Plant–pathogen interactions: Sugarcane glycoproteins induce chemotaxis of smut teliospores by cyclic contraction and relaxation of the cytoskeleton

Defence sugarcane glycoproteins disorganize microtubules and prevent nuclear polarization and germination of Sporisorium scitamineum teliospores

“…2a,b). The negative effect caused by glycoproteins from healthy resistant plants on teliospore development has already been described by our group Sánchez-Elordi et al, 2016). In particular, our previous work showed that cane arginase contained in HMMG is responsible for the inhibitory effect on germination as well as for the teliospore agglutination.…”

“…For this reason, the cytoskeleton of fungal cells plays a crucial role in polarity establishment, its maintenance and the polar growth of the cell. For example, organization of an F-actin-like protein seems to be essential for germination in S. scitamineum cells, since latrunculin A, an inhibitor of actin polarization, completely impairs the appearance of germinative tubes in smut teliospores (Sánchez-Elordi et al, 2016).…”

“…These glycoproteins, which have been defined as macromolecules of medium and high molecular weight (MMMG, Mid-Molecular Mass Glycoproteins and HMMG, High-Molecular Mass Glycoproteins) induce chemotaxis, homotypic adhesion and inhibit teliospore germination of smut teliospores (Fontaniella et al, 2002;Millanes et al, 2005;Sánchez-Elordi et al, 2016).…”

“…At least one of these molecules acts as a chemoattractant, favoring the motility of teliospores towards the points of cytoagglutination in a process mediated by a rearrangement of the cytoskeleton (Sánchez-Elordi et al, 2016). Therefore, sugarcane glycoproteins from resistant varieties would function as mediators of sugar cane resistance to infection: they guide teliospore away from the points of entry into the plant host and prevent their germination.…”

Physiological Basis of Smut Infectivity in the Early Stages of Sugar Cane Colonization

“…This type of movement differs from dragging or swimming in that gliding does not involve the action of any apparent external motility or any obvious change in cell size, and furthermore, always requires the presence of a substrate. The cytoskeleton of S. scitamineum cells is also involved in the movement of cells to a chemotherapeutic agent produced by the host plant [ 66 ]. Numerous models of chemotaxis have been described regarding plant–pathogen interactions, where motility is an important feature of virulence [ 67 ].…”