In vivo insertion pool sequencing identifies virulence factors in a complex fungal-host interaction

PLoS Biol. 2018 Apr 23;16(4):e2005129. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2005129. eCollection 2018 Apr.

Abstract

Large-scale insertional mutagenesis screens can be powerful genome-wide tools if they are streamlined with efficient downstream analysis, which is a serious bottleneck in complex biological systems. A major impediment to the success of next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based screens for virulence factors is that the genetic material of pathogens is often underrepresented within the eukaryotic host, making detection extremely challenging. We therefore established insertion Pool-Sequencing (iPool-Seq) on maize infected with the biotrophic fungus U. maydis. iPool-Seq features tagmentation, unique molecular barcodes, and affinity purification of pathogen insertion mutant DNA from in vivo-infected tissues. In a proof of concept using iPool-Seq, we identified 28 virulence factors, including 23 that were previously uncharacterized, from an initial pool of 195 candidate effector mutants. Because of its sensitivity and quantitative nature, iPool-Seq can be applied to any insertional mutagenesis library and is especially suitable for genetically complex setups like pooled infections of eukaryotic hosts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • Expressed Sequence Tags
  • Gene Library
  • Genome, Fungal*
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing / methods*
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional / methods*
  • Mutation
  • Plant Diseases / microbiology
  • Ustilago / genetics*
  • Ustilago / metabolism
  • Ustilago / pathogenicity
  • Virulence
  • Virulence Factors / genetics*
  • Virulence Factors / metabolism
  • Zea mays / microbiology*

Substances

  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • Virulence Factors