Comprehensive pan-effectome investigation reveals central effector genes in woody plant pathogen Botryosphaeriaceae.
Guo A, Xing Q, Zhang H, Manawasinghe IS, Zhang W
Fungal Pathogens
PubMedBotryosphaeriaceae fungi destroy orchards, vineyards, and forests globally — understanding exactly how they infect trees is the first step toward protecting the fruit trees, ornamental shrubs, and timber species that define our landscapes and food supply.
Certain fungi are master attackers of trees and woody plants, and they do it by releasing special proteins that trick or shut down the plant's immune system. Researchers compared 25 species of these fungi and found that some of these attack proteins are ancient and shared across almost all species, while others are newer and more varied. The ancient, shared ones switch on early during infection and last longer — suggesting they are the most critical weapons these fungi use.
Key Findings
Each of the 25 Botryosphaeriaceae fungal species carries between 56 and 183 candidate secreted effector proteins (CSEPs) — small proteins used to manipulate host plant immunity.
Conserved effector families (shared across species) are significantly outnumbered by diversified ones, and the conserved ones are likely inherited through normal reproduction while many diversified ones appear to have been acquired by swapping genes with other organisms (horizontal gene transfer).
Conserved effectors activate earlier and persist longer during host infection compared to diversified effectors, and experiments confirmed they actively suppress plant immune responses.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists mapped the 'infection toolkit' of a family of fungi that devastate woody plants worldwide, identifying core molecular tools these pathogens use across 25 species to disable plant defenses and cause disease.
Abstract Preview
Effectors are the relatively rapidly evolving genes in fungal phytopathogens. Elucidating the conservation and diversity of effectors is essential to understand the infection mechanisms of phytopat...
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