The Infection Cushion: "A Fungal Weapon For Plant Biomass Destruction"?

Summary Grey mold disease affects fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants around the world, causing considerable losses every year. Its causing agent, the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea , produces infection cushions (IC) that are compound appressorial structures dedicated to the penetration of the plant tissues. A microarray analysis was performed to identify genes up-regulated in mature IC. The expression data were supported by RT-qPCR analysis performed in vitro and in planta , proteomic analysis of the IC secretome and mutagenesis of two candidate genes. 1,231 up-regulated genes and 79 up-accumulated proteins were identified. They highlight a secretion of ROS, secondary metabolites including phytotoxins, and proteins involved in virulence: proteases, plant cell wall degrading enzymes and necrosis inducers. The role in pathogenesis was confirmed for two up-regulated fasciclin genes. DHN-melanin pathway and chitin deacetylases genes are up-regulated and the conversion of chitin into chitosan was confirmed by differential staining of the IC cell wall. In addition, up-regulation of sugar transport and sugar catabolism encoding genes was found. These results support a role for the B. cinerea IC in plant penetration and suggest other unexpected roles for this fungal organ, in camouflage, necrotrophy or nutrition of the pathogen.