Article
Plant Sciences
Xiuhong Gou, Chengcheng Zhong, Peiling Zhang, Liru Mi, Yilin Li, Wenqin Lu, Jie Zheng, Junjie Xu, Yuling Meng, Weixing Shan
Summary: Oomycetes, as diploid eukaryotic microorganisms, pose a serious threat to crop production. This study investigates the roles of miR398b and its cis-NAT, AtC2GnT, in plant immunity against oomycete pathogens. The results show that miR398b targets CSD1 and CSD2 genes to suppress their expression, leading to decreased plant disease resistance. AtC2GnT inhibits the miR398b-CSDs module by downregulating pri-miR398b expression, resulting in elevated plant resistance to the pathogen. These findings reveal the positive role of AtC2GnT and the negative regulatory loop formed by miR398b and AtC2GnT in regulating plant resistance to oomycetes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jinfang Li, Fengyan Deng, Hongmei Wang, Xiaoyu Qiang, Yuling Meng, Weixing Shan
Summary: The study identified a novel plant susceptibility factor, a Raf-like kinase Raf36, which regulates Arabidopsis susceptibility to Phytophthora parasitica upstream of MKK2 and directly targets it to negatively regulate plant resistance to P. parasitica.
MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xinyu Lu, Zitong Yang, Wen Song, Jinlu Miao, Hanqing Zhao, Peiyun Ji, Tianli Li, Jierui Si, Zhiyuan Yin, Maofeng Jing, Danyu Shen, Daolong Dou
Summary: In this study, a class of FYVE domain-containing proteins was systematically investigated, and one secreted protein, PsFYVE1, was found to promote Phytophthora infection in both tobacco and soybean. It was also discovered that PsFYVE1 and NbRZ-1A co-regulated pre-mRNA alternative splicing and transcription levels of plant immunity-related genes, promoting disease development.
Article
Microbiology
Charlotte F. Nellist, Andrew D. Armitage, Helen J. Bates, Maria K. Sobczyk, Matteo Luberti, Laura A. Lewis, Richard J. Harrison
Summary: Phytophthora cactorum is a generalist pathogen causing various diseases in plants like cultivated strawberries and apples. By investigating the genomes of 18 isolates, evidence of host specialization within P. cactorum was found, with distinct lineages specialized to infect strawberries and apples, respectively. Genetic basis of host specialization was identified through gain and loss of effector complements, shedding light on potential virulence factors and host-specificity determinants.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jochem Bronkhorst, Michiel Kasteel, Stijn van Veen, Jess M. Clough, Kiki Kots, Jesse Buijs, Jasper van der Gucht, Tijs Ketelaar, Francine Govers, Joris Sprakel
Summary: The study reveals that plant-pathogenic Phytophthora slice through the plant surface during host invasion in a mechanism called 'naifu' invasion, which relies on polarized force generation at an oblique angle to breach the surface. This mode of entry is in contrast to the brute-force approach of fungi using specialized invasion organs.
NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Eva van Zelm, Silvia Bugallo-Alfageme, Pariya Behrouzi, A. Jessica Meyer, Christa Testerink, Charlotte M. M. Gommers
Summary: The root system architecture of plants changes during salt stress exposure. Different accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana adopt different strategies in remodeling their root architecture during salt stress. Salt induces a multiphase growth response in roots, and both the growth rate of main roots during homoeostasis and lateral root appearance are the strongest determinants of overall root architecture. Furthermore, a trade-off between investing in main or lateral root length during salt stress is revealed. By studying natural variation in high-resolution temporal root growth using mathematical modeling, new insights in the interactions between dynamic root growth traits are discovered.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shao-Wei Qin, Liang-Hong Bao, Zhi-Gui He, Cai-Lin Li, Hong-gui La, Li-Feng Zhao
Summary: The SPL family plays a significant role in the morphogenesis of heteromorphic leaves in Populus euphratica. They are involved in regulating growth, stress response, photoperiod, and photosynthesis. Non-coding RNAs can promote the expression of SPL genes by co-decoying miR156 in leaf morphogenesis.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shahid Siddique, Zoran S. Radakovic, Clarissa Hiltl, Clement Pellegrin, Thomas J. Baum, Helen Beasley, Andrew F. Bent, Oliver Chitambo, Divykriti Chopra, Etienne G. J. Danchin, Eric Grenier, Samer S. Habash, M. Shamim Hasan, Johannes Helder, Tarek Hewezi, Julia Holbein, Martijn Holterman, Slawomir Janakowski, Georgios D. Koutsovoulos, Olaf P. Kranse, Jose L. Lozano-Torres, Tom R. Maier, Rick E. Masonbrink, Badou Mendy, Esther Riemer, Miroslaw Sobczak, Unnati Sonawala, Mark G. Sterken, Peter Thorpe, Joris J. M. van Steenbrugge, Nageena Zahid, Florian Grundler, Sebastian Eves-van den Akker
Summary: Plant-parasitic nematodes pose a major threat to crop production in agriculture. This study provides a high-quality phased genome of the model cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii, enabling a system-wide analysis of host and parasite gene expression. The study reveals that a horizontal gene transfer from bacteria enables the parasitic nematode to complete the biosynthesis of vitamin B5, which is crucial for full pathogenicity. These findings contribute to our understanding of plant-parasitism by nematodes and offer potential targets for developing nematode-resistant crops.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Juan Camilo Ochoa, Soham Mukhopadhyay, Tomasz Bieluszewski, Malgorzata Jedryczka, Robert Malinowski, William Truman
Summary: The RPB1 gene plays a critical role in the defense response of Arabidopsis against Plasmodiophora brassicae infection, and its deletion renders resistant accessions susceptible to the pathogen.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Benjamin Brachi, Daniele Filiault, Hannah Whitehurst, Paul Darme, Pierre Le Gars, Marine Le Mentec, Timothy C. Morton, Envel Kerdaffrec, Fernando Rabanal, Alison Anastasio, Mathew S. Box, Susan Duncan, Feng Huang, Riley Leff, Polina Novikova, Matthew Perisin, Takashi Tsuchimatsu, Roderick Woolley, Caroline Dean, Magnus Nordborg, Svante Holm, Joy Bergelson
Summary: Host genetic variation has consistent effects on microbial communities, impacting plant fitness. Specific microbial species are preferentially associated with certain genotypes, and the interactions between host genes and microbes significantly affect seed production in plants.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Yang Cheng, Huanxin Zhang, Wenyi Zhu, Qing Li, Rui Meng, Kun Yang, Ziqian Guo, Ying Zhai, Haijing Zhang, Rui Ji, Hao Peng, Daolong Dou, Maofeng Jing
Summary: Ferroptosis is a newly discovered form of cell death characterized by iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation. This study shows that ferroptosis plays a critical role in soybean resistance against Phytophthora sojae infection induced by the biocontrol agent Pythium oligandrum. The findings demonstrate that ferroptosis is an inducible defense mechanism against oomycete infection in soybean.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhongfang Xing, Ruiqian Zhang, Zhehui Zhao, Liangliang Wang, Ling Yuan, Huilan Yu, Yang Yang, Yuntao Yang, Shilei Liu, Chengxin Pei
Summary: In this study, the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) was exposed to the nerve agent iBuVX. Through analysis, new phosphonyl-modified flavonoid compounds were identified as potential biomarkers, which has significant implications for the retrospective analysis of organophosphorus exposure for chemical weapon verification and forensic analysis.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ka-Wai Ma, Yulong Niu, Yong Jia, Jana Ordon, Charles Copeland, Aurelia Emonet, Niko Geldner, Rui Guan, Sara Christina Stolze, Hirofumi Nakagami, Ruben Garrido-Oter, Paul Schulze-Lefert
Summary: Plants grown in natural soil are colonized by phylogenetically structured communities of microbes known as the microbiota. Some beneficial commensal bacteria can suppress part of the plant innate immune system, ultimately leading to commensal-host homeostasis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wei Wang, Li Qin, Wenjing Zhang, Linghui Tang, Chao Zhang, Xiaojing Dong, Pei Miao, Meng Shen, Huilong Du, Hangyuan Cheng, Ke Wang, Xiangyun Zhang, Min Su, Hongwei Lu, Chang Li, Qiang Gao, Xiaojuan Zhang, Yun Huang, Chengzhi Liang, Jian-Min Zhou, Yu-hang Chen
Summary: A broad-spectrum clubroot resistance gene, WeiTsing (WTS), was isolated and characterized from Arabidopsis. WTS is activated upon infection by the clubroot pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae (Pb) in the pericycle, preventing pathogen colonization in the stele. Brassica napus carrying the WTS gene showed strong resistance to Pb.
Article
Microbiology
Reilly R. Dibner, A. Monique Weaver, Marcus T. Brock, Gordon F. Custer, Hilary G. Morrison, Lois Maignien, Cynthia Weinig
Summary: Elapsed time strongly predicts microbial diversity, with few differences among developmental stages. This suggests that time and microbial succession likely have a stronger impact on microbial community assembly than host developmental stage.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Yan Wang, Rory N. Pruitt, Thorsten Nuernberger, Yuanchao Wang
Summary: Plant pathogens utilize various strategies to evade plant immunity, hindering the effective use of host genetic resistance for disease control. This Review discusses current knowledge on how microbial pathogens successfully infect plants by evading their immune responses and explores the potential for engineering crop resistance based on this knowledge.
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lan Wang, Hanmei Liu, Mingmei Zhang, Yu Ye, Lei Wang, Jinyi Zhu, Zhaodan Chen, Xiaobo Zheng, Yan Wang, Yuanchao Wang
Summary: Plant pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are receptors that sense microbial invasion and activate immune responses. This study identified a glycoside hydrolase family 12 (GH12) protein Ps109281 secreted by Phytophthora sojae during infection. Ps109281 promotes P. sojae infection but does not induce cell death. It triggers immune responses by interacting with the receptor-like protein RXEG1. The loss of cell death induction is linked to a sequence polymorphism at the N-terminus.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yue Sun, Yan Wang, Xiaoxiao Zhang, Zhaodan Chen, Yeqiang Xia, Lei Wang, Yujing Sun, Mingmei Zhang, Yu Xiao, Zhifu Han, Yuanchao Wang, Jijie Chai
Summary: Plants rely on cell surface receptors to detect danger signals and trigger immune responses. This study reveals the crystal structure of the LRR-RLP RXEG1 and its interaction with the pathogen XEG1. The binding of XEG1 induces conformational changes in RXEG1, leading to the recruitment of the co-receptor BAK1 and activation of immune responses.
Article
Plant Sciences
Biao Gu, Wenxin Gao, Zeqi Liu, Guangda Shao, Qin Peng, Yinyu Mu, Qinhu Wang, Hua Zhao, Jianqiang Miao, Xili Liu
Summary: As a destructive plant pathogen, Phytophthora infestans secretes specific proteins called RxLR effectors that facilitate infection. One of these effectors, PiAvr3b, causes a specific immune response and also suppresses the general immune response. The molecular basis of these dual activities has been unknown, but this study found that specific amino acids in PiAvr3b were responsible for both activities. The localization of PiAv3b within the cell also plays a role in its ability to stimulate or suppress immune responses.
MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ziwei Wang, Tingting Li, Xiaojiang Zhang, Jiashu Feng, Zhuting Liu, Weixing Shan, Matthieu H. A. J. Joosten, Francine Govers, Yu Du
Summary: Ubiquitin-like domain-containing proteins (UDPs) are involved in the ubiquitin-proteasome system. The Phytophthora infestans effector Pi06432 targets the potato StUDP protein, leading to the suppression of salicylic acid (SA)-related immunity. StUDP interacts with and destabilizes the 26S proteasome subunit StRPT3b, repressing proteasome activity. This destabilization also decreases the stability of the master transcription factor SARD1 and lowers SA content.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zongkuan Wang, Bo Yang, Wenyue Zheng, Lei Wang, Xingxing Cai, Jie Yang, Rongrong Song, Sen Yang, Yuyin Wang, Jin Xiao, Huiquan Liu, Yan Wang, Xiue Wang, Yuanchao Wang
Summary: This study found that Fusarium graminearum (FHB) is a devastating disease in wheat, causing substantial yield losses and mycotoxin contamination. Two GH12 proteins, Fg05851 and Fg11037, were found to have redundant roles in F. graminearum colonization and were recognized by the receptor-like protein RXEG1. Introducing RXEG1 into different wheat cultivars enhanced resistance to F. graminearum.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhaodan Chen, Fan Liu, Mengzhu Zeng, Lei Wang, Hanmei Liu, Yujing Sun, Lan Wang, Zhichao Zhang, Zhiyuan Chen, Yuanpeng Xu, Mingmei Zhang, Yeqiang Xia, Wenwu Ye, Suomeng Dong, Francine Govers, Yan Wang, Yuanchao Wang
Summary: In this study, scientists identified a receptor named REL that can recognize the extracellular protein ELicitin. REL is a receptor-like protein (RLP) that mediates plant resistance against Phytophthora by binding to ELicitin. The island domain (ID) within the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain of REL was found to be crucial for ELicitin recognition.
Article
Agronomy
Chia-Hui Hu, Francine Govers, Ignazio Carbone, Jean Beagle Ristaino
Summary: This study sequenced DNA from Phytophthora infestans and found that its population is highly diverse due to sexual reproduction and that oospores can overwinter in the soil. The study also revealed that nucleotide diversity and population mean mutation rates were higher in samples from organic fields and refuse piles than conventional fields for both nuclear and mitochondrial loci.
Article
Microbiology
Weizhen Wang, Zhaolin Xue, Linfang Xie, Xin Zhou, Fan Zhang, Sicong Zhang, Francine Govers, Xili Liu
Summary: Phytophthora is a genus of oomycetes that are destructive plant pathogens. They lack the ability to produce sterols but can utilize exogenous sterols for growth and development. This study identified four genes in P. capsici that play key roles in sterol signaling and regulate asexual reproduction and pathogenicity. It provides insights into the utilization of sterols by Phytophthora and explores their biological functions.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Correction
Plant Sciences
Huaijian Xu, Meng Ye, Aliang Xia, Hang Jiang, Panpan Huang, Huiquan Liu, Rui Hou, Qinhu Wang, Dongao Li, Jin-Rong Xu, Cong Jiang
Article
Microbiology
Haoming Wang, Rong Huang, Jingyi Ren, Lihua Tang, Suiping Huang, Xiaolin Chen, Jun Fan, Bintao Li, Qinhu Wang, Tom Hsiang, Huiquan Liu, Qili Li
Summary: Anthracnose diseases caused by Colletotrichum species are common fungal diseases that seriously affect fruit yield and quality. In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the genomes of 17 Colletotrichum strains and identified mini-chromosomes. Through comparative genomics analysis, we found extensive chromosomal rearrangements events. Our findings revealed the evolution and potential relationships between mini-chromosomes and virulence in Colletotrichum.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mingyu Ding, Shulin Cao, Daiying Xu, Aliang Xia, Zeyi Wang, Wanshan Wang, Kaili Duan, Chenyu Wu, Qinhu Wang, Jie Liang, Diwen Wang, Huiquan Liu, Jin-Rong Xu, Cong Jiang
Summary: This study reveals the essential role of Gia1, a non-pheromone G protein-coupled receptor, in meiosis and ascosporogenesis in Fusarium graminearum and other filamentous ascomycetes. Gia1 regulates these processes through the downstream Gpmk1 MAP kinase pathway.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Michiel Kasteel, Tijs Ketelaar, Francine Govers
SEMINARS IN CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Ming Xu, Qinhu Wang, Guanghui Wang, Xue Zhang, Huiquan Liu, Cong Jiang
Summary: This review discusses the devastating impact of Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum on wheat and barley, as well as recent advances in understanding the pathogenic mechanisms, resistance genes, and breeding of resistant varieties. A comprehensive understanding of the molecular interactions between F. graminearum and wheat will contribute to the development of novel and efficient strategies for controlling FHB.
PHYTOPATHOLOGY RESEARCH
(2022)