Plant pathogen effector utilizes host susceptibility factor NRL1 to degrade the immune regulator SWAP70

Abstract

Significance Plant pathogens, such as the infamous potato blight agent Phytophthora infestans , deliver effectors inside living plant cells to promote disease. Recent evidence suggests that some effectors will associate with endogenous negative regulators of immunity, or so-called susceptibility (S) factors, inside living plant cells. To date, little is known about how effectors exploit S factors to inactivate the immune system. We discovered that P. infestans effector Pi02860 uses the potato StNRL1 protein as an S factor by promoting its ability to target a positive regulator of immunity, StSWAP70, for proteasome-mediated degradation. Our results reveal that protecting StSWAP70 from degradation by reducing the activity or availability of NRL1 provides a means to attenuate late blight disease.