Manipulation of plant defense by Zymoseptoria tritici putative effectors during wheat infection
Plant defense manipulation via effector secretion is a strategy employed by plant-associated microbes to promote host colonization. Due to the high economic impact of plant diseases caused by filamentous microbes such as fungi, the functional characterization of effectors is of utmost importance. Understanding effector function can provide insight into their mechanisms of action and ultimately facilitate the development of novel plant resistance strategies. This research focuses on Zymoseptoria tritici, a devastating fungal pathogen of wheat and the causal agent of Septoria tritici blotch (STB). Z. tritici possesses an extensive effector repertoire, the role of which in plant defense modulation remains largely unknown. Using a combination of reverse genetic approaches, I aimed to functionally characterize Z. tritici effectors potentially involved in host defense manipulation. In Chapter I, I analyzed a candidate apoplastic effector, Zt09_chr_5_00190 (Zt190), whose function and contribution to virulence were previously unknown. My findings reveal that Zt190 contributes to fungal virulence and may exert its effects through interaction with host proteins. In Chapter II, I identified candidate effectors potentially involved in hormonal manipulation. These include ZtIsc1, a putative isochorismatase potentially interfering with host salicylic acid biosynthesis, and a set of fungal biosynthetic genes possibly involved in cytokinin production (Ztipt, Ztlog1, Ztfmo). However, further investigation is needed to confirm their specific roles in defense modulation. The results presented here contribute to the field of plant molecular pathology by demonstrating the relevance of Z. tritici effectors in manipulating both apoplastic defenses and the host hormonal network, underscoring these processes as promising targets for the development of new strategies to combat STB in wheat.
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