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Poster

Session: Session 2 Presenting Authors at Posters (Evens)

P-172 - Understanding the host targets of SnTox5 using a yeast two-hybrid assay

Thursday, July 17, 2025
13:30 - 15:15  
Location: Confex Hall 3
Effector Interference Mechanisms

    Presenting Author(s)

  • AN

    Ashley Nelson

    Ph.D. Candidate
    Department of Plant Pathology, North Dakota State University, Fargo
    Fargo, North Dakota, United States

    • Author(s)

  • GK

    Gayan Kariyawasam

    Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
    Knoxville, Tennessee, United States

  • MM

    Michele C. Malvestiti

    Department of Plant Pathology, North Dakota State University
    Fargo, North Dakota, United States

  • ZL

    Zhaohui Liu

    Department of Plant Pathology, North Dakota State University
    Fargo, North Dakota, United States

  • JF

    Justin Faris

    Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS
    Fargo, North Dakota, United States

  • TF

    Timothy Friesen

    Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS
    Fargo, North Dakota, United States

Parastagonospora nodorum is an economically important necrotrophic fungal pathogen that causes septoria nodorum blotch (SNB) of wheat. P. nodorum secretes a variety of necrotrophic effectors that interact directly or indirectly with host susceptibility genes. SnTox5 is a necrotrophic effector that indirectly interacts with the wheat susceptibility gene Snn5. Characterization using confocal microscopy showed that SnTox5 targets the wheat susceptibility gene Snn5 to induce programmed cell death (PCD) as well as facilitate mesophyll colonization, even in the absence of Snn5. Protein structural prediction showed that SnTox5 has high structural homology to SnTox3, which directly interacts with the wheat pathogenicity-related protein, TaPR-1-1. Given SnTox5’s predicted role in mesophyll colonization and its structural homology to SnTox3, we hypothesize that SnTox5 has a function in suppressing host defenses before induction of PCD. To understand the plant targets of SnTox5, we used a yeast two-hybrid assay to identify wheat proteins that directly interact with SnTox5. The identified wheat protein interactors targeted by SnTox5 will be discussed. Future experiments include multifaceted validation of interacting proteins of interest. This work will provide information on how necrotrophic effectors not only target host susceptibility pathways but also target other aspects of host defense to help complete the pathogen’s life cycle.