Molecular basis of plant susceptibility mediated by microbe-derived vesicles.

Infection success of pathogens depends on immune suppression upon delivery of virulence factors into host cells. Extracellular membrane vesicles (MVs) are important structures in bacterial virulence. Yet, their role in the infection of plants by phytopathogens is not understood. We found that MVs from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato promote explorative growth of the bacterium to colonize distant tissues. Consistently, MVs suppress pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) suggesting the delivery of virulence-associated MV cargoes. Building on MV proteome data, we will investigate host cell translocation of MV cargoes and aim at identifying host targets. Finally, we will evaluate the role of these host targets in anti-bacterial immunity in both model and crop plants.