Insights of Bipolaris sorokiniana secretome - an in silico approach

Abstract

The plant pathogen, Bipolaris sorokiniana (teleomorph: Cochliobolus sativus), is of global concern as it attacks many economically important cereals and grasses. During the infection process, phytopathogenic fungi are known to secrete a variety of proteins collectively known as the secretome, analyzing which can help in deciphering the mechanism of fungal pathogenesis. In this study, we performed in silico secretome analysis of C. sativus strain ND90Pr using established secretome prediction pipeline involving software tools such as SignalP, TargetP, TMHMM, big-PI Fungal Predictor, ProtComp, and WoLF PSORT. Using these software and other prediction criteria, we identified 196 probable secretory proteins from the B. sorokiniana proteome. Characterization of the predicted secretome revealed proteins that may have probable functions in degradation of the plant cell wall, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, as well as in pathogenesis and metabolism. Further, the PHI-base analysis identified 38 proteins having a possible role in pathogenicity and virulence. This study helped to predict the composition of the secretome of B. sorokiniana and extrapolate its role in plant infection and pathogen survival. It may provide clues for developing new control strategies targeting the vital fungal secretory proteins.