AUTHOR=Deng Linmei , Huang Xun , Dao Jian , Xu Yajin , Zhou Kunyan , Wang Wenping , Liu Chunjiang , Chen Meng , Zhang Shunhong , Zhang Yue , Hao Jianjun , Liu Xia , Yang Yanli 

TITLE=Pectinesterase activity and gene expression correlate with pathogenesis of Phytophthora infestans

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1481165

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2024.1481165

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Late blight caused by <italic>Phytophthora infestans</italic> is the most devastating disease of potato. <italic>Phytophthora infestans</italic> produces many secondary metabolites and effector proteins, involved in the pathogenesis, which compromise host defense mechanisms. Pectinesterase (PE) is a cell wall degrading enzyme secreted by <italic>P. infestans</italic> to infect the host. To examine the role of PE in <italic>P. infestans</italic>, 15 strains of <italic>P. infestans</italic> were isolated from infected potato leaves in Yunnan, China. We analyzed the biological effects of exogenously added PE on <italic>P. infestans</italic> and its activity and gene expression after infection of potato using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). It was found that PE significantly promotes the growth of <italic>P. infestans</italic>, increases the weight of mycelium and the number of sporangia, and promotes the sporangial germination. PE accelerated the infection process of <italic>P. infestans</italic> on potato. The pathogenicity of <italic>P. infestans</italic> was positively correlated with PE activity and gene expression. PE is a key to the virulence difference of potato late blight.</p>