Two nuclear effectors of the rice blast fungus modulate host immunity via transcriptional reprogramming

• Published in: Nature communications 2020-11, Vol.11 (1), p.5845-5845, Article 5845
• Main Authors: Kim, Seongbeom, Kim, Chi-Yeol, Park, Sook-Young, Kim, Ki-Tae, Jeon, Jongbum, Chung, Hyunjung, Choi, Gobong, Kwon, Seomun, Choi, Jaeyoung, Jeon, Junhyun, Jeon, Jong-Seong, Khang, Chang Hyun, Kang, Seogchan, Lee, Yong-Hwan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 14/19; 14/35; 38/77; 38/88; 42/35; 631/326/193/2542; 631/449/2169/2673; 631/61/447/8; Ascomycota - genetics; Ascomycota - pathogenicity; Binding; Binding Sites; Bipolaris - pathogenicity; Effectors; Fungal Proteins - genetics; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; Fungi; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes; Host-Pathogen Interactions - genetics; Host-Pathogen Interactions - immunology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Immunity; Magnaporthe oryzae; multidisciplinary; Nuclei (cytology); Oryza - genetics; Oryza - immunology; Oryza - microbiology; Pathogens; Plant Diseases - immunology; Plant Diseases - microbiology; Plant immunity; Plant Immunity - genetics; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - immunology; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Plants, Genetically Modified; Rice blast; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Transcription; Virulence; Xanthomonas - pathogenicity
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19624-w

Pathogens utilize multiple types of effectors to modulate plant immunity. Although many apoplastic and cytoplasmic effectors have been reported, nuclear effectors have not been well characterized in fungal pathogens. Here, we characterize two nuclear effectors of the rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae . Both nuclear effectors are secreted via the biotrophic interfacial complex, translocated into the nuclei of initially penetrated and surrounding cells, and reprogram the expression of immunity-associated genes by binding on effector binding elements in rice. Their expression in transgenic rice causes ambivalent immunity: increased susceptibility to M . oryzae and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae , hemibiotrophic pathogens, but enhanced resistance to Cochliobolus miyabeanus , a necrotrophic pathogen. Our findings help remedy a significant knowledge deficiency in the mechanism of M . oryzae –rice interactions and underscore how effector-mediated manipulation of plant immunity by one pathogen may also affect the disease severity by other pathogens. Plant pathogens secrete various effectors to manipulate host immunity. Here, Kim et al. describe two Magnaporthe oryzae effectors that translocate into the nuclei of infected rice cells and reprogram expression of immunity-associated genes, increasing susceptibility to hemibiotrophic pathogens.