Mechanisms of Nuclear Suppression of Host Immunity by Effectors from the Arabidopsis Downy Mildew Pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis (Hpa)

MARIE-CECILE CAILLAUD; LENNART WIRTHMUELLER; FABRO GEORGINA; SOPHIE J.M. PIQUEREZ; SHUTA ASAI; NAVEED ISHAQUE; JONATHAN D. G. JONES; COLD SPRING HARBOR LAB PRESS

Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press

Lugar: New York; Año: 2012; p. 285 - 293

Filamentous phytopathogens form sophisticated intracellular feeding structures called haustoria in plant cells. Pathogen effectors are likely to play a role in the establishment and maintenance of haustoria additional to their more characterized role of suppressing plant defense. Recent studies suggest that effectors may manipulate host transcription or other nuclear regulatory components for the benefit of pathogen development. However, the specific mechanisms by which these effectors promote susceptibility remain unclear. Of two recent screenings, we identified 15 nuclear-localized Hpa effectors (HaRxLs) that interact directly or indirectly with host nuclear components. When stably expressed in planta, nuclear HaRxLs cause diverse developmental phenotypes highlighting that nuclear effectors might interfere with fundamental plant regulatory mechanisms. Here, we report recent advances in understanding how a pathogen can manipulate nuclear processes in order to cause disease.