Pathogens

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3 pages, 187 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Editorial for the Special Issue: “Fungal Pathogenicity Factors”

by Xin Guan and Flora Pensec

Pathogens 2023, 12(4), 539; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12040539 - 30 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1337

Abstract

Pathogenicity factors are important aspects of the arsenal of fungal agents, allowing them to infect a broad range of hosts or to specifically target a crop by being capable of evading host defenses or having enzymatic activities that target plant tissues [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pathogenicity Factors)

Research

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17 pages, 3426 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterisation of Stress-Associated Protein Gene Family to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses of Grapevine

by Xiaoye Sun, Xue Xia and Xin Guan

Pathogens 2022, 11(12), 1426; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11121426 - 27 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1677

Abstract

Grapevine is one of the earliest domesticated fruit crops and prized for its table fruits and wine worldwide. However, the concurrence of a number of biotic/abiotic stresses affects their yield. Stress-associated proteins (SAPs) play important roles in response to both biotic and abiotic [...] Read more.

Grapevine is one of the earliest domesticated fruit crops and prized for its table fruits and wine worldwide. However, the concurrence of a number of biotic/abiotic stresses affects their yield. Stress-associated proteins (SAPs) play important roles in response to both biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. Despite the growing number of studies on the genomic organisation of SAP gene family in various species, little is known about this family in grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.). In this study, a total of 15 genes encoding proteins possessing A20/AN1 zinc-finger were identified based on the analysis of several genomic and proteomic grapevine databases. According to their structural and phylogenetics features, the identified SAPs were classified into three main groups. Results from sequence alignments, phylogenetics, genomics structure and conserved domains indicated that grapevine SAPs are highly and structurally conserved. In order to shed light on their regulatory roles in growth and development, as well as the responses to biotic/abiotic stresses in grapevine, the expression profiles of SAPs were examined in publicly available microarray data. Bioinformatics analysis revealed distinct temporal and spatial expression patterns of SAPs in various tissues, organs and developmental stages, as well as in response to biotic/abiotic stresses. This study provides insight into the evolution of SAP genes in grapevine and may aid in efforts for further functional identification of A20/AN1-type proteins in the signalling cross-talking induced by biotic/abiotic stresses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pathogenicity Factors)

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18 pages, 4143 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Secreted Glycosyltransferase RsIA_GT of Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IA Inhibits Defense Responses in Nicotiana benthamiana

by Danhua Zhang, Zhaoyilin Wang, Naoki Yamamoto, Mingyue Wang, Xiaoqun Yi, Ping Li, Runmao Lin, Zohreh Nasimi, Kazunori Okada, Keiichi Mochida, Yoshiteru Noutoshi and Aiping Zheng

Pathogens 2022, 11(9), 1026; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11091026 - 9 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2649

Abstract

Anastomosis group AG-1 IA of Rhizoctonia solani Khün has a wide host range and threatens crop production. Various glycosyltransferases secreted by phytopathogenic fungi play an essential role in pathogenicity. Previously, we identified a glycosyltransferase RsIA_GT (AG11A_09161) as a secreted protein-encoding gene of R. [...] Read more.

Anastomosis group AG-1 IA of Rhizoctonia solani Khün has a wide host range and threatens crop production. Various glycosyltransferases secreted by phytopathogenic fungi play an essential role in pathogenicity. Previously, we identified a glycosyltransferase RsIA_GT (AG11A_09161) as a secreted protein-encoding gene of R. solani AG-1 IA, whose expression levels increased during infection in rice. In this study, we further characterized the virulence function of RsIA_GT. It is conserved not only in Basidiomycota, including multiple anastomosis groups of R. solani, but also in other primary fungal taxonomic categories. RsIA_GT possesses a signal peptide (SP) for protein secretion, and its functionality was proven using yeast and Nicotiana benthamiana. The SP-truncated form of RsIA_GT (RsIA_GT(ΔS)) expressed in Escherichia coli-induced lesion-like phenotype in rice leaves when applied to punched leaves. However, Agrobacterium-mediated transient expressions of both the full-length RsIA_GT and RsIA_GT(ΔS) did not induce cell death in N. benthamiana leaves. Instead, only RsIA_GT(ΔS) suppressed the cell death induced by two reference cell death factors BAX and INF1 in N.benthamiana. RsIA_GT(ΔS)^{R154A D168A D170A}, a mutant RsIA_GT(ΔS) for the glycosyltransferase catalytic domain, still suppressed the BAX- or INF1-induced cell death, suggesting that the cell death suppression activity of RsIA_GT(ΔS) would be independent from its enzymatic activity. RsIA_GT(ΔS) also suppressed the H₂O₂ production and callose deposition and showed an effect on the induction of defense genes associated with the expression of BAX and INF1. The transient expression of RsIA_GT(ΔS) in N. benthamiana enhanced the lesion area caused by R. solani AG-1 IA. The secreted glycosyltransferase, RsIA_GT, of R. solani AG-1 IA is likely to have a dual role in virulence inside and outside of host cells. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pathogenicity Factors)

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16 pages, 3058 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in the Density and Composition of Rhizosphere Pathogenic Fusarium and Beneficial Trichoderma Contributing to Reduced Root Rot of Intercropped Soybean

by Huiting Xu, Li Yan, Mingdi Zhang, Xiaoli Chang, Dan Zhu, Dengqin Wei, Muhammd Naeem, Chun Song, Xiaoling Wu, Taiguo Liu, Wanquan Chen and Wenyu Yang

Pathogens 2022, 11(4), 478; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11040478 - 16 Apr 2022

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3657

Abstract

The dynamic of soil-borne disease is closely related to the rhizosphere microbial communities. Maize–soybean relay strip intercropping has been shown to significantly control the type of soybean root rot that tends to occur in monoculture. However, it is still unknown whether the rhizosphere [...] Read more.

The dynamic of soil-borne disease is closely related to the rhizosphere microbial communities. Maize–soybean relay strip intercropping has been shown to significantly control the type of soybean root rot that tends to occur in monoculture. However, it is still unknown whether the rhizosphere microbial community participates in the regulation of intercropped soybean root rot. In this study, rhizosphere Fusarium and Trichoderma communities were compared in either healthy or root-rotted rhizosphere soil from monocultured and intercropped soybean, and our results showed the abundance of rhizosphere Fusarium in intercropping was remarkably different from monoculture. Of four species identified, F. oxysporum was the most aggressive and more frequently isolated in diseased soil of monoculture. In contrast, Trichoderma was largely accumulated in healthy rhizosphere soil of intercropping rather than monoculture. T. harzianum dramatically increased in the rhizosphere of intercropping, while T. virens and T. afroharzianum also exhibited distinct isolation frequency. For the antagonism test in vitro, Trichoderma strains had antagonistic effects on F. oxysporum with the percentage of mycelial inhibition ranging from 50.59–92.94%, and they displayed good mycoparasitic abilities against F. oxysporum through coiling around and entering into the hyphae, expanding along the cell–cell lumen and even dissolving cell walls of the target fungus. These results indicate maize–soybean relay strip intercropping significantly increases the density and composition proportion of beneficial Trichoderma to antagonize the pathogenic Fusarium species in rhizosphere, thus potentially contributing to the suppression of soybean root rot under the intercropping. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pathogenicity Factors)

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15 pages, 5904 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Suppression of Grape White Rot Caused by Coniella vitis Using the Potential Biocontrol Agent Bacillus velezensis GSBZ09

by Xiangtian Yin, Tinggang Li, Xilong Jiang, Xiaoning Tang, Jiakui Zhang, Lifang Yuan and Yanfeng Wei

Pathogens 2022, 11(2), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11020248 - 14 Feb 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2920

Abstract

Grape white rot caused by Coniella vitis is prevalent in almost all grapevines worldwide and results in a yield loss of 10–20% annually. Bacillus velezensis is a reputable plant growth-promoting bacterial. Strain GSBZ09 was isolated from grapevine cv. Red Globe (Vitis vinifera [...] Read more.

Grape white rot caused by Coniella vitis is prevalent in almost all grapevines worldwide and results in a yield loss of 10–20% annually. Bacillus velezensis is a reputable plant growth-promoting bacterial. Strain GSBZ09 was isolated from grapevine cv. Red Globe (Vitis vinifera) and identified as B. velezensis according to morphological, physiological, biochemical characteristics and a multilocus gene sequence analysis (MLSA) based on six housekeeping genes (16S rRNA, gyrB, rpoD, atpD, rho and pgk). B. velezensis GSBZ09 was screened for antifungal activity against C. vitis under in vitro and in vivo conditions. GSBZ09 presented broad spectrum antifungal activity and produced many extracellular enzymes that remarkably inhibited the mycelial growth and spore germination of C. vitis. Furthermore, GSBZ09 had a high capacity for indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, siderophore production, and mineral phosphate solubilization. Pot experiments showed that the application of GSBZ09 significantly decreased the disease index of the grape white rot, directly promoted the growth of grapes, and upregulated defense-related enzymes. Overall, the features of B. velezensis GSBZ09 make it a potential strain for application as a biological control agent against C. vitis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pathogenicity Factors)

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16 pages, 1417 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification and Comparison of Colletotrichum Secreted Effector Candidates Reveal Two Independent Lineages Pathogenic to Soybean

by Thaís R. Boufleur, Nelson S. Massola Júnior, Ísis Tikami, Serenella A. Sukno, Michael R. Thon and Riccardo Baroncelli

Pathogens 2021, 10(11), 1520; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10111520 - 21 Nov 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4107

Abstract

Colletotrichum is one of the most important plant pathogenic genus of fungi due to its scientific and economic impact. A wide range of hosts can be infected by Colletotrichum spp., which causes losses in crops of major importance worldwide, such as soybean. Soybean [...] Read more.

Colletotrichum is one of the most important plant pathogenic genus of fungi due to its scientific and economic impact. A wide range of hosts can be infected by Colletotrichum spp., which causes losses in crops of major importance worldwide, such as soybean. Soybean anthracnose is mainly caused by C. truncatum, but other species have been identified at an increasing rate during the last decade, becoming one of the most important limiting factors to soybean production in several regions. To gain a better understanding of the evolutionary origin of soybean anthracnose, we compared the repertoire of effector candidates of four Colletotrichum species pathogenic to soybean and eight species not pathogenic. Our results show that the four species infecting soybean belong to two lineages and do not share any effector candidates. These results strongly suggest that two Colletotrichum lineages have acquired the capability to infect soybean independently. This study also provides, for each lineage, a set of candidate effectors encoding genes that may have important roles in pathogenicity towards soybean offering a new resource useful for further research on soybean anthracnose management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pathogenicity Factors)

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15 pages, 2075 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The M35 Metalloprotease Effector FocM35_1 Is Required for Full Virulence of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4

by Xiaoxia Zhang, Huoqing Huang, Bangting Wu, Jianghui Xie, Altus Viljoen, Wei Wang, Diane Mostert, Yanling Xie, Gang Fu, Dandan Xiang, Shuxia Lyu, Siwen Liu and Chunyu Li

Pathogens 2021, 10(6), 670; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10060670 - 29 May 2021

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 6592

Abstract

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4) causes Fusarium wilt of banana, the most devastating disease on a banana plant. The genome of Foc TR4 encodes many candidate effector proteins. However, little is known about the functions of these [...] Read more.

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4) causes Fusarium wilt of banana, the most devastating disease on a banana plant. The genome of Foc TR4 encodes many candidate effector proteins. However, little is known about the functions of these effector proteins on their contributions to disease development and Foc TR4 virulence. Here, we discovered a secreted metalloprotease, FocM35_1, which is an essential virulence effector of Foc TR4. FocM35_1 was highly upregulated during the early stages of Foc TR4 infection progress in bananas. The FocM35_1 knockout mutant compromised the virulence of Foc TR4. FocM35_1 could interact with the banana chitinase MaChiA, and it decreased banana chitinase activity. FocM35_1 induced cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana while suppressing the INF1-induced hypersensitive response (HR), and its predicted enzymatic site was required for lesion formation and the suppression to INF1-induced HR on N. benthamiana leaves. Importantly, treatment of banana leaves with recombinant FocM35_1 accelerates Foc TR4 infection. Collectively, our study provides evidence that metalloprotease effector FocM35 seems to contribute to pathogen virulence by inhibiting the host immunity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pathogenicity Factors)

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Review

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14 pages, 346 KiB

Open AccessReview

Pathogenicity Factors of Botryosphaeriaceae Associated with Grapevine Trunk Diseases: New Developments on Their Action on Grapevine Defense Responses

by Marie Belair, Alexia Laura Grau, Julie Chong, Xubin Tian, Jiaxin Luo, Xin Guan and Flora Pensec

Pathogens 2022, 11(8), 951; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11080951 - 22 Aug 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3402

Abstract

Botryosphaeriaceae are a family of fungi associated with the decay of a large number of woody plants with economic importance and causing particularly great losses in viticulture due to grapevine trunk diseases. In recent years, major advances in the knowledge of the pathogenicity [...] Read more.

Botryosphaeriaceae are a family of fungi associated with the decay of a large number of woody plants with economic importance and causing particularly great losses in viticulture due to grapevine trunk diseases. In recent years, major advances in the knowledge of the pathogenicity factors of these pathogens have been made possible by the development of next-generation sequencing. This review highlights the knowledge gained on genes encoding small secreted proteins such as effectors, carbohydrate-associated enzymes, transporters and genes associated with secondary metabolism, their representativeness within the Botryosphaeriaceae family and their expression during grapevine infection. These pathogenicity factors are particularly expressed during host–pathogen interactions, facilitating fungal development and nutrition, wood colonization, as well as manipulating defense pathways and inducing impacts at the cellular level and phytotoxicity. This work highlights the need for further research to continue the effort to elucidate the pathogenicity mechanisms of this family of fungi infecting grapevine in order to improve the development of control methods and varietal resistance and to reduce the development and the effects of the disease on grapevine harvest quality and yield. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pathogenicity Factors)

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