Transcription activator-like effector protects bacterial endosymbionts from entrapment within fungal hyphae.

ABSTRACT: As an endosymbiont of the ecologically and medically relevant fungus Rhizopus microsporus, the toxin-producing bacterium Mycetohabitans rhizoxinica faces myriad challenges, such as evading the host's defense mechanisms. However, the bacterial effector(s) that facilitate the remarkable ability of M. rhizoxinica to freely migrate within fungal hyphae have thus far remained unknown. Here, we show that a transcription activator-like (TAL) effector released by endobacteria is an essential symbiosis factor. By combining microfluidics with fluorescence microscopy, we observed enrichment of TAL-deficient M. rhizoxinica in side hyphae. High-resolution live imaging showed the formation of septa at the base of infected hyphae, leading to the entrapment of endobacteria. Using a LIVE/DEAD stain, we dem

SUBMITTER: Richter I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10337650 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature