The <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> Small Cysteine-Rich Protein VdSCP23 Manipulates Host Immunity
Verticillium wilt caused by <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> is a notorious soil-borne fungal disease and seriously threatens the yield of economic crops worldwide. During host infection, <i>V. dahliae</i> secretes many effectors that manipulate host immunity, among which small cy...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/11/9403 |
| Summary: | Verticillium wilt caused by <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> is a notorious soil-borne fungal disease and seriously threatens the yield of economic crops worldwide. During host infection, <i>V. dahliae</i> secretes many effectors that manipulate host immunity, among which small cysteine-rich proteins (SCPs) play an important role. However, the exact roles of many SCPs from <i>V. dahliae</i> are unknown and varied. In this study, we show that the small cysteine-rich protein VdSCP23 inhibits cell necrosis in <i>Nicotiana benthamiana</i> leaves, as well as the reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst, electrolyte leakage and the expression of defense-related genes. VdSCP23 is mainly localized in the plant cell plasma membrane and nucleus, but its inhibition of immune responses was independent of its nuclear localization. Site-directed mutagenesis and peptide truncation showed that the inhibition function of VdSCP23 was independent of cysteine residues but was dependent on the <i>N</i>-glycosylation sites and the integrity of VdSCP23 protein structure. Deletion of <i>VdSCP23</i> did not affect the growth and development of mycelia or conidial production in <i>V. dahliae</i>. Unexpectedly, <i>VdSCP23</i> deletion strains still maintained their virulence for <i>N. benthamiana</i>, <i>Gossypium hirsutum</i> and <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> seedlings. This study demonstrates an important role for VdSCP23 in the inhibition of plant immune responses; however, it is not required for normal growth or virulence in <i>V. dahliae</i>. |
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| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |