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Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2022

A bacterial effector counteracts host autophagy by promoting degradation of an autophagy component

Leong, Jia Xuan; Raffeiner, Margot; Spinti, Daniela; Langin, Gautier; Franz-Wachtel, Mirita; Guzman, Andrew R.; Kim, Jung-Gun; Pandey, Pooja; Minina, Alyona E.; Macek, Boris; Hafren, Anders; Bozkurt, Tolga O.; Mudgett, Mary Beth; Boernke, Frederik; Hofius, Daniel; Uestuen, Suayib

Abstract

Beyond its role in cellular homeostasis, autophagy plays anti- and promicrobial roles in host-microbe interactions, both in animals and plants. One prominent role of antimicrobial autophagy is to degrade intracellular pathogens or microbial molecules, in a process termed xenophagy. Consequently, microbes evolved mechanisms to hijack or modulate autophagy to escape elimination. Although well-described in animals, the extent to which xenophagy contributes to plant-bacteria interactions remains unknown. Here, we provide evidence that Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv) suppresses host autophagy by utilizing type-III effector XopL. XopL interacts with and degrades the autophagy component SH3P2 via its E3 ligase activity to promote infection. Intriguingly, XopL is targeted for degradation by defense-related selective autophagy mediated by NBR1/Joka2, revealing a complex antagonistic interplay between XopL and the host autophagy machinery. Our results implicate plant antimicrobial autophagy in the depletion of a bacterial virulence factor and unravel an unprecedented pathogen strategy to counteract defense-related autophagy in plant-bacteria interactions.

Keywords

autophagy; effectors; immunity; ubiquitination; xenophagy

Published in

EMBO Journal
2022, Volume: 41, number: 13, article number: e110352
Publisher: WILEY