Secretion, delivery and function of oomycete effector proteins

► Oomycetes are serious pathogens of plants and animals and cause a tremendous amount of economic losses worldwide. ► Their infection is greatly aided by the secretion of effector proteins. ► These effector proteins can act on the outside (extracellular effectors) or inside (intracellular effectors) the host cell. ► The putative translocation mechanisms of the intracellular effectors are being discussed in detail. ► The function of most intracellular effectors is unknown but in some cases it has been shown that they can manipulate host immune responses.