Effector gene silencing coordinated by histone methylation and small RNAs enhances host adaptation in a plant pathogen.

ABSTRACT: Pathogen adaptability driven by epigenetic processes remains poorly understood and poses a significant challenge to sustainable disease management. Histone 3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) and small RNA (sRNA)-mediated silencing of avirulence (Avr) genes are two major strategies that pathogens employ to evade recognition by host resistance (R) proteins. Here, we demonstrate that these two epigenetic mechanisms operate in a coordinated manner to silence Avr genes in the oomycete Phytophthora sojae. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of PsSu(z)12, a core component of the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), abolished H3K27me3 deposition at Avr1b and Avr3a, leading to transcriptional reactivation and loss of avirulence. Complementation with PsSu(z)12 restored H3K27me3 and silencing at Avr1b,

SUBMITTER: Wang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12781887 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature