Epigenetic regulation on fungal disease affecting plant-based food: A review from the perspectives of host, pathogen and their interactions

Fungal diseases of plant-based food cause substantial loss in food availability and financial profits as well as security concern. It is absolutely imperative to understand the pathogenesis and manage fungal diseases of crop plants. In recent years, increasing body of evidence showed that epigenetic regulation acts a key role in modulating plant immune responses during fungal infection on plant hosts. We reviewed current progress on epigenetic regulation mechanisms underlying fungal infection and offered an in-depth view of how epigenetic regulation efficiently manipulated plant immune responses. We mainly focused on the role of DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin structures, and non-coding RNAs in fungal pathogenicity. In detail, the roles of these epigenetic modifications in plant response to fungal infection, fungal virulence on plant hosts, and effector-mediated phytopathogenic fungus-host interactions were summarized. These epigenetic modifications provided a dynamic and reversible mechanism for pathogens to adapt to host environments and evade plant defenses. Based on the knowledge of how fungal effectors subvert plant host immunity or defense system through epigenetic regulation, the possible application of epigenetic mechanism-based disease management strategies was proposed, including artificial intelligence based methods. Further investigation on necrotic effectors and their host targets will expand our knowledge of fungal pathogenesis as well as plant resistance. In addition, we highlighted the possible role of effectors in the complex interactions between plant immunity, microbial pathogenesis, and the environment, with the goal of designing adaptation strategies in dynamically changing environments.