Metabolic arms race between a plant and a fungal pathogen

Liu, Y.; Mahdi, L.; Porzel, A.; Stark, P.; Esposto, D.; Scherr-Henning, A.; Bathe, U.; Acosta, I. F.; Zuccaro, A.; Balcke, G. U.; Tissier, A. F.

doi:10.1101/2023.07.29.551000

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2023.07.29.551000

Metabolic arms race between a plant and a fungal pathogen

Liu, Y.·Mahdi, L.·Porzel, A.·Stark, P.·Esposto, D.·Scherr-Henning, A.·Bathe, U.·Acosta, I. F.·Zuccaro, A.·Balcke, G. U.·Tissier, A. F.

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Abstract

In this work, we uncover a metabolite interaction between barley and the fungal pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana (Bs), involving hordedanes, a previously undescribed set of labdane-related diterpenoids with antimicrobial properties. Bs infection of barley roots elicits hordedane synthesis from a 600-kb gene cluster. Heterologous reconstruction of the synthesis pathway in yeast produced several hordedanes, including one of the most advanced products 19-b-hydroxy-hordetrienoic acid (19-OH-HTA). Barley mutants in the diterpene synthase genes of the cluster are unable to produce hordedanes but, unexpectedly, show reduced Bs colonization. Accordingly, 19-OH-HTA enhances both germination and growth of Bs, while it inhibits other fungi, and Bs chemically modifies 19-OH-HTA. Thus, plant and pathogen molecular interactions extend beyond protein-protein recognition and the simple detoxification of plant antimicrobial metabolites. One-Sentence SummaryA fungal pathogen uses barley diterpenoid phytoalexins to facilitate root colonization.

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Liu, Y., Mahdi, L., Porzel, A., Stark, P., Esposto, D., Scherr-Henning, A., Bathe, U., Acosta, I. F., Zuccaro, A., Balcke, G. U., Tissier, A. F.. 2023-07-29. Metabolic arms race between a plant and a fungal pathogen. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.07.29.551000

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