Journal Article

The Zymoseptoria tritici effector Zt-11 contributes to aggressiveness in wheat

Feechan, Angela, Burke, James, Mastrodimos, Nikolaos, Karki, Sujit Jung, Tiley, Anna M. M., Pilo, Paola, Lawless, Colleen

2024

Overview

Zymoseptoria tritici is an ascomycete fungus and the causal agent of Septoria tritici leaf blotch (STB) in wheat. Z . tritici secretes an array of effector proteins that are likely to facilitate host infection, colonisation and pycnidia production. In this study we demonstrate a role for Zt-11 as a Z . tritici effector during disease progression. Zt-11 is upregulated during the transition of the pathogen from the biotrophic to necrotrophic phase of wheat infection. Deletion of Zt-11 delayed disease development in wheat, reducing the number and size of pycnidia, as well as the number of macropycnidiospores produced by Z . tritici . This delayed disease development by the Δ Zt-11 mutants was accompanied by a lower induction of PR genes in wheat, when compared to infection with wildtype Z . tritici . Overall, these data suggest that Zt-11 plays a role in Z . tritici aggressiveness and STB disease progression possibly via a salicylic acid associated pathway.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Aggressiveness / Analysis / Ascomycota - genetics / Ascomycota - pathogenicity / Ascomycota - physiology / Biology and Life Sciences / Cloning / Cultivars / Diseases and pests / Experiments / Fungal Proteins - genetics / Fungal Proteins - metabolism / Fungi / Gene expression / Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Glucose / Growth / Infections / Influence / Kinases / Leaf blotch / Medicine and Health Sciences / Pathogens / Plant Diseases - microbiology / Plant Leaves - metabolism / Plant Leaves - microbiology / Proteins / Pycnidia / Research and Analysis Methods / Salicylic acid / Salicylic Acid - metabolism / Triticum - genetics / Triticum - microbiology / Virulence / Wheat / Yeast / Zymoseptoria tritici