En savoir plus

Stem rust disease caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. Tritici (Pgt) seriously compromised global wheat production and yield. While recent high-throughput sequencing approaches have accelerated the identification of wheat immune receptors, only two stem rust Avr-effector proteins, AvrSr50 and AvrSr35, were identified so far. The rye Sr50 resistance gene encodes an NLR protein and provides resistance against all race groups of Pgt worldwide, including the hyper-virulent isolate Ug99. In this study, we show that Sr50 recognizes AvrSr50 through the direct binding of at least its N-terminal coiled-coil domain. However, AvrSr50 is able to supress cell death induced by Sr50-CC domain when overexpressed alone. Taken together, these functional analyses shed lights on the better understanding of direct effector recognition of singleton NLRs.

About...

Diana Ortiz is a researcher in the GAFL unit (Genetics and Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Unit) at INRA, Avignon site.

Diana studies plant immunity and pathogen effector biology. Among her main achievements, Diana has contributed to the identification of the first structurally conserved family of effector proteins in phytopathogenic fungi named MAX-effectors (M. oryzae Avrs and ToxB). She then advanced on the elucidation of a molecular model explaining how non-canonical integrated domains found in plant immune receptors contribute to the recognition of pathogen ligands. Recently, she has identified and characterized one of the two first Avr effectors ever described in stem rust, a major fungal disease that cause a serious threat on worldwide wheat production. Taken together, Diana’s research work has shed some lights on how fungal effector proteins are recognized by plant immune receptors.

Contact & informations

• Site internet du laboratoire >>>
• Contact FRAIB : Maud Bernoux