Lipid-mediated signaling between fungi and plants

Abstract

Lipid-mediated inter-kingdom signaling in plant-fungal interactions is the exchange of molecules between plants and fungal pathogens and symbiotes. Recently these interactions were implicated in determining whether inter-organismal interactions result in parasitism, symbiosis or commencialism. Lipids constitute a very large group of structurally diverse molecules that have diverse functions in cell metabolism. One group of lipids, oxygenated lipids (oxylipins), is gaining increased interest as molecular signals that orchestrate a myriad of metabolic processes in both plants and fungi. Growing momentum implicates these metabolites as key players during the signal exchange between different interacting organisms. Recent studies have revealed oxylipins as key regulators of sporulation and secondary metabolite production while others have discovered their roles in manipulating plant metabolism and defense responses for the advantage of fungal and other pathogens. The focus of this chapter is to describe recent advances in our understanding of oxylipin-mediated signal communication between fungi and plants, highlighting pathogenic systems.