AUTHOR=Sharma Manisha , Fuertes Diana , Perez-Gil Jordi , Lois L. Maria 

TITLE=SUMOylation in Phytopathogen Interactions: Balancing Invasion and Resistance

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2021.703795

DOI=10.3389/fcell.2021.703795

ISSN=2296-634X

ABSTRACT=Plants are constantly confronted by multitude of biotic stresses involving a myriad of pathogens. In crops, pathogen infestation results in significant agronomical losses worldwide posing a threat to food security. In order to enter plant tissues, phytopathogens have to surpass several physical and chemical defense barriers for establishing successful infections. In the last years, post-translational modification (PTM) mechanisms have emerged as key players in plant defense to pathogens. PTMs allow a highly dynamic and rapid response in front of external challenges, increasing the complexity and precision of cellular responses. In particular, the role of PTMs, such as phosphorylation, ubiquitylation, SUMOylation, nitrosylation and glycosylation, has been well established in plant immunity. In this review, we focus on the role of SUMOylation in plant immunity. In plants, SUMO regulates multiple biological processes, ranging from development to responses to environmental challenges, offering novel opportunities for improving agricultural productivity. During pathogen attack, SUMO modulates the activity of plant defense components, but it also serves as a target of pathogen effectors, highlighting its wide role in plant immunity. Here, we summarize known pathogenic strategies targeting plant SUMOylation and the consequences of SUMO conjugation to plant proteins in plant resistance to bacteria, fungi and viruses, and we discuss key aspects contributing to some controversial results.