Figure 1 - available via license: CC BY
Content may be subject to copyright.
Source publication
- [...]
Ascomycete Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary is one of the most damaging soilborne fungal pathogens affecting hundreds of plant hosts, including many economically important crops. Its genomic sequence has been available for less than a decade, and it was recently updated with higher completion and better gene annotation. Here, we review key m...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... sclerotiorum is a highly damaging pathogen with diverse infection modes and a double feeding lifestyle of both biotroph and necrotroph (Figure 1) [6,7]. It attacks host plants either by means of ascospores that can be discharged forcibly upwards from apothecia into the air, or by mycelium arising from infected tissue or from germinated sclerotia [8]. ...
Similar publications
Background
Nanopore sequencing is a third generation genomic sequencing method that offers real time sequencing of DNA samples. Nanopore sequencing is an excellent tool for teaching because it involves cutting-edge sequencing methods and also helps students to develop a research mindset, where students can learn to identify and resolve problems tha...
Citations
... Compound appressoria and Oxalic acid (OA) are the important factors that affect the full virulence of S. sclerotiorum [10,46,47]. Interestingly, the mechanism of sclerotia development is obviously opposite to that of compound appressoria in ∆SsStuA. ...
APSES (Asm1p, Phd1p, Sok2p, Efg1p, and StuAp) family transcription factors play crucial roles in various biological processes of fungi, however, their functional characterization in phytopathogenic fungi is limited. In this study, we explored the role of SsStuA, a typical APSES transcription factor, in the regulation of cell wall integrity (CWI), sclerotia formation and pathogenicity of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, which is a globally important plant pathogenic fungus. A deficiency of SsStuA led to abnormal phosphorylation level of SsSmk3, the key gene SsAGM1 for UDP-GlcNAc synthesis was unable to respond to cell wall stress, and decreased tolerance to tebuconazole. In addition, ΔSsStuA was unable to form sclerotia but produced more compound appressoria. Nevertheless, the virulence of ΔSsStuA was significantly reduced due to the deficiency of the invasive hyphal growth and increased susceptibility to hydrogen peroxide. We also revealed that SsStuA could bind to the promoter of catalase family genes which regulate the expression of catalase genes. Furthermore, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation was found to be increased in ΔSsStuA. In summary, SsStuA, as a core transcription factor involved in the CWI pathway and ROS response, is required for vegetative growth, sclerotia formation, fungicide tolerance and the full virulence of S. sclerotiorum.
... For example, Ba. pumilus YSPMK11 was applied on soil in fields and successfully reduced Sclerotinia stem rot incidence in B. campestris by 49.1%-69.7 % [75]. Those results can be explained by considering that S. sclerotiorum is a soil-borne pathogen and has been reported to remain in the soil until plant infection [111]. The application of the biocontrol agents via seed treatment also reduced Sclerotinia stem rot incidence. ...
Here, we are reviewing all biocontrol methods for the management of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Brassica species. Bacterial, fungal, and viral biocontrol agents have been used to control S. sclerotiorum. The highest biocontrol efficacies were detected via foliar spraying of bacterial cells. Some Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. allowed disease incidence inhibitions higher than 90 % under greenhouse conditions. Some biocontrol strains synthesized antifungal lipopeptides, phenazines, and volatile organic compounds, or induced disease resistance. Collectively, some biocontrol strains have been demonstrated to be suitable alternatives for S. sclerotiorum management; however, the antifungal mechanisms are unclear, limiting the optimization of the methods.
... The infection cushion formation mechanism of S. sclerotiorum is elegant and complex, and several genes have been reported to be involved in this process. Notably, many genes associated with infection cushion formation are also involved in sclerotium formation(Xia et al., 2019;Xu, Li, Jiang, et al., 2018) ( ...
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a cosmopolitan and typical necrotrophic phytopathogenic fungus that infects hundreds of plant species. Because no cultivars highly resistant to S. sclerotiorum are available, managing Sclerotinia disease caused by S. sclerotiorum is still challenging. However, recent studies have demonstrated that S. sclerotiorum has a beneficial effect and can live mutualistically as an endophyte in graminaceous plants, protecting the plants against major fungal diseases. An in‐depth understanding of the schizotrophic lifestyle of S. sclerotiorum during interactions with plants under different environmental conditions will provide new strategies for controlling fungal disease. In this review, we summarize the pathogenesis mechanisms of S. sclerotiorum during its attack of host plants as a destructive pathogen and discuss its lifestyle as a beneficial endophytic fungus.
... Sclerotinia is the type genus of the ascomycete family Sclerotiniaceae. Its most economically important species, S. sclerotiorum, an exceptionally broad host range soilborne plant pathogen of great agronomic importance, is often the major pathogen of a particular crop (Xia et al. 2020). ...
Mycoviruses are the viruses that infect fungi and the unrelated stramenopiles such as oomycetes that have morphologies and lifestyles similar to fungi. Our knowledge of mycoviruses and their effects on the biology of their hosts has exploded in recent years. Although the field only started to mature in the 1980s and 1990s, advances in technology coupled with the promise of mycoviruses for biological control of fungi pathogenic to plants, animals, and humans led to increased attention and dedicated research. Mycoviruses are now classified within at least 16 virus families, and that number grows continually as new viruses that do not fit within the current taxonomy are described. This chapter highlights some of the most important fungal virus systems, and some of the advances in our understanding of mycoviruses, especially in the context of their effects on host biology and fitness.
... Interestingly, the cascade is also required for sclerotia formation in S. sclerotiorum, which is a unique developmental feature of Sclerotiniaceae. Since proper sclerotia formation is a prerequisite for entering the sexual cycle (Xia et al., 2019) and loss of the downstream transcription factor SsSte12 leads to impaired apothecia formation ( Figure 6J), activation of the MAPK signaling pathway may also be initiated by certain pheromone signals in S. sclerotiorum as with in S. cerevisiae. Future identification and investigation of the pheromones and their cognate receptors will help to define the upstream events of this MAPK cascade. ...
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes white mold or stem rot in a wide range of economically important plants, bringing significant yield losses worldwide. Control of this pathogen is difficult as its resting structure sclerotia can survive in soil for years, and no Resistance genes have been identified in S. sclerotiorum hosts. Host‐induced gene silencing (HIGS) has shown promising effects in controlling many fungal pathogens, including S. sclerotiorum . However, better molecular genetic understanding of signaling pathways involved in its development and pathogenicity is needed to provide effective HIGS gene targets. Here, by employing a forward genetic screen, we characterized an evolutionarily conserved mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade in S. sclerotiorum , consisting of SsSte50‐SsSte11‐SsSte7‐Smk1, which controls mycelial growth, sclerotia development, compound appressoria formation, virulence, and hyphal fusion. Moreover, disruption of the putative downstream transcription factor SsSte12 led to normal sclerotia but deformed appressoria and attenuated host penetration, as well as impaired apothecia formation, suggestive of diverged regulation downstream of the MAPK cascade. Most importantly, targeting SsSte50 using host‐expressed double‐stranded RNA resulted in largely reduced virulence of S. sclerotiorum on both Nicotiana benthamiana leaves and transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Therefore, this MAPK signaling cascade is generally needed for its growth, development, and pathogenesis and can serve as ideal HIGS targets for mitigating economic damages caused by S. sclerotiorum infection.
... Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, as a notorious soilborne plant pathogenic fungus, which has an extremely broad host range, is capable of infecting economically significant crops such as rapeseed, sunflower, and soybeans, resulting in substantial agricultural losses [1][2][3][4][5]. In China, one of the main diseases of oilseed rape is Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) caused by S. sclerotiorum, leading to losses of approximate 8.4 billion RMB annually [6,7]. ...
... In addition, it employs different infection pathways, including infection of host plant tissues through the hypha by germination of sclerotia. When conditions are favorable, sclerotia can also germinate to form apothecia, releasing many ascospores to infect the hosts [1,10]. ...
The ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6), as the only member of the Arf family III protein, has been extensively studied for its diverse biological functions in animals. Previously, the Arf6 protein in Magnaporthe oryzae was found to be crucial for endocytosis and polarity establishment during asexual development. However, its role remains unclear in S. sclerotiorum. Here, we identified and characterized SsArf6 in S. sclerotiorum using a reverse genetic approach. Deletion of SsArf6 impaired hyphal growth and development and produced more branches. Interestingly, knockout of SsArf6 resulted in an augmented tolerance of S. sclerotiorum towards oxidative stress, and increased its sensitivity towards osmotic stress, indicative of the different roles of SsArf6 in various stress responses. Simultaneously, SsArf6 deletion led to an elevation in melanin accumulation. Moreover, the appressorium formation was severely impaired, and fungal virulence to host plants was significantly reduced. Overall, our findings demonstrate the essential role of SsArf6 in hyphal development, stress responses, appressorium formation, and fungal virulence to host plants.
... Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary is the ascomycetes' highly destructive fungal pathogen. It is widespread and infects over 700 plant species, including many economically important crops like rapeseed, sunflower (Helianthus annuus), peanut (Arachis hypogaea), soybean (Glycine max), garden lettuce (Lactuca sativa), and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) (Boland and Hall, 1994;Uloth et al., 2013;Xia et al., 2019;Zhang et al., 2021). Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) is the primary disease caused by S. sclerotiorum, resulting in the necrosis of stems and leaves in rapeseed, which can lead to yield losses of up to 80% in severe cases (Li et al., 2006a). ...
... These apothecia release ascospores that infect plant tissue (Bolton et al., 2006). Ascospores land on plant tissues, germinate as mycelium, and secrete oxalic acid (OA), cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs), and other substances to facilitate colonization (Kabbage et al., 2015;Xia et al., 2019). Previous studies have shown the critical role of OA synthesis and secretion in the pathogenesis of S. sclerotiorum, with fungal mutants deficient in OA production being non-pathogenic. ...
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary is a highly destructive fungal pathogen that seriously damages the yield and quality of Brassica napus worldwide. The complex interaction between the B. napus and S. sclerotiorum system has presented significant challenges in researching rapeseed defense strategies. Here, we focus on the infection process of S. sclerotiorum, the defense mechanisms of rapeseed, and recent research progress in this system. The response of rapeseed to S. sclerotiorum is multifaceted; this review aims to provide a theoretical basis for rapeseed defense strategies.
... Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, as a notorious soilborne plant pathogenic fungus, which has an extremely broad host range, is capable of infecting economically significant crops such as rapeseed, sunflower, and soybeans, resulting in substantial agricultural losses [1][2][3][4][5]. In China, one of the main disease of oilseed rape is Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) caused by S. sclerotiorum, leading to losses of approximate 8.4 billion RMB annually [6,7]. ...
... In addition, it employs different infection ways, including infection of host plant tissues through the hypha by germination of sclerotia. When conditions are favorable, sclerotia can also germinate to form apothecia, releasing many ascospores to infect the hosts [1,10]. ...
The ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6), as the only member of the Arf family III protein, has been extensively studied for its diverse biological functions in animals. Previously, the Arf6 protein in Magnaporthe oryzae was found to be crucial for endocytosis and polarity establishment during asexual development. However, its role remains unclear in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Here, we identified and characterized SsArf6 in S. sclerotiorum using a reverse genetic approach. Deletion of SsArf6 impaired hyphal growth and development, and produced more branches. Interestingly, knockout of SsArf6 enhanced the tolerance of S. sclerotiorum to oxidative stress but the sensitivity to osmotic stress, and increased melanin accumulation, indicative of different roles of SsArf6 in various stress responses. Moreover, the appressorium formation was severely impaired, and fungal virulence to host plants was significantly reduced. Overall, our findings demonstrate the essential role of SsArf6 in hyphal development, stress responses, appressorium formation, and fungal virulence to host plants.
... Similar to germination, the formation of sclerotia is known to be regulated by multiple genes though there are a lot of gaps in our knowledge about this process [159]. As a result, the biochemical composition of the cell wall changes dramatically; for example, the most abundant components of Sclerotium rolfsii hyphae-polysaccharides and lipids-shift by 1.5-2 times (down and up, respectively), while unhydrolyzable compounds (so-called 'melanin-like pigments') increase numerously and become the second prevalent subclass (after polysaccharides). ...
... Thus, polyphenol-degrading activity may be useful in addition to antifungal formulation. Another rational functionality in such formulation(s) to treat sclerotia appears to be the antioxidant activity discussed previously since ROS also affects sclerotial development somehow [159]. ...
Active research of metal-containing compounds and enzymes as effective antifungal agents is currently being conducted due to the growing antifungal resistance problem. Metals are attracting special attention due to the wide variety of ligands that can be used for them, including chemically synthesized and naturally obtained variants as a result of the so-called “green synthesis”. The main mechanism of the antifungal action of metals is the triggering of the generation and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Further action of ROS on various biomolecules is nonspecific. Various hydrolytic enzymes (glucanases and proteases), in turn, exhibit antifungal properties by affecting the structural elements of fungal cells (cell walls, membranes), fungal quorum sensing molecules, fungal own protective agents (mycotoxins and antibiotics), and proteins responsible for the adhesion and formation of stable, highly concentrated populations in the form of biofilms. A wide substrate range of enzymes allows the use of various mechanisms of their antifungal actions. In this review, we discuss the prospects of combining two different types of antifungal agents (metals and enzymes) against mycelial fungi and yeast cells. Special attention is paid to the possible influence of metals on the activity of the enzymes and the possible effects of proteins on the antifungal activity of metal-containing compounds.
... Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary is a cosmopolitan plant pathogenic fungus with a wide range of host plants, including oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), soybean (Glycine max Merr.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), causing huge economic losses for production of these crops [1,2]. It produces sclerotia, which can survive for a long time in soil or in plant debris [3]. ...
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is an important plant pathogenic fungus of many crops. Our previous study identified the S. sclerotiorum agglutinin (SSA) that can be partially degraded by the serine protease CmSp1 from the mycoparasite Coniothyrium minitans. However, the biological functions of SSA in the pathogenicity of S. sclerotiorum and in its response to infection by C. minitans, as well as to environmental stresses, remain unknown. In this study, SSA disruption and complementary mutants were generated for characterization of its biological functions. Both the wild-type (WT) of S. sclerotiorum and the mutants were compared for growth and sclerotial formation on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and autoclaved carrot slices (ACS), for pathogenicity on oilseed rape, as well as for susceptibility to chemical stresses (NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, sorbitol, mannitol, sucrose, sodium dodecyl sulfate, H2O2) and to the mycoparasitism of C. minitans. The disruption mutants (ΔSSA-175, ΔSSA-178, ΔSSA-225) did not differ from the WT and the complementary mutant ΔSSA-178C in mycelial growth. However, compared to the WT and ΔSSA-178C, the disruption mutants formed immature sclerotia on PDA, and produced less but larger sclerotia on ACS; they became less sensitive to the eight investigated chemical stresses, but more aggressive in infecting leaves of oilseed rape, and more susceptible to mycoparasitism by C. minitans. These results suggest that SSA positively regulates sclerotial development and resistance to C. minitans mycoparasitism, but negatively regulates pathogenicity and resistance to chemical stresses.
