| Literature DB >> 33029873 |
Jinxia Shi1, Yuanhong Zhu1, Ming Li1, Yuqing Ma1, Huarong Liu1, Peng Zhang1,2, Di Fang, Yushuang Guo3, Ping Xu1, Yongli Qiao1.
Abstract
Plant pathogens deliver virulence effectors into plant cells to modulate plant immunity and facilitate infection. Although species-specific virulence effector screening approaches have been developed for several pathogens, these assays do not apply to pathogens that cannot be cultured and/or transformed outside of their hosts. Here, we established a rapid and parallel screening assay, called the virus-induced virulence effector (VIVE) assay, to identify putative effectors in various plant pathogens, including unculturable pathogens, using a virus-based expression vector. The VIVE assay uses the potato virus X (PVX) vector to transiently express candidate effector genes of various bacterial and fungal pathogens into Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Using the VIVE assay, we successfully identified Avh148 as a potential virulence effector of Phytophthora sojae. Plants infected with PVX carrying Avh148 showed strong viral symptoms and high-level Avh148 and viral RNA accumulation. Analysis of P. sojae Avh148 deletion mutants and soybean hairy roots overexpressing Avh148 revealed that Avh148 is required for full pathogen virulence. In addition, the VIVE assay was optimized in N. benthamiana plants at different developmental stages across a range of Agrobacterium cell densities. Overall, we identified six novel virulence effectors from seven pathogens, thus demonstrating the broad effectiveness of the VIVE assay in plant pathology research.Entities:
Keywords: zzm321990Nicotiana benthamianazzm321990; PVX; plant pathogens; screening assay; virulence effector
Mesh:
Substances:
Year: 2020 PMID: 33029873 PMCID: PMC7694669 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13000
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Mol Plant Pathol ISSN: 1364-3703 Impact factor: 5.663
FIGURE 1Transient expression of the Phytophthora sojae Avh148 gene in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves using the potato virus X (PVX) expression vector. (a) Schematic representation of the recombinant PVX‐Effector construct. (b) Photographs of 10‐day‐old N. benthamiana plants (n = 10) infiltrated with PVX‐Avh148, PVX‐GFP, or no construct (mock treatment; negative control) at 21 days postinfiltration (dpi). (c) RNA blot analysis of the accumulation of PVX genomic and subgenomic RNAs at 14 dpi. (d) Relative viral RNA accumulation in plants inoculated with PVX‐GFP or PVX‐Avh148. Reverse transcription PCR of the PVX coat protein (CP) gene was used to evaluate the viral RNA level. N. benthamiana EF‐1α gene was used as an internal control. (e) Western blot analysis of PVX CP in N. benthamiana leaves infiltrated with PVX‐GFP or PVX‐Avh148 using anti‐CP antibody. Equal loading was confirmed by Coomassie brilliant blue (CBB) staining. (f) Effect of Agrobacterium cell density (OD600 = 0.2–1.0) on disease development in 2‐week‐old N. benthamiana plants infiltrated with PVX‐Avh148. (g) Effect of plant age on disease development in N. benthamiana plants infiltrated with PVX‐Avh148 (OD600 = 1.2). Photographs were taken at 21 dpi. Experiments were performed twice, with similar results
Summary of effector genes identified using the virus‐induced virulence effector (VIVE) assay
| No. | Pathogen type | Pathogen name | Effector gene | Effector function | Virulence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bacterium |
|
| Known | Yes |
| 2 |
| Yes | |||
| 3 |
|
| Yes | ||
| 4 | Fungus |
|
| Yes | |
| 5 |
|
| Yes | ||
| 6 | Oomycete |
|
| Unknown | No |
| 7 |
| No | |||
| 8 |
| No | |||
| 9 |
| No | |||
| 10 |
| Yes | |||
| 11 | Bacterium |
|
| Yes | |
| 12 |
| No | |||
| 13 |
| No | |||
| 14 |
| Yes | |||
| 15 | Virus |
|
| Yes | |
| 16 |
| No | |||
| 17 |
| No | |||
| 18 |
|
| No | ||
| 19 |
| No | |||
| 20 |
| Yes | |||
| 21 |
| No | |||
| 22 | Nematode |
|
| No | |
| 23 |
|
| Yes | ||
| 24 | Insect |
|
| No | |
| 25 |
| No | |||
| 26 |
| No | |||
| 27 |
| Yes | |||
| 28 |
| No |
Effector showing virulence functions using the VIVE assay.
FIGURE 2Phytophthora sojae effector Avh148 is crucial for pathogen virulence. (a) Expression profile of Avh148 in soybean hairy roots inoculated with P. sojae P6497. Total RNA was extracted from mycelia (MY) or infected soybean roots at the indicated time points, and transcript levels of Avh148 were detected by quantitative real‐time reverse transcription PCR (RT‐qPCR). P. sojae Actin gene was used as an internal control. hpi, hours postinoculation. (b) Analysis of Avh148 expression in soybean hairy roots upon P. sojae infection (n = 10). Hairy roots expressing GFP‐Avh148 or GFP were inoculated with mycelia plugs of red fluorescent protein (RFP)‐labelled P. sojae. Oospore production in infected hair roots was investigated under a fluorescence microscope, and lesion length was determined at 48 hpi. (c) Quantification of P. sojae oospores on soybean hairy roots at 48 hpi. (d) Quantification of P. sojae biomass in soybean hairy roots by quantitative PCR (qPCR). (e) Effect of Avh148 silencing in P. sojae on infection in soybean seedlings (n = 8). Disease symptoms were monitored in aetiolated hypocotyls. Photographs were taken at 7 days postinoculation (dpi). (f) Analysis of relative expression of Avh148 in P. sojae transformants by RT‐qPCR. (g) Analysis of P. sojae biomass in soybean hypocotyls by genomic DNA (gDNA)‐based qPCR. This experiment was performed twice, with similar results. Scale bars: 1 cm in (e), 0.3 mm in (e). Data in (c), (d), (f), and (g) represent mean ± SE of three independent biological replicates. Different letters indicate statistically significant differences among samples (p < .01; Duncan's multiple range test)
FIGURE 3Confirmation and identification of virulence effectors in multiple plant pathogens using the virus‐induced virulence effector (VIVE) assay. (a) Analysis of two known and four novel virulence effectors from six plant pathogens in leaves of 10–14‐day‐old Nicotiana benthamiana plants (n = 10) using the PVX‐based expression system. Leaves were infiltrated with Agrobacterium (OD600 = 0.6–0.8) carrying the PVX‐Effector construct, and photographs were taken at 21 days postinfiltration (dpi). (b) RNA blot analysis of the accumulation of PVX genomic and subgenomic RNAs in N. benthamiana plants at 21 dpi. Total RNA was extracted from infected N. benthamiana leaves at 21 dpi. Wild‐type N. benthamiana plants (mock) were used as a negative control. (c) Relative viral RNA accumulation in plants inoculated with the PVX‐GFP or PVX‐Avh148 construct. Analysis of the PVX CP gene by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT‐qPCR) was used to determine the viral RNA level. Data represent mean ± SE of three independent experiments. The EF‐1α gene was used as an internal control. Each experiment was performed twice, with similar results. Different letters indicate statistically significant differences among samples (p < .01; Duncan's multiple range test)