Bacteria use P-body condensates to attenuate host translation during infection
- Manuel González-Fuente
- Nico Schulz
- Alibek Abdrakhmanov
- Thorben Krüger
- Gaiea Izzati
- Shanshuo Zhu
- Gautier Langin
- Paul Gouguet
- Mirita Franz-Wachtel
- Boris Macek
- Anders Hafrén
- Yasin Dagdas
- Suayib Üstün
2026-04-24
Pathogens use sophisticated strategies to modulate host protein homeostasis by targeting proteolytic pathways, but their impact on protein synthesis remains elusive. We report that pathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas syringae ( Pst ) targets ribonucleoprotein condensates, known as processing bodies (P-bodies), to attenuate host translation through two effectors with liquid-like properties. We uncovered a previously unknown link that Pst -mediated repression of the endoplasmic reticulum stress response is required for P-body assembly. Furthermore, we identify a functional link between P-bodies and autophagy, demonstrating that autophagic clearance of P-bodies is crucial for maintaining the balance between translationally active and inactive messenger RNAs. Together, our findings provide insights on how host translation is attenuated by bacteria to dampen plant immunity and uncover unknown connections between ER stress responses and autophagy with P-body dynamics.