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Poster

Session: Session 1 Presenting Authors at Posters (Odds)

P-367 - How does Phytophthora make the cut?

Monday, July 14, 2025
13:30 - 15:15  
Location: Confex Hall 3
Subcellular dynamics and signaling in host-microbe interactions

    Presenting Author(s)

  • MP

    Max Pluis

    INRAE
    Sophia-Antipolis, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France

    • Author(s)

  • Li

    Lucas in het Hout

    Wageningen University and Research
    Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands

  • JR

    Jonathan Rudolph

    Wageningen University and Research
    Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands

  • TK

    Tijs Ketelaar

    Wageningen University and Research
    Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands

  • FG

    Francine Govers

    Wageningen University and Research
    Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands

  • JS

    Joris Sprakel

    Wageningen University and Research
    Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands

  • EE

    Edouard Evangelisti

    Institut Sophia Agrobiotech (ISA)
    Sophia Antipolis, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France

Phytophthora, “plant destroyer” in Greek, is a group of devastating oomycetes capable of infecting a wide range of hosts, including some of our most cherished crops—those behind wine, chocolate, and fries. Phytophthora attacks by penetrating plant surfaces with a specialized infection structure known as the appressorium. From a biophysical standpoint, Phytophthora appressorium relies on a specific reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton to sharpen the hyphal tip, enabling it to slice through plant cuticle and cell wall like a microscopic knife. Yet, the molecular mechanisms by which these pathogens perceive the host surface and subsequently form appressoria remain to be discovered. We have identified several candidate mechanosensitive channels in Phytophthora plant pathogens, including homologs of PIEZO and OSCA calcium-permeable receptors, that may be involved in sensing the host surface. With alpha-actinin and fimbrin as candidates for downstream actin reorganization, our work points to calcium as a signaling molecule driving Phytophthora appressorium differentiation, likely linking receptors to actin. By assembling the pieces of the molecular pathway responsible for appressoria formation, we combine the current biophysical knowledge with molecular tools. The goal to identify essential molecular components involved in this pathway. Our research will pave the way for developing anti-penetrant compounds and pathogen development-informed plant breeding.