UKRI/BBSRC-NSF/BIO Determining the Roles of Fusarium Effector Proteases in Plant Pathogenesis

UKRI/BBSRC-NSF/BIO 确定镰刀菌效应蛋白酶在植物发病机制中的作用

基本信息

批准号：
BB/X012131/1
负责人：
Kim Hammond-Kosack
金额：
$ 84.61万
依托单位：
Rothamsted Research
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2023
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2023 至无数据
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FX012131%2F1
关键词：
UKRI BBSRC NSF BIO Determining

项目摘要

Small proteins called effectors secreted by plant infecting pathogens are a focus of research in numerous laboratories in the USA, UK and elsewhere, because their study sheds light on how pathogenic microbes cause plant disease. Often these effector studies also reveal the identity of key host proteins in the attacked plants that regulate immunity. However, our knowledge of effectors produced by microscopic filamentous fungi that cause different plant diseases is still quite limited, even though fungal pathogens represent very serious risks to global food security and in some cases human and animal health. One such pathogen is Fusarium graminearum (Fg), which causes Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) on wheat and barley, but which also infects dozens of other plant species, including the import global crop species maize, rice, soybean and the model experimental species Arabidopsis. FHB disease in cereal crops occurs just after crop flowering (anthesis) and goes on to reduce grain yield and grain quality. Particularly concerning is that this disease contaminates grain with toxic compounds called mycotoxins, with the most common being deoxynivalenol (DON). Current FHB control measures are complex but inadequate, involving deploying partially resistant cultivars, using partially effective fungicides and altering agricultural practices. As a consequence, strict legislation and the removal/reduction of mycotoxin contaminated grains post-harvest and in processor chains is needed to ensure food and feed are safe for grain consumers (i.e., humans, farmed animals and birds). To meet expected food demand in 2050, when the world is projected to have an additional 2 billion people, it is imperative that we reduce crop losses to FHB. The goal of this project is to develop genetic-based resistance in wheat and barley to Fusarium species that cause FHB disease. Plants have the ability to detect disease-causing pathogens and then activate a robust defence response that ultimately leads to localised cell death to stop the invader. To detect pathogens, plants use sensor proteins that are modified by enzymes that pathogens secrete during the infection process. This project focuses on identifying enzymes secreted by the fungus Fg that are required for infection of wheat and barley floral tissues. Once such enzymes are identified, sensor proteins will be designed that can activate defence responses in wheat and barley upon modification by these Fg enzymes. Such a system would thus confer resistance to infection by Fusarium species that cause FHB disease without the use of costly and environmentally damaging pesticides. This approach to Fusarium control should be transferrable to a wide array of important crop plants that are damaged by other Fusarium species. This collaborative US-UK project will involve multidisciplinary teams at Rothamsted Research, UK, Indiana University, Indiana, USA and the USDA-ARS laboratory at Purdue University, Indiana, USA.

植物感染病原体分泌的称为效应子的小蛋白质是美国、英国和其他地方许多实验室的研究重点，因为他们的研究揭示了病原微生物如何引起植物病害。通常，这些效应器研究还揭示了受攻击植物中调节免疫力的关键宿主蛋白的身份。然而，我们对引起不同植物病害的微小丝状真菌产生的效应子的了解仍然相当有限，尽管真菌病原体对全球粮食安全以及在某些情况下对人类和动物健康构成非常严重的风险。其中一种病原体是禾谷镰刀菌 (Fg)，它会在小麦和大麦上引起赤霉病 (FHB)，但也会感染数十种其他植物物种，包括全球进口作物物种玉米、水稻、大豆和模式实验物种拟南芥。谷类作物中的 FHB 病害发生在作物开花（开花）后不久，并会持续降低谷物产量和谷物质量。特别令人担忧的是，这种疾病会用称为霉菌毒素的有毒化合物污染谷物，其中最常见的是脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇 (DON)。目前的 FHB 控制措施复杂但不充分，包括部署部分抗性品种、使用部分有效的杀菌剂和改变农业实践。因此，需要严格立法并清除/减少收获后和加工链中受霉菌毒素污染的谷物，以确保食品和饲料对谷物消费者（即人类、养殖动物和鸟类）来说是安全的。到 2050 年，世界人口预计将增加 20 亿，为了满足预期的粮食需求，我们必须减少 FHB 的农作物损失。该项目的目标是开发小麦和大麦对引起 FHB 疾病的镰刀菌属物种的遗传抗性。植物有能力检测致病病原体，然后激活强大的防御反应，最终导致局部细胞死亡以阻止入侵者。为了检测病原体，植物使用传感器蛋白，这些蛋白被病原体在感染过程中分泌的酶修饰。该项目的重点是鉴定真菌 Fg 分泌的酶，这些酶是感染小麦和大麦花组织所需的。一旦识别出此类酶，传感器蛋白将被设计成在被这些 Fg 酶修饰后可以激活小麦和大麦的防御反应。因此，这样的系统将赋予对引起 FHB 疾病的镰刀菌属物种感染的抵抗力，而无需使用昂贵且破坏环境的杀虫剂。这种镰刀菌控制方法应该可以广泛应用于被其他镰刀菌物种损害的重要农作物。这个美英合作项目将涉及英国洛桑研究所、美国印第安纳州印第安纳大学和美国印第安纳州普渡大学美国农业部农业研究局实验室的多学科团队。