The SUbventral-Gland Regulator (SUGR-1) of nematode virulence
Abstract
Pathogens must precisely tailor their gene expression to cause infection. However, a signaling cascade from host signal to effector production has remained elusive for metazoan pathogens. Here, we show that plants contain molecular signals, termed effectostimulins, that activate the first identified regulator of plant-parasitic nematode effectors. SUGR-1 directly binds effector promoters, and is central to a transcriptional network that activates 58 effector genes. Importantly, we demonstrate that downregulation of sugr-1 inhibits parasitism, underlining SUGR-1 signaling as a valuable target for crop protection and food security. This, in the wider context of nematodes as parasites of humans and other animals, has scope for potentially broader impact: Disrupting effector production could, in principle, be applied to any pathogen that secrets effectors.
Article Details
Journal Info
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Sciences
Authors (19)
Clement Pellegrin
The Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Anika Damm
The Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Alexis L. Sperling
The Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Beth Molloy
The Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Dio S. Shin
The Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Jonathan Long
The Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Paul Brett
Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre
Tochukwu Chisom Iguh
The Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Olaf P. Kranse
The Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Andrea Díaz-Tendero Bravo
The Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Sarah Jane Lynch
The Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Beatrice Senatori
The Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Paulo Vieira
Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service, Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory
Joffrey Mejias
Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University
Anil Kumar
Rick E. Masonbrink
Genome Informatics Facility, Iowa State University
Tom R. Maier
Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University
Thomas J. Baum
Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University
Sebastian Eves-van den Akker
The Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge