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Prom LK, Ahn EJS, Perumal R, Isakeit TS, Odvody GN, Magill CW. Genetic and Pathogenic Variability among Isolates of Sporisorium reilianum Causing Sorghum Head Smut. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:62. [PMID: 38248970 PMCID: PMC10820674 DOI: 10.3390/jof10010062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Sporisorium reilianum, the causal agent of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) head smut, is present in most sorghum-producing regions. This seed replacement fungal disease can reduce yield by up to 80% in severely infected fields. Management of this disease can be challenging due to the appearance of different pathotypes within the pathogenic population. In this research, the genetic variability and pathogenicity of isolates collected from five Texas Counties was conducted. Due to the lack of available space, 21 out of 32 sequenced isolates were selected and evaluated for virulence patterns on the six sorghum differentials, Tx7078, BTx635, SC170-6-17 (TAM2571), SA281 (Early Hegari), Tx414, and BTx643. The results reveal the occurrence of a new pathotype, 1A, and four previously documented US pathotypes when the 21 isolates were evaluated for virulence patterns on the differentials. The most prevalent was pathotype 5, which was recovered from Brazos, Hidalgo, Nueces, and Willacy Counties, Texas. This pathotype was followed by 1A and 6 in frequency of recovery. Pathotype 4 was identified only from isolates collected from Hidalgo County, while pathotype 1 was from Burleson County, Texas. It appeared that the previous US head smut pathotypes (2 and 3) are no longer common, and the new pathotypes, 1A, 5, and 6, are now predominant. The phylogenetic tree constructed from the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data through the neighbor-joining method showed high genetic diversity among the tested isolates. Some of the diverse clades among the tested isolates were independent of their sampled locations. Notably, HS37, HS49, and HS65 formed a clade and were classified as 1A in the virulence study, while HS 61 and HS 66, which were collected from Nueces County, were grouped and identified as pathotype 5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis K. Prom
- USDA-ARS, Plains Area Agricultural Research Center, College Station, TX 77845, USA
| | | | - Ramasamy Perumal
- Department of Agronomy, Agricultural Research Center, Kansas State University, Hays, KS 67601, USA;
| | - Thomas S. Isakeit
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (T.S.I.); (C.W.M.)
| | - Gary N. Odvody
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas AgriLife Research Station, Corpus Christi, TX 78406, USA;
| | - Clint W. Magill
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (T.S.I.); (C.W.M.)
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Dittiger LD, Chaudhary S, Furch ACU, Mithöfer A, Schirawski J. Plant Responses of Maize to Two formae speciales of Sporisorium reilianum Support Recent Fungal Host Jump. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15604. [PMID: 37958588 PMCID: PMC10648682 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Host jumps are a major factor for the emergence of new fungal pathogens. In the evolution of smut fungi, a putative host jump occurred in Sporisorium reilianum that today exists in two host-adapted formae speciales, the sorghum-pathogenic S. reilianum f. sp. reilianum and maize-pathogenic S. reilianum f. sp. zeae. To understand the molecular host-specific adaptation to maize, we compared the transcriptomes of maize leaves colonized by both formae speciales. We found that both varieties induce many common defense response-associated genes, indicating that both are recognized by the plant as pathogens. S. reilianum f. sp. reilianum additionally induced genes involved in systemic acquired resistance. In contrast, only S. reilianum f. sp. zeae induced expression of chorismate mutases that function in reducing the level of precursors for generation of the defense compound salicylic acid (SA), as well as oxylipin biosynthesis enzymes necessary for generation of the SA antagonist jasmonic acid (JA). In accordance, we found reduced SA levels as well as elevated JA and JA-Ile levels in maize leaves inoculated with the maize-adapted variety. These findings support a model of the emergence of the maize-pathogenic variety from a sorghum-specific ancestor following a recent host jump.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Dorian Dittiger
- Department of Genetics, Matthias Schleiden Institute, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 12, 07743 Jena, Germany; (L.D.D.); (S.C.)
| | - Shivam Chaudhary
- Department of Genetics, Matthias Schleiden Institute, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 12, 07743 Jena, Germany; (L.D.D.); (S.C.)
| | - Alexandra Charlotte Ursula Furch
- Department of Plant Physiology, Matthias Schleiden Institute, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburgerstr. 159, 07743 Jena, Germany;
| | - Axel Mithöfer
- Research Group Plant Defense Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, 07745 Jena, Germany;
| | - Jan Schirawski
- Department of Genetics, Matthias Schleiden Institute, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 12, 07743 Jena, Germany; (L.D.D.); (S.C.)
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Depotter JRL, Ökmen B, Ebert MK, Beckers J, Kruse J, Thines M, Doehlemann G. High Nucleotide Substitution Rates Associated with Retrotransposon Proliferation Drive Dynamic Secretome Evolution in Smut Pathogens. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0034922. [PMID: 35972267 PMCID: PMC9603552 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00349-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) play a pivotal role in shaping diversity in eukaryotic genomes. The covered smut pathogen on barley, Ustilago hordei, encountered a recent genome expansion. Using long reads, we assembled genomes of 6 U. hordei strains and 3 sister species, to study this genome expansion. We found that larger genome sizes can mainly be attributed to a higher genome fraction of long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs). In the studied smut genomes, LTR-RTs fractions are the largest in U. hordei and are positively correlated with the mating-type locus sizes, which is up to ~560 kb in U. hordei. Furthermore, LTR-RTs were found to be associated with higher nucleotide substitution levels, as these occur in specific genome regions of smut species with a recent LTR-RT proliferation. Moreover, genes in genome regions with higher nucleotide substitution levels generally reside closer to LTR-RTs than other genome regions. Genome regions with many nucleotide substitutions encountered an especially high fraction of CG substitutions, which is not observed for LTR-RT sequences. The high nucleotide substitution levels particularly accelerate the evolution of secretome genes, as their more accessory nature results in substitutions that often lead to amino acid alterations. IMPORTANCE Genomic alteration can be generated through various means, in which transposable elements (TEs) can play a pivotal role. Their mobility causes mutagenesis in itself and can disrupt the function of the sequences they insert into. They also impact genome evolution as their repetitive nature facilitates nonhomologous recombination. Furthermore, TEs have been linked to specific epigenetic genome organizations. We report a recent TE proliferation in the genome of the barley covered smut fungus, Ustilago hordei. This proliferation is associated with a distinct nucleotide substitution regime that has a higher rate and a higher fraction of CG substitutions. This different regime shapes the evolution of genes in subjected genome regions. We hypothesize that TEs may influence the error-rate of DNA polymerase in a hitherto unknown fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. R. L. Depotter
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - B. Ökmen
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - M. K. Ebert
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - J. Beckers
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - J. Kruse
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt a. M., Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt a. M., Germany
| | - M. Thines
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt a. M., Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt a. M., Germany
| | - G. Doehlemann
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Poloni A, Garde R, Dittiger LD, Heidrich T, Müller C, Drechsler F, Zhao Y, Mazumdar T, Schirawski J. Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Contrasting Plant Responses of Sorghum bicolor upon Colonization by Two Formae Speciales of Sporisorium reilianum. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23168864. [PMID: 36012130 PMCID: PMC9407964 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23168864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The biotrophic fungus Sporisorium reilianum exists in two host-adapted formae speciales that cause head smut in maize (S. reilianum f. sp. zeae; SRZ) and sorghum (S. reilianum f. sp. reilianum; SRS). In sorghum, the spread of SRZ is limited to the leaves. To understand the plant responses to each forma specialis, we determined the transcriptome of sorghum leaves inoculated either with SRS or SRZ. Fungal inoculation led to gene expression rather than suppression in sorghum. SRZ induced a much greater number of genes than SRS. Each forma specialis induced a distinct set of plant genes. The SRZ-induced genes were involved in plant defense mainly at the plasma membrane and were associated with the Molecular Function Gene Ontology terms chitin binding, abscisic acid binding, protein phosphatase inhibitor activity, terpene synthase activity, chitinase activity, transmembrane transporter activity and signaling receptor activity. Specifically, we found an upregulation of the genes involved in phospholipid degradation and sphingolipid biosynthesis, suggesting that the lipid content of the plant plasma membrane may contribute to preventing the systemic spread of SRZ. In contrast, the colonization of sorghum with SRS increased the expression of the genes involved in the detoxification of cellular oxidants and in the unfolded protein response at the endoplasmic reticulum, as well as of the genes modifying the cuticle wax and lipid composition through the generation of alkanes and phytosterols. These results identified plant compartments that may have a function in resistance against SRZ (plasma membrane) and susceptibility towards SRS (endoplasmic reticulum) that need more attention in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alana Poloni
- Department for Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interaction, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Ravindra Garde
- Department of Genetics, Matthias-Schleiden-Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 12, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Lukas Dorian Dittiger
- Department of Genetics, Matthias-Schleiden-Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 12, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Theresa Heidrich
- Department for Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interaction, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Christian Müller
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- Department of Genetics, Matthias-Schleiden-Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 12, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Frank Drechsler
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Yulei Zhao
- Department for Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interaction, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Tilottama Mazumdar
- Department of Genetics, Matthias-Schleiden-Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 12, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Jan Schirawski
- Department for Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interaction, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- Department of Genetics, Matthias-Schleiden-Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 12, 07743 Jena, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-3641-949555
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5
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Ludwig N, Reissmann S, Schipper K, Gonzalez C, Assmann D, Glatter T, Moretti M, Ma LS, Rexer KH, Snetselaar K, Kahmann R. A cell surface-exposed protein complex with an essential virulence function in Ustilago maydis. Nat Microbiol 2021; 6:722-730. [PMID: 33941900 PMCID: PMC8159752 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-00896-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Plant pathogenic fungi colonizing living plant tissue secrete a cocktail of effector proteins to suppress plant immunity and reprogramme host cells. Although many of these effectors function inside host cells, delivery systems used by pathogenic bacteria to translocate effectors into host cells have not been detected in fungi. Here, we show that five unrelated effectors and two membrane proteins from Ustilago maydis, a biotrophic fungus causing smut disease in corn, form a stable protein complex. All seven genes appear co-regulated and are only expressed during colonization. Single mutants arrest in the epidermal layer, fail to suppress host defence responses and fail to induce non-host resistance, two reactions that likely depend on translocated effectors. The complex is anchored in the fungal membrane, protrudes into host cells and likely contacts channel-forming plant plasma membrane proteins. Constitutive expression of all seven complex members resulted in a surface-exposed form in cultured U. maydis cells. As orthologues of the complex-forming proteins are conserved in smut fungi, the complex may become an interesting fungicide target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Ludwig
- grid.419554.80000 0004 0491 8361Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Reissmann
- grid.419554.80000 0004 0491 8361Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kerstin Schipper
- grid.419554.80000 0004 0491 8361Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany ,grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Present Address: Institut für Mikrobiologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Carla Gonzalez
- grid.419554.80000 0004 0491 8361Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Assmann
- grid.419554.80000 0004 0491 8361Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Timo Glatter
- grid.419554.80000 0004 0491 8361Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marino Moretti
- grid.419554.80000 0004 0491 8361Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Lay-Sun Ma
- grid.419554.80000 0004 0491 8361Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany ,grid.28665.3f0000 0001 2287 1366Present Address: Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Karl-Heinz Rexer
- grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Department of Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Karen Snetselaar
- grid.262952.80000 0001 0699 5924Department of Biology, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Regine Kahmann
- grid.419554.80000 0004 0491 8361Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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Sánchez Maya HE, Mercado-Flores Y, Téllez-Jurado A, Pérez-Camarillo JP, Mejía O, Anducho-Reyes MA. Molecular Variation of the Phytopathogenic Fungus Sporisorium reilianum in Valle del Mezquital, Hidalgo. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Dutra D, Agrawal N, Ghareeb H, Schirawski J. Screening of Secreted Proteins of Sporisorium reilianum f. sp. z eae for Cell Death Suppression in Nicotiana benthamiana. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:95. [PMID: 32140166 PMCID: PMC7042202 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Sporisorium reilianum f. sp. zeae (SRZ) is a biotrophic fungus causing head smut in maize. Maize infection with SRZ leads to very little cell death suggesting the presence of cell-death suppressinpg effectors. Several hundred effector proteins have been predicted based on genome annotation, genome comparison, and bioinformatic analysis. For only very few of these effectors, an involvement in virulence has been shown. In this work, we started to test a considerable subset of these predicted effector proteins for a possible function in suppressing cell death. We generated an expression library of 62 proteins of SRZ under the control of a strong constitutive plant promoter for delivery into plant cells via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient transformation. Potential apoplastic effectors with high cysteine content were cloned with signal peptide while potential intracellular effectors were also cloned without signal peptide to ensure proper localization after expression in plant cells. After infiltration of Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, infiltration sites were evaluated for apparent signs of hypersensitive cell death in absence or presence of the elicitin INF1 of Phytophthora infestans. None of the tested candidates was able to induce cell death, and most were unable to suppress INF1-induced cell death. However, the screen revealed one predicted cytoplasmic effector (sr16441) of SRZ that was able to reliably suppress INF1-induced cell death when transiently expressed in N. benthamiana lacking its predicted secretion signal peptide. This way, we discovered a putative function for one new effector of SRZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deiziane Dutra
- Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Nisha Agrawal
- Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Genetics, Matthias-Schleiden-Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Hassan Ghareeb
- Plant Biotechnology, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
- Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Schwann-Schleiden Research Center, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jan Schirawski
- Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Genetics, Matthias-Schleiden-Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Schwann-Schleiden Research Center, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Jan Schirawski,
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Martínez-Soto D, Velez-Haro JM, León-Ramírez CG, Galán-Vásquez E, Chávez-Munguía B, Ruiz-Herrera J. Multicellular growth of the Basidiomycota phytopathogen fungus Sporisorium reilianum induced by acid conditions. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2019; 65:511-521. [PMID: 31721091 DOI: 10.1007/s12223-019-00755-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Fungi are considered model organisms for the analysis of important phenomena of eukaryotes. For example, some of them have been described as models to understand the phenomenon of multicellularity acquisition by different unicellular organisms phylogenetically distant. Interestingly, in this work, we describe the multicellular development in the model fungus S. reilianum. We observed that Sporisorium reilianum, a Basidiomycota cereal pathogen that at neutral pH grows with a yeast-like morphology during its saprophytic haploid stage, when incubated at acid pH grew in the form of multicellular clusters. The multicellularity observed in S. reilianum was of clonal type, where buds of "stem" cells growing as yeasts remain joined by their cell wall septa, after cytokinesis. The elaboration and analysis of a regulatory network of S. reilianum showed that the putative zinc finger transcription factor CBQ73544.1 regulates a number of genes involved in cell cycle, cellular division, signal transduction pathways, and biogenesis of cell wall. Interestingly, homologous of these genes have been found to be regulated during Saccharomyces cerevisiae multicellular growth. In adddition, some of these genes were found to be negatively regulated during multicellularity of S. reilianum. With these data, we suggest that S. reilianum is an interesting model for the study of multicellular development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domingo Martínez-Soto
- Ingeniería en Innovación Agrícola Sustentable, Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Los Reyes, Los Reyes, Michoacán, México. .,Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México. .,Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA. .,Ingeniería en Innovación Agrícola Sustentable, Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Los Reyes, Carretera Los Reyes-Jacona, Libertad, 60300, Los Reyes Michoacán, México.
| | - John Martin Velez-Haro
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México.,Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Instituto Tecnológico de Celaya, Guanajuato, México
| | - Claudia Geraldine León-Ramírez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Edgardo Galán-Vásquez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Bibiana Chávez-Munguía
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, San Pedro Zacatenco, Cd. de México, México
| | - José Ruiz-Herrera
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
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9
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Ghareeb H, Zhao Y, Schirawski J. Sporisorium reilianum possesses a pool of effector proteins that modulate virulence on maize. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2019; 20:124-136. [PMID: 30136754 PMCID: PMC6430478 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The biotrophic maize head smut fungus Sporisorium reilianum is a close relative of the tumour-inducing maize smut fungus Ustilago maydis with a distinct disease aetiology. Maize infection with S. reilianum occurs at the seedling stage, but spores first form in inflorescences after a long endophytic growth phase. To identify S. reilianum-specific virulence effectors, we defined two gene sets by genome comparison with U. maydis and with the barley smut fungus Ustilago hordei. We tested virulence function by individual and cluster deletion analysis of 66 genes and by using a sensitive assay for virulence evaluation that considers both disease incidence (number of plants with a particular symptom) and disease severity (number and strength of symptoms displayed on any individual plant). Multiple deletion strains of S. reilianum lacking genes of either of the two sets (sr10057, sr10059, sr10079, sr10703, sr11815, sr14797 and clusters uni5-1, uni6-1, A1A2, A1, A2) were affected in virulence on the maize cultivar 'Gaspe Flint', but each of the individual gene deletions had only a modest impact on virulence. This indicates that the virulence of S. reilianum is determined by a complex repertoire of different effectors which each contribute incrementally to the aggressiveness of the pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Ghareeb
- Department of Molecular Biology of Plant–Microbe InteractionsAlbrecht‐von‐Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Schwann‐Schleiden Research Center for Molecular Cell Biology, Georg‐August‐Universität GöttingenJulia‐Lermontowa‐Weg 3Göttingen37077Germany
- Department of Organismic InteractionsMax Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyKarl‐von‐Frisch Straße 10Marburg35043Germany
- Department of Plant BiotechnologyNational Research CentreCairo12311Egypt
- Present address:
Georg‐August‐Universität Göttingen, Plant Cell Biology, Albrecht‐von‐Haller Institute of Plant SciencesJulia‐Lermontowa‐Weg 3Göttingen37077Germany
| | - Yulei Zhao
- Department of Molecular Biology of Plant–Microbe InteractionsAlbrecht‐von‐Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Schwann‐Schleiden Research Center for Molecular Cell Biology, Georg‐August‐Universität GöttingenJulia‐Lermontowa‐Weg 3Göttingen37077Germany
- Department of Microbial GeneticsInstitute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen UniversityWorringer Weg 1Aachen52074Germany
| | - Jan Schirawski
- Department of Molecular Biology of Plant–Microbe InteractionsAlbrecht‐von‐Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Schwann‐Schleiden Research Center for Molecular Cell Biology, Georg‐August‐Universität GöttingenJulia‐Lermontowa‐Weg 3Göttingen37077Germany
- Department of Organismic InteractionsMax Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyKarl‐von‐Frisch Straße 10Marburg35043Germany
- Department of Microbial GeneticsInstitute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen UniversityWorringer Weg 1Aachen52074Germany
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Wallen RM, Perlin MH. An Overview of the Function and Maintenance of Sexual Reproduction in Dikaryotic Fungi. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:503. [PMID: 29619017 PMCID: PMC5871698 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual reproduction likely evolved as protection from environmental stresses, specifically, to repair DNA damage, often via homologous recombination. In higher eukaryotes, meiosis and the production of gametes with allelic combinations different from parental type provides the side effect of increased genetic variation. In fungi it appears that while the maintenance of meiosis is paramount for success, outcrossing is not a driving force. In the subkingdom Dikarya, fungal members are characterized by existence of a dikaryon for extended stages within the life cycle. Such fungi possess functional or, in some cases, relictual, loci that govern sexual reproduction between members of their own species. All mating systems identified so far in the Dikarya employ a pheromone/receptor system for haploid organisms to recognize a compatible mating partner, although the paradigm in the Ascomycota, e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is that genes for the pheromone precursor and receptor are not found in the mating-type locus but rather are regulated by its products. Similarly, the mating systems in the Ascomycota are bipolar, with two non-allelic idiomorphs expressed in cells of opposite mating type. In contrast, for the Basidiomycota, both bipolar and tetrapolar mating systems have been well characterized; further, at least one locus directly encodes the pheromone precursor and the receptor for the pheromone of a different mating type, while a separate locus encodes proteins that may regulate the first locus and/or additional genes required for downstream events. Heterozygosity at both of two unlinked loci is required for cells to productively mate in tetrapolar systems, whereas in bipolar systems the two loci are tightly linked. Finally, a trade-off exists in wild fungal populations between sexual reproduction and the associated costs, with adverse conditions leading to mating. For fungal mammal pathogens, the products of sexual reproduction can be targets for the host immune system. The opposite appears true for phytopathogenic fungi, where mating and pathogenicity are inextricably linked. Here, we explore, compare, and contrast different strategies used among the Dikarya, both saprophytic and pathogenic fungi, and highlight differences between pathogens of mammals and pathogens of plants, providing context for selective pressures acting on this interesting group of fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael H. Perlin
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
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11
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Comparative Methods for Molecular Determination of Host-Specificity Factors in Plant-Pathogenic Fungi. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19030863. [PMID: 29543717 PMCID: PMC5877724 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19030863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Many plant-pathogenic fungi are highly host-specific. In most cases, host-specific interactions evolved at the time of speciation of the respective host plants. However, host jumps have occurred quite frequently, and still today the greatest threat for the emergence of new fungal diseases is the acquisition of infection capability of a new host by an existing plant pathogen. Understanding the mechanisms underlying host-switching events requires knowledge of the factors determining host-specificity. In this review, we highlight molecular methods that use a comparative approach for the identification of host-specificity factors. These cover a wide range of experimental set-ups, such as characterization of the pathosystem, genotyping of host-specific strains, comparative genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics, as well as gene prediction and functional gene validation. The methods are described and evaluated in view of their success in the identification of host-specificity factors and the understanding of their functional mechanisms. In addition, potential methods for the future identification of host-specificity factors are discussed.
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12
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Schweizer G, Münch K, Mannhaupt G, Schirawski J, Kahmann R, Dutheil JY. Positively Selected Effector Genes and Their Contribution to Virulence in the Smut Fungus Sporisorium reilianum. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:629-645. [PMID: 29390140 PMCID: PMC5811872 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants and fungi display a broad range of interactions in natural and agricultural ecosystems ranging from symbiosis to parasitism. These ecological interactions result in coevolution between genes belonging to different partners. A well-understood example is secreted fungal effector proteins and their host targets, which play an important role in pathogenic interactions. Biotrophic smut fungi (Basidiomycota) are well-suited to investigate the evolution of plant pathogens, because several reference genomes and genetic tools are available for these species. Here, we used the genomes of Sporisorium reilianum f. sp. zeae and S. reilianum f. sp. reilianum, two closely related formae speciales infecting maize and sorghum, respectively, together with the genomes of Ustilago hordei, Ustilago maydis, and Sporisorium scitamineum to identify and characterize genes displaying signatures of positive selection. We identified 154 gene families having undergone positive selection during species divergence in at least one lineage, among which 77% were identified in the two investigated formae speciales of S. reilianum. Remarkably, only 29% of positively selected genes encode predicted secreted proteins. We assessed the contribution to virulence of nine of these candidate effector genes in S. reilianum f. sp. zeae by deleting individual genes, including a homologue of the effector gene pit2 previously characterized in U. maydis. Only the pit2 deletion mutant was found to be strongly reduced in virulence. Additional experiments are required to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the selection forces acting on the other candidate effector genes, as well as the large fraction of positively selected genes encoding predicted cytoplasmic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Schweizer
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Karin Münch
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Gertrud Mannhaupt
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jan Schirawski
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Julien Y Dutheil
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Institute of Evolutionary Sciences of Montpellier, “Genome” Department, CNRS, University of Montpellier 2, France
- Research Group Molecular Systems Evolution, Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
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13
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Mizuno H, Yazawa T, Kasuga S, Sawada Y, Kanamori H, Ogo Y, Hirai MY, Matsumoto T, Kawahigashi H. Expression of Flavone Synthase II and Flavonoid 3'-Hydroxylase Is Associated with Color Variation in Tan-Colored Injured Leaves of Sorghum. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:1718. [PMID: 27917182 PMCID: PMC5116553 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) exhibits various color changes in injured leaves in response to cutting stress. Here, we aimed to identify key genes for the light brown and dark brown color variations in tan-colored injured leaves of sorghum. For this purpose, sorghum M36001 (light brown injured leaves), Nakei-MS3B (purple), and a progeny, #7 (dark brown), from Nakei-MS3B × M36001, were used. Accumulated pigments were detected by using high-performance liquid chromatography: M36001 accumulated only apigenin in its light brown leaves; #7 accumulated both luteolin and a small amount of apigenin in its dark brown leaves, and Nakei-MS3B accumulated 3-deoxyanthocyanidins (apigeninidin and luteolinidin) in its purple leaves. Apigenin or luteolin glucoside derivatives were also accumulated, in different proportions. Differentially expressed genes before and after cutting stress were identified by using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Integration of our metabolic and RNA-seq analyses suggested that expression of only flavone synthase II (FNSII) led to the synthesis of apigenin in M36001, expression of both FNSII and flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase (F3'H) led to the synthesis of apigenin and luteolin in #7, and expression of both flavanone 4-reductase and F3'H led to the synthesis of 3-deoxyanthocyanidins in Nakei-MS3B. These results suggest that expression of FNSII is related to the synthesis of flavones (apigenin and luteolin) and the expression level of F3'H is related to the balance of apigenin and luteolin. Expression of FNSII and F3'H is thus associated with dark or light brown coloration in tan-colored injured leaves of sorghum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Mizuno
- Agrogenomics Research Center, National Institute of Agrobiological SciencesTsukuba, Japan
- Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research OrganizationTsukuba, Japan
| | - Takayuki Yazawa
- Agrogenomics Research Center, National Institute of Agrobiological SciencesTsukuba, Japan
| | | | - Yuji Sawada
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource ScienceYokohama, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kanamori
- Agrogenomics Research Center, National Institute of Agrobiological SciencesTsukuba, Japan
- Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research OrganizationTsukuba, Japan
| | - Yuko Ogo
- Agrogenomics Research Center, National Institute of Agrobiological SciencesTsukuba, Japan
- Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research OrganizationTsukuba, Japan
| | | | - Takashi Matsumoto
- Agrogenomics Research Center, National Institute of Agrobiological SciencesTsukuba, Japan
- Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research OrganizationTsukuba, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kawahigashi
- Agrogenomics Research Center, National Institute of Agrobiological SciencesTsukuba, Japan
- Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research OrganizationTsukuba, Japan
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Poloni A, Schirawski J. Host specificity in Sporisorium reilianum is determined by distinct mechanisms in maize and sorghum. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2016; 17:741-54. [PMID: 26419898 PMCID: PMC6638427 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Smut fungi are biotrophic plant pathogens that exhibit a very narrow host range. The smut fungus Sporisorium reilianum exists in two host-adapted formae speciales: S. reilianum f. sp. reilianum (SRS), which causes head smut of sorghum, and S. reilianum f. sp. zeae (SRZ), which induces disease on maize. It is unknown why the two formae speciales cannot form spores on their respective non-favoured hosts. By fungal DNA quantification and fluorescence microscopy of stained plant samples, we followed the colonization behaviour of both SRS and SRZ on sorghum and maize. Both formae speciales were able to penetrate and multiply in the leaves of both hosts. In sorghum, the hyphae of SRS reached the apical meristems, whereas the hyphae of SRZ did not. SRZ strongly induced several defence responses in sorghum, such as the generation of H2 O2 , callose and phytoalexins, whereas the hyphae of SRS did not. In maize, both SRS and SRZ were able to spread through the plant to the apical meristem. Transcriptome analysis of colonized maize leaves revealed more genes induced by SRZ than by SRS, with many of them being involved in defence responses. Amongst the maize genes specifically induced by SRS were 11 pentatricopeptide repeat proteins. Together with the microscopic analysis, these data indicate that SRZ succumbs to plant defence after sorghum penetration, whereas SRS proliferates in a relatively undisturbed manner, but non-efficiently, on maize. This shows that host specificity is determined by distinct mechanisms in sorghum and maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alana Poloni
- Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Department for Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interaction, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, Department of Microbial Genetics, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jan Schirawski
- Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Department for Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interaction, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, Department of Microbial Genetics, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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15
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Miller JC, Chezem WR, Clay NK. Ternary WD40 Repeat-Containing Protein Complexes: Evolution, Composition and Roles in Plant Immunity. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 6:1108. [PMID: 26779203 PMCID: PMC4703829 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.01108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Plants, like mammals, rely on their innate immune system to perceive and discriminate among the majority of their microbial pathogens. Unlike mammals, plants respond to this molecular dialog by unleashing a complex chemical arsenal of defense metabolites to resist or evade pathogen infection. In basal or non-host resistance, plants utilize signal transduction pathways to detect "non-self," "damaged-self," and "altered-self"- associated molecular patterns and translate these "danger" signals into largely inducible chemical defenses. The WD40 repeat (WDR)-containing proteins Gβ and TTG1 are constituents of two independent ternary protein complexes functioning at opposite ends of a plant immune signaling pathway. They are also encoded by single-copy genes that are ubiquitous in higher plants, implying the limited diversity and functional conservation of their respective complexes. In this review, we summarize what is currently known about the evolutionary history of these WDR-containing ternary complexes, their repertoire and combinatorial interactions, and their downstream effectors and pathways in plant defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimi C. Miller
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT, USA
| | - William R. Chezem
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nicole K. Clay
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT, USA
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16
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Poloni A, Schirawski J. Red card for pathogens: phytoalexins in sorghum and maize. Molecules 2014; 19:9114-33. [PMID: 24983861 PMCID: PMC6271655 DOI: 10.3390/molecules19079114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Revised: 06/26/2014] [Accepted: 06/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cereal crop plants such as maize and sorghum are constantly being attacked by a great variety of pathogens that cause large economic losses. Plants protect themselves against pathogens by synthesizing antimicrobial compounds, which include phytoalexins. In this review we summarize the current knowledge on phytoalexins produced by sorghum (luteolinidin, apigeninidin) and maize (zealexin, kauralexin, DIMBOA and HDMBOA). For these molecules, we highlight biosynthetic pathways, known intermediates, proposed enzymes, and mechanisms of elicitation. Finally, we discuss the involvement of phytoalexins in plant resistance and their possible application in technology, medicine and agriculture. For those whose world is round we tried to set the scene in the context of a hypothetical football game in which pathogens fight with phytoalexins on the different playing fields provided by maize and sorghum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alana Poloni
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, Aachen 52074, Germany.
| | - Jan Schirawski
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, Aachen 52074, Germany.
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17
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Tanaka S, Brefort T, Neidig N, Djamei A, Kahnt J, Vermerris W, Koenig S, Feussner K, Feussner I, Kahmann R. A secreted Ustilago maydis effector promotes virulence by targeting anthocyanin biosynthesis in maize. eLife 2014; 3:e01355. [PMID: 24473076 PMCID: PMC3904489 DOI: 10.7554/elife.01355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2013] [Accepted: 12/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The biotrophic fungus Ustilago maydis causes smut disease in maize with characteristic tumor formation and anthocyanin induction. Here, we show that anthocyanin biosynthesis is induced by the virulence promoting secreted effector protein Tin2. Tin2 protein functions inside plant cells where it interacts with maize protein kinase ZmTTK1. Tin2 masks a ubiquitin-proteasome degradation motif in ZmTTK1, thus stabilizing the active kinase. Active ZmTTK1 controls activation of genes in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Without Tin2, enhanced lignin biosynthesis is observed in infected tissue and vascular bundles show strong lignification. This is presumably limiting access of fungal hyphae to nutrients needed for massive proliferation. Consistent with this assertion, we observe that maize brown midrib mutants affected in lignin biosynthesis are hypersensitive to U. maydis infection. We speculate that Tin2 rewires metabolites into the anthocyanin pathway to lower their availability for other defense responses. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01355.001.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeyuki Tanaka
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Brefort
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Nina Neidig
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Armin Djamei
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Kahnt
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Wilfred Vermerris
- Department of Microbiology & Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Stefanie Koenig
- Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kirstin Feussner
- Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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18
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Tanaka S, Brefort T, Neidig N, Djamei A, Kahnt J, Vermerris W, Koenig S, Feussner K, Feussner I, Kahmann R. A secreted Ustilago maydis effector promotes virulence by targeting anthocyanin biosynthesis in maize. eLife 2014. [PMID: 24473076 DOI: 10.7554/elife.01355.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The biotrophic fungus Ustilago maydis causes smut disease in maize with characteristic tumor formation and anthocyanin induction. Here, we show that anthocyanin biosynthesis is induced by the virulence promoting secreted effector protein Tin2. Tin2 protein functions inside plant cells where it interacts with maize protein kinase ZmTTK1. Tin2 masks a ubiquitin-proteasome degradation motif in ZmTTK1, thus stabilizing the active kinase. Active ZmTTK1 controls activation of genes in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Without Tin2, enhanced lignin biosynthesis is observed in infected tissue and vascular bundles show strong lignification. This is presumably limiting access of fungal hyphae to nutrients needed for massive proliferation. Consistent with this assertion, we observe that maize brown midrib mutants affected in lignin biosynthesis are hypersensitive to U. maydis infection. We speculate that Tin2 rewires metabolites into the anthocyanin pathway to lower their availability for other defense responses. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01355.001.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeyuki Tanaka
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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