TOR-autophagy branch signaling via Imp1 dictates plant-microbe biotrophic interface longevity

PLoS Genet. 2018 Nov 21;14(11):e1007814. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007814. eCollection 2018 Nov.

Abstract

Like other intracellular eukaryotic phytopathogens, the devastating rice blast fungus Magnaporthe (Pyricularia) oryzae first infects living host cells by elaborating invasive hyphae (IH) surrounded by a plant-derived membrane. This forms an extended biotrophic interface enclosing an apoplastic compartment into which fungal effectors can be deployed to evade host detection. M. oryzae also forms a focal, plant membrane-rich structure, the biotrophic interfacial complex (BIC), that accumulates cytoplasmic effectors for translocation into host cells. Molecular decision-making processes integrating fungal growth and metabolism in host cells with interface function and dynamics are unknown. Here, we report unanticipated roles for the M. oryzae Target-of-Rapamycin (TOR) nutrient-signaling pathway in mediating plant-fungal biotrophic interface membrane integrity. Through a forward genetics screen for M. oryzae mutant strains resistant to the specific TOR kinase inhibitor rapamycin, we discovered IMP1 encoding a novel vacuolar protein required for membrane trafficking, V-ATPase assembly, organelle acidification and autophagy induction. During infection, Δimp1 deletants developed intracellular IH in the first infected rice cell following cuticle penetration. However, fluorescently labeled effector probes revealed that interface membrane integrity became compromised as biotrophy progressed, abolishing the BIC and releasing apoplastic effectors into host cytoplasm. Growth between rice cells was restricted. TOR-independent autophagy activation in Δimp1 deletants (following infection) remediated interface function and cell-to-cell growth. Autophagy inhibition in wild type (following infection) recapitulated Δimp1. In addition to vacuoles, Imp1GFP localized to IH membranes in an autophagy-dependent manner. Collectively, our results suggest TOR-Imp1-autophagy branch signaling mediates membrane homeostasis to prevent catastrophic erosion of the biotrophic interface, thus facilitating fungal growth in living rice cells. The significance of this work lays in elaborating a novel molecular mechanism of infection stressing the dominance of fungal metabolism and metabolic control in sustaining long-term plant-microbe interactions. This work also has implications for understanding the enigmatic biotrophy to necrotrophy transition.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Autophagy
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • Fungal Proteins / metabolism
  • Genes, Fungal
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions / genetics
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions / physiology*
  • Hyphae / genetics
  • Hyphae / growth & development
  • Hyphae / pathogenicity
  • Magnaporthe / genetics*
  • Magnaporthe / growth & development
  • Magnaporthe / pathogenicity*
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional
  • Oryza / genetics
  • Oryza / metabolism
  • Oryza / microbiology*
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Signal Transduction
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Vacuolar Proton-Translocating ATPases / genetics
  • Vacuolar Proton-Translocating ATPases / metabolism

Substances

  • Fungal Proteins
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Vacuolar Proton-Translocating ATPases

Grants and funding

This work was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation (IOS-1557943) to RAW. The Chinese Scholarship Council supported GS. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.