title: Cerato-platanins: elicitors and effectors.
abstract: Cerato-platanins are an interesting group of small, secreted, cysteine-rich proteins that have been implicated in virulence of certain plant pathogenic fungi. The relatively recent discovery of these proteins in plant beneficial fungi like Trichoderma spp., and their positive role in induction of defense in plants against invading pathogens has raised the question as to whether these proteins are effectors or elicitor molecules. Here we present a comprehensive review on the occurrence of these conserved proteins across the fungal kingdom, their structure-function relationships, and their physiological roles in plant pathogenic and symbiotic fungi. We also discuss the usefulness of these proteins in evolving strategies for crop protection through a transgenic approach or direct application as elicitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Experimental and Clinical Sciences, University of Florence, Morgagni Street, 50134 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pazzagli
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Gumpendorfer Strasse 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Seidl-Seiboth
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Evolution and Bioagents/IB, State University of Campinas, Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, 13083-970, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barsottini
authors.affiliation: Centro de EstudiosFotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI)-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, Rosario 2000, Argentina.
authors.forename: Walter A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.affiliation: Department of Production Sciences Agri-Food and the Environment (DISPAA), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Aniello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scala
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085, India. Electronic address: prasunmala@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Prasun K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D010944:Plants / Q000382:microbiology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: C121379:Cerato-platanin protein, Ceratocystis fimbriata; D005656:Fungal Proteins
keywords: Cerato-platanin; Chitin-binding; Effector; Elicitor; Fungi; Self-assembly