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Ren RC, Kong LG, Zheng GM, Zhao YJ, Jiang X, Wu JW, Liu C, Chu J, Ding XH, Zhang XS, Wang GF, Zhao XY. Maize requires arogenate dehydratase 2 for resistance to Ustilago maydis and plant development. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:1642-1659. [PMID: 38431524 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays) smut is a common biotrophic fungal disease caused by Ustilago maydis and leads to low maize yield. Maize resistance to U. maydis is a quantitative trait. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the resistance of maize to U. maydis is poorly understood. Here, we reported that a maize mutant caused by a single gene mutation exhibited defects in both fungal resistance and plant development. maize mutant highly susceptible to U. maydis (mmsu) with a dwarf phenotype forms tumors in the ear. A map-based cloning and allelism test demonstrated that 1 gene encoding a putative arogenate dehydratase/prephenate dehydratase (ADT/PDT) is responsible for the phenotypes of the mmsu and was designated as ZmADT2. Combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that mmsu had substantial differences in multiple metabolic pathways in response to U. maydis infection compared with the wild type. Disruption of ZmADT2 caused damage to the chloroplast ultrastructure and function, metabolic flux redirection, and reduced the amounts of salicylic acid (SA) and lignin, leading to susceptibility to U. maydis and dwarf phenotype. These results suggested that ZmADT2 is required for maintaining metabolic flux, as well as resistance to U. maydis and plant development in maize. Meanwhile, our findings provided insights into the maize response mechanism to U. maydis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ru Chang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Ling Guang Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Guang Ming Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Ya Jie Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Xin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Jia Wen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Cuimei Liu
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jinfang Chu
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Beijing 100101, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xin Hua Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Xian Sheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Guan Feng Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Development and Environmental Adaptation Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Xiang Yu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
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Schuster M, Schweizer G, Reißmann S, Happel P, Aßmann D, Rössel N, Güldener U, Mannhaupt G, Ludwig N, Winterberg S, Pellegrin C, Tanaka S, Vincon V, Presti LL, Wang L, Bender L, Gonzalez C, Vranes M, Kämper J, Seong K, Krasileva K, Kahmann R. Novel Secreted Effectors Conserved Among Smut Fungi Contribute to the Virulence of Ustilago maydis. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2024; 37:250-263. [PMID: 38416124 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-09-23-0139-fi] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Fungal pathogens deploy a set of molecules (proteins, specialized metabolites, and sRNAs), so-called effectors, to aid the infection process. In comparison to other plant pathogens, smut fungi have small genomes and secretomes of 20 Mb and around 500 proteins, respectively. Previous comparative genomic studies have shown that many secreted effector proteins without known domains, i.e., novel, are conserved only in the Ustilaginaceae family. By analyzing the secretomes of 11 species within Ustilaginaceae, we identified 53 core homologous groups commonly present in this lineage. By collecting existing mutants and generating additional ones, we gathered 44 Ustilago maydis strains lacking single core effectors as well as 9 strains containing multiple deletions of core effector gene families. Pathogenicity assays revealed that 20 of these 53 mutant strains were affected in virulence. Among the 33 mutants that had no obvious phenotypic changes, 13 carried additional, sequence-divergent, structurally similar paralogs. We report a virulence contribution of seven previously uncharacterized single core effectors and of one effector family. Our results help to prioritize effectors for understanding U. maydis virulence and provide genetic resources for further characterization. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Schuster
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Gabriel Schweizer
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Independent Data Lab UG, 80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Reißmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Petra Happel
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Aßmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Rössel
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Güldener
- Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität München, 80636 München, Germany
| | - Gertrud Mannhaupt
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Ludwig
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Research & Development, Weed Control Bayer AG, Crop Science Division, 65926 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sarah Winterberg
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Clément Pellegrin
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Shigeyuki Tanaka
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Volker Vincon
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Libera Lo Presti
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Lei Wang
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Lena Bender
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Phillips-University Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Carla Gonzalez
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Miroslav Vranes
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Department of Genetics, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jörg Kämper
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Department of Genetics, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Kyungyong Seong
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, U.S.A
| | - Ksenia Krasileva
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, U.S.A
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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Oliveira-Garcia E, Yan X, Oses-Ruiz M, de Paula S, Talbot NJ. Effector-triggered susceptibility by the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:1007-1020. [PMID: 38073141 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Rice blast, the most destructive disease of cultivated rice world-wide, is caused by the filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. To cause disease in plants, M. oryzae secretes a diverse range of effector proteins to suppress plant defense responses, modulate cellular processes, and support pathogen growth. Some effectors can be secreted by appressoria even before host penetration, while others accumulate in the apoplast, or enter living plant cells where they target specific plant subcellular compartments. During plant infection, the blast fungus induces the formation of a specialized plant structure known as the biotrophic interfacial complex (BIC), which appears to be crucial for effector delivery into plant cells. Here, we review recent advances in the cell biology of M. oryzae-host interactions and show how new breakthroughs in disease control have stemmed from an increased understanding of effector proteins of M. oryzae are deployed and delivered into plant cells to enable pathogen invasion and host susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ely Oliveira-Garcia
- Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Xia Yan
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Miriam Oses-Ruiz
- IMAB, Public University of Navarre (UPNA), Campus Arrosadia, 31006, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - Samuel de Paula
- Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Nicholas J Talbot
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
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Zuo W, Depotter JRL, Stolze SC, Nakagami H, Doehlemann G. A transcriptional activator effector of Ustilago maydis regulates hyperplasia in maize during pathogen-induced tumor formation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6722. [PMID: 37872143 PMCID: PMC10593772 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42522-w] [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: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Ustilago maydis causes common smut in maize, which is characterized by tumor formation in aerial parts of maize. Tumors result from the de novo cell division of highly developed bundle sheath and subsequent cell enlargement. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis are still largely unknown. Here, we characterize the U. maydis effector Sts2 (Small tumor on seedlings 2), which promotes the division of hyperplasia tumor cells. Upon infection, Sts2 is translocated into the maize cell nucleus, where it acts as a transcriptional activator, and the transactivation activity is crucial for its virulence function. Sts2 interacts with ZmNECAP1, a yet undescribed plant transcriptional activator, and it activates the expression of several leaf developmental regulators to potentiate tumor formation. On the contrary, fusion of a suppressive SRDX-motif to Sts2 causes dominant negative inhibition of tumor formation, underpinning the central role of Sts2 for tumorigenesis. Our results not only disclose the virulence mechanism of a tumorigenic effector, but also reveal the essential role of leaf developmental regulators in pathogen-induced tumor formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiliang Zuo
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany.
| | - Jasper R L Depotter
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Sara Christina Stolze
- Protein Mass Spectrometry, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hirofumi Nakagami
- Protein Mass Spectrometry, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany
- Basic Immune System of Plants, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, 50829, Germany
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany.
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Yang J, Liu L, Yang L, Liu R, Gao C, Hu W, Yan Q, Yang Z, Fan L. High-quality genome assembly of Verticillium dahliae VD991 allows for screening and validation of pathogenic genes. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1177078. [PMID: 37362919 PMCID: PMC10289290 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1177078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Verticillium dahliae (V. dahliae) is a notorious soil-borne pathogen causing Verticillium wilt in more than 400 dicotyledonous plants, including a wide range of economically important crops, such as cotton, tomato, lettuce, potato, and romaine lettuce, which can result in extensive economic losses. In the last decade, several studies have been conducted on the physiological and molecular mechanisms of plant resistance to V. dahliae. However, the lack of a complete genome sequence with a high-quality assembly and complete genomic annotations for V. dahliae has limited these studies. In this study, we produced a full genomic assembly for V. dahliae VD991 using Nanopore sequencing technology, consisting of 35.77 Mb across eight pseudochromosomes and with a GC content of 53.41%. Analysis of the genome completeness assessment (BUSCO alignment: 98.62%; Illumina reads alignment: 99.17%) indicated that our efforts resulted in a nearly complete and high-quality genomic assembly. We selected 25 species closely related to V. dahliae for evolutionary analysis, confirming the evolutionary relationship between V. dahliae and related species, and the identification of a possible whole genome duplication event in V. dahliae. The interaction between cotton and V. dahliae was investigated by transcriptome sequencing resulting in the identification of many genes and pathways associated with cotton disease resistance and V. dahliae pathogenesis. These results will provide new insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of V. dahliae and contribute to the cultivation of cotton varieties resistant to Verticillium wilt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxiang Yang
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Lisen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Lan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Renju Liu
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Chenxu Gao
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Wei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qingdi Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Zhaoen Yang
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Liqiang Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
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Wang B, Wang Y, Sun Y, Yu L, Lou Y, Fan X, Ren L, Xu G. Watermelon responds to organic fertilizer by enhancing root-associated acid phosphatase activity to improve organic phosphorus utilization. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 279:153838. [PMID: 36334584 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2022.153838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Organic fertilizer is commonly used to increase crop yields and improve soil quality. However, it is unclear whether crops adapt to organic fertilizer by regulating metabolic pathways that are involved in nutrient utilization. In this study, we focused on the organic phosphorus (Po) in organic fertilizer and, using watermelon, investigated changes in gene expression and metabolic pathways in response to organic fertilizer and the combination of chemical fertilizer and organic fertilizer (chemical fertilizer 70% and organic fertilizer 30%, based on phosphorus supply). Purple acid phosphatase (PAP) gene expression was upregulated in leaves and roots of watermelon grown in organic fertilizer alone and in the combination of chemical/organic fertilizer, resulting in enhanced phosphatase activity in roots. When the ratio of chemical to organic fertilizer was 85/15, root-associated acid phosphatase (APase) activity increased over chemical fertilizer alone. This formulation also resulted in increased inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentration in roots and leaves, and the upregulation of the secretory APase genes ClaPAP10/12/15/26, and ClaPAP18 in roots. In conclusion, watermelon responds to organic fertilizer by upregulating expression of secretory ClaPAP genes, subsequently enhancing root-associated APase activity further improving the hydrolysis of phosphomonoesters, and ultimately facilitating Po utilization by roots. The mechanisms of P utilization by roots comprise the enhancement of APase and phytase activity, absorption of small Po molecules, uptake of Pi, and the increase of lateral root number when organic fertilizer is applied to the plants. These findings help to establish the mechanisms by which plants respond to organic fertilizer by regulating metabolic pathways at the transcriptional level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingshuang Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilization in Low-Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Yang Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilization in Low-Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Yan Sun
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilization in Low-Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Lirong Yu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilization in Low-Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Yunsheng Lou
- School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
| | - Xiaorong Fan
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilization in Low-Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Lixuan Ren
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilization in Low-Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China.
| | - Guohua Xu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilization in Low-Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China
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Bindics J, Khan M, Uhse S, Kogelmann B, Baggely L, Reumann D, Ingole KD, Stirnberg A, Rybecky A, Darino M, Navarrete F, Doehlemann G, Djamei A. Many ways to TOPLESS - manipulation of plant auxin signalling by a cluster of fungal effectors. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:1455-1470. [PMID: 35944559 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plant biotrophic pathogens employ secreted molecules, called effectors, to suppress the host immune system and redirect the host's metabolism and development in their favour. Putative effectors of the gall-inducing maize pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis were analysed for their ability to induce auxin signalling in plants. Using genetic, biochemical, cell-biological, and bioinformatic approaches we functionally elucidate a set of five, genetically linked effectors, called Topless (TPL) interacting protein (Tips) effectors that induce auxin signalling. We show that Tips induce auxin signalling by interfering with central corepressors of the TPL family. CRISPR-Cas9 mutants and deletion strain analysis indicate that the auxin signalling inducing subcluster effectors plays a redundant role in virulence. Although none of the Tips seem to have a conserved interaction motif, four of them bind solely to the N-terminal TPL domain and, for Tip1 and Tip4, we demonstrate direct competition with auxin/indole-3-acetic acid transcriptional repressors for their binding to TPL class of corepressors. Our findings reveal that TPL proteins, key regulators of growth-defence antagonism, are a major target of the U. maydis effectome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janos Bindics
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW), Vienna Bio Center (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mamoona Khan
- Department of Plant Pathology, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Nussallee 9, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Simon Uhse
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW), Vienna Bio Center (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin Kogelmann
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW), Vienna Bio Center (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Laura Baggely
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW), Vienna Bio Center (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Reumann
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW), Vienna Bio Center (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kishor D Ingole
- Department of Plant Pathology, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Nussallee 9, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Alexandra Stirnberg
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW), Vienna Bio Center (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Rybecky
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin Darino
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW), Vienna Bio Center (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fernando Navarrete
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW), Vienna Bio Center (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- CEPLAS, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Armin Djamei
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW), Vienna Bio Center (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Plant Pathology, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Nussallee 9, 53115, Bonn, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), OT Gatersleben, Corrensstraße 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany
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Zou K, Li Y, Zhang W, Jia Y, Wang Y, Ma Y, Lv X, Xuan Y, Du W. Early infection response of fungal biotroph Ustilago maydis in maize. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:970897. [PMID: 36161006 PMCID: PMC9504671 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.970897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Common smut, caused by Ustilago maydis (DC.) Corda, is a destructive fungal disease of maize worldwide; it forms large tumors, reducing corn yield and quality. However, the molecular defense mechanism to common smut in maize remains unclear. The present study aimed to use a leading maize inbred line Ye478 to analyze the response to U. maydis inoculation. The histological and cytological analyses demonstrated that U. maydis grew gradually to the host cells 6 h post-inoculation (hpi). The samples collected at 0, 3, 6, and 12 hpi were analyzed to assess the maize transcriptomic changes in response to U. maydis. The results revealed differences in hormone signaling, glycometabolism, and photosynthesis after U. maydis infection; specific changes were detected in jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), ethylene (ET), and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathways, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and photosystems I and II, probably related to defense response. MapMan analysis demonstrated that the differentially expressed genes between the treatment and control groups were clustered into light reaction and photorespiration pathways. In addition, U. maydis inoculation induced chloroplast swelling and damage, suggesting a significant effect on the chloroplast activity and subsequent metabolic process, especially hexose metabolism. A further genetic study using wild-type and galactinol-sucrose galactosyltransferase (gsg) and yellow-green leaf-1 (ygl-1) mutants identified that these two U. maydis-induced genes negatively regulated defense against common smut in maize. Our measurements showed the pathogen early-invasion process, and the key pathways of both chlorophyll biosynthesis and sugar transportation were critical modified in the infected maize line, thereby throwing a light on the molecular mechanisms in the maize-U. maydis interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunkun Zou
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yang Li
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Wenjie Zhang
- College of Agronomy, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Yunfeng Jia
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yang Wang
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yuting Ma
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiangling Lv
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yuanhu Xuan
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Wanli Du
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- *Correspondence: Wanli Du
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Dissection of the Complex Transcription and Metabolism Regulation Networks Associated with Maize Resistance to Ustilago maydis. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12111789. [PMID: 34828395 PMCID: PMC8619255 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The biotrophic fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis causes common smut in maize, forming tumors on all aerial organs, especially on reproductive organs, leading to significant reduction in yield and quality defects. Resistance to U. maydis is thought to be a quantitative trait, likely controlled by many minor gene effects. However, the genes and the underlying complex mechanisms for maize resistance to U. maydis remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we conducted comparative transcriptome and metabolome study using a pair of maize lines with contrast resistance to U. maydis post-infection. WGCNA of transcriptome profiling reveals that defense response, photosynthesis, and cell cycle are critical processes in maize response to U. maydis, and metabolism regulation of glycolysis, amino acids, phenylpropanoid, and reactive oxygen species are closely correlated with defense response. Metabolomic analysis supported that phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis was induced upon U. maydis infection, and an obviously higher content of shikimic acid, a key compound in glycolysis and aromatic amino acids biosynthesis pathways, was detected in resistant samples. Thus, we propose that complex gene co-expression and metabolism networks related to amino acids and ROS metabolism might contribute to the resistance to corn smut.
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