Characterization of phytotoxin and secreted proteins identifies of Lasiodiplodia theobromae, causes of peach gummosis

Lasiodiplodia theobromae, a phytopathogenic fungus that causes peach gummosis, is considered one of the major constraints to peach production worldwide. Here, we report the characteristics of toxic metabolites and the proteomics investigation of the secreted proteins of L. theobromae from its in vitro culture. The phytotoxins of L. theobromae from the culture filtrate of Richard’s liquid medium showed high toxicity on peach current year shoots with large lesion diameter and high gum weight. The toxicity measurement showed that 23.6 and 21.2 mg gum were induced from peach shoots by solvent fractions of ethyl acetate and dichloromethane, respectively, with significant differences from other organic solvents. A total of 23 proteins were identified by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry from the in vitro secretome of L. theobromae. Sequence analysis indicated that 14 proteins were extracellular proteins based on signal peptides and localization. The expression profiles of the analyzed fungal genes were significantly upregulated from 1 day postinoculation (dpi) to 2 dpi, indicating that the early stage is an important stage for the infection of L. theobromae. The present study has provided insights into the extracellular phytotoxins and secreted proteins that are possibly associated with pathogenicity of the peach gummosis.