Biology subjects

Molloy, B.

Publications and source records attributed to Molloy, B..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

The SUbventral-Gland master Regulator (SUGR) of nematode virulence

All pathogens must tailor their gene expression to their environment. Therefore, targeting host:parasite biology that regulates these changes in gene expression could open up routes to pathogen control. Here, we show that in the plant-parasitic nematode Heterodera schachtii, host signals (termed effectostimulins) within plant roots activate the master regulator sugr1. SUGR1, then, directly binds effector promoters, and orchestrates their production. Effector production, in turn, facilitates host entry, releasing more effectostimulins. These data show that gene expression during the very earliest stages of parasitism is defined by a feed forward loop for host entry. Importantly, we demonstrate that blocking SUGR1 blocks parasitism, underlining the SUGR1 signalling cascade as a valuable target for crop protection. Given that nematodes also parasitise humans and other animals, the potential impact is broad: disrupting effector production could, in principle, be applied to any pathogen that secrets effectors. Graphical abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=146 SRC="FIGDIR/small/576598v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (32K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@cebedaorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@153fe87org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@16b6957org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@d0e920_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

pathology↗

bioRxiv2024

The origin, deployment, and evolution of a plant-parasitic nematode effectorome

Plant-parasitic nematodes constrain global food security. During parasitism, they secrete effectors into the host plant from two types of pharyngeal gland cells. These effectors elicit profound changes in host biology to suppress immunity and establish a unique feeding organ from which the nematode draws nutrition. Despite the importance of effectors in nematode parasitism, there has been no comprehensive identification and characterisation of the effector repertoire of any plant-parasitic nematode. To address this, we advance techniques for gland cell isolation and transcriptional analysis to define a stringent annotation of putative effectors for the cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii at three key life-stages. We define 659 effector gene loci: 293 "known" high-confidence homologs of plant-parasitic nematode effectors, and 366 "novel" effectors with high gland cell expression. In doing so we define a comprehensive "effectorome" of a plant-parasitic nematode. Using this effector definition, we provide the first systems-level understanding of the origin, deployment and evolution of a plant-parasitic nematode effectorome. The robust identification of the comprehensive effector repertoire of a plant-parasitic nematode will underpin our understanding of nematode pathology, and hence, inform strategies for crop protection.

plant biology↗