mRNA inventory of extracellular vesicles from Ustilago maydis

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can transfer diverse RNA cargo for intercellular signalling. EV-associated RNAs have been found in diverse fungi and were proposed to be relevant for pathogenesis in animal hosts. In plant-pathogen interactions, small RNAs are exchanged in a cross-kingdom RNAi warfare and EVs were considered to be a delivery mechanism. To extend the search for EV-associated molecules involved in plants-pathogen communication, we have characterised the repertoire of EV-associated mRNAs secreted by the maize smut pathogen, Ustilago maydis. For this initial survey, EVs were isolated from axenic filamentous cultures that mimic infectious hyphae. The EV-associated RNAs were resistant to degradation by RNases and the presence of intact mRNAs was evident. The set of mRNAs enriched inside EVs relative to the fungal cells are functionally distinct from those that are depleted from EVs, particularly overrepresented in metabolic enzyme activities. Intriguingly, mRNAs of some known effectors and other proteins linked to virulence were found in EVs. Furthermore, several mRNAs enriched in EVs are also upregulated during infection, suggesting that EV-associated mRNAs may participate in plant-pathogen interaction.

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mRNA Inventory of Extracellular Vesicles from Ustilago maydis

Journal of Fungi ◽

10.3390/jof7070562 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (7) ◽

pp. 562

Author(s):

Seomun Kwon ◽

Oliver Rupp ◽

Andreas Brachmann ◽

Christopher Frederik Blum ◽

Anton Kraege ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Intercellular Communication ◽

Plant Pathogen ◽

Small Rnas ◽

Ustilago Maydis ◽

Animal Hosts ◽

Delivery Mechanism ◽

Initial Survey ◽

Plant Pathogen Interactions ◽

Maize Smut

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can transfer diverse RNA cargo for intercellular communication. EV-associated RNAs have been found in diverse fungi and were proposed to be relevant for pathogenesis in animal hosts. In plant-pathogen interactions, small RNAs are exchanged in a cross-kingdom RNAi warfare and EVs were considered to be a delivery mechanism. To extend the search for EV-associated molecules involved in plant-pathogen communication, we have characterised the repertoire of EV-associated mRNAs secreted by the maize smut pathogen, Ustilago maydis. For this initial survey, we examined EV-enriched fractions from axenic filamentous cultures that mimic infectious hyphae. EV-associated RNAs were resistant to degradation by RNases and the presence of intact mRNAs was evident. The set of mRNAs enriched inside EVs relative to the fungal cells are functionally distinct from those that are depleted from EVs. mRNAs encoding metabolic enzymes are particularly enriched. Intriguingly, mRNAs of some known effectors and other proteins linked to virulence were also found in EVs. Furthermore, several mRNAs enriched in EVs are also upregulated during infection, suggesting that EV-associated mRNAs may participate in plant-pathogen interactions.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Exchanging missives and missiles: the roles of extracellular vesicles in plant-pathogen interactions.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.732200704.793551307 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Jian-Min Zhou ◽

Xiangxiu Liang

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Plant Pathogen ◽

Plant Pathogen Interactions

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Plant SWEETs: from sugar transport to plant–pathogen interaction and more unexpected physiological roles

Plant Physiology ◽

10.1093/plphys/kiab127 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Richard Breia ◽

Artur Conde ◽

Hélder Badim ◽

Ana Margarida Fortes ◽

Hernâni Gerós ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Pathogen ◽

Sugar Transport ◽

High Capacity ◽

Phloem Loading ◽

Transcription Activator ◽

Pythium Irregulare ◽

Clear Cut ◽

Opposite Behavior ◽

Plant Pathogen Interaction ◽

Plant Pathogen Interactions

Abstract Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporters (SWEETs) have important roles in numerous physiological mechanisms where sugar efflux is critical, including phloem loading, nectar secretion, seed nutrient filling, among other less expected functions. They mediate low affinity and high capacity transport, and in angiosperms this family is composed by 20 paralogs on average. As SWEETs facilitate the efflux of sugars, they are highly susceptible to hijacking by pathogens, making them central players in plant–pathogen interaction. For instance, several species from the Xanthomonas genus are able to upregulate the transcription of SWEET transporters in rice (Oryza sativa), upon the secretion of transcription-activator-like effectors. Other pathogens, such as Botrytis cinerea or Erysiphe necator, are also capable of increasing SWEET expression. However, the opposite behavior has been observed in some cases, as overexpression of the tonoplast AtSWEET2 during Pythium irregulare infection restricted sugar availability to the pathogen, rendering plants more resistant. Therefore, a clear-cut role for SWEET transporters during plant–pathogen interactions has so far been difficult to define, as the metabolic signatures and their regulatory nodes, which decide the susceptibility or resistance responses, remain poorly understood. This fuels the still ongoing scientific question: what roles can SWEETs play during plant–pathogen interaction? Likewise, the roles of SWEET transporters in response to abiotic stresses are little understood. Here, in addition to their relevance in biotic stress, we also provide a small glimpse of SWEETs importance during plant abiotic stress, and briefly debate their importance in the particular case of grapevine (Vitis vinifera) due to its socioeconomic impact.

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Exchanging missives and missiles: the roles of extracellular vesicles in plant–pathogen interactions

Journal of Experimental Botany ◽

10.1093/jxb/erx369 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 68 (20) ◽

pp. 5411-5414 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Petra C Boevink

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Plant Pathogen ◽

Plant Pathogen Interactions

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Functional Variation of Plant–Pathogen Interactions: New Concept and Methods for Virulence Data Analyses

Phytopathology ◽

10.1094/phyto-02-19-0041-le ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 109 (8) ◽

pp. 1324-1330 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

E. Kosman ◽

X. Chen ◽

A. Dreiseitl ◽

B. McCallum ◽

A. Lebeda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Pathogen ◽

Plant Pathogens ◽

Infection Type ◽

Lesion Size ◽

Data Sets ◽

Functional Variation ◽

Multiple Loci ◽

Plant Pathogen Interaction ◽

Few Data ◽

Plant Pathogen Interactions

Classical virulence analysis is based on discovering virulence phenotypes of isolates with regard to a composition of resistance genes in a differential set of host genotypes. With such a vision, virulence phenotypes are usually treated in a genetic manner as one of two possible alleles, either virulence or avirulence in a binary locus. Therefore, population genetics metrics and methods have become prevailing tools for analyzing virulence data at multiple loci. However, a basis for resolving binary virulence phenotypes is infection type (IT) data of host–pathogen interaction that express functional traits of each specific isolate in a given situation (particular host, environmental conditions, cultivation practice, and so on). IT is determined by symptoms and signs observed (e.g., lesion type, lesion size, coverage of leaf or leaf segments by mycelium, spore production and so on), and assessed by IT scores at a generally accepted scale for each plant–pathogen system. Thus, multiple IT profiles of isolates are obtained and can be subjected to analysis of functional variation within and among operational units of a pathogen. Such an approach may allow better utilization of the information available in the raw data, and reveal a functional (e.g., environmental) component of pathogen variation in addition to the genetic one. New methods for measuring functional variation of plant–pathogen interaction with IT data were developed. The methods need an appropriate assessment scale and expert estimations of dissimilarity between IT scores for each plant–pathogen system (an example is presented). Analyses of a few data sets at different hierarchical levels demonstrated discrepancies in results obtained with IT phenotypes versus binary virulence phenotypes. The ability to measure functional IT-based variation offers promise as an effective tool in the study of epidemics caused by plant pathogens.

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Photoperiod Following Inoculation of Arabidopsis with Pyricularia oryzae (syn. Magnaporthe oryzae) Influences on the Plant–Pathogen Interaction

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22095004 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (9) ◽

pp. 5004

Author(s):

Sayaka Shimizu ◽

Yuri Yamauchi ◽

Atsushi Ishikawa

Keyword(s):

Plant Pathogen ◽

Dark Period ◽

Continuous Light ◽

Defense Responses ◽

Time Of Day ◽

Pyricularia Oryzae ◽

Oxygen Species ◽

Plant Pathogen Interaction ◽

Plant Pathogen Interactions ◽

Resistance To Penetration

In plant–pathogen interactions, a proper light environment affects the establishment of defense responses in plants. In our previous experiments, we found that nonhost resistance (NHR) to Pyricularia oryzae Cav. in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. (Arabidopsis), in diurnal conditions, varies with the inoculation time. Moreover, we indicated that the circadian clock plays an important role in regulating time-of-day differences in NHR to P. oryzae in Arabidopsis. However, the involvement of photoperiod in regulating NHR was still not understood. To determine the photoperiod role, we performed the experiments in continuous light and darkness during the early Arabidopsis–P. oryzae interaction. We found that the light period after the inoculation in the evening enhanced the resistance to penetration. However, the dark period after the inoculation in the morning suppressed the penetration resistance. Furthermore, the genetic analysis indicated that jasmonic acid, reactive oxygen species, and tryptophan-derived metabolite(s) contribute to the photoperiod regulation of NHR in Arabidopsis. The present results denote that photoperiod plays an important role in regulating time-of-day differences in NHR to P. oryzae in Arabidopsis.

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Small RNA trafficking at the forefront of plant–pathogen interactions

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.15761.1 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 1633 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yan Zhao ◽

Xiangxiu Liang ◽

Jian-Min Zhou

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Small Rna ◽

Plant Pathogen ◽

Small Rnas ◽

Plant Cells ◽

Host Immunity ◽

Lytic Enzymes ◽

Pathogen Virulence ◽

Pathogenic Microbes ◽

Plant Pathogen Interactions

Plants and pathogenic microbes are engaged in constant attacks and counterattacks at the interface of the interacting organisms. Much of the molecular warfare involves cross-kingdom trafficking of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and metabolites that act as toxins, inhibitors, lytic enzymes, and signaling molecules. How various molecules are transported across the boundaries of plants and pathogens has remained largely unknown until now. Extracellular vesicles have emerged as likely carriers of molecular ammunition for both plants and pathogens. Recent advances are beginning to show how extracellular vesicles serve as powerful vehicles that transfer small RNAs from plants to fungal cells to diminish pathogen virulence and from fungi to plant cells to dampen host immunity.

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Bioactive Polyphenols Modulate Enzymes Involved in Grapevine Pathogenesis and Chitinase Activity at Increasing Complexity Levels

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms20246357 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (24) ◽

pp. 6357

Author(s):

Antonio Filippi ◽

Elisa Petrussa ◽

Francesco Boscutti ◽

Marco Vuerich ◽

Urska Vrhovsek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Pathogen ◽

Chitinase Activity ◽

Vitis Vinifera L ◽

Polyphenolic Composition ◽

Pathogenesis Related ◽

Plant Pathogen Interaction ◽

Plant Pathogen Interactions ◽

Related Proteins

The reduction of synthetic chemistry use in modern viticulture relies on either the biological control of microorganisms or the induction of pathogenesis-related proteins. In the present study, the effects of hydro-alcoholic plant extracts (PEs) (i.e., by-products of Vitis vinifera L., leaves of Olea europaea L. and Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle) were tested on purified enzymes activity involved in plant-pathogen interactions. The polyphenolic composition was assayed and analyzed to characterize the extract profiles. In addition, suspension cell cultures of grapevine were treated with PEs to study their modulation of chitinase activity. Application of grape marc’s PE enhanced chitinase activity at 4 g L−1. Additionally, foliar treatment of grape marc’s PE at two doses (4 g L−1 and 800 g L−1) on grapevine cuttings induced a concentration-dependent stimulation of chitinase activity. The obtained results showed that the application of bioactive compounds based on PEs, rich in phenolic compounds, was effective both at in vitro and ex/in vivo level. The overall effects of PEs on plant-pathogen interaction were further discussed by applying a multi-criteria decision analysis, showing that grape marc was the most effective extract.

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