{
  "abstract": "The root microbiome includes fungal pathogens capable of colonizing multiple plant hosts, yet the underlying genetic determinants remain unknown. Here we report that Plectosphaerella cucumerina is a core member of the Arabidopsis thaliana root microbiota, which displays pathogenic potential across multiple hosts. Using a collection of 72 Plectosphaerella isolates and whole-genome sequencing, we observed subtle phenotypic and genotypic variation associated with fungal phylogeny but not host plant identity. Transcriptome profiling of a P. cucumerina isolate in roots of diverse plants revealed core and host-specific fungal responses, including induction of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) involved in root cell wall deconstruction. A fungal gene encoding a candidate β-1,3-glucanase (GH64) was identified as a key genetic factor driving multihost infection. This gene is present across plant-colonizing fungi and functions as a disease determinant in both P. cucumerina and a Colletotrichum root pathogen. Our results indicate that host-induced CAZymes can couple fungal virulence with multihost compatibility.\n\nRoot mycobiota members can establish beneficial relationships with plants but also conditionally cause diseases or hamper plant performance 1-3 . Several core fungal taxa that reproducibly colonize roots of healthy plants are harmful under laboratory conditions 4-6 , illustrating that the pathogenic lifestyle of several root mycobiota members is often kept at bay in nature. In Arabidopsis thaliana, it has been reported that the protective activity of bacterial root commensals is as important as the innate immune branch involving tryptophan-derived specialized metabolites for controlling fungi in roots 2,6-8 , thereby maintaining microbial interkingdom balance for plant health 9 .\n\nGiven that soil and root-associated fungal communities are extensively shaped by the local climatic, edaphic and host conditions 10-12 , high endemism in fungal communities has been repeatedly reported 13 . Widespread fungal root colonizers appear particularly successful due to their ability to efficiently disperse, infect multiple hosts and plastically adapt to various environmental conditions 14 . However, the underlying molecular mechanisms enabling adaptation to a broad range of hosts and environments in root mycobiota members remain unknown.\n\nPlant-associated fungi produce remarkable cocktails of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) that facilitate fungal entry",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 28,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Ram-Sevak Raja-Kumar"
    },
    {
      "name": "Fantin Mesny"
    },
    {
      "name": "Arpan Kumar Basak"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jacy Newfeld"
    },
    {
      "name": "Guillaume Chesneau"
    },
    {
      "name": "Frederickson Entila"
    },
    {
      "name": "Tak Lee"
    },
    {
      "name": "Linda Rigerte"
    },
    {
      "name": "Stephanie Carvajal Acevedo"
    },
    {
      "name": "Bruno Hüttel"
    },
    {
      "name": "Pedro W Crous"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jose G Maciá-Vicente"
    },
    {
      "name": "Helen Stewart"
    },
    {
      "name": "Matthew Ryan"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ahmad M Fakhoury"
    },
    {
      "name": "Soledad Sacristán"
    },
    {
      "name": "Meriem Aitouguinane"
    },
    {
      "name": "Isabelle Batisson"
    },
    {
      "name": "Stefano Dumontet"
    },
    {
      "name": "Wade H Elmer"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jana Henzelyová"
    },
    {
      "name": "Joanna S Kruszewska"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jessica M Nelson"
    },
    {
      "name": "Cara M Santelli"
    },
    {
      "name": "Markus Pauly"
    },
    {
      "name": "Antonio Molina"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kei Hiruma"
    },
    {
      "name": "Stéphane Hacquard"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/248fpfy8zaz3w.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41564-026-02492-3",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "248fpfy8zaz3w",
  "issns": [
    "2058-5276",
    "2058-5276"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://hal.science/hal-05805653v1",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "hal",
      "0.sde"
    ],
    [
      "hal",
      "0.sdv"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1307|Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7215061420",
  "pdf_url": "https://hal.science/hal-05805653/document",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "Nature Publishing Group",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/248fpfy8zaz3w.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:59Z",
      "native_id": "hal-05805653",
      "source": "hal",
      "url": "https://hal.science/hal-05805653v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "hal:0.sdv",
      "subfield": "general"
    },
    {
      "field": "earth",
      "origin": "hal:0.sde",
      "subfield": "environmental-science"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Carbohydrate-active enzymes from a core root mycobiota member enable infection of multiple plant hosts",
  "title_text": "Carbohydrate-active enzymes from a core root mycobiota member enable infection of multiple plant hosts",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:59Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/248fpfy8zaz3w",
  "venue": "Nature Microbiology",
  "versions": []
}