A <i>Bursaphelenchus xylophilus</i> Effector, BxSCD3, Suppresses Plant Defense and Contributes to Virulence
<i>Bursaphelenchus xylophilus</i> is the most economically important species of migratory plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) and causes severe damage to forestry in China. The successful infection of <i>B. xylophilus</i> relies on the secretion of a repertoire of effector prote...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/12/6417 |
| Summary: | <i>Bursaphelenchus xylophilus</i> is the most economically important species of migratory plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) and causes severe damage to forestry in China. The successful infection of <i>B. xylophilus</i> relies on the secretion of a repertoire of effector proteins. The effectors, which suppress the host pine immune response, are key to the facilitation of <i>B. xylophilus</i> parasitism. An exhaustive list of candidate effectors of <i>B. xylophilus</i> was predicted, but not all have been identified and characterized. Here, an effector, named BxSCD3, has been implicated in the suppression of host immunity. BxSCD3 could suppress pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) PsXEG1- and INF1-triggered cell death when it was secreted into the intracellular space in <i>Nicotiana benthamiana. BxSCD3</i> was highly up-regulated in the early infection stages of <i>B. xylophilus</i>. <i>BxSCD3</i> does not affect <i>B. xylophilus</i> reproduction, either at the mycophagous stage or the phytophagous stage, but it contributes to the virulence of <i>B. xylophilus.</i> Moreover, <i>BxSCD3</i> significantly influenced the relative expression levels of defense-related (PR) genes <i>PtPR-3</i> and <i>PtPR-6</i> in <i>P</i><i>inus thunbergii</i> in the early infection stage. These results suggest that BxSCD3 is an important toxic factor and plays a key role in the interaction between <i>B. xylophilus</i> and host pine. |
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| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |