Fungal pathogens secrete effectors that suppress the hypersensitive response (HR) of the host, characterised by programmed cell death, facilitating colonisation. However, how effectors manipulate host cell death remains poorly understood. In this study, we discovered that the Puccinia striiformis effector PNPi (Puccinia NPR1 interactor) suppressed BAX-induced cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana. This virulence was mediated by the FtsN domain of PNPi, and an enhanced suppression effect was observed when Ser