; 275:1037-46. [PMID: 18252671 PMCID: PMC2366215 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2007.1636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2007] [Revised: 01/11/2008] [Accepted: 01/14/2008] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The domestication of crops and the development of agricultural societies not only brought about major changes in human interactions with the environment but also in plants' interactions with the diseases that challenge them. We evaluated the impact of the domestication of maize from teosinte and the widespread cultivation of maize on the historical demography of Ustilago maydis, a fungal pathogen of maize. To determine the evolutionary response of the pathogen's populations, we obtained multilocus genotypes for 1088 U. maydis diploid individuals from two teosinte subspecies in Mexico and from maize in Mexico and throughout the Americas. Results identified five major U. maydis populations: two in Mexico; two in South America; and one in the United States. The two populations in Mexico diverged from the other populations at times comparable to those for the domestication of maize at 6000-10000 years before present. Maize domestication and agriculture enforced sweeping changes in U. maydis populations such that the standing variation in extant pathogen populations reflects evolution only since the time of the crop's domestication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B Munkacsi
- Plant Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of MinnesotaSt Paul, MN 55108, USA
- The Center for Community Genetics, University of MinnesotaSt Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Sam Stoxen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of MinnesotaSt Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Georgiana May
- The Center for Community Genetics, University of MinnesotaSt Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of MinnesotaSt Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Reineke G, Heinze B, Schirawski J, Buettner H, Kahmann R, Basse CW. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis in the smut fungus Ustilago maydis and its relevance for increased IAA levels in infected tissue and host tumour formation. Mol Plant Pathol 2008; 9:339-55. [PMID: 18705875 PMCID: PMC6640242 DOI: 10.1111/j.1364-3703.2008.00470.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Infection of maize (Zea mays) plants with the smut fungus Ustilago maydis is characterized by excessive host tumour formation. U. maydis is able to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) efficiently from tryptophan. To assess a possible connection to the induction of host tumours, we investigated the pathways leading to fungal IAA biosynthesis. Besides the previously identified iad1 gene, we identified a second indole-3-acetaldehyde dehydrogenase gene, iad2. Deltaiad1Deltaiad2 mutants were blocked in the conversion of both indole-3-acetaldehyde and tryptamine to IAA, although the reduction in IAA formation from tryptophan was not significantly different from Deltaiad1 mutants. To assess an influence of indole-3-pyruvic acid on IAA formation, we deleted the aromatic amino acid aminotransferase genes tam1 and tam2 in Deltaiad1Deltaiad2 mutants. This revealed a further reduction in IAA levels by five- and tenfold in mutant strains harbouring theDeltatam1 andDeltatam1Deltatam2 deletions, respectively. This illustrates that indole-3-pyruvic acid serves as an efficient precursor for IAA formation in U. maydis. Interestingly, the rise in host IAA levels upon U. maydis infection was significantly reduced in tissue infected with Deltaiad1Deltaiad2Deltatam1 orDeltaiad1Deltaiad2Deltatam1Deltatam2 mutants, whereas induction of tumours was not compromised. Together, these results indicate that fungal IAA production critically contributes to IAA levels in infected tissue, but this is apparently not important for triggering host tumour formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin Reineke
- Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
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Pan JJ, Baumgarten AM, May G. Effects of host plant environment and Ustilago maydis infection on the fungal endophyte community of maize (Zea mays). New Phytol 2008; 178:147-156. [PMID: 18194146 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2007.02350.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The focus of many fungal endophyte studies has been how plants benefit from endophyte infection. Few studies have investigated the role of the host plant as an environment in shaping endophyte community diversity and composition. The effects that different attributes of the host plant, that is, host genetic variation, host variation in resistance to the fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis and U. maydis infection, have on the fungal endophyte communities in maize (Zea mays) was examined. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rDNA was sequenced to identify fungi and the endophyte communities were compared in six maize lines that varied in their resistance to U. maydis. It was found that host genetic variation, as determined by maize line, had significant effects on species richness, while the interactions between line and U. maydis infection and line and field plot had significant effects on endophyte community composition. However, the effects of maize line were not dependent on whether lines were resistant or susceptible to U. maydis. Almost 3000 clones obtained from 58 plants were sequenced to characterize the maize endophyte community. These results suggest that the endophyte community is shaped by complex interactions and factors, such as inoculum pool and microclimate, may be important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean J Pan
- Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Andrew M Baumgarten
- Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Maize Product Development - MB Breeding Systems, Johnston, IA 50131, USA
| | - Georgiana May
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Doehlemann G, Wahl R, Vranes M, de Vries RP, Kämper J, Kahmann R. Establishment of compatibility in the Ustilago maydis/maize pathosystem. J Plant Physiol 2008; 165:29-40. [PMID: 17905472 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2007.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2007] [Revised: 05/09/2007] [Accepted: 05/10/2007] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The fungus Ustilago maydis is a biotrophic pathogen parasitizing on maize. The most prominent symptoms of the disease are large tumors in which fungal proliferation and spore differentiation occur. In this study, we have analyzed early and late tumor stages by confocal microscopy. We show that fungal differentiation occurs both within plant cells as well as in cavities where huge aggregates of fungal mycelium develop. U. maydis is poorly equipped with plant CWDEs and we demonstrate by array analysis that the respective genes follow distinct expression profiles at early and late stages of tumor development. For the set of three genes coding for pectinolytic enzymes, deletion mutants were generated by gene replacement. Neither single nor triple mutants were affected in pathogenic development. Based on our studies, we consider it unlikely that U. maydis feeds on carbohydrates derived from the digestion of plant cell wall material, but uses its set of plant CWDEs for softening the cell wall structure as a prerequisite for in planta growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunther Doehlemann
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
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Sabbagh SK, Naudan M, Roux C. Isolation of a natural solopathogenic strain of Sporisorium reilianum f.sp. zeae (Ustilaginaceae, Basidiomycetes). Commun Agric Appl Biol Sci 2008; 73:101-108. [PMID: 19226747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Sporisorium reilianum f.sp. zeae (Kühn) Langdon and Fullerton (Basidiomycota, Ustilaginaceae) is the causal agent of head smut of maize and sorghum. The parasitism is initiated by the fusion of two compatible sporidia which give rise to the formation of dikaryotic pathogen hyphae. However, in Ustilaginaceae, some fuzzy diploid strains could also be formed. These strains are solopathogen as they can infect a host in absence of crossing with a compatible haploid sporidia. A solopathogenic strain of S. refilianum was obtained using an original protocol. Sporidia were isolated from germinated teliospores and spread on solid medium to identify stable fuzzy solopathogenic strain. Confocal observations of the solopathogenic strain (SRZS1) after nucleus staining with propidium iodide indicates that they are formed by rounded shape cells which are monokaryotic. A CAPS approach was used to analysis the matb gene of S. reilianum. The presence of two matb loci in SRZS1 showed that this monocaryotic strain is diploid. The pathogenicity of SRZS1 was investigated by maize infection. Our results confirmed that SRZS1 is infectious, induces some typical symptoms in maize but could not sporulate and form sori.
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Affiliation(s)
- S K Sabbagh
- Laboratory "Cell Surface and Signaling in Plants", University Toulouse-CNRS Joint Unit 5546, Plant Biotechnology Institute, 24 Chemin de Borde-Rouge, Auzeville BP 42617, FR-31326 Castanet Tolosan, France
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Horst RJ, Engelsdorf T, Sonnewald U, Voll LM. Infection of maize leaves with Ustilago maydis prevents establishment of C4 photosynthesis. J Plant Physiol 2008; 165:19-28. [PMID: 17689830 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2007.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2007] [Revised: 05/15/2007] [Accepted: 05/16/2007] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The Basidiomycete fungus Ustilago maydis is the common agent of corn smut and is capable of inducing gall growth on infected tissue of the C4 plant maize (Zea mays). While U. maydis is very well characterized on the genetic level, the physiological changes in the host plant in response to U. maydis infection have not been studied in detail, yet. Therefore, we examined the influence of U. maydis infection on photosynthetic performance and carbon metabolism in maize leaf galls. At all stages of development, U. maydis-induced leaf galls exhibited carbon dioxide response curves, CO2 compensation points and enzymatic activities that are characteristic of C3 photosynthesis, demonstrating that the establishment of C4 metabolism is prevented in infected tissue. Hexose contents and hexose/sucrose ratio of leaf galls remained high at 6 days post infection, while a shift in free sugar metabolism was observed in the uninfected controls at that time point. Concomitantly, transitory starch production and sucrose accumulation during the light period remained low in leaf galls. Given that U. maydis is infectious on young developing tissue, the observed changes in carbohydrate metabolism suggest that the pathogen manipulates the developing leaf tissue to arrest sink-to-source transition in favor of maintaining sink metabolism in the host cells. Furthermore, evidence is presented that carbohydrate supply during the biotrophic phase of the pathogen is assured by a fungal invertase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin J Horst
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Staudtstr. 5, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
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Fujii Y, Usui Y, Konno K, Atarashi K, Ohtani Y, Inase N, Tanaka T, Yoshizawa Y. [A case of hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by smut spores of Ustilago esculenta]. Nihon Kokyuki Gakkai Zasshi 2007; 45:344-8. [PMID: 17491314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
A 49-year-old woman was admitted with cough, general fatigue, and dyspnea on effort. Her hobby was the Japanese traditional handicraft of lacquer-carving. She sometimes used smut spores of Ustilago esculenta, pronounced as "Makomozumi"on lacquer ware. The chest radiographs showed diffuse ground-glass opacities and small centrilobular nodules. Bronchoalveolar lavage yielded a marked number of lymphocytes as well as total cell counts and a low CD4 +/CD8 + ratio. The transbronchial lung biopsy specimen revealed lymphocytic alveolitis and non-necrotizing epithelioid cell granulomas. The results of provocation test by Makomozumi were positive. Serum tests of the specific antibody against extracted soluble antigens of smut spores were positive. The peripheral lymphocyte proliferation test, performed with Mokomozumi antigens was also positive. The final diagnosis was hypersensitivity pneumonitis induced by smut spores of fungus Ustilago esculenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumi Fujii
- Integrated Pulmonology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University
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Teertstra WR, Deelstra HJ, Vranes M, Bohlmann R, Kahmann R, Kämper J, Wösten HAB. Repellents have functionally replaced hydrophobins in mediating attachment to a hydrophobic surface and in formation of hydrophobic aerial hyphae in Ustilago maydis. Microbiology (Reading) 2007; 152:3607-3612. [PMID: 17159213 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.29034-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Ustilago maydis contains one repellent and two class I hydrophobin genes in its genome. The repellent gene rep1 has been described previously. It encodes 11 secreted repellent peptides that result from the cleavage of a precursor protein at KEX2 recognition sites. The hydrophobin gene hum2 encodes a typical class I hydrophobin of 117 aa, while hum3 encodes a hydrophobin that is preceded by 17 repeat sequences. These repeats are separated, like the repellent peptides, by KEX2 recognition sites. Gene hum2, but not hum3, was shown to be expressed in a cross of two compatible wild-type strains, suggesting a role of the former hydrophobin gene in aerial hyphae formation. Indeed, aerial hyphae formation was reduced in a Delta hum2 cross. However, the reduction in aerial hyphae formation was much more dramatic in the Delta rep1 cross. Moreover, colonies of the Delta rep1 cross were completely wettable, while surface hydrophobicity was unaffected and only slightly reduced in the Delta hum2 and the Delta hum2 Delta hum3 cross, respectively. It was also shown that the repellents and not the hydrophobins are involved in attachment of hyphae to hydrophobic Teflon. Deleting either or both hydrophobin genes in the Delta rep1 strains did not further affect aerial hyphae formation, surface hydrophobicity and attachment. From these data it is concluded that hydrophobins of U. maydis have been functionally replaced, at least partially, by repellents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wieke R Teertstra
- Microbiology, Institute of Biomembranes, University of Utrecht, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Heine J Deelstra
- Microbiology, Institute of Biomembranes, University of Utrecht, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Miroslav Vranes
- MPI für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Ralph Bohlmann
- Institute für Genetik, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Maria-Ward-Straße 1a, 80638 Munich, Germany
| | - Regine Kahmann
- MPI für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Kämper
- MPI für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Han A B Wösten
- Microbiology, Institute of Biomembranes, University of Utrecht, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Abstract
Fungi invade substrates, such as host tissues, through hyphal tip growth. This article focuses on the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis, in which tip growth and pathogenicity involve apical endocytic recycling by early endosomes. These organelles rapidly move bi-directionally along microtubules and this movement is mediated by opposing molecular motors. This motility seems to be essential for extended hyphal growth, possibly because it focuses the endocytic machinery at the hyphal tip and mediates communication between the tip and the sub-apical nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gero Steinberg
- Max-Planck-Institut für terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Karl-von-Frisch Strabe D-35043 Marburg, Germany.
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Abstract
Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are combinations of common bioreactors and membrane separation units for biomass retention. Through increased biomass concentration, they allow increased productivity (or smaller reactor volume, respectively). Besides high biomass concentrations, operation at very low growth rates is typical for MBRs. In this regime, maintenance metabolism where substrate uptake only yields energy for cell survival becomes of higher importance than in processes run at higher growth rates. While thermodynamically based correlations for the prediction of maintenance coefficients are available for chemostat or other medium growth rate processes, some authors have mentioned a change in energy demand in MBRs and a dependence of maintenance parameters on operating conditions. Due to the fact that often mixed cultures are used and resulting from the different evaluation methods used by different authors, views on the possible influences on maintenance parameters differ. However, it is accepted that common models describing microbial growth and production of metabolites or degradation of pollutants do not consider the effects caused by severe limitations and therefore cannot sufficiently be applied to MBRs. In this study, maintenance parameters were determined for a model organism (Ustilago maydis) and results from different evaluation methods were compared. A continuous fit of respiration data gave more consistent results than the traditional method of plotting specific uptake versus growth rate. They suggest that below micro = 10% micro(max) the maintenance coefficient drops to a third of the value in short-term limited cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Drews
- TU Berlin, Department of Chemical Engineering, Berlin, Germany.
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Abstract
Ustilago maydis virus H1 (Umv-H1) is a mycovirus that infects Ustilago maydis, a fungal pathogen of maize. As Zea mays was domesticated, it carried with it many associated symbionts, such that the subsequent range expansion and cultivation of maize should have affected maize symbionts' evolutionary history dramatically. Because transmission of Umv-H1 takes place only through cytoplasmic fusion during mating of U. maydis individuals, the population dynamics of U. maydis and maize are expected to affect the population structure of the viral symbiont strongly. Here, the impact of changes in the evolutionary history of U. maydis on that of Umv-H1 was investigated. The high mutation rate of this virus allows inferences to be made about the evolution and divergence of Umv-H1 lineages as a result of the recent changes in U. maydis geographical and genetic structure. The phylogeographical history and genetic structure of Umv-H1 populations in the USA and Mexico were determined by using analyses of viral nucleotide sequence variation. Infection and recombination frequencies, genetic diversity and rates of neutral evolution were also assessed, to make inferences regarding evolutionary processes underlying the population genetic structure of ancestral and descendent populations. The results suggest that Mexico represents the ancestral population of Umv-H1, from which the virus has been carried with U. maydis populations into the USA. Thus, the population dynamics of one symbiont represent a major evolutionary force on the co-evolutionary dynamics of symbiotic partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Voth
- Plant Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of Minnesota, 100 Ecology, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Linah Mairura
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, University of Minnesota, 100 Ecology, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Ben E Lockhart
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, 100 Ecology, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Georgiana May
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, University of Minnesota, 100 Ecology, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Becht P, König J, Feldbrügge M. The RNA-binding protein Rrm4 is essential for polarity in Ustilago maydis and shuttles along microtubules. J Cell Sci 2006; 119:4964-73. [PMID: 17105762 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.03287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Formation of polar-growing hyphae is essential for infection by the plant pathogen Ustilago maydis. Here we observe that loss of RNA-recognition motif protein Rrm4 caused formation of abnormal hyphae. The insertion of septa at the distal pole was abolished and a significantly increased number of hyphae grew bipolarly. UV-crosslinking experiments revealed that Rrm4 bound RNA via its N-terminal RRMs and that its RNA-binding activity was substantially increased during filamentation. Rrm4 assembled into particles that shuttled bidirectionally along microtubules to both poles. Recruitment of Rrm4 into particles increased during filamentation, and mutations in the peptide-binding pocket of its PABC domain caused abnormal particle formation as well as polarity defects. Shuttling was mediated by active transport because loss of conventional kinesin, which interferes with the balance of microtubule-dependent motors, caused accumulation of particles at the poles resulting in disturbed polarity. Thus, constant transport of the RNA-binding protein towards the poles is needed to orchestrate hyphal growth. Since a mutation of the N-terminal RRM that leads to reduced RNA binding in vivo also affected polarity, Rrm4 might regulate polarity of the infectious hyphae by transporting RNA from the nucleus to cell poles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Becht
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department for Organismic Interactions, Karl-von-Frisch-Str., 35043 Marburg, Germany
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50
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Raboin LM, Selvi A, Oliveira KM, Paulet F, Calatayud C, Zapater MF, Brottier P, Luzaran R, Garsmeur O, Carlier J, D'Hont A. Evidence for the dispersal of a unique lineage from Asia to America and Africa in the sugarcane fungal pathogen Ustilago scitaminea. Fungal Genet Biol 2006; 44:64-76. [PMID: 16979360 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2006.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2005] [Revised: 07/07/2006] [Accepted: 07/17/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The basidiomycete Ustilago scitaminea Sydow, which causes sugarcane smut disease, has been spreading throughout Africa and America since the 1940s. The genetic diversity and structure of different populations of this fungus worldwide was investigated using microsatellites. A total of 142 single-teliospore were isolated from 77 distinct whips (sori) collected in 15 countries worldwide. Mycelium culture derived from on generation of selfing of these single teliospores were analysed for their polymorphisms at 17 microsatellite loci. All these strains but one were homozygous at all loci, indicating that selfing is likely the predominant reproductive mode of U. scitaminea. The genetic diversity of either American or African U. scitaminea populations was found to be extremely low and all strains belong to a single lineage. This lineage was also found in some populations of Asia, where most U. scitaminea genetic diversity was detected, suggesting that this fungal species originated from this region. The strong founder effect observed in U. scitaminea African and American populations suggests that the fungus migrated from Asia to other continents on rare occasions through movement of infected plant material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis-Marie Raboin
- CIRAD (Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement), UMR PVBMT, Pôle de Protection des Plantes, Ligne Paradis, 97410 Saint-Pierre, Réunion, France
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