Open AccessA novel pine wood nematode effector, BxSCD1, suppresses plant immunity and interacts with an ethylene‐forming enzyme in pine
Author(s) -
Wen TongYue,
Wu XiaoQin,
Hu LongJiao,
Qiu YiJun,
Rui Lin,
Zhang Yan,
Ding XiaoLei,
Ye JianRen
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
molecular plant pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.945
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1364-3703
pISSN - 1464-6722
DOI - 10.1111/mpp.13121
Subject(s) - pine wood , biology , effector , nematode , immunity , botany , enzyme , plant immunity , ethylene , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , arabidopsis , biochemistry , ecology , gene , immune system , mutant , catalysis
The plant‐parasitic nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus , the causal agent of pine wilt disease (PWD), causes enormous economic loss every year. Currently, little is known about the pathogenic mechanisms of PWD. Several effectors have been identified in B . xylophilus , but their functions and host targets have yet to be elucidated. Here, we demonstrated that BxSCD1 suppresses cell death and inhibits B. xylophilus PAMP BxCDP1‐triggered immunity in Nicotiana benthamiana and Pinus thunbergii . BxSCD1 was transcriptionally upregulated in the early stage of B. xylophilus infection. In situ hybridization experiments showed that BxSCD1 was specifically expressed in the dorsal glands and intestine. Cysteine residues are essential for the function of BxSCD1. Transient expression of BxSCD1 in N. benthamiana revealed that it was primarily targeted to the cytoplasm and nucleus. The morbidity was significantly reduced in P. thunbergii infected with B . xylophilus when BxSCD1 was silenced. We identified 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylate oxidase 1, the actual ethylene‐forming enzyme, as a host target of BxSCD1 by yeast two‐hybrid and coimmunoprecipitation. Overall, this study illustrated that BxSCD1 played a critical role in the B. xylophilus– plant interaction.