Phytopathogens Reprogram Host Alternative mRNA Splicing

Abstract

Alternative splicing (AS) is an evolutionarily conserved cellular process in eukaryotes in which multiple messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts are produced from a single gene. The concept that AS adds to transcriptome complexity and proteome diversity introduces a new perspective for understanding how phytopathogen-induced alterations in host AS cause diseases. Recently, it has been recognized that AS represents an integral component of the plant immune system during parasitic, commensalistic, and symbiotic interactions. Here, I provide an overview of recent progress detailing the reprogramming of plant AS by phytopathogens and the functional implications on disease phenotypes. Additionally, I discuss the vital function of AS of immune receptors in regulating plant immunity and how phytopathogens use effector proteins to target key components of the splicing machinery and exploit alternatively spliced variants of immune regulators to negate defense responses. Finally, the functional association between AS and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay in the context of plant–pathogen interface is recapitulated.