Biology subjects

Cros-Arteil, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Cros-Arteil, S..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Population structure of the rice blast fungus Pyricularia oryzae in the context of elevated host heterogeneity

In a context where pathogen emergence threatens global food security, crop resistance to pathogens is crucial for preventing and controlling epidemics. Agrosystems with high intraspecific cultivated diversity are expected to better mitigate infectious diseases compared with homogeneous ones. However, the long-term impact of cultivated genotypic heterogeneity on pathogen populations is still under debate. The 1,300-year-old traditional agrosystem of the Yuanyang Terraces (YYT) in China exhibits an outstanding level of rice diversity. The rice blast fungus Pyricularia oryzae has been recorded in the area, making this area ideal for studying the impact of long term heterogeneous cultivation on plant-pathogen coevolution. In this study, we analysed 94 P. oryzae genomes from the YYT and compared them to 198 genomes representative of the worldwide diversity. We report elevated levels of genomic diversity of P. oryzae in the YYT. Whereas the worldwide diversity of this species is organized in four lineages, we detected seven lineages within the YYT, four of which are restricted to this area. The sampling dates of the YYT isolates (2009 to 2017) provided sufficient temporal signal to date nodes of the phylogenetic tree of isolates. Endemic lineages appeared to have arisen several centuries ago but later than the origin of the YYT themselves. We also detected recent introductions of worldwide lineages. Linkage disequilibrium analyses and in vitro cross experiments suggest that P. oryzae reproduces asexually in the YYT. These results suggest that long-term intraspecific crop diversity in the YYT has promoted the emergence and maintenance of a highly diverse, locally adapted pathogen population.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Adaptive evolution in virulence effectors of the rice blast fungus Pyricularia oryzae

Plant pathogens secrete proteins called effectors that target host cellular processes to promote disease. Recently, structural genomics has identified several families of fungal effectors that share a similar three-dimensional structure despite remarkably variable amino-acid sequences and surface properties. To explore the selective forces that underlie the sequence variability of structurally-analogous effectors, we focused on MAX effectors, a structural family of effectors that are major determinants of virulence in the rice blast fungus Pyricularia oryzae. Using structure-informed gene annotation, we identified 58 to 78 MAX effector genes per genome in a set of 120 isolates representing seven host-associated lineages. The expression of MAX effector genes was primarily restricted to the early biotrophic phase of infection and strongly influenced by the host plant. Pangenome analyses of MAX effectors demonstrated extensive presence/absence polymorphism and identified gene loss events possibly involved in host range adaptation. However, gene knock-in experiments did not reveal a strong effect on virulence phenotypes suggesting that other evolutionary mechanisms are the main drivers of MAX effector losses. MAX effectors displayed high levels of standing variation and high rates of non-synonymous substitutions, pointing to widespread positive selection shaping the molecular diversity of MAX effectors. The combination of these analyses with structural data revealed that positive selection acts mostly on residues located in particular structural elements and at specific positions. By providing a comprehensive catalog of amino acid polymorphism, and by identifying the structural determinants of the sequence diversity, our work will inform future studies aimed at elucidating the function and mode of action of MAX effectors. AUTHOR SUMMARYFungal plant pathogens use small secreted proteins, called effectors, to manipulate to their own advantage their hosts physiology and immunity. The evolution of these effectors, whether spontaneously or in response to human actions, can lead to epidemics or the emergence of new diseases. It is therefore crucial to understand the mechanisms underlying this evolution. In this article, we report on the evolution of effectors in one of the prime experimental model systems of plant pathology, Pyricularia oryzae, the fungus causing blast diseases in rice, wheat, and other cereals or grasses. We further characterize in this fungus a particular class of effectors, called MAX effectors, using structural models based on experimental protein structures of effectors. We show that this class of effector is produced by the pathogen during the early stages of infection, when plant cells are still alive. By comparing the gene content of isolates infecting different plant species, we show that the MAX effector arsenal is highly variable from one isolate to another. Finally, using the inferential framework of population genetics, we demonstrate that MAX effectors exhibit very high genetic variability and that this results from the action of natural selection.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Means, motive, and opportunity for biological invasions: genetic introgression in a fungal pathogen

Invasions by fungal plant pathogens pose a significant threat to the health of agriculture ecosystems. Despite limited standing genetic variation, many invasive fungal species can adapt and spread rapidly, resulting in significant losses in crop yields. Here, we report on the population genomics of Colletotrichum truncatum, a polyphagous pathogen that can infect more than 460 plant species, and an invasive pathogen on soybean in Brazil. We study the whole-genome sequences of 18 isolates representing 10 fields from two major regions of soybean production. We show that Brazilian C. truncatum is subdivided into three phylogenetically distinct lineages that exchange genetic variation through hybridization. Introgression affects 2 to 30% of the nucleotides of genomes and varies widely between the lineages. We find that introgressed regions comprise secreted protein-encoding genes, suggesting possible co-evolutionary targets for selection in those regions. We highlight the inherent vulnerability of genetically uniform crops in the agro-ecological environment, particularly when faced with pathogens that can take full advantage of the opportunities offered by an increasingly globalized world. Finally, we discuss "The Means, Motive, and Opportunity" of fungal pathogens and how they can become invasive species of crops. We call for more population genomic studies because such analyses can help identify geographic areas and pathogens that pose a risk, thereby helping to inform control strategies to better protect crops in the future.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Chromosomal rearrangements but no change of genes and transposable elements repertoires in an invasive forest-pathogenic fungus

AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWChromosomal rearrangements have been largely described among eukaryotes, and may have important consequences on evolution of species. High genome plasticity has been often reported in Fungi, which may explain their apparent ability to quickly adapt to new environments. Cryphonectria parasitica, causing the Chestnut blight disease, is an invasive fungal pathogen species associated with several recent host shifts during its successive introductions from Asia to North America and Europe. Previous cytological karyotyping and genomic studies suggested several chromosomal rearrangements which remains to be described in detail for this species. A serious limitation for valid genome comparisons is the access to robust genome assemblies that usually contain genomic regions of low complexity. We present a new de novo whole-genome assembly obtained from a new method of DNA extraction and long-reads sequencing Nanopore technology obtained from a Japanese isolate sampled in the native area of the species. The comparison with a recently published reference genome revealed stable gene and transposable elements (TEs) repertoires. We also showed that the C. parasitica genome is lowly compartmentalized, with a poor association between TEs and genes, such as those potentially involved in host interactions (i.e., genes coding for small secreted proteins or for secondary metabolites). This genome comparison, however, detected several large chromosomal rearrangements that may have important consequences in gene regulations and sexual mating in this invasive species. This study opens the way for more comparisons of high-quality assembled genomes, and questions the role of structural variations in the invasive success of this fungal pathogen species.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2017

Coexistence of multiple endemic and pandemic lineages of the rice blast pathogen

The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae (syn. Pyricularia oryzae) is both a threat to global food security and a model for plant pathology. Molecular pathologists need an accurate understanding of the origins and line of descent of M. oryzae populations, to identify the genetic and functional bases of pathogen adaptation, and to guide the development of more effective control strategies. We used a whole-genome sequence analysis of samples from different times and places to infer details about the genetic makeup of M. oryzae from a global collection of isolates. Analyses of population structure identified six lineages within M. oryzae, including two pandemic on japonica and indica rice, respectively, and four lineages with more restricted distributions. Tip-dating calibration indicated that M. oryzae lineages separated about a millenium ago, long after the initial domestication of rice. The major lineage endemic to continental Southeast Asia displayed signatures of sexual recombination and evidence of DNA acquisition from multiple lineages. Tests for weak natural selection revealed that the pandemic spread of clonal lineages entailed an evolutionary cost, in terms of the accumulation of deleterious mutations. Our findings reveal the coexistence of multiple endemic and pandemic lineages with contrasting population and genetic characteristics within a widely distributed pathogen.\n\nImportanceThe rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae (syn. Pyricularia oryzae) is a textbook example of a rapidly adapting pathogen, and is responsible for one of the most damaging diseases of rice. Improvements in our understanding of Magnaporthe oryzae diversity and evolution are required, to guide the development of more effective control strategies. We used genome sequencing data for samples from around the world to infer the evolutionary history of M. oryzae. We found that M. oryzae diversified about a thousand years ago ago, separating into six main lineages: two pandemic on japonica and indica rice, respectively, and four with more restricted distributions. We also found that a lineage endemic to continental Southeast Asia displayed signatures of sexual recombination and the acquisition of genetic material from multiple lineages. This work provides a population-level genomic framework for defining molecular markers for the control of rice blast and investigations of the molecular basis of differences in pathogenicity between M. oryzae lineages.

evolutionary biology↗