Genomic and Functional Analysis of Carbohydrate Esterases in the Maize Pathogen Exserohilum rostratum

<i>Exserohilum rostratum</i> is a causal agent of severe maize leaf spot, posing a threat to maize production. Carbohydrate esterase (CE) can catalyze the removal of acyl modifications from plant cell wall polysaccharides, thereby promoting polysaccharide hydrolysis. A total of 87 <i>CE</i> genes were identified in the <i>E. rostratum</i> ER1 genome. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the <i>E. rostratum CE</i> (<i>ErCE</i>) genes, including physicochemical properties, structural features, promoter cis-acting regulatory elements, and functional analysis. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that more than half of ErCEs were located extracellular. ErCEs contain abundant conserved domains, indicating functional diversity of these proteins. The promoter region of <i>ErCE</i> genes contains a rich variety of cis-acting regulatory elements related to plant hormone regulation, stress response, and developmental processes. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that <i>ErCE</i> genes are predominantly involved in metabolic pathways. In addition, the expression pattern revealed significant changes in <i>ErCE</i> genes during <i>E. rostratum</i> infection, indicating that they play an important role in pathogen invasion and lesion expansion. Overall, this study elucidated the structural characteristics and expression patterns of the <i>CE</i> genes in <i>E. rostratum</i>, providing conditions for further exploration of their roles in fungal pathogenesis and laying the foundation for the improvement of sustainable agricultural systems using related genes.