Yanfeng Wang ,# Cong Liu ,# Yuanyang Qin ,Yuanyuan Du ,Chao Song ,Zhensheng Kang ,Jia Guo ,* Jun Guo ,*Stripe rust effector Pst03724 modulates host immunity by inhibiting NAD kinase activation by a calmodulin,Plant  Physiology ,2024, https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiae112.

Abstract

Puccinia striiformis  f. sp.  tritici ( Pst ) secretes effector proteins that enter plant cells to manipulate host immune processes. In this report, we present an important Pst  effector, Pst03724, whose mRNA expression level increases during  Pst  infection of wheat ( Triticum aestivum ). Silencing of  Pst03724  reduced the growth and development of  Pst . Pst03724 targeted the wheat calmodulin TaCaM3-2B, a positive regulator of wheat immunity. Subsequent investigations revealed that Pst03724 interferes with the TaCaM3-2B–NAD kinase (NADK) TaNADK2 association and thus inhibits the enzyme activity of TaNADK2 activated by TaCaM3-2B. Knocking down  TaNADK2  expression by virus-mediated gene silencing significantly increased fungal growth and development, suggesting a decrease in resistance against  Pst infection. In conclusion, our findings indicate that Pst effector Pst03724 inhibits the activity of NADK by interfering with the TaCaM3-2B–TaNADK2 association, thereby facilitating  Pst  infection.