Multi-knockout of 29 phytotoxic proteins and metabolites does not completely abolish virulence of the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea
Nassim Safari, Patrick Pattar, Marat Magomedov, Andrea Tobian Herreno, Shekhar Chule, Dolores Fernández‐Ortuño, Luoyu wu, Frederik Sommer, David Scheuring, Michael Schroda, Remco Stam, Matthias Hahn
Deleting 27 CDIP-candidate genes (26 confirmed CDIPs) and two phytotoxin biosynthesis genes in Botrytis cinerea nearly abolishes apple infection but leaves slow leaf lesions, pointing to redundant, unidentified host-killing factors.
bioRxiv · Aug 27, 2026 · PreprintMolecular Biology✦ In-depth digest