Carbohydrate-active enzymes from a core root mycobiota member enable infection of multiple plant hosts
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The root microbiome includes fungal pathogens capable of colonizing multiple plant hosts, yet the underlying genetic determinants remain unknown. Here we report that Plectosphaerella cucumerina is a core member of the Arabidopsis thaliana root microbiota, which displays pathogenic potential across multiple hosts. Using a collection of 72 Plectosphaerella isolates and whole-genome sequencing, we observed subtle phenotypic and genotypic variation associated with fungal phylogeny but not host plant identity. Transcriptome profiling of a P. cucumerina isolate in roots of diverse plants revealed core and host-specific fungal responses, including induction of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) involved in root cell wall deconstruction. A fungal gene encoding a candidate β-1,3-glucanase (GH64) was identified as a key genetic factor driving multihost infection. This gene is present across plant-colonizing fungi and functions as a disease determinant in both P. cucumerina and a Colletotrichum root pathogen. Our results indicate that host-induced CAZymes can couple fungal virulence with multihost compatibility.
Source: Nature Microbiology
Authors: Ram-Sevak Raja-Kumar, Fantin Mesny, Arpan Kumar Basak, Jacy Newfeld, Guillaume Chesneau, Frederickson Entila, Tak Lee, Linda Rigerte, Stephanie Carvajal Acevedo, Bruno Hüttel, Pedro W. Crous, Jose G. Maciá-Vicente, Helen Stewart, Matthew Ryan, Ahmad M. Fakhoury, Soledad Sacristán, Meriem Aitouguinane, Isabelle Batisson, Stefano Dumontet, Wade H. Elmer, Jana Henzelyová, Joanna S. Kruszewska, Jessica M. Nelson, Cara M. Santelli, Markus Pauly, Antonio Molina, Kei Hiruma, Stéphane Hacquard
Institutions: Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Jagiellonian University, The University of Tokyo, Utrecht University, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, University of Alicante, CAB International, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Clermont Auvergne, Laboratoire Microorganismes Génome et Environnement, Parthenope University of Naples, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, University of Oslo, University of Minnesota, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $12,690
Awards: G1083813148, G1105844351, G1510635813, G1784891478, G2120582571, G2642650165, G2958780423, G410571670, G451917667, G491712853, G523076202, G5539308778, G5635532810, G593054264, G5967599077, G6033112984, EXC 2048: CEPLAS Exzellenzcluster für Pflanzenwissenschaften, G717256432, G7395345766, G7528344217, G7559696506, G7805626310, G7863371703, G8497050386, G8667377315, G8802881425
OpenAlex ID: W7215061420