scholarly journals Predication of the Effector Proteins Secreted by Fusarium sacchari Using Genomic Analysis and Heterogenous Expression

2022 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Zhen Huang ◽  
Huixue Li ◽  
Yuming Zhou ◽  
Yixue Bao ◽  
Zhenzhen Duan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Effector Molecules ◽  
Pathogen Effector ◽  
Fusarium Sacchari

One of the causative agents of pokkah boeng disease (PBD), which affects sugarcane crops globally, is the fungus Fusarium sacchari. These fungal infections reduce sugar quality and yield, resulting in severe economic losses. Effector proteins play important roles in the interactions between pathogenic fungi and plants. Here, we used bioinformatic prediction approaches to identify 316 candidate secreted effector proteins (CSEPs) in the complete genome of F. sacchari. In total, 95 CSEPs contained known conserved structures, representing 40 superfamilies and 18 domains, while an additional 91 CSEPs contained seven known motifs. Of the 130 CSEPs containing no known domains or motifs, 14 contained one of four novel motifs. A heterogeneous expression system in Nicotiana benthamiana was used to investigate the functions of 163 CSEPs. Seven CSEPs suppressed BAX-triggered programmed cell death in N. benthamiana, while four caused cell death in N. benthamiana. The expression profiles of these eleven CSEPs during F. sacchari infection suggested that they may be involved in sugarcane-F. sacchari interaction. Our results establish a basis for further studies of the role of effector molecules in pathogen–sugarcane interactions, and provide a framework for future predictions of pathogen effector molecules.

scholarly journals The Ustilago hordei–Barley Interaction is a Versatile System for Characterization of Fungal Effectors

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
Bilal Ökmen ◽  
Daniela Schwammbach ◽  
Guus Bakkeren ◽  
Ulla Neumann ◽  
Gunther Doehlemann
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Mating Partner ◽  
Fungal Virulence ◽  
Functional Studies ◽  
Infection Structures ◽  
Ustilago Hordei

Obligate biotrophic fungal pathogens, such as Blumeria graminis and Puccinia graminis, are amongst the most devastating plant pathogens, causing dramatic yield losses in many economically important crops worldwide. However, a lack of reliable tools for the efficient genetic transformation has hampered studies into the molecular basis of their virulence or pathogenicity. In this study, we present the Ustilago hordei–barley pathosystem as a model to characterize effectors from different plant pathogenic fungi. We generate U. hordei solopathogenic strains, which form infectious filaments without the presence of a compatible mating partner. Solopathogenic strains are suitable for heterologous expression system for fungal virulence factors. A highly efficient Crispr/Cas9 gene editing system is made available for U. hordei. In addition, U. hordei infection structures during barley colonization are analyzed using transmission electron microscopy, showing that U. hordei forms intracellular infection structures sharing high similarity to haustoria formed by obligate rust and powdery mildew fungi. Thus, U. hordei has high potential as a fungal expression platform for functional studies of heterologous effector proteins in barley.

scholarly journals NAD+ cleavage activity by animal and plant TIR domains in cell death pathways

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 365 (6455) ◽  
pp. 793-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shane Horsefield ◽  
Hayden Burdett ◽  
Xiaoxiao Zhang ◽  
Mohammad K. Manik ◽  
Yun Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide ◽  
Interleukin 1 ◽  
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Nicotinamide Adenine ◽  
Cleavage Activity ◽  
Pathogen Effector ◽  
Cell Death Signaling ◽  
Tir Domains

SARM1 (sterile alpha and TIR motif containing 1) is responsible for depletion of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in its oxidized form (NAD+) during Wallerian degeneration associated with neuropathies. Plant nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptors recognize pathogen effector proteins and trigger localized cell death to restrict pathogen infection. Both processes depend on closely related Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domains in these proteins, which, as we show, feature self-association–dependent NAD+ cleavage activity associated with cell death signaling. We further show that SARM1 SAM (sterile alpha motif) domains form an octamer essential for axon degeneration that contributes to TIR domain enzymatic activity. The crystal structures of ribose and NADP+ (the oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) complexes of SARM1 and plant NLR RUN1 TIR domains, respectively, reveal a conserved substrate binding site. NAD+ cleavage by TIR domains is therefore a conserved feature of animal and plant cell death signaling pathways.

scholarly journals Identification and Functional Analysis of AopN, an Acidovorax Citrulli Effector that Induces Programmed Cell Death in Plants

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 6050 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxiao Zhang ◽  
Mei Zhao ◽  
Jie Jiang ◽  
Linlin Yang ◽  
Yuwen Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Analysis ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Programmed Cell Death ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Plant Immunity ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Homologous Protein ◽  
Acidovorax Citrulli ◽  
Effector Triggered Immunity

Bacterial fruit blotch (BFB), caused by Acidovorax citrulli, seriously affects watermelon and other cucurbit crops, resulting in significant economic losses. However, the pathogenicity mechanism of A. citrulli is not well understood. Plant pathogenic bacteria often suppress the plant immune response by secreting effector proteins. Thus, identifying A. citrulli effector proteins and determining their functions may improve our understanding of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms. In this study, a novel effector, AopN, which is localized on the cell membrane of Nicotiana benthamiana, was identified. The functional analysis revealed that AopN significantly inhibited the flg22-induced reactive oxygen species burst. AopN induced a programmed cell death (PCD) response. Unlike its homologous protein, the ability of AopN to induce PCD was dependent on two motifs of unknown functions (including DUP4129 and Cpta_toxin), but was not dependent on LXXLL domain. More importantly, the virulence of the aopN mutant of A. citrulli in N. benthamiana significantly decreased, indicating that it was a core effector. Further analysis revealed that AopN interacted with watermelon ClHIPP and ClLTP, which responds to A. citrulli strain Aac5 infection at the transcription level. Collectively, these findings indicate that AopN suppresses plant immunity and activates the effector-triggered immunity pathway.

scholarly journals Fungal-Induced Programmed Cell Death

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 231
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Williams ◽  
Luis E. Gonzales-Huerta ◽  
Darius Armstrong-James
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Programmed Cell Death ◽  
Opportunistic Infections ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Fungal Pathogenicity ◽  
Cell Death Pathways ◽  
Fungal Immunity

Fungal infections are a cause of morbidity in humans, and despite the availability of a range of antifungal treatments, the mortality rate remains unacceptably high. Although our knowledge of the interactions between pathogenic fungi and the host continues to grow, further research is still required to fully understand the mechanism underpinning fungal pathogenicity, which may provide new insights for the treatment of fungal disease. There is great interest regarding how microbes induce programmed cell death and what this means in terms of the immune response and resolution of infection as well as microbe-specific mechanisms that influence cell death pathways to aid in their survival and continued infection. Here, we discuss how programmed cell death is induced by fungi that commonly cause opportunistic infections, including Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Cryptococcus neoformans, the role of programmed cell death in fungal immunity, and how fungi manipulate these pathways.

scholarly journals sORF-encoded polypeptide SEP1 is a novel virulence factor of Phytophthora pathogens

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Wang ◽  
Zhiyuan Yin ◽  
Weiwei Duan ◽  
Xiong Zhang ◽  
Lei Pi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Virulence Factor ◽  
Nicotiana Benthamiana ◽  
Phytophthora Species ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Reading Frame ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Environmental Responses ◽  
Small Open Reading Frame

Diseases caused by the notorious Phytophthora species result in enormous economic losses to crops and forests. Increasing evidence suggests that small open reading frame-encoded polypeptides (SEPs) participate in environmental responses of animals, plants, and fungi. However, it remains largely unknown whether Phytophthora pathogens produce SEPs. Here, we systematically predicted and identified 96 SEP candidates in P. capsici. Among them, three may induce stable cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana. Phytophthora-specific and conserved SEP1 facilitated P. capsici infection. PcSEP1-induced cell death is BAK1- and SOBIR1-independent and is correlated to its virulence function. Finally, PcSEP1 may be targeted to the apoplast for carrying out its functions, for which the C-terminus is indispensable. Together, our results demonstrated that SEP1 is a new virulence factor, and previously unknown SEPs may act as effector proteins in Phytophthora pathogens.

scholarly journals The Antifungal Protein AfpB Induces Regulated Cell Death in Its Parental Fungus Penicillium digitatum

mSphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrià Bugeda ◽  
Sandra Garrigues ◽  
Mónica Gandía ◽  
Paloma Manzanares ◽  
Jose F. Marcos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Penicillium Digitatum ◽  
Fungal Resistance ◽  
Death Process ◽  
Antifungal Proteins ◽  
Regulated Cell Death

ABSTRACT Filamentous fungi produce small cysteine-rich proteins with potent, specific antifungal activity, offering the potential to fight fungal infections that severely threaten human health and food safety and security. The genome of the citrus postharvest fungal pathogen Penicillium digitatum encodes one of these antifungal proteins, namely AfpB. Biotechnologically produced AfpB inhibited the growth of major pathogenic fungi at minimal concentrations, surprisingly including its parental fungus, and conferred protection to crop plants against fungal infections. This study reports an in-depth characterization of the AfpB mechanism of action, showing that it is a cell-penetrating protein that triggers a regulated cell death program in the target fungus. We prove the importance of AfpB interaction with the fungal cell wall to exert its killing activity, for which protein mannosylation is required. We also show that the potent activity of AfpB correlates with its rapid and efficient uptake by fungal cells through an energy-dependent process. Once internalized, AfpB induces a transcriptional reprogramming signaled by reactive oxygen species that ends in cell death. Our data show that AfpB activates a self-injury program, suggesting that this protein has a biological function in the parental fungus beyond defense against competitors, presumably more related to regulation of the fungal population. Our results demonstrate that this protein is a potent antifungal that acts through various targets to kill fungal cells through a regulated process, making AfpB a promising compound for the development of novel biofungicides with multiple fields of application in crop and postharvest protection, food preservation, and medical therapies. IMPORTANCE Disease-causing fungi pose a serious threat to human health and food safety and security. The limited number of licensed antifungals, together with the emergence of pathogenic fungi with multiple resistance to available antifungals, represents a serious challenge for medicine and agriculture. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new compounds with high fungal specificity and novel antifungal mechanisms. Antifungal proteins in general, and AfpB from Penicillium digitatum in particular, are promising molecules for the development of novel antifungals. This study on AfpB’s mode of action demonstrates its potent, specific fungicidal activity through the interaction with multiple targets, presumably reducing the risk of evolving fungal resistance, and through a regulated cell death process, uncovering this protein as an excellent candidate for a novel biofungicide. The in-depth knowledge on AfpB mechanistic function presented in this work is important to guide its possible future clinical and agricultural applications.

scholarly journals The Ustilago hordei-barley interaction is a versatile system to characterize fungal effectors

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bilal Ökmen ◽  
Daniela Schwammbach ◽  
Guus Bakkeren ◽  
Ulla Neumann ◽  
Gunther Doehlemann
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Mating Partner ◽  
Fungal Virulence ◽  
Functional Studies ◽  
Infection Structures ◽  
Expression Platform

AbstractObligate biotrophic fungal pathogens, such as Blumeria graminis and Puccinia graminis, are amongst the most devastating plant pathogens, causing dramatic yield losses in many economically important crops worldwide. However, a lack of reliable tools for the efficient genetic transformation has hampered studies into the molecular basis of their virulence/pathogenicity. In this study, we present the U. hordei-barley pathosystem as a model to characterize effectors from different plant pathogenic fungi. We have generated U. hordei solopathogenic strains, which form infectious filaments without presence of compatible mating partner. Solopathogenic strains are suitable as heterologous expression system for fungal virulence factors. A highly efficient Crispr/Cas9 gene editing system is made available for U. hordei. In addition, U. hordei infection structures during barley colonization were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, which shows that U. hordei forms intracellular infection structures sharing high similarity to haustoria formed by obligate rust and powdery mildew fungi. Thus, U. hordei has high potential as a fungal expression platform for functional studies of heterologous effector proteins in barley.

scholarly journals Application of a C. trachomatis expression system to identify C. pneumoniae proteins translocated into host cells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izumi Yanatori ◽  
Koshiro Miura ◽  
Yi-Shan Chen ◽  
Raphael H. Valdivia ◽  
Fumio Kishi
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Cell Protein ◽  
Secretion Systems ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Host Cytoplasm ◽  
Pathogen Effector ◽  
Specific Proteins

Chlamydia pneumoniae is a Gram-negative, obligate intracellular pathogen that causes community-acquired respiratory infections. C. pneumoniae uses a cell contact-dependent type-III secretion (T3S) system to translocate pathogen effector proteins that manipulate host cellular functions. While several C. pneumoniae T3S effectors have been proposed, few have been experimentally confirmed in Chlamydia. In this study, we expressed 382 C. pneumoniae genes in C. trachomatis as fusion proteins to an epitope tag derived from glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) which is the target of phosphorylation by mammalian kinases. Based on the detection of the tagged C. pneumoniae protein with anti-phospho GSK3β antibodies, we identified 49 novel C. pneumoniae-specific proteins that are translocated by C. trachomatis into the host cytoplasm and thus likely play a role as modifiers of host cellular functions. In this manner, we identified and characterized a new C. pneumoniae effector CPj0678 that recruits the host cell protein PACSIN2 to the plasma membrane. These findings indicate that C. trachomatis provides a powerful screening system to detect candidate effector proteins encoded by other pathogenic and endosymbiotic Chlamydia species. Importance Chlamydia injects numerous effector proteins into host cells to manipulate cellular functions important for bacterial survival. Based on findings in C. trachomatis, it has been proposed that between 5-10% of the C. pneumoniae genome, a related respiratory pathogen, encodes secreted effectors. However only a few C. pneumoniae effectors have been identified and experimentally validated. With the development of methods for the stable genetic transformation of C. trachomatis, it is now possible to use C. trachomatis shuttle plasmids to express and explore the function of proteins from other Chlamydia in a more relevant bacterial system. In this study, we experimentally determined that 49 C. pneumoniae-specific proteins are translocated into the host cytoplasm by Chlamydia secretion systems, and identify a novel effector required to recruit the host factor PACSIN2 to the plasma membrane during infection.

scholarly journals Identification and Characterization of In planta–Expressed Secreted Effector Proteins from Magnaporthe oryzae That Induce Cell Death in Rice

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Songbiao Chen ◽  
Pattavipha Songkumarn ◽  
R. C. Venu ◽  
Malali Gowda ◽  
Maria Bellizzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Magnaporthe Oryzae ◽  
Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Ectopic Expression ◽  
Fungal Growth ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
In Planta ◽  
Physiological Basis ◽  
Fungal Genes

Interactions between rice and Magnaporthe oryzae involve the recognition of cellular components and the exchange of complex molecular signals from both partners. How these interactions occur in rice cells is still elusive. We employed robust-long serial analysis of gene expression, massively parallel signature sequencing, and sequencing by synthesis to examine transcriptome profiles of infected rice leaves. A total of 6,413 in planta–expressed fungal genes, including 851 genes encoding predicted effector proteins, were identified. We used a protoplast transient expression system to assess 42 of the predicted effector proteins for the ability to induce plant cell death. Ectopic expression assays identified five novel effectors that induced host cell death only when they contained the signal peptide for secretion to the extracellular space. Four of them induced cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana. Although the five effectors are highly diverse in their sequences, the physiological basis of cell death induced by each was similar. This study demonstrates that our integrative genomic approach is effective for the identification of in planta–expressed cell death–inducing effectors from M. oryzae that may play an important role facilitating colonization and fungal growth during infection.

scholarly journals Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus) Iridovirus Infection Leads to Apoptotic Cell Death through Mitochondrial Damage, Caspases Activation, and Expression of Apoptotic-Related Genes

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (24) ◽  
pp. 6149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiqun Li ◽  
Nan Jiang ◽  
Yuding Fan ◽  
Yong Zhou ◽  
Wenzhi Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Apoptotic Cell ◽  
Mitochondrial Damage ◽  
Apoptotic Cell Death ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
P53 Expression ◽  
Andrias Davidianus ◽  
Chinese Giant Salamander ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Apoptotic Genes

Chinese giant salamander iridovirus (GSIV) is the causative pathogen of Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) iridovirosis, leading to severe infectious disease and huge economic losses. However, the infection mechanism by GSIV is far from clear. In this study, a Chinese giant salamander muscle (GSM) cell line is used to investigate the mechanism of cell death during GSIV infection. Microscopy observation and DNA ladder analysis revealed that DNA fragmentation happens during GSIV infection. Flow cytometry analysis showed that apoptotic cells in GSIV-infected cells were significantly higher than that in control cells. Caspase 8, 9, and 3 were activated in GSIV-infected cells compared with the uninfected cells. Consistently, mitochondria membrane potential (MMP) was significantly reduced, and cytochrome c was released into cytosol during GSIV infection. p53 expression increased at an early stage of GSIV infection and then slightly decreased late in infection. Furthermore, mRNA expression levels of pro-apoptotic genes participating in the extrinsic and intrinsic pathway were significantly up-regulated during GSIV infection, while those of anti-apoptotic genes were restrained in early infection and then rose in late infection. These results collectively indicate that GSIV induces GSM apoptotic cell death involving mitochondrial damage, caspases activation, p53 expression, and pro-apoptotic molecules up-regulation.

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