Deciphering the Infectious Process of Colletotrichum lupini in Lupin through Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis

Abstract

The fungal phytopathogen Colletotrichum lupini is responsible for lupin anthracnose, resulting in significant yield losses worldwide. The molecular mechanisms underlying this infectious process are yet to be elucidated. This study proposes to evaluate C. lupini gene expression and protein synthesis during lupin infection, using, respectively, an RNAseq-based transcriptomic approach and a mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach. Patterns of differentially-expressed genes in planta were evaluated from 24 to 84 hours post-inoculation, and compared to in vitro cultures. A total of 897 differentially-expressed genes were identified from C. lupini during interaction with white lupin, of which 520 genes were predicted to have a putative function, including carbohydrate active enzyme, effector, protease or transporter-encoding genes, commonly described as pathogenicity factors for other Colletotrichum species during plant infection, and 377 hypothetical proteins. Simultaneously, a total of 304 proteins produced during the interaction were identified and quantified by mass spectrometry. Taken together, the results highlight that the dynamics of symptoms, gene expression and protein synthesis shared similarities to those of hemibiotrophic pathogens. In addition, a few genes with unknown or poorly-described functions were found to be specifically associated with the early or late stages of infection, suggesting that they may be of importance for pathogenicity. This study, conducted for the first time on a species belonging to the Colletotrichum acutatum species complex, presents an opportunity to deepen functional analyses of the genes involved in the pathogenicity of Colletotrichum spp. during the onset of plant infection.

A High-Throughput Phenotyping Tool to Identify Field-Relevant Anthracnose Resistance in White Lupin

“…Infected seeds are the primary source of inoculum and small amounts of infected seeds (0.1%) can cause severe yield loss (Thomas and Sweetingham 2004). Little is known about the disease cycle and interaction between C. lupini and its host but gene expression and protein synthesis during white lupin infection shared similarities to those of hemibiotrophic pathogens (Dubrulle et al 2020a), which is the most common lifestyle within the C. acutatum species complex (De Silva et al 2017;Peres et al 2005). At the start of the growing season, C. lupini is believed to colonize the host endophytically, causing no to minor disease symptoms.…”

Transcriptome and proteome analysis of walnut (Juglans regia L.) fruit in response to infection by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

“…Colletotrichum species are fungal pathogens that devastate crop plants worldwide. Among these species, several lifestyles ranging from necrotrophy to hemibiotrophy have been identified [ 30 ]. In tomato, C. gloeosporioides breaches the fruit cuticle with a quiescent phase until fruit ripening signals a switch to necrotrophy [ 31 ].…”

“…A large number of secondary metabolites and membrane transporters were identified during the infection of C. falcatum on sugarcane using RNA-seq technology [ 35 ]. A total of 304 proteins were identified from C. lupini during interaction with white lupin by mass spectrometry [ 30 ]. In the present study, based on the lifestyle transitions of C. gloeosporioides , the walnut fruit bracts tissues of F26 and F423 at 0 hpi, pathological tissues at 24 hpi, 48 hpi, and 72 hpi, and distal uninoculated tissues at 120 hpi were used for transcriptome and proteome analysis.…”

Mycoherbicides for the Noxious Meddlesome: Can Colletotrichum be a Budding Candidate?

“…Lifestyles of Colletotrichum species can be broadly categorised as necrotrophic, hemibiotrophic, latent or quiescent, and endophytic; of which hemibiotrophic is the most common ( De Silva et al, 2017 ). Our current understanding regarding host-pathogen interaction is rich and stimulating ( Cannon et al, 2012 ; O’Connell et al, 2012 ; De Silva et al, 2017 ; Dubrulle et al, 2020 ). Hemibiotrophic fungi and host plant interaction generally involves establishment of biotrophic interactivity followed by necrotrophy and complete damage of plant tissues leading to death ( Irieda et al, 2016 ).Fungus-plant interaction and subsequent colonisation can be divided into three simultaneous phases, viz., pre-infection, infection, and post-infection ( De Silva et al, 2017 ).…”

“…Of these, 520 genes had putative roles in coding for “pathogenicity factors” like enzyme-biosynthetic genes, effectors, and transporters. A mass-spectrometry analysis revealed the production of more than 300 putative proteins involved in pathogenesis ( Dubrulle et al, 2020 ). However, despite such the advancement in pathogenicity characterisation, the exact molecular pathway has not yet been depicted ( Dubrulle et al, 2020 ).…”