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Researchers investigated how the generalist fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea adapts to different plant defense chemicals by analyzing proteins from both the pathogen and its host plant Arabidopsis thaliana during infection. They discovered that Botrytis induces specific detoxification proteins in response to particular plant defense compounds, especially glucosinolates and their breakdown products called isothiocyanates. The study identified and validated a novel enzyme in Botrytis, BcSaxA, that specifically breaks down isothiocyanates and is only expressed when the fungus infects plants that produce these compounds.
Why it matters
Understanding how generalist pathogens overcome diverse plant chemical defenses could inform development of more resistant crop varieties and better fungicides. The discovery of metabolite-specific pathogen responses reveals potential targets for disrupting fungal infection strategies in agricultural settings.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
To successfully infect their myriad hosts, generalist plant pathogens must tolerate a vast arsenal of plant specialized defense metabolites. To understand how host-specific metabolites influence plant-generalist pathogen interactions, we conducted a co-proteomic analysis of both Arabidopsis thaliana and Botrytis cinerea proteomes from the same samples during early infection. The Arabidopsis proteomic responses to Botrytis center around induction and suppression of defense metabolite pathways, particularly camalexin and glucosinolates. Several Botrytis proteins involved in key virulence pathways were induced within 32-48 hours, including potential defense metabolite detoxification proteins. Co-proteomic analysis using a panel of Arabidopsis genotypes with differing glucosinolate profiles revealed that disruptions to the glucosinolate pathway had broad changes on the Arabidopsis proteome, and that Botrytis induces specific proteins in response to presence/absence of Arabidopsis defense metabolites. Among the proteins that were induced quickly on infection and linked to the presence of glucosinolates, we validated a novel isothiocyanate hydrolase in Botrytis, BcSaxA, that catabolizes isothiocyanates in vitro. Gene expression data further indicated BcSaxA is expressed only in dicot hosts containing isothiocyanates. Our study describes a highly dynamic host proteome during infection with Botrytis and elucidates metabolite-specific infection strategies for a generalist pathogen.