Identification of a novel effector gene and its functional tradeoff in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae that infects Welsh onion

• Published in: Physiological and molecular plant pathology 2023-01, Vol.123, p.101939, Article 101939
• Main Authors: Sakane, Kosei, Akiyama, Mitsunori, Ando, Ayaka, Shigyo, Masayoshi, Ito, Shin-ichi, Sasaki, Kazunori
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Allium fistulosum L; Effector; Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae; Pathogenicity chromosome; Virulence
• ISSN: 0885-5765; 1096-1178
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pmpp.2022.101939

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae (Foc) is a causal agent of Fusarium wilt in Welsh onion, leading to tremendous production loss. However, pathogenicity-related factors in Welsh onion-infecting Foc have not been elucidated. Here, we screened F. oxysporum f. sp. CepaeEffector candidate Protein (Cep) from next-generation sequencing data of Welsh onion-infecting Foc. Intriguingly, most of the Cep genes (including SIX2 and SIX9) expressed during infection were located on a 3-Mb-sized chromosome in Welsh onion-infecting Foc. Further investigation of the 3-Mb-sized chromosome clarified that the Cep28 is related to virulence, pigmentation, vegetative growth, and stress tolerance and has a functional tradeoff between virulence and vegetative growth. •Foc that exhibits high virulence in Welsh onion possesses SIX2 and SIX9 genes.•Effector-like genes are intensively located on the 3-Mb-sized chromosome in Foc.•Cep28 has a functional tradeoff between virulence and vegetative growth.