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ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Cereal Disease Lab » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #331560
Title: Fungal innate immunity induced by bacterial microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs)

Author
item IPCHO, SIMON - University Of Copenhagen
item SUNDELIN, THOMAS - University Of Copenhagen
item ERBS, GITTE - University Of Copenhagen
item Kistler, Harold
item NEWMAN, MARI-ANNE - University Of Copenhagen
item OLSSON, STEFAN - University Of Copenhagen

Submitted to: G3, Genes/Genomes/Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/23/2016
Publication Date: 3/29/2016
Citation: Ipcho, S., Sundelin, T., Erbs, G., Kistler, H.C., Newman, M., Olsson, S. 2016. Fungal innate immunity induced by bacterial microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs). G3, Genes/Genomes/Genetics. 6(6):1585-1595. doi: 10.1534/g3.116.027987.

Interpretive Summary: Plant pathogenic fungi not only interact with plants but also with many other microbes in the natural environment. They may actively interact with bacteria and other fungi, that can affect their fitness to cause plant diseases. In this study we report the interaction between the fungus which causes wheat head blight with compounds derived from the cell walls of many bacteria. We find that, like plants and animals, this fungus also reacts with a response that may be attributable to basic cell immunity. The hallmarks of immune response in fungi may actually be similar is some ways to the reaction in animals.This study thus establishes that complex interactions between microbes may ultimately determine the outcome of plant infection and plant health. This information will be helpful to plant improvement specialists who are working to develop plants resistant to these fungi or for developing novel strategies for disease control.

Technical Abstract: Plants and animals detect bacterial presence through Microbe-Associated Molecular Patterns (MAMPs) which induce an innate immune response. The field of fungal-bacterial interaction at the molecular level is still in its infancy and very little is known about fungal molecular responses to bacteria, and if bacterial MAMPs may be detected by fungi. The fungus Fusarium graminearum is exposed to bacteria especially during the portion of its life cycle in the soil. Here we show that exposure to MAMPs led to increased fungal membrane hyperpolarization, a putative defense response. To determine whether the fungus has an innate immune response similar to that of plants and animals, a transcriptomics study of fungal response to MAMPs was undertaken. Our results showed that the fungus reacted with a different transcriptomics profile to each of three tested MAMPs; nevertheless each treatment significantly and differentially regulated a common core set of genes. These core genes were related to energy generation, transport, amino acid production, secondary metabolism and iron uptake. Half of the genes related to iron uptake were predicted MirA type transporters which may function in the transport of bacterial siderophores. Thus the fungus may be adapted for uptake of metabolites produced by bacteria. MAMPs are quickly and efficiently detected by the fungus and demonstrate an innate immune response closer to that of mammals, than to plants.