Secretome of fungus-infected aphids documents high pathogen activity and weak host response

Morten Nedergaard Grell, Annette Bruun Jensen, Peter B. Olsen, Jørgen Eilenberg, Lene Lange

    21 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The discovery of novel secretome proteins can add to our understanding of host-pathogen interactions. Here we report a rich diversity of secreted proteins from the interaction between grain aphids (host, insect order Hemiptera) and fungi of the order Entomophthorales (insect pathogens). The proteins were identified using a unique method unbiased by known sequences or functions to screen a cDNA library constructed directly from field-sampled material. We show for the first time that fungi from the genera Pandora and Entomophthora are armed with a battery of hydrolytic enzymes for penetrating the host cuticle. This enables both access to the hemolymph and exit for sporulation. Further, they secrete enzymes, most notably a number of lipases, for digestion of easily accessible high-energy compounds in the hemolymph. In contrast, we identified only few host genes potentially involved in the interaction, indicating that aphids respond only weakly to the pathogens. These results support recent findings that aphids have a reduced immune repertoire.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalFungal Genetics and Biology
    Volume48
    Issue number4
    Pages (from-to)343-352
    Number of pages10
    ISSN1087-1845
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Apr 2011

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