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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » Crop Production and Pest Control Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #402865
Research Project: Fungal Host-Pathogen Interactions and Disease Resistance in Cereal Crops

Location: Crop Production and Pest Control Research

Title: Identification and Characterization of Candidate Effectors from the Wheat Pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici

Author
item GOMEZ, SANDRA - Purdue University
item MILLION, CASSIDY - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item Jaiswal, Namrata
item Helm, Matthew
item Goodwin, Stephen - Steve

Submitted to: International Congress of Plant Pathology Abstracts and Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/12/2023
Publication Date: 8/20/2023
Citation: Gomez, S., Million, C., Jaiswal, N., Helm, M.D., Goodwin, S.B. 2023. Identification and Characterization of Candidate Effectors from the Wheat Pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici. International Congress of Plant Pathology Abstracts and Proceedings. ABSTRACT.

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Zymoseptoria tritici causes Septoria tritici blotch on wheat. The biotrophic lifestyle of Z. tritici makes this fungal pathogen an attractive model to investigate infection phase-specific gene expression. Differential gene expression, Gene Ontology and KEEG enrichment were determined in comparisons among Z. tritici during a compatible interaction with the susceptible cultivar Taichung29, two incompatible interactions with the resistant cultivars Veranopolis and Israel493, and one non-host interaction with barley, at 1, 3, 6, 10, 17 and 23 days after inoculation (DAI). We found 978 up-regulated genes at 1 DAI and 2,317 up-regulated genes at 3 DAI in the compatible compared to the non-host interaction. Z. tritici activates 1,300 genes at 10 DAI in the compatible compared to the incompatible interactions which correlates with the initiation of the necrotrophic lifestyle. Of the Z. tritici genes that are significantly up-regulated at 1 DAI in the compatible interaction, 31 are predicted to be effectors. Examination of the protein sequences of several of the candidate effectors revealed that they likely target specific subcellular organelles, including the nucleus, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. We are currently investigating the subcellular localization patterns of super yellow fluorescent protein (sYFP)-tagged Z. tritici effectors using a Nicotiana benthamiana-based heterologous expression system.