LysM effectors: secreted proteins supporting fungal life

Interestingly, the singular LysM domain of Ecp6 that is not involved in the intramolecular composite binding site (LysM2) also contains a functional chitin-binding site (Figure 1), and has the capacity to perturb chitin-induced immunity [12], [15]. Since the chitin-binding affinity of this singular LysM domain is significantly lower than that of the composite binding site, it is unlikely to deregulate chitin-induced immunity merely by chitin oligosaccharide sequestration. Since LysM effectors produced by the wheat blotch fungus Mycosphaerella graminicola and the rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae, Mg3LysM and Slp1 respectively, similarly suppress chitin-triggered immunity, it seems that deregulation of chitin-triggered immunity is an important function of LysM effectors [17], [18].