Role of the Phytophthora infestans secreted kinase CRN8 in plant disease

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Oomycetes are a diverse group of fungus-like eukaryotic microorganisms that include pathogens of plants and animals. Plant pathogenic oomycetes cause devastating diseases on numerous crop, ornamental, and native plants. The most notorious oomycete pathogens are Phytophthora, particularly the Irish potato famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans, which continues to blight potato production in the UK and worldwide. In recent years, unparalleled progress has been made in understanding the biology of P. infestans and other oomycetes. It is now well established that these pathogens secrete an arsenal of proteins, termed effectors, that modulate plant immunity and enable infection. Computational analyses revealed hundreds of effector genes in oomycete genomes. Some of these effector proteins are thought to be delivered by the pathogen inside plant cells. In this proposal, we focus on one such effector of P. infestans, termed CRN8. We aim to functionally characterize CRN8 and the plant proteins that CRN8 targets and/or mimics, in order to establish the role of these molecules in disease progression. This study will help to establish functional connections between pathogen genes and plant processes. In turn, this knowledge will improve our understanding of the infection process and will reveal new pathogen targets for the management of economically important plant diseases caused by oomycetes.