The N-terminus of an Ustilaginoidea virens Ser-Thr-rich glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein elicits plant immunity as a MAMP

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 2451
• Main Authors: Song, Tianqiao, Zhang, You, Zhang, Qi, Zhang, Xiong, Shen, Danyu, Yu, Junjie, Yu, Mina, Pan, Xiayan, Cao, Huijuan, Yong, Mingli, Qi, Zhongqiang, Du, Yan, Zhang, Rongsheng, Yin, Xiaole, Qiao, Junqing, Liu, Youzhou, Liu, Wende, Sun, Wenxian, Zhang, Zhengguang, Wang, Yuanchao, Dou, Daolong, Ma, Zhenchuan, Liu, Yongfeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 27.04.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 13/1; 13/44; 14/19; 38/39; 38/77; 38/88; 38/89; 631/449/2169/2673; 631/449/2169/2674; 631/449/2169/597; 82/58; 82/80; Amino Acid Sequence; Amino acids; Cell death; Cell Death - genetics; Cell Death - immunology; Fungal Proteins - genetics; Fungal Proteins - immunology; Fungi; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Glycosylphosphatidylinositol; Glycosylphosphatidylinositols - chemistry; Glycosylphosphatidylinositols - metabolism; Host-Pathogen Interactions - genetics; Host-Pathogen Interactions - immunology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hypocreales - genetics; Hypocreales - growth & development; Hypocreales - immunology; Hypocreales - pathogenicity; Immune response; Immunity; Infections; Inflorescence - genetics; Inflorescence - immunology; Inflorescence - microbiology; Inositol; Leaves; multidisciplinary; N-Terminus; Organs; Oryza - genetics; Oryza - immunology; Oryza - microbiology; Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern Molecules - immunology; Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern Molecules - metabolism; Pathogens; Peptides; Peptides - genetics; Peptides - immunology; Plant Cells - immunology; Plant Cells - pathology; Plant Diseases - genetics; Plant Diseases - immunology; Plant Diseases - microbiology; Plant immunity; Plant Immunity - genetics; Plant Leaves - genetics; Plant Leaves - immunology; Plant Leaves - microbiology; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - immunology; Proteins; Rice; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sequence Alignment; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Signal Transduction; Ustilaginoidea virens; Virulence
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22660-9

Many pathogens infect hosts through specific organs, such as Ustilaginoidea virens , which infects rice panicles. Here, we show that a microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP), Ser-Thr-rich Glycosyl-phosphatidyl-inositol-anchored protein (SGP1) from U. virens , induces immune responses in rice leaves but not panicles. SGP1 is widely distributed among fungi and acts as a proteinaceous, thermostable elicitor of BAK1-dependent defense responses in N. benthamiana . Plants specifically recognize a 22 amino acid peptide (SGP1 N terminus peptide 22, SNP22) in its N-terminus that induces cell death, oxidative burst, and defense-related gene expression. Exposure to SNP22 enhances rice immunity signaling and resistance to infection by multiple fungal and bacterial pathogens. Interestingly, while SGP1 can activate immune responses in leaves, SGP1 is required for U. virens infection of rice panicles in vivo, showing it contributes to the virulence of a panicle adapted pathogen. Ustilaginoidea virens is a fungal pathogen that infects rice via the panicles. Here, the authors show that U. virens SGP1, a conserved Ser-Thr-rich glycosyl-phosphatidyl-inositol-anchored protein, elicits immune responses in rice leaves while contributing to virulence in panicles.