Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fernando Navarrete, Michelle Gallei, Aleksandra E. Kornienko, Indira Saado, Mamoona Khan, Khong-Sam Chia, Martin A. Darino, Janos Bindics, Armin Djamei
Summary: In plants, the interaction between growth and defense is controlled by hormonal signaling. A maize pathogen, Ustilago maydis, manipulates auxin signaling to promote disease, but the mechanism of how auxin inhibits immunity is not fully understood. Researchers have discovered that the effector protein Nkd1 from U. maydis induces auxin signaling in the host plant, leading to increased susceptibility to pathogens.
PLANT COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Cuong Hoang, Chibbhi K. Bhaskar, Lay-Sun Ma
Summary: The study identified the vp1 gene of Ustilago maydis as an important regulator of fungal pathogenicity and colonization in maize. Through various methods, Vp1 was characterized, revealing its crucial role in virulence promotion. The study also demonstrated that Vp1 orthologs from related smut fungi failed to complement the virulence function of U. maydis Vp1, hinting at a specialized function acquired through sequence divergence.
Article
Plant Sciences
Fumi Fukada, Nicole Roessel, Karin Muench, Timo Glatter, Regine Kahmann
Summary: The novel core effector lep1 is highly expressed in maize smut disease and contributes to tumor formation and virulence. Mutants lacking lep1 show attenuated growth and spore production in tumors, while constitutive expression induces cell aggregation and enhanced hydrophobicity on the colony surface. Lep1 acts as a new kind of cell adhesin, working with other surface-active proteins to facilitate hyphal proliferation and morphological changes associated with spore formation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Wei Shi, Sara C. Stolze, Hirofumi Nakagami, Johana C. Misas Villamil, Isabel M. L. Saur, Gunther Doehlemann
Summary: Plant pathogens secrete effectors to target host proteins for infection. The effector UmSee1 of Ustilago maydis is essential for tumor formation in maize leaves during infection. UmSee1 interacts with maize SGT1 and inhibits its phosphorylation. Using proximity labeling and co-immunoprecipitation, three proteins related to the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (ZmSIP1, ZmSIP2, and ZmSIP3) were identified as UmSee1 interactors during U. maydis infection of maize. ZmSIP3, a cell cycle regulator, appears to be degraded in the presence of UmSee1, providing a possible explanation for UmSee1's role in tumor formation.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Janos Bindics, Mamoona Khan, Simon Uhse, Benjamin Kogelmann, Laura Baggely, Daniel Reumann, Kishor D. Ingole, Alexandra Stirnberg, Anna Rybecky, Martin Darino, Fernando Navarrete, Gunther Doehlemann, Armin Djamei
Summary: Plant biotrophic pathogens suppress the host immune system and manipulate the host's metabolism and development by secreting effectors. In this study, a set of effectors from the pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis were found to induce auxin signaling in plants, and their interaction with corepressors of the TPL family was elucidated.
Article
Plant Sciences
Kunkun Zou, Yang Li, Wenjie Zhang, Yunfeng Jia, Yang Wang, Yuting Ma, Xiangling Lv, Yuanhu Xuan, Wanli Du
Summary: This study investigated the molecular defense mechanism of maize against common smut caused by Ustilago maydis. The results showed changes in hormone signaling, glycometabolism, and photosynthesis in response to U. maydis infection. Additionally, chlorophyll biosynthesis and sugar transportation were found to be critical in the infected maize line.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Martin Darino, Khong-Sam Chia, Joana Marques, David Aleksza, Luz Mayela Soto-Jimenez, Indira Saado, Simon Uhse, Michael Borg, Ruben Betz, Janos Bindics, Krzysztof Zienkiewicz, Ivo Feussner, Yohann Petit-Houdenot, Armin Djamei
Summary: This study characterized the Ustilago maydis effector protein Jasmonate/Ethylene signaling inducer 1 (Jsi1), showing its interaction with plant corepressor TPL/TPR proteins and activation of the ERF branch in the JA/ET signaling pathway. The induction of the ERF branch by Jsi1 leads to increased susceptibility to biotrophic pathogens in plants. The identification of EAR-motif-containing effector candidates from various fungal species suggests a convergent evolution of effectors modulating the TPL/TPR corepressor hub.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bilal Oekmen, Elaine Jaeger, Lena Schilling, Natalie Finke, Amy Klemd, Yoon Joo Lee, Raphael Wemhoener, Markus Pauly, Ulla Neumann, Gunther Doehlemann
Summary: The corn smut effector Erc1 has 1,3-beta-glucanase activity and promotes virulence in maize leaves by attenuating beta-glucan-induced defense responses. Smut fungi secrete effector proteins that suppress host plant immunity and modulate cellular functions and development of the host.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Parthasarathy Santhanam, Mst Hur Madina, Fernanda Matias Albuini, Caroline Labbe, Luciano Gomes Fietto, Richard R. Belanger
Summary: This study reveals that the effector pf2826 plays a crucial role in the biocontrol activity of P. flocculosa by interacting with plant PR proteins and a powdery mildew effector, altering the host-pathogen interaction.
Review
Microbiology
H. Martin Kramer, David E. Cook, Michael F. Seidl, Bart P. H. J. Thomma
Summary: Through the association of protein complexes to DNA, the eukaryotic nuclear genome is organized into open euchromatin that is accessible and condensed heterochromatin that is inaccessible. Chromatin alterations impact its organization and functionality and are important regulators of nuclear processes. Studies in fungal plant pathogens uncover the association between chromatin organization and the expression of in planta-induced genes that are important for pathogenicity.
Article
Microbiology
Jasper R. L. Depotter, Weiliang Zuo, Maike Hansen, Boqi Zhang, Mingliang Xu, Gunther Doehlemann
Summary: Our study revealed diverse evolution patterns within the effector repertoire of Ustilago maydis, with some effector candidates showing conserved evolution and others showing divergent evolution. The conservatively evolving effector genes peak in expression during the penetration stages of the disease cycle, while the divergently evolving effector genes peak during fungal proliferation within the host. Additionally, interspecific effector diversity corresponds to intraspecific amino acid variation within U. maydis strains sampled from different regions in China.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ho-Cheng Wu, Hsiao-Yang His, George Hsiao, Chia-Hung Yen, Jyh-Yih Leu, Chin-Chung Wu, Szu-Hsing Chang, Shu-Jung Huang, Tzong-Huei Lee
Summary: This study examined the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of corn galls and the fermentate of Ustilago maydis MZ496986. It identified six new chemical entities and 17 known components. Compounds 3, 5, and 9 showed potent inhibitory activities against nitric oxide production, and compound 9 also attenuated NF-KB activation. Ustilagol G exhibited potent antiplatelet aggregation. These findings suggest that corn galls and Ustilago maydis MZ496986 fermentate have potential as functional foods for improving inflammation-related discomforts and vascular obstruction.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Paul Weiland, Florian Altegoer
Summary: Two membrane proteins, Vmp1 and Vmp2, were found to be essential for the full virulence of Ustilago maydis, a maize pathogen. These proteins are conserved in related smuts and do not contain known functional domains.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Antonio de la Torre, Matteo Jurca, Kai Hoffmann, Lara Schmitz, Kai Heimel, Joerg Kaemper, Jose Perez-Martin
Summary: This study demonstrates the use of Cre recombinase for conditional gene deletions in the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis. By transcriptional control of U. maydis promoters specifically activated during fungal growth, gene deletions can be achieved at defined developmental stages inside plant tissue, with tight control possible through tamoxifen activation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Selma Schurack, Jasper R. L. Depotter, Deepak Gupta, Marco Thines, Gunther Doehlemann
Summary: Through quantitative scoring of disease symptoms in 26 maize lines and RNA sequencing analysis, it was found that different maize lines show specific cellular process responses to Ustilago maydis infection. Analysis of 406 genes identified 102 encoding predicted effector proteins with differential expression between maize lines.
Article
Microbiology
Thorsten Langner, Merve Oeztuerk, Sarah Hartmann, Stefan Cord-Landwehr, Bruno Moerschbacher, Jonathan D. Walton, Vera Goehre
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Vera Goehre
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kristin Boesch, Lamprinos Frantzeskakis, Miroslav Vranes, Joerg Kaemper, Kerstin Schipper, Vera Goehre
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2016)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lamprinos Frantzeskakis, Kaitlyn J. Courville, Lesley Pluecker, Ronny Kellner, Julia Kruse, Andreas Brachmann, Michael Feldbruegge, Vera Goehre
MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS
(2017)
Review
Cell Biology
Thomas Spallek, Silke Robatzek, Vera Goehre
CELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2009)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vera Goehre, Thomas Spallek, Heidrun Haeweker, Sophia Mersmann, Tobias Mentzel, Thomas Boller, Marta de Torres, John W. Mansfield, Silke Robatzek
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vera Goehre, Alexandra M. E. Jones, Jan Sklenar, Silke Robatzek, Andreas P. M. Weber
MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS
(2012)
Article
Microbiology
Vera Goehre, Carl Haag, Michael Feldbruegge
Article
Microbiology
Lesley Pluecker, Kristin Boesch, Lea Geissl, Philipp Hoffmann, Vera Goehre
Summary: The paper presents a transformation protocol for the Brassicaceae smut fungus Thecaphora thlaspeos, including the generation of fluorescent protein-expressing reporter strains and deletion of the pheromone receptor pra1 as a proof-of-principle for homologous recombination. This provides a genetic platform for studying the infection biology of this novel model fungus.
Review
Microbiology
Karina van der Linde, Vera Gohre
Summary: Smut fungi are important biotrophic plant pathogens that cause significant yield losses, serve as model organisms for studying plant-pathogen interactions, and have biotechnological applications. Their colonization styles, growth in planta, spore formation induction, and signaling mechanisms are key areas of research in this field.
Article
Plant Sciences
Florian J. Kraemer, China Lunde, Moritz Koch, Benjamin M. Kuhn, Clemens Ruehl, Patrick J. Brown, Philipp Hoffmann, Vera Goehre, Sarah Hake, Markus Pauly, Vicente Ramirez
Summary: In this study, a maize mutant named mlgh1 was identified with increased MLG content due to a mutation in the GRMZM2G137535 gene, which encodes a GH17 licheninase capable of degrading MLG. Overexpression of this gene resulted in a significant reduction in MLG content and increased saccharification yields. Moreover, cycling of MLG content during day/night cycles was disrupted in the mlgh1 mutant, suggesting a regulatory role of MLG degradation in gene expression.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vera Goehre, Friedrich Ossenbuehl, Michele Crevecoeur, Lutz Andreas Eichacker, Jean-David Rochaix
Review
Plant Sciences
V Göhre, U Paszkowski
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
F Ossenbühl, V Göhre, J Meurer, A Krieger-Liszkay, JD Rochaix, LA Eichacker