MoALE1, an ART-like effector, contributes to rice blast virulence through host immune suppression

Deleting MoALE1 in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae significantly reduces disease severity without impairing growth or infection steps, linking MoALE1 to virulence.

• Why it matters: Rice blast relies on secreted effectors to suppress host immunity during biotrophy, but the roles of ART-like effector candidates such as MoALE1 were unclear.
• What they did: MoALE1 was tested with a yeast secretion trap for a functional signal peptide, localized with a MoALE1-GFP fusion to the biotrophic interfacial complex, and its expression was tracked from 16 to 48 h post-inoculation.
• The result: MoALE1 suppresses BAX-mediated cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana, and the Δmoale1 mutant shows enhanced host H2O2 accumulation and increased ROS defense gene expression, implying immune suppression during biotrophy.

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