Infectious diseases represent a significant threat to global crop production. To facilitate and maintain infection, plant pathogens secrete an array of proteins (termed effectors). Effectors are either delivered to the apoplast or translocated inside host cells, to modulate cellular processes. Plants have evolved resistance genes (R-genes) to defend against pathogen infection. R-genes encode effector-detecting resistance proteins (R-proteins) capable of inducing a strong immune response, known as effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Nudix (nucleoside diphosphate linked to moiety-X) hydrolase domains have been predicted in effectors from multiple fungal, oomycete, and bacterial plant pathogens. The putative Nudix hydrolase effectors were identified based on similarities wit h the Nudix-box consensus sequence (GX(5)EX(7)REUXEEXGU, where U is usually a hydrophobic residue and X is any amino acid). Nudix hydrolases typically hydrolyse nucleoside diphosphates bound to an additional moiety and substrate specificity is generally controlled by residues outside the Nudix-box. Here you can see a high resolution crystal structure of the homodimeric AvrM14-B Nudix hydrolase effector from Melampsora lini, the fungal causing agent of flax rust (PDB code: 8DPA)

#molecularart ... #immolecular... #pathogen ... #plant ... #fungus ... #effector .. #nudix ... #xray ... #hydrolase

Structure rendered with @proteinimaging and depicted with @corelphotopaint