A Phytophthora Effector Manipulates Host Histone Acetylation and Reprograms Defense Gene Expression to Promote Infection.
Immune response during pathogen infection requires extensive transcription reprogramming. A fundamental mechanism of transcriptional regulation is histone acetylation. However, how pathogens interfere with this process to promote disease remains largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that the cytoplasmic effector PsAvh23 produced by the soybean pathogen Phytophthora sojae acts as a modulator of histone acetyltransferase (HAT) in plants. PsAvh23 binds to the ADA2 subunit of the HAT complex SAGA and disrupts its assembly by interfering with the association of ADA2 with the catalytic subunit GCN5. As such, PsAvh23 suppresses H3K9 acetylation mediated by the ADA2/GCN5 module and increases plant susceptibility. Expression of PsAvh23 or silencing of GmADA2/GmGCN5 resulted in misregulation of defense-related genes, most likely due to decreased H3K9 acetylation levels at the corresponding loci. This study highlights an effective counter-defense mechanism by which a pathogen effector suppresses the activation of defense genes by interfering with the function of the HAT complex during infection.
Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Liang
L
Kong
Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Xufang
X
Qiu
Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Jiangang
J
Kang
Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Yang
Y
Wang
Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Han
H
Chen
Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Jie
J
Huang
Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Min
M
Qiu
Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China; Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
Yao
Y
Zhao
Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Guanghui
G
Kong
Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Zhenchuan
Z
Ma
Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China; The Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Yan
Y
Wang
Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China; The Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Wenwu
W
Ye
Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China; The Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China. Electronic address: smdong@njau.edu.cn.
Suomeng
S
Dong
Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
Wenbo
W
Ma
Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China; The Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China. Electronic address: wangyc@njau.edu.cn.
Yuanchao
Y
Wang
D000107:Acetylation; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D010838:Phytophthora / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D057865:Plant Immunity; D013025:Glycine max / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014774:Virulence
D005656:Fungal Proteins
H3K9ac; Phytophthora; PsAvh23; defense gene expression; histone acetylation; plant immunity; virulence