Fungal-induced protein hyperacetylation in maize identified by acetylome profiling

Significance How pathogens manipulate host cellular machinery to enable infection is a major question in biology. The ability of Cochliobolus carbonum race 1 to infect susceptible corn plants relies on production of HC-toxin (HCT). While it is known that HC-toxin is a histone deacetylase inhibitor, knowledge of how HCT actually promotes virulence has remained elusive. Here, we use mass spectrometry to quantify protein abundance and levels of protein acetylation in HCT-treated or pathogen-infected plants. These analyses revealed that the activity of plant-encoded enzymes can be modulated to alter both histone and nonhistone protein acetylation during a susceptible interaction and suggest that virulent C. carbonum utilizes HCT to reprogram the transcriptional response to infection, resulting in an ineffective defense response.