Virulence contribution and recognition of homologs of the Verticillium dahliae effector Ave1

Disease resistance in crops is an important aspect of securing global food security. Resistant plants carry immune receptors that sense pathogen invasion often through the recognition of important pathogen virulence factors, known as effectors. Thus, identification and characterization of effectors is important for the fundamental understanding of virulence mechanisms and to aid in resistance breeding. In this thesis the VdAve1 effector of the soil-borne fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae is studied that is recognized by tomato immune receptor Ve1. Homologs were found in other plant pathogens and the role in virulence in these pathogens was analyzed. Ave1 homologs are differentially recognized by Ve1 and with a combination of domain swaps and truncations a surface exposed patch was identified that contributes to the recognition by Ve1. Knowledge of specific effector-receptor combinations and knowledge of effectors in general can be exploited to aid in breeding for durable resistance in crops.