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Plant-associated fungi co-opt ancient antimicrobials for host manipulation

Fantin Mesny1, Valentina Wolf1, Ana López-Moral1

  • 1Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Cologne, 50674, Germany.

Science Advances
|April 29, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Fungal pathogens use antimicrobial effectors to colonize plants, potentially repurposing ancient antimicrobials. These effectors target both plant immunity and microbiota, revealing a fundamental role in fungal-plant coevolution.

Area of Science:

  • Plant Pathology
  • Microbial Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Fungal effector proteins are crucial for plant colonization, but their evolutionary history and functions beyond modulating plant immunity are not well understood.
  • Recent studies suggest effectors may also target host-associated microbiota, adding complexity to host-pathogen interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary origins and diverse functions of fungal effector proteins.
  • To identify antimicrobial effector candidates and explore their roles in plant-microbiota interactions and host immunity.

Main Methods:

  • Development of an antimicrobial activity predictor for effector candidates (AMAPEC).
  • Identification and characterization of conserved and novel antimicrobial effectors.
  • Analysis of the Verticillium dahliae effector Vd424Y's function in planta.

Main Results:

  • AMAPEC identified numerous antimicrobial effectors, including highly conserved ones, indicating ancient origins.
  • Several effectors that modulate plant immunity also possess antimicrobial activity, suggesting a dual function.
  • The Verticillium dahliae effector Vd424Y was shown to affect host microbiota and manipulate host immunity by targeting plant cell nuclei.

Conclusions:

  • Microbial antagonism is a fundamental function of fungal effectors.
  • Fungi likely repurposed ancient antimicrobial molecules to evolve diverse roles in host-pathogen interactions, including manipulating microbiota and suppressing immunity.

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