RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A plant pathogen utilizes effector proteins for microbiome manipulation
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2020.01.30.926725
DO 10.1101/2020.01.30.926725
A1 Nick C. Snelders
A1 Hanna Rovenich
A1 Gabriella C. Petti
A1 Mercedes Rocafort
A1 Julia A. Vorholt
A1 Jeroen R. Mesters
A1 Michael F. Seidl
A1 Reindert Nijland
A1 Bart P.H.J. Thomma
YR 2020
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/01/31/2020.01.30.926725.abstract
AB During colonization of their hosts, pathogens secrete effector proteins to promote disease development through various mechanisms. Increasing evidence shows that the host microbiome plays a crucial role in health, and that hosts actively shape their microbiomes to suppress disease. We hypothesized that pathogens evolved to manipulate host microbiomes to their advantage in turn. Here, we show that the fungal plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae utilizes effector proteins for niche colonization through selective manipulation of host microbiomes by suppressing microbes with antagonistic activities. Moreover, we show that effector proteins are similarly exploited for microbiome manipulation in the soil environment, where the fungus resides in absence of a host. In conclusion, we demonstrate that pathogens utilize effector proteins to modulate microbiome compositions and propose that their effector catalogs represent an untapped resource for novel antibiotics.