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Poster

Session: Session 1 Presenting Authors at Posters (Odds)

P-141 - An alpha-L-Arabinofuranosidase from the wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici suppresses the accumulation of plant cell wall-derived elicitors

Monday, July 14, 2025
13:30 - 15:15  
Location: Confex Hall 3
Microbial infection strategies (pathogens & non-pathogens)

    Presenting Author(s)

  • CC

    Cristian Carrasco-López

    Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA/CSIC), Madrid, Spain
    Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    • Author(s)

  • SL

    Sergio López-Cobos

    Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA/CSIC), Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
    Madrid, Madrid, Spain

  • FD

    Felipe De Salas

    Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Spanish National Research Council, C/ Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
    Madrid, Madrid, Spain

  • IV

    Inés Vegas-Lorenzo

    Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA/CSIC), Madrid, Spain
    Madrid, Madrid, Spain

  • DM

    David Manso-Martínez

    Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA/CSIC), Madrid, Spain
    Madrid, Madrid, Spain

  • GV

    Gonzalo Vílchez-Pinto

    Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA/CSIC), Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
    Madrid, Madrid, Spain

  • DR

    Diego Rebaque

    Área de Fisiología Vegetal, Departamento de Ingeniería y Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad de León, León, Spain
    León, Castilla y Leon, Spain

  • CL

    Cecile Lorrain, Dr (she/her/hers)

    Junior Group Leader
    ETH Zurich
    Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

  • MG

    María Garrido-Arandia

    Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA/CSIC), Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
    Madrid, Madrid, Spain

  • HM

    Hugo Mélida

    Plant Physiology, Universidad de León, León, Spain. Institute of Molecular Biology, Genomics and Proteomics (INBIOMIC), Universidad de León, León, Spain.
    León, Castilla y Leon, Spain

  • MM

    Maria Jesus Martinez

    Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Spanish National Research Council, C/ Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
    Madrid, Madrid, Spain

  • AS

    Andrea Sánchez-Vallet

    Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA/CSIC), Madrid, Spain
    Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Plant cell walls (PCWs) are complex and dynamic structures that serve as critical defense barriers against pathogens while providing nutrients for microbial colonizers. Pathogenic fungi secrete diverse cell wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs) to hydrolyze PCWs polymers and facilitate infection. However, damaged host tissues release oligosaccharides that act as immune elicitors, counteracting pathogen invasion. To date the mechanisms by which pathogens limit the accumulation of immunogenic oligosaccharides during infection remain poorly characterized. Zymoseptoria tritici, a latent necrotrophic wheat pathogen, possesses 123 secreted glycoside hydrolases predicted to function as CWDEs. Here, we combine biochemical and molecular genetic analyses to functionally characterize a glycoside hydrolase named ZtABF1. ZtABF1 is expressed mainly during the biotrophic phase and encodes a conserved α-L-arabinofuranosidase essential for virulence. This enzyme exhibits dual functionality: (i) the acquisition of nutrients through degradation of wheat cell wall components and (ii) the clearance of immune-activating oligosaccharides to suppress host defenses. Interestingly, ZtABF1 substrate protects wheat plants against infection by Z. tritici. Our findings establish ZtABF1 as a novel key virulence factor in both PCW exploitation and evasion of wheat immunity for successful Z. tritici infection and illustrate the potential use of PCW-derived oligosaccharides to enhance crops resistance to pathogens.