Carbohydrate-active enzymes from a core root mycobiota member enable infection of multiple plant hosts.
- Open access
Plectosphaerella cucumerina's carbohydrate-active enzymes enable it to infect multiple plant hosts, with a key GH64 gene driving multihost pathogenicity.
- Why it matters: Understanding the genetic factors behind fungi that infect diverse plants is crucial for managing plant diseases and protecting crop health, yet these determinants are largely unknown.
- What they did: Researchers sequenced 72 isolates of P. cucumerina and analyzed their genomes and transcriptomes across different plant roots, focusing on enzymes involved in cell wall breakdown, especially the GH64 gene.
- The result: The study found that CAZymes, particularly GH64, are central to fungal virulence and multihost infection, providing insights into how fungi adapt to and infect various plant species.