UKRI/BBSRC-NSF/BIO Determining the Roles of Fusarium Effector Proteases in Plant Pathogenesis

UKRI/BBSRC-NSF/BIO 确定镰刀菌效应蛋白酶在植物发病机制中的作用

• 批准号: BB/X012131/1
• 负责人: Kim Hammond-Kosack
• 金额: $ 84.61万
• 依托单位: Rothamsted Research
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FX012131%2F1
• 关键词: UKRI; BBSRC; NSF; BIO; Determining

Small proteins called effectors secreted by plant infecting pathogens are a focus of research in numerous laboratories in the USA, UK and elsewhere, because their study sheds light on how pathogenic microbes cause plant disease. Often these effector studies also reveal the identity of key host proteins in the attacked plants that regulate immunity. However, our knowledge of effectors produced by microscopic filamentous fungi that cause different plant diseases is still quite limited, even though fungal pathogens represent very serious risks to global food security and in some cases human and animal health. One such pathogen is Fusarium graminearum (Fg), which causes Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) on wheat and barley, but which also infects dozens of other plant species, including the import global crop species maize, rice, soybean and the model experimental species Arabidopsis. FHB disease in cereal crops occurs just after crop flowering (anthesis) and goes on to reduce grain yield and grain quality. Particularly concerning is that this disease contaminates grain with toxic compounds called mycotoxins, with the most common being deoxynivalenol (DON). Current FHB control measures are complex but inadequate, involving deploying partially resistant cultivars, using partially effective fungicides and altering agricultural practices. As a consequence, strict legislation and the removal/reduction of mycotoxin contaminated grains post-harvest and in processor chains is needed to ensure food and feed are safe for grain consumers (i.e., humans, farmed animals and birds). To meet expected food demand in 2050, when the world is projected to have an additional 2 billion people, it is imperative that we reduce crop losses to FHB. The goal of this project is to develop genetic-based resistance in wheat and barley to Fusarium species that cause FHB disease. Plants have the ability to detect disease-causing pathogens and then activate a robust defence response that ultimately leads to localised cell death to stop the invader. To detect pathogens, plants use sensor proteins that are modified by enzymes that pathogens secrete during the infection process. This project focuses on identifying enzymes secreted by the fungus Fg that are required for infection of wheat and barley floral tissues. Once such enzymes are identified, sensor proteins will be designed that can activate defence responses in wheat and barley upon modification by these Fg enzymes. Such a system would thus confer resistance to infection by Fusarium species that cause FHB disease without the use of costly and environmentally damaging pesticides. This approach to Fusarium control should be transferrable to a wide array of important crop plants that are damaged by other Fusarium species. This collaborative US-UK project will involve multidisciplinary teams at Rothamsted Research, UK, Indiana University, Indiana, USA and the USDA-ARS laboratory at Purdue University, Indiana, USA.

由植物感染病原体分泌的称为效应子的小蛋白质是美国，英国和其他地方许多实验室的研究重点，因为他们的研究揭示了病原微生物如何引起植物疾病。这些效应子研究通常也揭示了受攻击植物中调节免疫力的关键宿主蛋白的身份。然而，我们对引起不同植物疾病的微观丝状真菌产生的效应物的了解仍然非常有限，尽管真菌病原体对全球粮食安全以及在某些情况下对人类和动物健康构成非常严重的风险。一种这样的病原体是禾谷镰刀菌（Fg），其在小麦和大麦上引起镰刀菌头枯病（FHB），但其也感染数十种其他植物物种，包括进口全球作物物种玉米、水稻、大豆和模式实验物种拟南芥。禾谷类作物中的FHB疾病发生在作物开花（开花期）之后，并且继续降低谷物产量和谷物品质。特别令人担忧的是，这种疾病会用称为真菌毒素的有毒化合物污染谷物，最常见的是脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇（DON）。目前的FHB控制措施是复杂的，但不充分，涉及部署部分抗性品种，使用部分有效的杀菌剂和改变农业实践。因此，需要严格的立法和在收获后和加工链中去除/减少霉菌毒素污染的谷物，以确保粮食和饲料对谷物消费者是安全的（即，人类、养殖动物和鸟类）。为了满足2050年的预期粮食需求，预计世界人口将增加20亿，我们必须减少FHB的作物损失。该项目的目标是在小麦和大麦中开发基于遗传的对引起FHB疾病的镰刀菌物种的抗性。植物有能力检测致病病原体，然后激活强大的防御反应，最终导致局部细胞死亡以阻止入侵者。为了检测病原体，植物使用被病原体在感染过程中分泌的酶修饰的传感器蛋白。该项目的重点是确定真菌Fg分泌的酶，这些酶是感染小麦和大麦花组织所必需的。一旦这种酶被鉴定，传感器蛋白将被设计成可以在这些Fg酶修饰后激活小麦和大麦中的防御反应。因此，这样的系统将赋予对引起FHB疾病的镰刀菌属物种的感染的抗性，而不使用昂贵且对环境有害的杀虫剂。这种方法镰刀菌控制应转移到广泛的一系列重要的作物植物被其他镰刀菌物种。这项美英合作项目将涉及英国罗萨姆斯特德研究所、美国印第安纳州印第安纳州大学和美国印第安纳州普渡大学USDA-ARS实验室的多学科团队。

项目成果

Identification and functional characterisation of a locus for target site integration in Fusarium graminearum.

禾谷镰刀菌靶位点整合位点的鉴定和功能表征。

• DOI: 10.1186/s40694-024-00171-8
• 发表时间: 2024
• 期刊: Fungal biology and biotechnology
• 作者: Darino M