Fantin Mesny
@mesny.bsky.social
Post-doctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Marcel van der Heijden (University of Zürich, Switzerland).
Fungal biology | Soil & plant microbiota | Ecology & evolution | Plant-microbe-microbe interactions | Genomics | ...
Fungal biology | Soil & plant microbiota | Ecology & evolution | Plant-microbe-microbe interactions | Genomics | ...
Are the antimicrobial properties still relevant? Using a gnotobiotic system, we show that the Vd424Y effector contributes to colonization in presence of a plant-associated microbiota.
August 15, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Are the antimicrobial properties still relevant? Using a gnotobiotic system, we show that the Vd424Y effector contributes to colonization in presence of a plant-associated microbiota.
One of the 5 effectors, Vd424Y, carries a nuclear localization signal necessary for immunomodulation in planta. The NLS was only acquired recently. Thus, plant-colonizing fungi repurposed antimicrobials to suppress host immunity.
August 15, 2025 at 7:47 AM
One of the 5 effectors, Vd424Y, carries a nuclear localization signal necessary for immunomodulation in planta. The NLS was only acquired recently. Thus, plant-colonizing fungi repurposed antimicrobials to suppress host immunity.
Strikingly, among most conserved antimicrobials, many effectors previously shown to manipulate plant immunity occurred. We selected 5 and all of them antagonized microbial growth in vitro!
August 15, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Strikingly, among most conserved antimicrobials, many effectors previously shown to manipulate plant immunity occurred. We selected 5 and all of them antagonized microbial growth in vitro!
The broad conservation of fungal antimicrobials suggests ancient origins. Of course, fungi roamed the earth and competed with other microbes before land plants or animals existed. Ancient weapons worth keeping during evolution?
August 15, 2025 at 7:47 AM
The broad conservation of fungal antimicrobials suggests ancient origins. Of course, fungi roamed the earth and competed with other microbes before land plants or animals existed. Ancient weapons worth keeping during evolution?
With AMAPEC, we now analyzed phylogenetically diverse fungi with divergent lifestyles and found that fungi secrete lots of antimicrobials. Interestingly, quite some are widely conserved throughout the Fungal Kingdom.
August 15, 2025 at 7:47 AM
With AMAPEC, we now analyzed phylogenetically diverse fungi with divergent lifestyles and found that fungi secrete lots of antimicrobials. Interestingly, quite some are widely conserved throughout the Fungal Kingdom.
The broad conservation of fungal antimicrobials suggests ancient origins. Of course, fungi roamed the earth and competed with other microbes before land plants or animals existed. Ancient weapons worth keeping during evolution?
August 15, 2025 at 6:42 AM
The broad conservation of fungal antimicrobials suggests ancient origins. Of course, fungi roamed the earth and competed with other microbes before land plants or animals existed. Ancient weapons worth keeping during evolution?
With AMAPEC, we now analyzed phylogenetically diverse fungi with divergent lifestyles and found that fungi secrete lots of antimicrobials. Interestingly, quite some are widely conserved throughout the Fungal Kingdom.
August 15, 2025 at 6:42 AM
With AMAPEC, we now analyzed phylogenetically diverse fungi with divergent lifestyles and found that fungi secrete lots of antimicrobials. Interestingly, quite some are widely conserved throughout the Fungal Kingdom.
Finally, @adnroide.bsky.social presented his PhD work on receptor engineering by introducing pikobody domains in NLR proteins. This approach allowed him to generate potato plants that can recognize the effector Avrblb2 of Phytophtora infestans.
July 20, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Finally, @adnroide.bsky.social presented his PhD work on receptor engineering by introducing pikobody domains in NLR proteins. This approach allowed him to generate potato plants that can recognize the effector Avrblb2 of Phytophtora infestans.
Independent researcher @ccilelorrain.bsky.social presented how she used GWAS in the field to identify multiple novel effectors of Zymoseptoria tritici, which could be validated experimentally!
July 20, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Independent researcher @ccilelorrain.bsky.social presented how she used GWAS in the field to identify multiple novel effectors of Zymoseptoria tritici, which could be validated experimentally!
Great presentation (and poster!) by @anikadamm.bsky.social, describing two nematode transcription factors that regulate effector gene expression at different infection stages.
July 20, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Great presentation (and poster!) by @anikadamm.bsky.social, describing two nematode transcription factors that regulate effector gene expression at different infection stages.
Young group leader Talia Karasov (University of Utah) gave an insightful plenary talk, showing that the genomes of Pseudomonas pathogens encode highly specific tailocins that drive intra-genus competition between pathogens. Non-pathogens seem mostly safe!
July 20, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Young group leader Talia Karasov (University of Utah) gave an insightful plenary talk, showing that the genomes of Pseudomonas pathogens encode highly specific tailocins that drive intra-genus competition between pathogens. Non-pathogens seem mostly safe!
Trang Phan (@zmbp-tuebingen.bsky.social) found that a Xanthomonas pathogen activates the expression in Citrus leaves of a fruit ripening enzyme that digests leaf xylan, which consequently triggers T2SS effector secretion.
July 20, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Trang Phan (@zmbp-tuebingen.bsky.social) found that a Xanthomonas pathogen activates the expression in Citrus leaves of a fruit ripening enzyme that digests leaf xylan, which consequently triggers T2SS effector secretion.
Great talk by @racquelsingh.bsky.social who presented how she dissects sequence variation in conserved "Hrp box" promoters of T3SS effector genes in Pseudomonas syringae.
July 20, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Great talk by @racquelsingh.bsky.social who presented how she dissects sequence variation in conserved "Hrp box" promoters of T3SS effector genes in Pseudomonas syringae.
My poster is up at #2025ISMPMI. Come by P-372 Thursday afternoon if you are interested in fungal evolution, effectors and microbial competitions!
More research by @teamthomma.bsky.social at P-091, P-170, P-299, P-317, P-337 and P-388.
More research by @teamthomma.bsky.social at P-091, P-170, P-299, P-317, P-337 and P-388.
July 16, 2025 at 6:27 AM
My poster is up at #2025ISMPMI. Come by P-372 Thursday afternoon if you are interested in fungal evolution, effectors and microbial competitions!
More research by @teamthomma.bsky.social at P-091, P-170, P-299, P-317, P-337 and P-388.
More research by @teamthomma.bsky.social at P-091, P-170, P-299, P-317, P-337 and P-388.
Happy to be back in Cologne for #2025ISMPMI !
July 13, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Happy to be back in Cologne for #2025ISMPMI !
The Swiss Mycology Symposium is getting started at @wslresearch.bsky.social in Birmensdorf!
June 27, 2025 at 7:34 AM
The Swiss Mycology Symposium is getting started at @wslresearch.bsky.social in Birmensdorf!
Starting two days of symposium on machine learning uses in plant and environmental sciences @ethzurich.bsky.social with a great keynote by Prof. Jan Dirk Wegner.
Impressive use of climate and satellite data to predict tree phenology, species distribution and canopy height!
Impressive use of climate and satellite data to predict tree phenology, species distribution and canopy height!
March 13, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Starting two days of symposium on machine learning uses in plant and environmental sciences @ethzurich.bsky.social with a great keynote by Prof. Jan Dirk Wegner.
Impressive use of climate and satellite data to predict tree phenology, species distribution and canopy height!
Impressive use of climate and satellite data to predict tree phenology, species distribution and canopy height!
Time to move on!
Heading to Zürich🇨🇭 where I will join the group of @mvanderheijden.bsky.social for my second post-doc.
I am very thankful for my time with @teamthomma.bsky.social at the University of Cologne. I learned a lot and cannot wait to share more of our findings soon.
So long Köln…
Heading to Zürich🇨🇭 where I will join the group of @mvanderheijden.bsky.social for my second post-doc.
I am very thankful for my time with @teamthomma.bsky.social at the University of Cologne. I learned a lot and cannot wait to share more of our findings soon.
So long Köln…
January 31, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Time to move on!
Heading to Zürich🇨🇭 where I will join the group of @mvanderheijden.bsky.social for my second post-doc.
I am very thankful for my time with @teamthomma.bsky.social at the University of Cologne. I learned a lot and cannot wait to share more of our findings soon.
So long Köln…
Heading to Zürich🇨🇭 where I will join the group of @mvanderheijden.bsky.social for my second post-doc.
I am very thankful for my time with @teamthomma.bsky.social at the University of Cologne. I learned a lot and cannot wait to share more of our findings soon.
So long Köln…
Today, in my region of origin, there was not only a truffle market, but also a fascinating talk by Prof. Marc-André Selosse on the ecology and biology of Tuber fungi.
Impressive how his group used population genetics to decipher the sexual reproduction that results in truffles!
Impressive how his group used population genetics to decipher the sexual reproduction that results in truffles!
December 22, 2024 at 5:23 PM
Today, in my region of origin, there was not only a truffle market, but also a fascinating talk by Prof. Marc-André Selosse on the ecology and biology of Tuber fungi.
Impressive how his group used population genetics to decipher the sexual reproduction that results in truffles!
Impressive how his group used population genetics to decipher the sexual reproduction that results in truffles!
So why does soilborne resistance to disease takes years to establish in the field, while plants can shape their microbiota within days during their development? Maybe because pathogen weapons interfere with the recruitment of protective microbes!
(Thanks Reviewer 1 for the hint)
(Thanks Reviewer 1 for the hint)
September 5, 2024 at 8:47 AM
So why does soilborne resistance to disease takes years to establish in the field, while plants can shape their microbiota within days during their development? Maybe because pathogen weapons interfere with the recruitment of protective microbes!
(Thanks Reviewer 1 for the hint)
(Thanks Reviewer 1 for the hint)
Additionally to the evolutionary arms race in which plants try to intercept microbial pathogens that employ effectors to avoid or overcome recognition, we argue that host-pathogen co-evolution likely involves arms races within the host-associated microbiota.
September 5, 2024 at 8:45 AM
Additionally to the evolutionary arms race in which plants try to intercept microbial pathogens that employ effectors to avoid or overcome recognition, we argue that host-pathogen co-evolution likely involves arms races within the host-associated microbiota.
Effectors with such activities generally seem to target antagonist microbiota members, recruited by the plant to form a second defense layer against pathogens.
They have been reported in multiple phyla, and according to our predictions, they may be numerous in fungal secretomes.
They have been reported in multiple phyla, and according to our predictions, they may be numerous in fungal secretomes.
September 5, 2024 at 8:43 AM
Effectors with such activities generally seem to target antagonist microbiota members, recruited by the plant to form a second defense layer against pathogens.
They have been reported in multiple phyla, and according to our predictions, they may be numerous in fungal secretomes.
They have been reported in multiple phyla, and according to our predictions, they may be numerous in fungal secretomes.
NEW REVIEW OUT
Fungal pathogens (in fact, not only fungi and not only pathogens!) manipulate the microbiota of their plant hosts during infection.
We reviewed the processes involved, focusing on effector proteins with selective antimicrobial activities.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Fungal pathogens (in fact, not only fungi and not only pathogens!) manipulate the microbiota of their plant hosts during infection.
We reviewed the processes involved, focusing on effector proteins with selective antimicrobial activities.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
September 5, 2024 at 8:42 AM
NEW REVIEW OUT
Fungal pathogens (in fact, not only fungi and not only pathogens!) manipulate the microbiota of their plant hosts during infection.
We reviewed the processes involved, focusing on effector proteins with selective antimicrobial activities.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Fungal pathogens (in fact, not only fungi and not only pathogens!) manipulate the microbiota of their plant hosts during infection.
We reviewed the processes involved, focusing on effector proteins with selective antimicrobial activities.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I spent the last 2 weeks at the TSL Summer Conference in Norwich (@thesainsburylab.bsky.social).
So thankful I got to be part of this!
The last two weeks were very insightful, inspiring and fun 🌱
Hoping that our group of ECRs will stay in touch and meet again!
So thankful I got to be part of this!
The last two weeks were very insightful, inspiring and fun 🌱
Hoping that our group of ECRs will stay in touch and meet again!
July 28, 2024 at 11:08 AM
I spent the last 2 weeks at the TSL Summer Conference in Norwich (@thesainsburylab.bsky.social).
So thankful I got to be part of this!
The last two weeks were very insightful, inspiring and fun 🌱
Hoping that our group of ECRs will stay in touch and meet again!
So thankful I got to be part of this!
The last two weeks were very insightful, inspiring and fun 🌱
Hoping that our group of ECRs will stay in touch and meet again!
Had a very nice time at the EMBL-COS "Plant macro- and microbiomes" workshop in Heidelberg!
Great research and interesting discussions. Happy I could present my results about the evolution of fungal effectors with antimicrobial activity.
Great research and interesting discussions. Happy I could present my results about the evolution of fungal effectors with antimicrobial activity.
May 15, 2024 at 2:49 PM
Had a very nice time at the EMBL-COS "Plant macro- and microbiomes" workshop in Heidelberg!
Great research and interesting discussions. Happy I could present my results about the evolution of fungal effectors with antimicrobial activity.
Great research and interesting discussions. Happy I could present my results about the evolution of fungal effectors with antimicrobial activity.