Identification and functional analysis of protein secreted by Alternaria solani

Early blight, caused by the necrotrophic fungus Alternaria solani, is an important foliar disease that causes major yield losses of potato. Effector proteins secreted by pathogens to host cells can inhibit host immune response to pathogens. Currently, the function of effector proteins secreted by A. solani during infection is poorly understood. In this study, we identified and characterized a novel candidate effector protein, AsCEP50. AsCEP50 is a secreted protein that is highly expressed throughout the infection stages of A. solani. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana and tomato demonstrated that AsCEP50 is located on the plasma membrane of N. benthamiana and regulates senescence-related genes, resulting in the chlorosis of N. benthamiana and tomato leaves. Δ50 mutants were unaffected in vegetative growth, spore formation and mycelium morphology. However, the deletion of AsCEP50 significantly reduced virulence, melanin production and penetration of A. solani. These results strongly supported that AsCEP50 is an important pathogenic factor at the infection stage and contributes to the virulence of Alternaria solani.