title: The fungal pathogen Moniliophthora perniciosa has genes similar to plant PR-1 that are highly expressed during its interaction with cacao.
abstract: The widespread SCP/TAPS superfamily (SCP/Tpx-1/Ag5/PR-1/Sc7) has multiple biological functions, including roles in the immune response of plants and animals, development of male reproductive tract in mammals, venom activity in insects and reptiles and host invasion by parasitic worms. Plant Pathogenesis Related 1 (PR-1) proteins belong to this superfamily and have been characterized as markers of induced defense against pathogens. This work presents the characterization of eleven genes homologous to plant PR-1 genes, designated as MpPR-1, which were identified in the genome of Moniliophthora perniciosa, a basidiomycete fungus responsible for causing the devastating witches' broom disease in cacao. We describe gene structure, protein alignment and modeling analyses of the MpPR-1 family. Additionally, the expression profiles of MpPR-1 genes were assessed by qPCR in different stages throughout the fungal life cycle. A specific expression pattern was verified for each member of the MpPR-1 family in the conditions analyzed. Interestingly, some of them were highly and specifically expressed during the interaction of the fungus with cacao, suggesting a role for the MpPR-1 proteins in the infective process of this pathogen. Hypothetical functions assigned to members of the MpPR-1 family include neutralization of plant defenses, antimicrobial activity to avoid competitors and fruiting body physiology. This study provides strong evidence on the importance of PR-1-like genes for fungal virulence on plants.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Evolução e Bioagentes, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo J P L
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Daniela P T
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Thomazella
authors.forename: Ramon O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: Paula F V
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: do Prado
authors.forename: Osvaldo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Renata M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Baroni
authors.forename: Sulamita F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mieczkowski
authors.forename: Gonçalo A G
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Jorge M C
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mondego
mesh_terms: D000363:Agaricales / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002099:Cacao / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D017343:Genes, Plant; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins