Functional analysis of effector proteins of the vascular wilt fungus Verticillium dahliae

Samenvatting

Pathogen effector proteins play pivotal roles in disease establishment. Consequently, investigation of their biochemical activities is paramount for the understanding of the molecular basis of plant pathogenesis. During my doctoral studies, I conducted research to gain insight into the functions of three effector proteins that are secreted by the vascular wilt pathogen Verticillium dahliae during host colonization. The findings presented in my thesis indicate that V. dahliae effectors target highly diverse components of plant physiology, namely development, hormonal signaling and particular inhabitants of the root microbiota. Interestingly, although unrelated, these components are ancient and conserved in plants. Presumably, targeting of conserved processes could enable these effectors to exert their roles in various V. dahliae hosts and constitute at least one of the molecular bases that underlie its ability to infect a broad range of plant species.