Defense Mechanisms of Cotton Fusarium and Verticillium Wilt and Comparison of Pathogenic Response in Cotton and Humans
Mingwu Man, Yaqian Zhu, Lulu Liu, Lei Luo, Xinpei Han, Lu Qiu, Fuguang Li, Maozhi Ren, Yadi Xing
Abstract
Cotton is an important economic crop. Fusarium and Verticillium are the primary pathogenic fungi that threaten both the quality and sustainable production of cotton. As an opportunistic pathogen, Fusarium causes various human diseases, including fungal keratitis, which is the most common. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study and clarify the resistance mechanisms of cotton and humans toward Fusarium in order to mitigate, or eliminate, its harm. Herein, we first discuss the resistance and susceptibility mechanisms of cotton to Fusarium and Verticillium wilt and classify associated genes based on their functions. We then outline the characteristics and pathogenicity of Fusarium and describe the multiple roles of human neutrophils in limiting hyphal growth. Finally, we comprehensively compare the similarities and differences between animal and plant resistance to Fusarium and put forward new insights into novel strategies for cotton disease resistance breeding and treatment of Fusarium infection in humans.