A chitin deacetylase PsCDA2 from Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici confers disease pathogenicity by suppressing chitin-triggered immunity in wheat.

Plants have the ability to recognize the essential chitin molecule present in the fungal cell wall, which stimulates the immune response. Phytopathogenic fungi have developed various strategies to inhibit the chitin-triggered immune response. Here, we identified a chitin deacetylase of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), known as PsCDA2, that was induced during the initial invasion of wheat and acted as an inhibitor of plant cell death. Knockdown of PsCDA2 in wheat enhanced its resistance against Pst, highlighting the significance of PsCDA2 in the host-pathogen interaction. Moreover, PsCDA2 can protect Pst urediniospores from being damaged by host chitinase in vitro. PsCDA2 also suppressed the basal chitin-induced plant immune response, including the accumulation of callose and the expression of defence genes. Overall, our results demonstrate that Pst secretes PsCDA2 as a chitin deacetylase involved in establishing infection and modifying the acetyl group to prevent the breakdown of chitin in the cell wall by host endogenous chitinases. Our research unveils a mechanism by which the fungus suppresses plant immunity, further contributing to the understanding of wheat stripe rust control. This information could have significant implications for the development of suitable strategies for protecting crops against the devastating effects of this disease.