Gas5A, a putative glucanosyltransferase from Botrytis, functions as cell death inducing protein in plants.
Müller T, Faust I, Salinas G, Chaudy C, Magomedov M
Plant Signaling
PubMedGray mold (Botrytis) destroys strawberries, tomatoes, and roses in your garden — understanding exactly how it poisons plant cells brings researchers one step closer to crops that can resist it.
Gray mold, the fuzzy fungus that rots strawberries and flowers, releases toxic proteins that kill plant cells. Researchers found a new one called Gas5A and pinpointed a small piece of it — just 60 amino acids at its tail — as the part doing the killing. Plants appear to recognize this protein like a alarm signal at their outer surface, though it can also cause damage if it gets inside the cell.
Key Findings
The C-terminal 60 amino acids of Gas5A are sufficient to trigger plant cell death, independent of the protein's enzyme function.
Gas5A is recognized at the plant plasma membrane via the immune receptor SOBIR1, classifying it as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP).
A CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of Gas5A in Botrytis cinerea had no measurable effect on fungal virulence, suggesting Gas5A is not required for infection.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists discovered a protein released by gray mold fungus that kills plant cells, and identified the molecular 'handle' that plants use to detect it. Disabling the gene in the fungus didn't change how infectious it was, suggesting the protein may have evolved a different purpose.
Abstract Preview
The necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea, releases numerous phytotoxic, cell death inducing proteins (CDIPs) during infection. The precise role of these proteins and their molecular function, howev...
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