S. Kamoun

An oomycete effector co-opts a host RabGAP protein to remodel pathogen interface and subvert defense-related secretion

Bioengineering a plant NLR immune receptor with a robust binding interface towards a conserved fungal pathogen effector

The paper bioengineers a plant NLR receptor to recognize a conserved fungal effector, resulting in durable resistance against blast fungus isolates.

Bioengineering secreted proteases converts divergent Rcr3 orthologs and paralogs into extracellular immune co-receptors

This study bioengineers proteases to convert Rcr3 orthologs and Pip1 into immune co-receptors that trigger Avr2/Cf-2 dependent immunity in tomato.

Multiple horizontal mini-chromosome transfers drive genome evolution of clonal blast fungus lineages

The paper identifies horizontal mini-chromosome transfers in clonal blast fungus lineages, showing genetic exchange between host-associated isolates.

The blast effector Pwl2 is a virulence factor that modifies the cellular localisation of host protein HIPP43 to suppress immunity.

This study identifies Pwl2 as a virulence factor in the rice blast fungus that suppresses host immunity by altering the localization of HIPP43.

Activation of plant immunity through conversion of a helper NLR homodimer into a resistosome

This study shows how the helper NLR NRC2 converts from a homodimer to a higher-order oligomer upon activation by the sensor NLR Rx, revealing the molecular mechanism of plant immune activation.

A root-specific NLR network confers resistance to plant parasitic nematodes

The paper identifies a root-specific NLR gene cluster in tomato that confers resistance to nematodes and evolved from an ancient NRC network.

The nucleotide binding domain of NRC-dependent disease resistance proteins is sufficient to activate downstream helper NLR oligomerization and immune signaling

The NRC0 gene cluster of sensor and helper NLR immune receptors is functionally conserved across asterid plants

The paper investigates the functional conservation of the NRC0 gene cluster across asterid plants and shows its role in immune responses.

Zinc-finger (ZiF) fold secreted effectors form a functionally diverse family across lineages of the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.

The paper identifies a functionally diverse family of Zinc-finger fold effectors in Magnaporthe oryzae, showing functional specialization across host species.

Bimodular Architecture of Bacterial Effector SAP05 Drives Ubiquitin-Independent Targeted Protein Degradation

This paper reports the crystal structures of SAP05 complexes and reveals their bimodular architecture enabling ubiquitin-independent targeted protein degradation in eukaryotic cells.

Resurrection of plant disease resistance proteins via helper NLR bioengineering

A helper NLR is mutated to evade inhibition by a parasite effector, restoring disease resistance gene activity.

The N-terminal executioner domains of NLR immune receptors are functionally conserved across major plant lineages

Allelic compatibility in plant immune receptors facilitates engineering of new effector recognition specificities.

This paper demonstrates how allelic compatibility in the Pik NLR pair can be exploited to engineer NLRs with expanded effector recognition specificities without causing constitutive cell death.

Wild grass isolates of Magnaporthe (Syn. Pyricularia) spp. from Germany can cause blast disease on cereal crops

The paper identifies wild grass hosts of the blast fungus Magnaporthe in Germany, showing their potential to infect cereal crops and spread disease.

Disentangling the complex gene interaction networks between rice and the blast fungus identifies a new pathogen effector

Binding of a blast fungus Zinc-finger fold effector to a hydrophobic pocket in the host exocyst subunit Exo70 modulates immune recognition in rice

This paper reveals how the blast fungus effector AVR-Pii binds to rice Exo70, modulating immune recognition through a novel Zinc-finger fold and conserved hydrophobic interface.

Effector target-guided engineering of an integrated domain expands the disease resistance profile of a rice NLR immune receptor

The paper engineers rice NLR receptors to recognize new effector variants by incorporating effector targets, enhancing disease resistance against blast fungus.

A pandemic clonal lineage of the wheat blast fungus

The paper identifies a pandemic clonal lineage of the wheat blast fungus that originated in South America and spread to Asia and Africa, showing it can be controlled by Rmg8 but may develop fungicide resistance and recombine with African lineages.

Effector-dependent activation and oligomerization of NRC helper NLRs by Rpi-amr3 and Rpi-amr1

This study shows that sensor NLRs Rpi-amr3 and Rpi-amr1 activate the helper NLR NRC2 to form a resistosome in response to Phytophthora effectors.

Sensor NLR immune proteins activate oligomerization of their NRC helper

The paper shows that activation of plant NLRs Rx and Bs2 leads to oligomerization of the helper NLR NRC2, suggesting a distinct activation model compared to mammalian paired NLRs.

An atypical NLR protein modulates the NRC immune receptor network

The paper identifies NRCX, an atypical NRC family member, and shows it modulates the NRC immune receptor network by affecting plant growth and hypersensitive responses.

NLR immune receptor-nanobody fusions confer plant disease resistance

This study demonstrates that plant immune receptor-nanobody fusions can confer resistance against plant viruses expressing fluorescent proteins.

Regressive evolution of an effector following a host jump in the Irish Potato Famine Pathogen Lineage

The paper shows that a key functional motif in the effector PexRD54 of Phytophthora mirabilis degenerated after a host jump, leading to reduced interaction with host ATG8 proteins.

The helper NLR immune protein NRC3 mediates the hypersensitive cell death caused by the cell-surface receptor Cf-4

The paper identifies NRC3 as an NLR protein required for hypersensitive cell death triggered by the PRR Cf-4 in response to the fungal effector Avr4.

A genetically linked pair of NLR immune receptors show contrasting patterns of evolution

This paper studies the evolution of a rice NLR gene pair, showing that the sensor NLR undergoes dynamic domain integration under balancing selection, while the helper NLR remains functionally conserved under purifying selection.

Functional diversification gave rise to allelic specialization in a rice NLR immune receptor pair

The paper shows that allelic specialization in rice NLR receptor pairs confers resistance to fungal strains and reveals a single amino acid polymorphism driving preferential association between matching pairs.

Rpi-amr3 confers resistance to multiple Phytophthora species by recognizing a conserved RXLR effector

The paper identifies Rpi-amr3 as a resistance gene that recognizes a conserved RXLR effector from multiple Phytophthora species, conferring broad resistance.

Dynamic accumulation of a helper NLR at the plant-pathogen interface underpins pathogen recognition

This study shows that the NLR protein NRC4 dynamically changes its subcellular localization during plant-pathogen interaction, accumulating at the haustorium interface before activation and redistributing after immune recognition.

A single amino acid polymorphism in a conserved effector of the multihost blast fungus pathogen expands host-target binding spectrum

The paper identifies a single amino acid change in APikL2 that expands its host-target binding spectrum through altered hydrogen-bonding networks.