Phytophthora infestans RXLR effector AVR1 disturbs the growth of Physcomitrium patens without affecting Sec5 localization.

Plant pathogens often exploit a whole range of effectors to facilitate infection. The RXLR effector AVR1 produced by the oomycete plant pathogen Phytophthora infestans suppresses host defense by targeting Sec5. Sec5 is a subunit of the exocyst, a protein complex that is important for mediating polarized exocytosis during plant development and defense against pathogens.