Abstract
Rosellinia necatrix is a prevalent soil-borne plant-pathogenic fungus that is the causal agent of white root rot disease in a broad range of host plants. The limited availability of genomic resources for R. necatrix has complicated a thorough understanding of its infection biology. Here, we sequenced nine R. necatrix strains with Oxford Nanopore sequencing technology, and with DNA proximity ligation we generated a gapless assembly of one of the genomes into ten chromosomes. Whereas many filamentous pathogens display a so-called two-speed genome with more dynamic and more conserved compartments, the R. necatrix genome does not display such genome compartmentalization. It has recently been proposed that fungal plant pathogens may employ effectors with antimicrobial activity to manipulate the host microbiota to promote infection. In the predicted secretome of R. necatrix, 26 putative antimicrobial effector proteins were identified, nine of which are expressed during plant colonization. Two of the candidates were tested, both of which were found to possess selective antimicrobial activity. Intriguingly, some of the inhibited bacteria are antagonists of R. necatrix growth in vitro and can alleviate R. necatrix infection on cotton plants. Collectively, our data show that R. necatrix encodes antimicrobials that are expressed during host colonization and that may contribute to modulation of host-associated microbiota to stimulate disease development.
Funder
Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología
Fundación Ramón Areces
Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Subject
Virology,Genetics,Molecular Biology,Immunology,Microbiology,Parasitology
Reference114 articles.
1. Rosellinia necatrix.;A Sivanesan;Description of Fungi and Bacteria,1972
2. Host range of Dematophora necatrix, the cause of white root rot disease in fruit trees;A Sztejnberg;Plant Disease,1980
3. Bait twig method for soil detection of Rosellinia necatrix, causal agent of white root rot of Japanese pear and apple, at an early stage of tree infection;N Eguchi;Journal of General Plant Pathology,2009
4. Rosellinia necatrix in Rosa sp., and an evaluation of its sensitivity to fungicides;R García-Velasco;Revista Chapingo Serie Horticultura,2012
5. Les pourridiés à Armillariella et Rosellinia en France sur vigne, arbres fruitiers et cultures florales I. Etiologie et symptomatologie;J Guillaumin;Agronomie,1982