Beyond Destabilizing Activity of SAP11-like Effector of Candidatus Phytoplasma mali Strain PM19

It was shown that the SAP11 effector of different Candidatus Phytoplasma can destabilize some TEOSINE BRANCHES/CYCLOIDEA/PROLIFERATING CELL FACTORs (TCPs), resulting in plant phenotypes such as witches’ broom and crinkled leaves. Some SAP11 exclusively localize in the nucleus, while the others localize in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. The SAP11-like effector of Candidatus Phytoplasma mali strain PM19 (SAP11(PM19)) localizes in both compartments of plant cells. We show here that SAP11(PM19) can destabilize TCPs in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. However, expression of SAP11(PM19) exclusively in the nucleus resulted in the disappearance of leaf phenotypes while still showing the witches’ broom phenotype. Moreover, we show that SAP11(PM19) can not only destabilize TCPs but also relocalizes these proteins in the nucleus. Interestingly, three different transgenic Nicotiana species expressing SAP11(PM19) show all the same witches’ broom phenotype but different leaf phenotypes. A possible mechanism of SAP11-TCP interaction is discussed.