Award details

Role of the Phytophthora infestans secreted kinase CRN8 in plant disease

Reference	BB/F021216/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Sophien Kamoun
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	University of East Anglia
Department	Sainsbury Laboratory
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	330,813
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/06/2008
End date	31/05/2011
Duration	36 months

Abstract

In recent years, unparalleled progress has been made in understanding the biology of oomycetes, a destructive group of pathogens that includes the notorious potato and tomato late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans. It is now well established that pathogenic oomycetes secrete an arsenal of effector proteins that modulate plant innate immunity and enable parasitic infection. Computational analyses revealed a vast repertoire of effector proteins in oomycetes. Of particular interest are the RXLR and CRN families of effectors that are characterized by conserved motifs following the signal peptide and are thought to be delivered inside host cells. Unlike RXLR effectors, which have been intensively studied in recent years, the CRN family has not been characterized in much detail yet. In this proposal, we focus on the P. infestans effector CRN8, a secreted protein with a kinase-like domain. We will use a combination of genetic, cytological, and biochemical methods to functionally characterize CRN8 and the plant proteins that CRN8 targets and/or mimics, in order to establish the role of these molecules in disease progression. The proposed research is timely and innovative because, to the best of our knowledge and despite the documented importance of kinases in plant defense, secreted kinases have not been reported from microbial plant pathogens. At the completion of this study, we expect to demonstrate a novel type of effector activity from microbial pathogens. In addition, this research will significantly impact basic understanding of plant-microbe interactions by providing insights into key molecular processes regulating susceptibility to an economically important pathogen.

Summary

Oomycetes are a diverse group of fungus-like eukaryotic microorganisms that include pathogens of plants and animals. Plant pathogenic oomycetes cause devastating diseases on numerous crop, ornamental, and native plants. The most notorious oomycete pathogens are Phytophthora, particularly the Irish potato famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans, which continues to blight potato production in the UK and worldwide. In recent years, unparalleled progress has been made in understanding the biology of P. infestans and other oomycetes. It is now well established that these pathogens secrete an arsenal of proteins, termed effectors, that modulate plant immunity and enable infection. Computational analyses revealed hundreds of effector genes in oomycete genomes. Some of these effector proteins are thought to be delivered by the pathogen inside plant cells. In this proposal, we focus on one such effector of P. infestans, termed CRN8. We aim to functionally characterize CRN8 and the plant proteins that CRN8 targets and/or mimics, in order to establish the role of these molecules in disease progression. This study will help to establish functional connections between pathogen genes and plant processes. In turn, this knowledge will improve our understanding of the infection process and will reveal new pathogen targets for the management of economically important plant diseases caused by oomycetes.

Committee	Closed Committee - Plant & Microbial Sciences (PMS)
Research Topics	Crop Science, Microbiology, Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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