Researchers mapped exactly how gray mold invades and disables Solomon's seal
Liu M, Ma W, Guo T, Xiao Z, Liu Y, Zhang S, Yuan Y, Li G, Yin F.
Fungal Disease
Solomon's seal lines shady garden paths across temperate gardens, and the gray mold that collapses its arching stems now has a clear biological blueprint, putting targeted treatments within reach instead of broad-spectrum fungicide sprays.
A fungus called gray mold can devastate Solomon's seal, a popular shade-garden plant also valued in traditional medicine. Researchers filmed the fungus entering leaf tissue and found it uses two strategies: punching straight through the leaf surface with a sticky secretion, or slipping in through the tiny pores leaves use to breathe. They also pinpointed the molecular signals the fungus relies on to handle the plant's internal chemistry, which opens the door to stopping it more precisely before it spreads.
Key Findings
B. deweyae penetrates P. cyrtonema leaves via two mechanisms: direct surface penetration using secreted gelatinous substances and infection cushions, or entry through stomatal pores
The MAPK signaling pathway, specifically the Hog1 gene (K04441), drives the fungus's osmotic stress response inside the host, triggering antioxidant enzyme expression for survival
Glyceride metabolism facilitates lipid transport and localization across the cell membrane, actively supporting the infection process
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists have mapped two distinct routes the gray mold fungus Botrytis deweyae uses to invade Solomon's seal leaves, and identified the molecular pathways it activates to survive once inside, laying groundwork for targeted treatments against this disease.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals infection strategies of <i>Botrytis deweyae</i> on <i>Polygonatum cyrtonema</i> Hua.
<i>Botrytis deweyae</i> causes gray mold on <i>Polygonatum cyrtonema</i> Hua, but its infection mechanism remains unknown. Microscopy (optical, SEM, and TEM) revealed that <i>B. deweyae</i> invades...
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