Production of the light-activated elsinochrome phytotoxin in the soybean pathogen Coniothyrium glycines hints at virulence factor
The Dothideomycete pathogen Coniothyrium glycines causes red leaf blotch of soybean, a major disease in Africa. It is one of two fungal plant pathogens on the USDA PPQ Select Agents and Toxins list of pathogens important to the biosecurity of the United States, reflective of its potential to be high...
| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
2025
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175246 |
| _version_ | 1855524834825469952 |
|---|---|
| author | Greatens, N. Murithi, H. Coyne, D. Clough, S.J. Sulyok, M. Okunowo, W.O. Abbass, H.K. Shier, W.T. Koch Bach, R.A. |
| author_browse | Abbass, H.K. Clough, S.J. Coyne, D. Greatens, N. Koch Bach, R.A. Murithi, H. Okunowo, W.O. Shier, W.T. Sulyok, M. |
| author_facet | Greatens, N. Murithi, H. Coyne, D. Clough, S.J. Sulyok, M. Okunowo, W.O. Abbass, H.K. Shier, W.T. Koch Bach, R.A. |
| author_sort | Greatens, N. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | The Dothideomycete pathogen Coniothyrium glycines causes red leaf blotch of soybean, a major disease in Africa. It is one of two fungal plant pathogens on the USDA PPQ Select Agents and Toxins list of pathogens important to the biosecurity of the United States, reflective of its potential to be highly destructive if introduced. Despite its importance, there are no published reports regarding the molecular basis of host infection. Examination of the C. glycines genome revealed a secondary metabolite gene cluster that is similar in gene content and organization to clusters that synthesize light-activated perylenequinone toxins, such as cercosporin. Perylenequinones are non-host specific toxins that, upon exposure to light, generate reactive oxygen species, which have near-universal toxicity to plant hosts. Coniothyrium glycines isolates from eastern and southern Africa were cultured axenically under light and dark conditions. Light-grown cultures produced red-pink pigmentation typical of perylenequinones. Differential gene expression analysis showed that six of the eight genes in the biosynthetic gene cluster, including the polyketide synthase gene, were significantly upregulated in light. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry confirmed production of the perylenequinone elsinochrome A, a known virulence factor in other fungal pathogens. On leaves incubated in the dark, significantly fewer lesions formed and symptoms were delayed, compared to leaves incubated in the light. In addition, we identified orthologous gene clusters in more distantly related Dothideomycete plant pathogens where their presence was previously unknown, indicating a broader importance of these toxins to agriculture and fungal ecology. This work provides the first evidence that elsinochrome A may contribute to the virulence of C. glycines. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace175246 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1752462025-12-08T09:54:28Z Production of the light-activated elsinochrome phytotoxin in the soybean pathogen Coniothyrium glycines hints at virulence factor Greatens, N. Murithi, H. Coyne, D. Clough, S.J. Sulyok, M. Okunowo, W.O. Abbass, H.K. Shier, W.T. Koch Bach, R.A. soybeans glycine max pathogens plant diseases plant production grain legumes The Dothideomycete pathogen Coniothyrium glycines causes red leaf blotch of soybean, a major disease in Africa. It is one of two fungal plant pathogens on the USDA PPQ Select Agents and Toxins list of pathogens important to the biosecurity of the United States, reflective of its potential to be highly destructive if introduced. Despite its importance, there are no published reports regarding the molecular basis of host infection. Examination of the C. glycines genome revealed a secondary metabolite gene cluster that is similar in gene content and organization to clusters that synthesize light-activated perylenequinone toxins, such as cercosporin. Perylenequinones are non-host specific toxins that, upon exposure to light, generate reactive oxygen species, which have near-universal toxicity to plant hosts. Coniothyrium glycines isolates from eastern and southern Africa were cultured axenically under light and dark conditions. Light-grown cultures produced red-pink pigmentation typical of perylenequinones. Differential gene expression analysis showed that six of the eight genes in the biosynthetic gene cluster, including the polyketide synthase gene, were significantly upregulated in light. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry confirmed production of the perylenequinone elsinochrome A, a known virulence factor in other fungal pathogens. On leaves incubated in the dark, significantly fewer lesions formed and symptoms were delayed, compared to leaves incubated in the light. In addition, we identified orthologous gene clusters in more distantly related Dothideomycete plant pathogens where their presence was previously unknown, indicating a broader importance of these toxins to agriculture and fungal ecology. This work provides the first evidence that elsinochrome A may contribute to the virulence of C. glycines. 2025 2025-06-23T10:12:17Z 2025-06-23T10:12:17Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175246 en Open Access application/pdf Greatens, N., Murithi, H.M., Coyne, D., Clough, S. ., Sulyok, M., Okunowo, W.O., ... & Koch Bach, R.A. (2025). Production of the light-activated elsinochrome phytotoxin in the soybean pathogen Coniothyrium glycines hints at virulence factor. PLoS ONE, 20(5): e0321896, 1-18. |
| spellingShingle | soybeans glycine max pathogens plant diseases plant production grain legumes Greatens, N. Murithi, H. Coyne, D. Clough, S.J. Sulyok, M. Okunowo, W.O. Abbass, H.K. Shier, W.T. Koch Bach, R.A. Production of the light-activated elsinochrome phytotoxin in the soybean pathogen Coniothyrium glycines hints at virulence factor |
| title | Production of the light-activated elsinochrome phytotoxin in the soybean pathogen Coniothyrium glycines hints at virulence factor |
| title_full | Production of the light-activated elsinochrome phytotoxin in the soybean pathogen Coniothyrium glycines hints at virulence factor |
| title_fullStr | Production of the light-activated elsinochrome phytotoxin in the soybean pathogen Coniothyrium glycines hints at virulence factor |
| title_full_unstemmed | Production of the light-activated elsinochrome phytotoxin in the soybean pathogen Coniothyrium glycines hints at virulence factor |
| title_short | Production of the light-activated elsinochrome phytotoxin in the soybean pathogen Coniothyrium glycines hints at virulence factor |
| title_sort | production of the light activated elsinochrome phytotoxin in the soybean pathogen coniothyrium glycines hints at virulence factor |
| topic | soybeans glycine max pathogens plant diseases plant production grain legumes |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175246 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT greatensn productionofthelightactivatedelsinochromephytotoxininthesoybeanpathogenconiothyriumglycineshintsatvirulencefactor AT murithih productionofthelightactivatedelsinochromephytotoxininthesoybeanpathogenconiothyriumglycineshintsatvirulencefactor AT coyned productionofthelightactivatedelsinochromephytotoxininthesoybeanpathogenconiothyriumglycineshintsatvirulencefactor AT cloughsj productionofthelightactivatedelsinochromephytotoxininthesoybeanpathogenconiothyriumglycineshintsatvirulencefactor AT sulyokm productionofthelightactivatedelsinochromephytotoxininthesoybeanpathogenconiothyriumglycineshintsatvirulencefactor AT okunowowo productionofthelightactivatedelsinochromephytotoxininthesoybeanpathogenconiothyriumglycineshintsatvirulencefactor AT abbasshk productionofthelightactivatedelsinochromephytotoxininthesoybeanpathogenconiothyriumglycineshintsatvirulencefactor AT shierwt productionofthelightactivatedelsinochromephytotoxininthesoybeanpathogenconiothyriumglycineshintsatvirulencefactor AT kochbachra productionofthelightactivatedelsinochromephytotoxininthesoybeanpathogenconiothyriumglycineshintsatvirulencefactor |