Conserved fungal effector suppresses PAMP-triggered immunity by targeting plant immune kinases
Abstract
Multiple effectors of bacterial pathogens target immune kinases such as BAK1 and BIK1, but it is unclear whether this strategy is employed by fungal pathogens. We reveal here that a fungal effector named NIS1 is broadly conserved in filamentous fungi in the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, thus being regarded as a core effector, and has the ability to suppress PAMP-triggered immunity. Importantly, NIS1 targets BAK1 and BIK1, interfering with their essential functions for immune activation upon pathogen recognition. Multifaceted analyses including the knockout of NIS1 revealed that it plays a critical role in fungal infection. These findings demonstrate that to infect host plants, filamentous fungi deploy a core effector that attacks conserved immune kinases critical for the ancestral defense system.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- January 2019
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1807297116
- Bibcode:
- 2019PNAS..116..496I