AUTHOR=Hou Xiaoyuan , He Zheng , Che Zhengzheng , Li Hengjing , Tan Xinwei , Wang Qunqing 

TITLE=Molecular mechanisms of Phytophthora sojae avirulence effectors escaping host recognition

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1111774

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2022.1111774

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Phytophthora sojae</italic> is a well-known destructive oomycete pathogen, which causes soybean stem and root rot and poses a serious threat to global food security. Growing soybean cultivars with the appropriate resistance to <italic>P. sojae</italic> (<italic>Rps</italic>) genes are the primary management strategy to reduce losses. In most <italic>Phytophthora</italic> pathosystems, host resistance protein encoded by a specific <italic>R</italic> gene in the plant recognizes corresponding RxLR effector protein, encoded by an avirulence gene. This gene-for-gene relationship has been exploited to help breeders and agronomists deploy soybean cultivars. To date, 6 <italic>Rps</italic> genes have been incorporated into commercial soybean germplasm and trigger plant immunity in response to 8 <italic>P. sojae</italic> avirulence effectors. The incorporation of Rps genes in the soybean population creates selection pressure in favor of novel pathotypes of <italic>P. sojae</italic>. The 8 avirulence genes evolved to evade the host immune system, driven by genetic selection pressures. Understanding the evading strategies has important reference value for the prevention and control of <italic>Phytophthora</italic> stem and root rot. This investigation primarily highlights the research on the strategies of <italic>P. sojae</italic> avirulence effector evasion of host recognition, looking forward to creating durable resistance genes and thereby enabling successful disease management.</p>