Projects per year
Abstract
• The potato blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans secretes effector proteins that are delivered inside (cytoplasmic) or can act outside (apoplastic) plant cells to neutralise host immunity. Little is known about how and where effectors are secreted during infection, yet such knowledge is essential to understand and combat crop disease.• We used transient Agrobacterium-mediated in planta expression, transformation of P. infestans with fluorescent protein-fusions and confocal microscopy to investigate delivery of effectors to plant cells during infection.
• The cytoplasmic effector Pi04314, expressed as an mRFP-fusion protein with a signal peptide to secrete it from plant cells, does not passively re-enter the cells upon secretion. However, Pi04314-mRFP expressed in P. infestans is translocated from haustoria, which form intimate interactions with plant cells, to accumulate at its sites-of-action in the host nucleus. The well-characterised apoplastic effector EPIC1 was also secreted from haustoria. EPIC1 secretion was inhibited by brefeldin A (BFA), demonstrating that it is delivered by conventional Golgi-mediated secretion. In contrast, Pi04314 secretion was insensitive to BFA treatment, indicating that the cytoplasmic effector follows an alternative route for delivery into plant cells.
• P. infestans haustoria are thus sites for delivery of both apoplastic and cytoplasmic effectors during infection, following distinct secretion pathways.
• The cytoplasmic effector Pi04314, expressed as an mRFP-fusion protein with a signal peptide to secrete it from plant cells, does not passively re-enter the cells upon secretion. However, Pi04314-mRFP expressed in P. infestans is translocated from haustoria, which form intimate interactions with plant cells, to accumulate at its sites-of-action in the host nucleus. The well-characterised apoplastic effector EPIC1 was also secreted from haustoria. EPIC1 secretion was inhibited by brefeldin A (BFA), demonstrating that it is delivered by conventional Golgi-mediated secretion. In contrast, Pi04314 secretion was insensitive to BFA treatment, indicating that the cytoplasmic effector follows an alternative route for delivery into plant cells.
• P. infestans haustoria are thus sites for delivery of both apoplastic and cytoplasmic effectors during infection, following distinct secretion pathways.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 205-215 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | New Phytologist |
Volume | 29 |
Issue number | 8 |
Early online date | 31 Jul 2017 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 29 Aug 2017 |
Keywords
- effector translocation
- plant disease
- plant immunity
- effector-triggered susceptibility
- secretion
- apoplastic effector
- virulence
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Dive into the research topics of 'Delivery of cytoplasmic and apoplastic effectors from Phytophthora infestans haustoria by distinct secretion pathways'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 3 Finished
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UK-China Partnership to Develop Durable Late Blight Disease Resistance in Potato (Partnering Award)
Birch, P. (Investigator)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
1/05/14 → 30/04/17
Project: Research
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The Contribution of Phytophthora Effectors to Host Range and Non-Host Resistance (Joint with James Hutton Institute and University of Warwick and Industrial Partners)
Birch, P. (Investigator) & Huitema, E. (Investigator)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
1/08/13 → 12/04/17
Project: Research
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Aref#d: 20586. What are the Roles of Oomycete RXLR Effectors in the Establishment of Plant Disease? (joint with Warwick University). Was CO0221
Birch, P. (Investigator)
4/05/09 → 3/11/14
Project: Research
Student theses
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Secretion and delivery of virulence proteins from Phytophthora infestans to its host
Wang, S. (Author), Birch, P. (Supervisor), Boevink, P. (Supervisor) & Whisson, S. (Supervisor), 2019Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy