Article
Microbiology
Ning Liu, Yue Chen, Jing Liu, Qianfu Su, Bin Zhao, Manli Sun, Hui Jia, Zhiyan Cao, Jingao Dong
Summary: This study investigated the effects of temperature on the growth and pathogenicity of F. verticillioides and F. graminearum. The results showed that these two fungal pathogens have different adaptability to different temperatures. RNA-seq analysis revealed distinct gene expression patterns in growth and metabolic pathways under different temperatures for both species.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jaime Alioscha Cuervo-Parra, Victor Hugo Perez Espana, Ernesto Alejandro Zavala-Gonzalez, Martin Peralta-Gil, Jose Esteban Aparicio Burgos, Teresa Romero-Cortes
Summary: This study evaluated the efficacy of Trichoderma asperellum in controlling the disease severity and yield reduction caused by Fusarium verticillioides and Ustilago maydis in corn plants. The results showed that the selected Trichoderma strains effectively controlled these phytopathogenic fungi in the field.
BIOCONTROL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
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
Plant Sciences
Lili Zhang, Mengwei Hou, Xingrui Zhang, Yanyong Cao, Suli Sun, Zhendong Zhu, Shengbo Han, Yanhui Chen, Lixia Ku, Canxing Duan
Summary: Integrative proteomic and transcriptomic analyses were used to identify pathogenesis-related protein genes in maize stalks after F. verticillioides inoculation. Defence-related genes ZmCTA1, ZmWIP1, and ZmLOX2 were confirmed to play important roles in the resistance to F. verticillioides infection. This study provides valuable information for selecting new gene targets in breeding strategies.
MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Chunyan Yu, Jianzhao Qi, Haiyan Han, Pengchao Wang, Chengwei Liu
Summary: This article reviews and discusses the pathogenicity of Ustilago maydis, the metabolites involved in the pathogenic process, and the biosynthesis of these metabolites. It provides new insights into the pathogenicity of U. maydis and the functions of associated metabolites, as well as new clues for deciphering the biosynthesis of metabolites.
MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Maria Dolores Pejenaute-Ochoa, Carlos Santana-Molina, Damien P. Devos, Jose Ignacio Ibeas, Alfonso Fernandez-alvarez
Summary: Protein O-mannosyltransferases play a critical role in fungi, especially in pathogenic fungi. Single deletions of Pmt genes have an asymmetrical impact on host colonization.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Xinsen Ruan, Liang Ma, Yingying Zhang, Qing Wang, Xiquan Gao
Summary: This study found that defense response, photosynthesis, and cell cycle are critical processes in maize response to the biotrophic fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis, and metabolism regulation of glycolysis, amino acids, phenylpropanoid, and reactive oxygen species are closely correlated with defense response. Metabolomic analysis supported that certain biosynthesis pathways were induced upon U. maydis infection, and a higher content of key compounds in certain pathways were detected in resistant samples, indicating the complex gene co-expression and metabolism networks might contribute to the resistance to corn smut.
Article
Microbiology
Deyamira Matuz-Mares, Oscar Flores-Herrera, Guadalupe Guerra-Sanchez, Lucero Romero-Aguilar, Hector Vazquez-Meza, Genaro Matus-Ortega, Federico Martinez, Juan Pablo Pardo
Summary: This study investigated the organization of mitochondrial respiratory supercomplexes in U. maydis under diverse energy conditions. The supercomplexes were found to have consistent composition and distribution regardless of growth conditions, with no evidence of association between complex II and the alternative NADH dehydrogenases with other respiratory complexes.
Article
Microbiology
Jose Alejandro Sanchez-Arreguin, M. Lucila Ortiz-Castellanos, Angelica Mariana Robledo-Briones, Claudia Geraldine Leon-Ramirez, Domingo Martinez-Soto, Jose Ruiz-Herrera
Summary: This study reveals the important role of chitosan in the cell wall structure and morphogenesis of smut fungi during mycelial development, and its absence leads to altered cell wall and inability to withstand the defense mechanism of the plant host during infection.
Article
Mycology
Xiangrong Chen, Sofie Landschoot, Christ'l Detavernier, Sarah De Saeger, Andreja Rajkovic, Kris Audenaert
Summary: The interaction between Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides is dynamic and varies depending on experimental conditions. Under dual or mixed culture conditions, the growth rate of both species is slower, mycotoxin production is inhibited, and fumonisin levels are higher. In planta, dual inoculation reduces lesions of A. flavus, while the lesion size and toxin production of F. verticillioides remain unaffected by the presence of A. flavus.
MYCOTOXIN RESEARCH
(2021)
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
Microbiology
Yanina S. Rizzi, Petra Happel, Sandra Lenz, Mounashree J. Urs, Martin Bonin, Stefan Cord-Landwehr, Ratna Singh, Bruno M. Moerschbacher, Regine Kahmann
Summary: The basidiomycete Ustilago maydis, a biotrophic fungus, possesses a family of chitin deacetylases (CDAs) with seven genes that play discrete and redundant roles in virulence and cell wall integrity. The study shows that different CDAs have specific functions in evading plant immune recognition and modifying chitin to chitosan. Surprisingly, the simultaneous inactivation of all seven genes is not tolerated, indicating the essential role of chitosan for the fungus's viability.
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
Microbiology
Shuqing Wang, Lidan Gao, Yumei Yin, Yafen Zhang, Jintian Tang, Haifeng Cui, Shiyu Li, Zhongjin Zhang, Xiaoping Yu, Zihong Ye, Wenqiang Xia
Summary: The transcriptome changes during mating of T- and MT-type Ustilago esculenta were studied and the functions of several secreted proteins were confirmed by knock-out mutants. The results showed that MT-type U. esculenta can receive environmental signals and sense its surroundings like T-type does. However, MT-type takes longer time for conjunction tube formation and cytoplasmic fusion.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Qianggen Zhu, Limin Chen, Tingting Chen, Qian Xu, Tianjun He, Yikun Wang, Xianjun Deng, Sihai Zhang, Yiming Pan, Aiwu Jin
Summary: The study demonstrated that biochar application improved soil properties, enhanced plant nutrition, and increased plant resistance to pests and diseases, resulting in a lower incidence of wilt disease in pepper plants. Biochar also influenced the genetic and metabolic composition of peppers, promoting photosynthesis and enhancing the immune system.
Article
Microbiology
Adil Essarioui, Nicholas LeBlanc, Lindsey Otto-Hanson, Daniel Cameron Schlatter, Harold Corby Kistler, Linda L. Kinkel
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cecilia Cheval, Sebastian Samwald, Matthew G. Johnston, Jeroen de Keijzer, Andrew Breakspear, Xiaokun Liu, Annalisa Bellandi, Yasuhiro Kadota, Cyril Zipfel, Christine Faulkner
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bo Wang, Houlin Yu, Yanyan Jia, Quanbin Dong, Christian Steinberg, Claude Alabouvette, Veronique Edel-Hermann, H. Corby Kistler, Kai Ye, Li-Jun Ma, Li Guo
MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sean P. O'Mara, Karen Broz, Marike Boenisch, Zixuan Zhong, Yanhong Dong, H. Corby Kistler
MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Kerry O'Donnell, Abdullah M. S. Al-Hatmi, Takayuki Aoki, Balazs Brankovics, Jose F. Cano-Lira, Jeffrey J. Coleman, G. Sybren de Hoog, Antonio Di Pitro, Rasmus J. N. Frandsen, David M. Geiser, Connie F. C. Gibas, Josep Guarro, Hye-Seon Kim, H. Corby Kistler, Imane Laraba, John F. Leslie, Manuel S. Lopez-Berges, Erik Lysoe, Jacques F. Meis, Michel Monod, Robert H. Proctor, Martijn Rep, Carmen Ruiz-Roldan, Adnan Sisic, Jason E. Stajich, Emma T. Steenkamp, Brett A. Sumnerell, Theo A. J. van der Lee, Anne D. van Diepeningen, Paul E. Verweij, Cees Waalwijk, Todd J. Ward, Brian L. Wickes, Nathan P. Wiederhold, Michael J. Wingfleld, Ning Zhang, Sean X. Zhang
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sonali Roy, Andrew Breakspear, Donna Cousins, Ivone Torres-Jerez, Kirsty Jackson, Anil Kumar, Yangyang Su, Cheng-Wu Liu, Nick Krom, Michael Udvardi, Ping Xu, Jeremy D. Murray
Summary: Three previously unreported ABC subfamily B transporters, named AMN1, AMN2, and AMN3, are strongly expressed in symbiotically infected tissues, with critical roles in nodulation and mycorrhization. Further studies are needed to identify potential substrates of these transporters and understand their roles in beneficial symbioses.
MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Tianling Ma, Lixin Zhang, Minhui Wang, Yiqing Li, Yunqing Jian, Liang Wu, Harold Corby Kistler, Zhonghua Ma, Yanni Yin
Summary: Our study reveals that the host-generated putrescine can induce the production of deoxynivalenol (DON) during Fusarium graminearum infection, and the transcription factor FgAreA regulates putrescine-mediated transcription of FgTRIs by facilitating the enrichment of histone H2B monoubiquitination and histone 3 lysine 4 di- and trimethylations on FgTRIs. This finding provides novel insights into the role of putrescine during phytopathogen-host interactions and expands our understanding of H2B ub1 biogenesis and the crosstalk between H2B ub1 and H3K4 me2/3 in eukaryotes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paola A. Reyes Caldas, Jie Zhu, Andrew Breakspear, Shree P. Thapa, Tania Y. Toruno, Laura M. Perilla-Henao, Clare Casteel, Christine R. Faulkner, Gitta Coaker
Summary: The study reveals that the effectors of 'Ca. L. solanacearum' have complex expression patterns and the ability to target diverse host organelles, and the majority of effectors are unable to suppress host immune responses.
MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ephraim Aliu, Keunsub Lee, Kan Wang
Summary: In this study, a CRISPR RNA-guided integrase system was used for Agrobacterium genome engineering, resulting in targeted gene knockouts and precise deletions of large DNA fragments. This research provides new strategies for genetic engineering of Agrobacterium species and gene functional analysis.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Annalisa Bellandi, Diana Papp, Andrew Breakspear, Joshua Joyce, Matthew G. Johnston, Jeroen de Keijzer, Emma C. Raven, Mina Ohtsu, Thomas R. Vincent, Anthony J. Miller, Dale Sanders, Saskia A. Hogenhout, Richard J. Morris, Christine Faulkner
Summary: This study reveals that calcium waves in plants are mediated by diffusion and bulk flow of amino acid chemical messengers. Wounding triggers the release of amino acids which activate calcium-permeable channels. Additionally, it was found that calcium waves alone cannot initiate all systemic defense responses, suggesting the importance of mobile chemical messengers in complex systemic signaling in plants.
Article
Plant Sciences
Matthew G. Johnston, Andrew Breakspear, Sebastian Samwald, Dan Zhang, Diana Papp, Christine Faulkner, Jeroen de Keijzer
Summary: By comparing plasmodesmal proteomes from different plants, we identified conserved plasmodesmal elements that are crucial for plant growth, development, and responses.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Sean P. O'Mara, Karen Broz, Erin M. Schwister, Lovepreet Singh, Yanhong Dong, J. Mitch Elmore, H. Corby Kistler
Summary: This study reveals that the deletion of membrane-bound transporters in the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum leads to reduced accumulation of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) and decreased disease symptoms on wheat. The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter gene Abc1 plays a major role in DON accumulation and virulence reduction. Heterologous expression of F. graminearum transporters in yeast confirms Abc1 as a major mechanism of DON resistance and suggests the involvement of multiple transporters in resistance to other compounds. These findings provide valuable insights for developing novel management techniques for Fusarium head blight and other destructive plant diseases.
Letter
Plant Sciences
Keunsub Lee, Minjeong Kang, Qing Ji, Sehiza Grosic, Kan Wang
Article
Plant Sciences
Minjeong Kang, Keunsub Lee, Qing Ji, Sehiza Grosic, Kan Wang
Summary: Efficient genetic transformation is crucial for gene functional analysis and crop improvement. In this study, we successfully utilized the non-integrating Wus2 (NIW) T-DNA vector method to transform and edit the genomes of maize inbred lines B104 and B73. This method significantly increased the transformation efficiency and provided a transgene-free option for genome editing.
Article
Biology
Yong Zhang, He Yang, David Turra, Shiguo Zhou, Dilay Hazal Ayhan, Gregory A. DeIulio, Li Guo, Karen Broz, Nathan Wiederhold, Jeffrey J. Coleman, Kerry O' Donnell, Ilan Youngster, Alexander J. McAdam, Sergey Savinov, Terrance Shea, Sarah Young, Qiandong Zeng, Martijn Rep, Eric Pearlman, David C. Schwartz, Antonio Di Pietro, H. Corby Kistler, Li-Jun Ma
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2020)