Plant fungal pathogens secrete numerous proteins into the apoplast at the plant–fungus contact sites to facilitate colonization. However, only a few secretory proteins were functionally characterized in Magnaporthe oryzae, the fungal pathogen causing rice blast disease worldwide. Asparagine-linked glycosylation 3 (Alg3) is an α-1,3-mannosyltransferase functioning in the N-glycan synthesis of N-glycosylated secretory proteins. Fungal pathogenicity and cell wall integrity are impaired in Δalg3 mutants, but the secreted proteins affected in Δalg3 mutants are largely unknown. In this study, we compared the secretome s of the wild-type strain and the Δalg3 mutant and identified 51 proteins that require Alg3 for proper secretion. These proteins were predicted to be involved in metabolic processes, interspecies interactions, cell wall organization, and response to chemicals. Nine proteins were selected for further validation. We found that these proteins were localized at the apoplastic region surrounding the fungal infection hyphae. Moreover, the N-glycosylation of these proteins was significantly changed in the Δalg3 mutant, leading to the decreased protein secretion and abnormal protein localization. Furthermore, we tested the biological functions of two genes, INV1 (encoding invertase 1, a secreted invertase) and AMCase (encoding acid mammalian chinitase, a secreted chitinase). The fungal virulence was significantly reduced, and the cell wall integrity was altered in the Δinv1 and Δamcase mutant strains. Moreover, the N-glycosylation was essential for the function and secretion of AMCase. Taken together, our study provides new insight into the role of N-glycosylated secretory proteins in fungal virulence and cell wall integrity.

Background: We aimed to evaluate the association between epilepsy and suicidality, including suicidal ideation, attempts and completed suicide.Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Online Library, and Clinicaltrials.gov from 1946 to June 21, 2021 and assessed the quality of the studies using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. We calculated the pooled OR and the crude rate for suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and completed suicide in patients with epilepsy (PWE).Results: We screened 2,786 studies and included 88 articles with 1,178,401 PWE and 6,900,657 participants as controls. Search terms included epilepsy and suicide. The pooled rates of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and completed suicide in PWE were 19.73% (95% CI: 17.00–22.62%), 5.96% (95% CI: 4.82–7.20%), and 0.24% (95% CI: 0.11–0.42%), respectively. Compared to the control group, PWE were at a significantly higher risk of total suicidality (pooled OR, 2.60; 95%: 2.13–3.18), including suicidal ideation (pooled OR, 2.70; 95% CI, 2.21–3.30), suicide attempts (pooled OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 2.08–3.61) and completed suicide (pooled OR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.45–3.83). Subgroup analyses showed significant differences in the subgroups of the measurement of suicidality.Conclusion: The rate of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and completed suicide in PWE were about 19.73, 5.96, and 0.24%. And there was an increased risk of suicidality in PWE especially temporal lobe epilepsy and drug-resistant epilepsy. Clinicians need to be aware of this risk in PWE with early identification and prevention at the time of diagnosis.Protocol Registration: PROSPERO CRD42021278220.

Vascular wilt, a disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), is highly destructive to bananas. Identifying genes that contribute to the fungus's virulence is crucial for understanding its pathogenesis. In this review, we provide an overview of recent research on genes involved in various aspects of Foc TR4's pathogenic process. These include signal recognition and transduction, the formation of cellular structures, regulation through microRNA and epigenetic mechanisms, effector secretion, and toxin secretion. We place a particular emphasis on discussing effectors that either facilitate virulence or serve as elicitors of host defense responses. Given the limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying Foc TR4 pathogenesis, summarizing the research on these functional genes is necessary and timely. Our integrative information will facilitate research on identification of more key genes involved in the invasiveness of Foc TR4, contributing to more systemic understanding of pathogenesis of this important pathogen. These findings will, in turn, offer potential targets for the development of effective fungicides or soil disinfectants to combat this devastating disease.

Cell wall polysaccharides play key roles in fungal development, virulence, and resistance to the plant immune system, and are synthesized from many nucleotide sugars in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐Golgi secretory system. Nucleotide sugar transporters (NSTs) are responsible for transporting cytosolic‐derived nucleotide sugars to the ER lumen for processing, but their roles in plant‐pathogenic fungi remain to be revealed. Here, we identified two important NSTs, NST1 and NST2 , in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae . Both NSTs were localized in the ER, which was consistent with a function in transporting nucleotide sugar for processing in the ER. Sugar transport property analysis suggested that NST1 is involved in transportation of mannose and glucose, while NST2 is only responsible for mannose transportation. Accordingly, deletion of NST s resulted in a significant decrease in corresponding soluble saccharides abundance and defect in sugar utilization. Moreover, both NST s played important roles in cell wall integrity, were involved in asexual development, and were required for full virulence. The NST mutants exhibited decreasing external glycoproteins and exposure of inner chitin, which resulted in activation of the host defence response. Altogether, our results revealed that two sugar transporters are required for fungal cell wall polysaccharides accumulation and full virulence of M. oryzae .

The fungal cell wall, a dynamic structure critical for pathogenesis, is composed of polysaccharides and proteins. UDP-glucose 4-epimerases (UGEs) play a pivotal role in cell wall synthesis by converting UDP-galactose between UDP-glucose. This study investigates the role of MoUGE1 in Magnaporthe oryzae pathogenesis and explores its potential as an antifungal target for fungal disease control. A lead inhibitor targeting MoUGE1 was identified through virtual screening. The aims of this study were to elucidate the role of MoUGE1 in M. oryzae during rice blast pathogenesis, assess its potential as an antifungal target, and identify potential MoUGE1 inhibitors through virtual screening to control rice blast. To analyses the role of MoUGE1 in M. oryzae, we generated Δuge1 mutants via split-PCR-mediated gene knockout. The impact of MoUGE1 on fungal growth, cell wall composition, and plant infection was assessed. Metabolomic analysis revealed the impact of MoUGE1 deletion on metabolic processes of rice blast. Structure-based virtual screening, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) used to find hit compounds inhibiting MoUGE1. The Δuge1 exhibited reduced mycelial growth, altered cell wall and cell membrane composition, and impaired plant infection. Metabolomic analysis and western blot revealed accumulation in UDP-galactose and alteration of N-glycosylation, leading to cell wall instability and increased sensitivity to cell wall stressors. Virtual screening identified lig122132 as a potential MoUGE1 inhibitor, which was further confirmed through MD simulation and SPR, showing stable binding to the MoUGE1. Our findings emphasize the significance of MoUGE1 in fungal cell wall integrity, appressorium function, and virulence in M. oryzae. Identifying MoUGE1 as a target for antifungal intervention provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of rice blast pathogenesis and paves the way for developing innovative strategies against this major agricultural disease. The potential MoUGE1 inhibitor, lig122132, is a promising starting point for the development of novel fungicides to control rice blast.

BACKGROUND: The development of biocontrol agents represents a promising strategy to manage banana Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 ( Foc TR4). Although many traditional approaches have isolated beneficial microorganisms from soil or the rhizosphere, studies seeking biocontrol resources from the perspective of banana root endophytes remain scarce. RESULTS: Endophytic microbiome analysis revealed significant enrichment of Bacillota in the wilt‐resistant cultivar. Among the isolated strains, Bacillus velezensis JDB15 exhibited the best inhibitory effect against Foc TR4. The fermentation broth of JDB15 significantly inhibited spore germination and caused hyphal membrane damage in pathogens. Mechanistic studies indicated that the lipopeptide surfactin C is a candidate active antimicrobial metabolite produced by JDB15, which disrupts pathogen cell membrane integrity, increases membrane permeability, and induces electrolyte leakage. Another isolated endophytic fungus, Trichoderma harzianum strain JDL4, also exhibited strong antagonistic activity against Foc TR4 probably through mycoparasitism. Combined application of cell‐free filtrate from JDB15 and JDL4 demonstrated effective control against multiple plant diseases including banana Fusarium wilt, tomato Fusarium wilt, corn southern leaf blight, and rice blast under controlled conditions. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the antimicrobial activity of JDB15 and JDL4 is most probably attributable to the metabolite surfactin C and likely mycoparasitism, respectively. Co‐application of the fermentation filtrates of these two strains exhibited broad‐spectrum disease control efficacy and significantly improved disease suppression compared with either strain alone. These findings provide novel biological agents for the control of banana Fusarium wilt and other plant diseases. © 2026 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.