Fungal incompatibility: Evolutionary origin in pathogen defense

In fungi, cell fusion between genetically unlike individuals triggers a cell death reaction known as the incompatibility reaction. In Podospora anserina, the genes controlling this process belong to a gene family encoding STAND proteins with an N-terminal cell death effector domain, a central NACHT...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BioEssays 2009-11, Vol.31 (11), p.1201-1210
Main Authors: Paoletti, Mathieu, Saupe, Sven J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
allorecognition
Animals
Autoimmunity
Autophagy
Cell Death
Cellular Biology
Evolution, Molecular
Fungal Proteins - metabolism
fungi
Genetic Variation
Humans
Immunity, Innate
innate immunity
Life Sciences
Ligands
Models, Biological
Models, Genetic
Models, Theoretical
Necrosis
Podospora - genetics
Podospora - immunology
Podospora anserina
Protein Structure, Tertiary
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Summary:In fungi, cell fusion between genetically unlike individuals triggers a cell death reaction known as the incompatibility reaction. In Podospora anserina, the genes controlling this process belong to a gene family encoding STAND proteins with an N-terminal cell death effector domain, a central NACHT domain and a C-terminal WD-repeat domain. These incompatibility genes are extremely polymorphic, subject to positive Darwinian selection and display a remarkable genetic plasticity allowing for constant diversification of the WD-repeat domain responsible for recognition of non-self. Remarkably, the architecture of these proteins is related to pathogen-recognition receptors ensuring innate immunity in plants and animals. Here, we hypothesize that these P. anserina incompatibility genes could be components of a yet-unidentified innate immune system of fungi. As already proposed in the case of plant hybrid necrosis or graft rejection in mammals, incompatibility could be a by-product of pathogen-driven divergence in host defense genes.
ISSN:0265-9247
1521-1878
DOI:10.1002/bies.200900085