Pathogen Trojan horse delivers bioactive host protein ZmMAC1 to alter maize (Zea mays) anther cell behavior in the male sterile mutant Zmmac1-1.

To determine if TH delivery of ZmMAC1 protein results not only in cytological but also molecular cell differentiation in Zmmac1-1, gene expression was determined using RNA sequencing of the infected anthers. There were four biological replicates of fertile anther infected with SG200 (F_SG200a/b/c/d) as control to show normal somatic niche and AR cell progression; two biologcial replicates of Zmmac1-1 sterile anthers infected with SG200 (mac1_SG200a/b) as negative controls lacking the somatic niche and overproducing AR cells; and four biological replicates of Zmmac1-1 sterile anthers infected with SG200 carrying ZmMAC1.