1. The fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae suppresses innate immunity by modulating a host potassium channel.
- Author
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Shi, Xuetao, Long, Yu, He, Feng, Zhang, Chongyang, Wang, Ruyi, Zhang, Ting, Wu, Wei, Hao, Zeyun, Wang, Yi, Wang, Guo-Liang, and Ning, Yuese
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PYRICULARIA oryzae , *POTASSIUM , *PLANT immunochemistry , *PLANT growth , *PLANT development , *PATHOGENIC microorganisms - Abstract
Potassium (K+) is required by plants for growth and development, and also contributes to immunity against pathogens. However, it has not been established whether pathogens modulate host K+ signaling pathways to enhance virulence and subvert host immunity. Here, we show that the effector protein AvrPiz-t from the rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae targets a K+ channel to subvert plant immunity. AvrPiz-t interacts with the rice plasma-membrane-localized K+ channel protein OsAKT1 and specifically suppresses the OsAKT1-mediated K+ currents. Genetic and phenotypic analyses show that loss of OsAKT1 leads to decreased K+ content and reduced resistance against M. oryzae. Strikingly, AvrPiz-t interferes with the association of OsAKT1 with its upstream regulator, the cytoplasmic kinase OsCIPK23, which also plays a positive role in K+ absorption and resistance to M. oryzae. Furthermore, we show a direct correlation between blast disease resistance and external K+ status in rice plants. Together, our data present a novel mechanism by which a pathogen suppresses plant host immunity by modulating a host K+ channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
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