Multi-Omics Approaches Provide New Insights into the Identification of Putative Fungal Effectors from Valsa mali

Area of Science:

• Plant Pathology
• Fungal Genetics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Pathogenic fungi utilize effector proteins to suppress host plant defenses.
• Valsa mali causes Valsa canker, a significant disease affecting apple production in China.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize candidate effector proteins (CEPs) from Valsa mali.
• To investigate the role of V. mali CEPs during host infection using multi-omics approaches.

Main Methods:

• Bioinformatic prediction of 210 candidate effector protein-encoding genes in V. mali.
• Transcriptome and proteome analyses to identify differentially expressed/regulated CEPs during host infection (Malus sieversii).
• Transient expression of selected CEPs in Nicotiana benthamiana to assess pathogenicity functions.

Main Results:

• 146 CEP-encoding genes were differentially expressed, and 27 CEPs were differentially regulated during V. mali infection.
• Transient expression of VM1G-05058 suppressed BAX-induced cell death, indicating a role in host immune evasion.
• Expression of VM1G-10148 and VM1G-00140 induced cell death in N. benthamiana, suggesting potential virulence functions.

Conclusions:

• Multi-omics analysis successfully identified potential effector candidates from V. mali.
• The identified CEPs provide new targets for understanding and potentially controlling Valsa canker disease.