Identification of plant factors which evoke a immune evasion mechanism in fungal plant pathogens

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26292028
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Plant protection science
• Research Institution: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (2016); National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (2014-2015)
• Principal Investigator: Nishimura Marie 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 生物機能利用研究部門 植物・微生物機能利用研究領域, 上級研究員 (30370670)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 瀬尾 茂美 国立研究開発法人農業生物資源研究所, 植物科学研究領域 植物・微生物間相互作用研究ユニット, 主任研究員 (80414910)
• Research Collaborator: OTAKA Jun-nosuke 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 生物機能利用研究部門 植物・微生物機能利用研究領域, 特別研究員
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 植物ー微生物間相互作用

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Various fungal plant pathogens mask their cell wall surfaces with α-1,3-glucan to evade plant immunity. This α-1,3-glucan accumulation may be induced by factors released from plants. Through this study, we showed that lutein, a plant carotenoid involved in photosynthesis, induced surface α-1,3-glucan accumulation in the polyphagous fungi Colletotrichum fioriniae. This fact would explain the reason why this fungus is capable of infecting various plants. Other Colletotrichum species and necrotrophic Bipolaris oryzae also responded to lutein to accumulate surface 1,3-glucan. These fungi did not respond to β-carotene, a structurally similar compound of lutein, suggesting that the fungi have mechanisms to recognize difference in chemical structures. It is possible to think that fungal plant pathogens prepare for host immune evasion by recognizing specific host factor(s), which these pathogens encounter during infection.

Free Research Field

応用微生物学