Characterization of necrosis and ethylene-inducing proteins (NEP) in the basidiomycete Moniliophthora perniciosa, the causal agent of witches' broom in Theobroma cacao

• Published in: Mycological research 2007-04, Vol.111 (4), p.443-455
• Main Authors: Garcia, Odalys, Macedo, Joci A.N., Tibúrcio, Ricardo, Zaparoli, Gustavo, Rincones, Johana, Bittencourt, Livia M.C., Ceita, Geruza O., Micheli, Fabienne, Gesteira, Abelmon, Mariano, Andréa C., Schiavinato, Marlene A., Medrano, Francisco J., Meinhardt, Lyndel W., Pereira, Gonçalo A.G., Cascardo, Júlio C.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agaricales - chemistry; Agaricales - genetics; Amino Acid Sequence; Basidiomycetes; Basidiomycota; Basidiomycota - chemistry; Basidiomycota - genetics; Basidiomycota - metabolism; Cacao; Cacao - virology; ethylene; Ethylenes - biosynthesis; fungal proteins; Fungal Proteins - genetics; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; gene expression regulation; host plants; Molecular Sequence Data; Moniliophthora; Moniliophthora perniciosa; Mycelium - metabolism; Necrosis; Plant Diseases - microbiology; Plant Leaves - metabolism; plant pathogenic fungi; Plant pathology; recombinant fusion proteins; Sequence Alignment; sequence analysis; Theobroma cacao; WBD; witches' broom
• ISSN: 0953-7562; 1469-8102
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mycres.2007.01.017

The hemibiotrophic basidiomycete Moniliophthora perniciosa causes witches' broom disease of Theobroma cacao. Analysis of the M. perniciosa draft genome led to the identification of three putative genes encoding necrosis and ethylene-inducing proteins (MpNEPs), which are apparently located on the same chromosome. MpNEP1 and 2 have highly similar sequences and are able to induce necrosis and ethylene emission in tobacco and cacao leaves. MpNEP1 is expressed in both biotrophic and saprotrophic mycelia, the protein behaves as an oligomer in solution and is very sensitive to temperature. MpNEP2 is expressed mainly in biotrophic mycelia, is present as a monomer in solution at low concentrations (