Combinatorial cis-regulatory elements shape temporal effector expression in Ustilago maydis.

ABSTRACT: Plant-pathogenic fungi secrete small proteins, termed effectors, to reprogramme host metabolism and suppress immune responses during infection. Although transcriptional waves of effector expression have been described in several pathosystems, the cis-regulatory elements underlying their temporal coordination remain largely unknown. Here, we investigate the temporal regulation of effector genes in the biotrophic smut fungus Ustilago maydis, a model organism for fungal plant pathogenesis. By integrating transcriptome reanalysis with comparative promoter motif enrichment across biotrophic fungi, we identify distinct promoter motifs associated with defined infection phases. In U. maydis, three candidate cis-regulatory elements correlate with early, proliferative and late infection stages, resp

SUBMITTER: Saridis G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC13635618 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature