Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Weixiang Wang, Xuan Cai, Xiao-Lin Chen
Summary: Ubiquitination is an important cellular regulatory mechanism that modifies proteins, while deubiquitination reverses this modification. Deubiquitinating enzymes play significant roles in fungal pathogens, regulating infection-related morphogenesis, virulence, development, and stress response.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ying Zhang, Jun-Jie Chen, Huan-Ming Huang
Summary: The Brook rearrangement is an important molecular rearrangement in synthetic chemistry that has applications in the generation of complexes, drug discovery, material science, and natural products synthesis. While the radical Brook rearrangement has received less attention compared to the widely known ionic mechanism, recent advances in photocatalytic reactions and transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions have contributed to its exploration.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Rossella Santonocito, Rossana Parlascino, Alessia Cavallaro, Roberta Puglisi, Andrea Pappalardo, Francesco Aloi, Antonino Licciardello, Nunzio Tuccitto, Santa Olga Cacciola, Giuseppe Trusso Sfrazzetto
Summary: This study presents the design and development of a fluorescent array-based sensor, equipped with different organic receptors, capable of selectively detecting three plant pathogenic fungi. The detection of these fungi can be easily performed using a smartphone, making it the first example of using a smartphone as a detector for microscopic fungal plant pathogens through a fluorescent array. This research represents a proof-of-concept for the development of practical sensor devices that can detect pathogens in plant products, food, or environmental samples, ensuring food and human health security.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Rebecca R. Sweany, Mikaela Breunig, Joseph Opoku, Keith Clay, Joseph W. Spatafora, Milton T. Drott, Thomas T. Baldwin, Jake C. Fountain
Summary: The production of mycotoxins in plant-pathogenic or endophytic fungi can provide fitness gain, but the relationship between mycotoxin production and plant pathogenicity or virulence is complex and inconsistent. Aflatoxin, as a highly toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxin, is of particular interest, but its connection to pathogenicity is complicated by the presence of nonaflatoxigenic isolates. Other toxins, such as trichothecenes and ergot alkaloids, play important roles in fungal virulence and herbivore protection. This review summarizes a panel discussion on the diverse roles of mycotoxins in filamentous fungi, involving experts from different research sectors, career stages, ethnicities, and genders.
Review
Oncology
Jennifer Stander, Sandiswa Mbewana, Ann E. Meyers
Summary: The idea of producing vaccines in plants originated in the late 1980s, focusing on edible vaccines at first. However, due to issues with antigen expression, administration difficulties, and regulatory rules for transgenic plants, purified vaccines administered parenterally have become more common. With improved expression techniques and a deeper understanding of biological processes, plant-produced vaccines have been successful, leading to the development of various types of vaccine candidates.
Review
Cell Biology
Mahmut Tor, Tom Wood, Anne Webb, Deniz Gol, John M. McDowell
Summary: Downy mildews are parasitic pathogens that infect various plants and have significant economic impacts. Traditional control strategies include cultural practices, resistant cultivars, crop rotation, pesticides, and biopesticides. Genomic advances have improved understanding of downy mildew evolution and classification. Additionally, genomics have revealed reduced virulence factor genes in downy mildews compared to other pathogens. New technologies, such as genome editing and RNA interference, offer promising methods for managing downy mildew diseases.
SEMINARS IN CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Preeti Rajoriya, Mayara C. S. Barcelos, Danielle C. M. Ferreira, Pragati Misra, Gustavo Molina, Franciele M. Pelissari, Pradeep K. Shukla, Pramod W. Ramteke
Summary: Green synthesis is a valuable and emerging method for the synthesis of nanoparticles, with the exploration of plant diversity being used for rapid preparation of silver nanoparticles while maintaining the green principle over conventional methods.
JOURNAL OF POLYMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Bernard R. Glick, Elisa Gamalero
Summary: Studying how beneficial bacteria promote plant growth has shown that specific soil microorganism consortia interact to benefit plant growth. Plants attract beneficial microorganisms based on their root exudates, excluding potentially pathogenic ones, and these consortia not only promote plant growth but also protect plants from environmental stresses. By understanding beneficial bacterial microbiomes, it may be possible to develop synthetic microbiomes where compatible bacteria work together to promote plant growth under various natural conditions.
Article
Biology
Camille S. Delavaux, Patrick Weigelt, Susan M. Magnoli, Holger Kreft, Thomas W. Crowther, James D. Bever
Summary: Island biogeography has traditionally focused on abiotic factors, but recent research has highlighted the importance of biotic interactions in shaping island flora. One important association occurs between plants and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and it has been found that these bacteria limit plant establishment on islands. This has implications for global plant biogeography and ecosystem development.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Melania Figueroa, Diana Ortiz, Eva C. Henningsen
Summary: Fungal pathogens can secrete hundreds of effectors that promote host susceptibility, posing a challenge for researchers due to biological complexity and lack of genetic tools in some fungi. Recent advancements have shed light on how these pathogens manipulate plant physiology using similar strategies. Breakthroughs have also been made in identifying effectors from challenging systems and introducing concepts such as the 'iceberg model' to explain the suppression of plant immunity by certain effectors.
CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
P. Rajani, C. Rajasekaran, M. M. Vasanthakumari, Shannon B. Olsson, G. Ravikanth, R. Uma Shaanker
Summary: The study demonstrates that besides mycoparasitism, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a major role in the antagonism of plant pathogenic fungi by endophytic fungi belonging to the genus Trichoderma. In mixed double plates, new VOCs with antifungal and cytotoxic activity were induced by the endophyte when grown along with two plant pathogens, highlighting the importance of such interactions in endophyte-pathogen interactions.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ashvinder Kumar Rana, Manju Kumari Thakur, Adesh Kumar Saini, Sudesh Kumar Mokhta, Omid Moradi, Tomasz Rydzkowski, Walaa F. Alsanie, Qilin Wang, Sotirios Grammatikos, Vijay Kumar Thakur
Summary: Fossil-fuel-based plastics have caused significant environmental issues, but some bacteria have the ability to degrade and metabolize them, suggesting the potential of biotechnologies based on plastic biodegradation. Polypropylene (PP), one of the most consumed plastics, is somewhat difficult to degrade under natural conditions, but scientists have made efforts in using other microbes and materials to enhance its biodegradation. Current methods such as gravimetric analysis and physical characterization are not sufficient to confirm the biodegradation of PP, so new techniques need to be explored. Further studies are also needed to investigate plastic-degrading microorganisms and improve enzymatic strategies.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Chang Liu, Bin Hu, Yuliang Cheng, Yahui Guo, Weirong Yao, He Qian
Summary: The demand for carotenoids from natural sources obtained by biological extraction methods is increasing due to the development of biotechnology and continued awareness of food safety. Microbial-derived carotenoids are favored for their natural, high-efficiency, low production cost, and ease of industrialization. This review provides reference and guidance for the development of natural carotenoids derived from microorganisms.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emilia P. Barros, Benjamin Ries, Lennard Boselt, Candide Champion, Sereina Riniker
Summary: Physics-based free energy simulations enable the calculation of properties in complex systems. Recent methodological advances and the introduction of machine learning approaches have improved accuracy and feasibility in multiscale modeling.
CURRENT OPINION IN STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Shabnam Heydarzadeh, Sima Kheradmand Kia, Seti Boroomand, Mehdi Hedayati
Summary: This review summarizes novel improved cryopreservation methods and alternatives to cryopreservation for safe and viable cell shipping at ambient temperature.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Caiyun Liu, Nicholas J. Talbot, Xiao-Lin Chen
Summary: Glycosylation in plant pathogenic fungi, especially in Ustilago maydis and Magnaporthe oryzae, has received significant attention in recent years. The roles of N-glycosylation, O-glycosylation, and GPI anchors in fungal pathogenesis during plant infection are crucial and could provide novel strategies for disease control.
Article
Plant Sciences
Federico Lopez-Moya, Magdalena Martin-Urdiroz, Miriam Oses-Ruiz, Vincent M. Were, Mark D. Fricker, George Littlejohn, Luis V. Lopez-Llorca, Nicholas J. Talbot
Summary: Chitosan is an effective fungicide for controlling rice blast disease by inhibiting fungal growth and affecting infection cell polarization. It disrupts plasma membrane function, inhibits septin-mediated plant infection, and requires the cell integrity pathway to function.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Alice Bisola Eseola, Lauren S. Ryder, Miriam Oses-Ruiz, Kim Findlay, Xia Yan, Neftaly Cruz-Mireles, Camilla Molinari, Marisela Garduno-Rosales, Nicholas J. Talbot
Summary: This article introduces the mechanisms by which the rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae infects and spreads in host cells, including the development of appressoria, intracellular autophagy, effector protein secretion, and the specialized structures involved in cell-to-cell spread. The article provides a comprehensive overview of the morphogenetic transitions in rice blast disease within plant tissue, with a focus on live cell imaging studies.
FUNGAL GENETICS AND BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Shuzhen Deng, Lin Xu, Zhe Xu, Wuyun Lv, Zhengxian Chen, Nan Yang, Nicholas J. Talbot, Zhengyi Wang
Summary: MoSom1 protein is critical for appressorium differentiation and pathogenicity in M. oryzae. Serine 227 (S) in MoSom1 was identified as a key PKA phosphorylation site. Pmk1 MAPK acts downstream of MoSom1 in M. oryzae.
CELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Samuel K. Mutiga, Felix Rotich, Vincent M. Were, John M. Kimani, David T. Mwongera, Emmanuel Mgonja, Geoffrey Onaga, Kadougoudiou Konate, Claudine Razanaboahirana, Joseph Bigirimana, Alexis Ndayiragije, Emily Gichuhi, Mary J. Yanoria, Miriam Otipa, Lusike Wasilwa, Ibrahima Ouedraogo, Thomas Mitchell, Guo-Liang Wang, James C. Correll, Nicholas J. Talbot
Summary: Rice is a key food security crop in Africa, and efforts are being made at country-specific, regional, and multinational levels to develop germplasm and policies to boost production. Rice blast disease remains a major constraint to rice production in sub-Saharan Africa, and multinational collaborative research efforts are essential in enhancing sustainable rice production and advancing regional policies. Through international partnerships, progress has been made in establishing networks for disease surveillance, engaging with farmers, monitoring pathogen virulence, and developing blast-resistant rice varieties.
Article
Microbiology
Neftaly Cruz-Mireles, Alice Bisola Eseola, Miriam Oses-Ruiz, Lauren S. Ryder, Nicholas J. Talbot
Article
Cell Biology
Lauren S. Ryder, Neftaly Cruz-Mireles, Camilla Molinari, Iris Eisermann, Alice B. Eseola, Nicholas J. Talbot
Summary: Many plant pathogenic fungi infect their hosts using specialised cells called appressoria, which apply force or enzymes to break through the plant surface. Appressoria also suppress plant immunity and develop in response to physical characteristics of the leaf surface. The morphogenesis of appressoria is linked to cellular reorganization and cell wall remodelling.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Iris Eisermann, Marisela Garduno-Rosales, Nicholas J. Talbot
Summary: Fungal pathogens undergo specific morphogenetic transitions to invade plants, and the ability to change cell shape is crucial for them. Septin GTPases play important roles in actin remodeling, plasma membrane curvature sensing, and cell polarity, and their assemblages are involved in cell shape changes and formation of infection structures in plant cells. This review focuses on the functions of septins in plant pathogenic fungi, particularly in invasive growth, and discusses their potential as targets for broad-spectrum antifungal plant protection strategies.
Article
Ecology
Richard J. Lindsay, Philippa J. Holder, Nicholas J. Talbot, Ivana Gudelj
Summary: A cornerstone assumption of classical virulence evolution theories, that pathogen growth rate is positively correlated with virulence, has been called into question by empirical evidence. By modifying a single metabolic gene, we engineered strains of Magnaporthe oryzae with different growth rates and conducted infection studies, revealing a non-monotonic relationship between growth rate and virulence. This novel framework provides a basis for developing new virulence evolution theories.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xia Yan, Bozeng Tang, Lauren S. Ryder, Dan MacLean, Vincent M. Were, Alice Bisola Eseola, Neftaly Cruz-Mireles, Weibin Ma, Andrew J. Foster, Miriam Oses-Ruiz, Nicholas J. Talbot
Summary: The rice blast fungus is a major threat to global rice production. This study provides a detailed understanding of the biology behind the invasion of plant tissues during the disease. Through transcriptional profiling, the study identifies specific gene expression changes and a repertoire of effectors critical for successful infection.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ely Oliveira-Garcia, Tej Man Tamang, Jungeun Park, Melinda Dalby, Magdalena Martin-Urdiroz, Clara Rodriguez Herrero, An Hong Vu, Sunghun Park, Nicholas J. Talbot, Barbara Valent
Summary: Fungi and oomycetes secrete effector proteins into living plant cells to suppress defenses and control plant processes. This study reveals that the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae packages cytoplasmic effectors into membranous compartments before translocating them into the plant cytoplasm. It demonstrates that clathrin-mediated endocytosis plays a crucial role in effector translocation, suggesting a manipulation of plant endocytosis by M. oryzae effectors.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alejandra Martinez-D'Alto, Xia Yan, Tyler C. Detomasi, Richard I. Sayler, William C. Thomas, Nicholas J. Talbot, Michael A. Marletta
Summary: Blast disease caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae leads to significant crop loss in cereal plants. The study shows that the expression of the putative polysaccharide monooxygenase MoPMO9A is increased during infection. MoPMO9A exhibits activity on cereal-derived mixed β-D-glucans and its domain architecture is different from other characterized AA9 PMOs. The results suggest that MoPMO9A plays a role in MBG degradation during plant infection.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sergio Latorre, Vincent Were, Andrew Foster, Thorsten Langner, Angus Malmgren, Adeline Harant, Soichiro Asuke, Sarai Reyes-Avila, Dipali Rani Gupta, Cassandra Jensen, Weibin M. Ma, Nur Uddin Mahmud, Md. Shabab Mehebub, Rabson Mulenga, Abu Naim Md. Muzahid, Sanjoy Kumar Paul, S. M. Fajle Rabby, Abdullah Al Mahbub Rahat, Lauren M. Ryder, Ram-Krishna Shrestha, Suwilanji R. Sichilima, Darren Soanes, Pawan Kumar Singh, Alison Bentley, Diane G. O. H. Saunders, Yukio Tosa, Daniel Croll, Kurt Lamour, Tofazzal J. Islam, Batiseba Tembo, Joe Win, Nicholas Talbot, Hernan A. Burbano, Sophien Kamoun
Summary: Wheat, a vital food crop, is being threatened by a pandemic of the blast disease. Research reveals that a clonal lineage of the wheat blast fungus has spread to Asia and Africa from South America. The lineage can be controlled by a disease resistance gene and fungicides, but there is a potential for the clone to evolve resistance to fungicides and sexually recombine with African lineages. Genomic surveillance is urgently needed to track and mitigate the spread of wheat blast and guide breeding for resistant varieties.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vincent Were, Nicholas J. Talbot
Summary: Genome editing is a transformative technology that allows precise alteration of specific genes, enabling the development of disease-resistant crops. However, genetic modification has been more effective than genome editing in introducing new forms of disease resistance to crops.
Article
Microbiology
Lauren S. Ryder, Sergio G. Lopez, Lucile Michels, Alice B. Eseola, Joris Sprakel, Weibin Ma, Nicholas J. Talbot
NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
