Abstract
The widespread SCP/TAPS superfamily (SCP/Tpx-1/Ag5/PR-1/Sc7) has multiple biological functions, including roles in the immune response of plants and animals, development of male reproductive tract in mammals, venom activity in insects and reptiles and host invasion by parasitic worms. Plant Pathogenesis Related 1 (PR-1) proteins belong to this superfamily and have been characterized as markers of induced defense against pathogens. This work presents the characterization of eleven genes homologous to plant PR-1 genes, designated as MpPR-1, which were identified in the genome of Moniliophthora perniciosa, a basidiomycete fungus responsible for causing the devastating witches' broom disease in cacao. We describe gene structure, protein alignment and modeling analyses of the MpPR-1 family. Additionally, the expression profiles of MpPR-1 genes were assessed by qPCR in different stages throughout the fungal life cycle. A specific expression pattern was verified for each member of the MpPR-1 family in the conditions analyzed. Interestingly, some of them were highly and specifically expressed during the interaction of the fungus with cacao, suggesting a role for the MpPR-1 proteins in the infective process of this pathogen. Hypothetical functions assigned to members of the MpPR-1 family include neutralization of plant defenses, antimicrobial activity to avoid competitors and fruiting body physiology. This study provides strong evidence on the importance of PR-1-like genes for fungal virulence on plants.
Highlights
The basidiomycete fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa is the causative agent of witches’ broom disease (WBD) in cacao
Improvements in the genome assembly obtained with generation sequencing data allowed the identification of seven additional members of the MpPR-1 family (MpPR-1e to MpPR-1k), totaling eleven Pathogenesis Related 1 (PR-1)-like genes in M. perniciosa
These members are very heterogeneous in size and gene structure, with coding sequences (CDS) ranging from 447 to 1,152 nucleotides and intron composition varying between two to five introns
Summary
The basidiomycete fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa is the causative agent of witches’ broom disease (WBD) in cacao. M. perniciosa does not use any specialized infection structure to enter the plant (i.e. apressorium), as observed for the majority of biotrophic and hemibiotrophic fungi [3]. This fungus enters the host tissues through stomata or wounds and colonizes the plant apoplast as thick monokaryotic hyphae. The pathogen switches to its necrotrophic dikaryotic stage, which parallels the death of the infected plant tissue In this phase of WBD, known as dry broom, M. perniciosa colonizes the dead plant and can be found in the intracellular spaces of cacao. After alternating wet and dry periods, the fungus produces basidiomata that release basidiospores, reinitiating the disease cycle [1,2]
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