A common language underpins plant manipulation by pathogenic and symbiotic microbes

Abstract:

Plants share a long life history with associated microbes and the outcome of their interactions can be disease or long-term beneficial effects. A hallmark of pathogenic interactions with plants are effector proteins. Encoded in the microbe they operate as plant proteins inside the host. Effectors suppress immunity, rewire metabolism or modulate development to enable unwanted pathogens to enter, establish and sustain their life in the plant. Although symbiotic microbes help plants through nutrient provision and other traits they also have been found to encode effectors. My lab has used structural modelling approaches to uncover structurally similar but sequence divergent effectors common to both pathogenic and symbiotic microbes. Elucidating how, when and where these effectors operate during symbiosis is crucial for our understanding of the commonalities and differences between pathogenic and beneficial plant microbe interactions. Moreover, molecular strategies adapted by microbes to manipulate plants are excellent starting points to develop novel plant engineering strategies.