Prediction of Fungal Proteins Secreted through Non-Classical Pathways

Abstract

The Microbotryum genus of smut fungi is known to parasitize flowering plants by colonizing the plant host and ultimately replacing pollen with fungal spores, which continues the transmission process with the help of pollinators to disperse spores A hallmark of this genus of fungi is host specialization wherein one fungal species is only capable of infecting one species of plant host However, there are rare generalists that flout this pattern and one of those generalists, Microbotryum intermedium is the subject of this analysis. The life cycle of Microbotryum intermedium begins when a pollinator transmits spores to an uninfected flower Meiosis and conjugation take place, and are followed by systemic infection of the plant by the fungu