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Yang S, Sun J, Xue A, Li G, Sun C, Hou J, Qin QM, Zhang M. Novel Botrytis cinerea Zn(II) 2Cys 6 Transcription Factor BcFtg1 Enhances the Virulence of the Gray Mold Fungus by Promoting Organic Acid Secretion and Carbon Source Utilization. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:18824-18839. [PMID: 39140189 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c03014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
The Zn(II)2Cys6 zinc cluster protein family comprises a subclass of zinc-finger proteins that serve as transcriptional regulators involved in a diverse array of fugal biological processes. However, the roles and mechanisms of the Zn(II)2Cys6 transcription factors in mediating Botrytis cinerea, a necrotrophic fungus that causes gray mold in over 1000 plant species, development and virulence remain obscure. Here, we demonstrate that a novel B. cinerea pathogenicity-associated factor BcFTG1 (fungal transcription factor containing the GAL4 domain), identified from a virulence-attenuated mutant M20162 from a B. cinerea T-DNA insertion mutant library, plays an important role in oxalic acid (OA) secretion, carbon source absorption and cell wall integrity. Loss of BcFTG1 compromises the ability of the pathogen to secrete OA, absorb carbon sources, maintain cell wall integrity, and promote virulence. Our findings provide novel insights into fungal factors mediating the pathogenesis of the gray mold fungus via regulation of OA secretion, carbon source utilization and cell wall integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Yang
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
| | - Jiao Sun
- Engineering Research Center of Coal-Based Ecological Carbon Sequestration Technology of the Ministry of Education, Datong University, Datong, Shanxi 037009, China
| | - Aoran Xue
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
| | - Guihua Li
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
| | - Chenhao Sun
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
| | - Jie Hou
- Engineering Research Centre of Forestry Biotechnology of Jilin Province in Beihua University, Jilin 132013, China
| | - Qing-Ming Qin
- Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, The University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, United States
| | - Mingzhe Zhang
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
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2
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Park J, Lee HH, Moon H, Lee N, Kim S, Kim JE, Lee Y, Min K, Kim H, Choi GJ, Lee YW, Seo YS, Son H. A combined transcriptomic and physiological approach to understanding the adaptive mechanisms to cope with oxidative stress in Fusarium graminearum. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0148523. [PMID: 37671872 PMCID: PMC10581207 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01485-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In plant-pathogen interactions, oxidative bursts are crucial for plants to defend themselves against pathogen infections. Rapid production and accumulation of reactive oxygen species kill pathogens directly and cause local cell death, preventing pathogens from spreading to adjacent cells. Meanwhile, the pathogens have developed several mechanisms to tolerate oxidative stress and successfully colonize plant tissues. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms responsible for resistance to oxidative stress by analyzing the transcriptomes of six oxidative stress-sensitive strains of the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified several pathways related to oxidative stress responses, including the DNA repair system, autophagy, and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. We also identified hub genes with high intramodular connectivity in key modules and generated deletion or conditional suppression mutants. Phenotypic characterization of those mutants showed that the deletion of FgHGG4, FgHGG10, and FgHGG13 caused sensitivity to oxidative stress, and further investigation on those genes revealed that transcriptional elongation and DNA damage responses play roles in oxidative stress response and pathogenicity. The suppression of FgHGL7 also led to hypersensitivity to oxidative stress, and we demonstrated that FgHGL7 plays a crucial role in heme biosynthesis and is essential for peroxidase activity. This study increases the understanding of the adaptive mechanisms to cope with oxidative stress in plant pathogenic fungi. IMPORTANCE Fungal pathogens have evolved various mechanisms to overcome host-derived stresses for successful infection. Oxidative stress is a representative defense system induced by the host plant, and fungi have complex response systems to cope with it. Fusarium graminearum is one of the devastating plant pathogenic fungi, and understanding its pathosystem is crucial for disease control. In this study, we investigated adaptive mechanisms for coping with oxidative stress at the transcriptome level using oxidative stress-sensitive strains. In addition, by introducing genetic modification technique such as CRISPR-Cas9 and the conditional gene expression system, we identified pathways/genes required for resistance to oxidative stress and also for virulence. Overall, this study advances the understanding of the oxidative stress response and related mechanisms in plant pathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyeun Park
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Hee Lee
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Heeji Moon
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Nahyun Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sieun Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Eun Kim
- Research Institute of Climate Change and Agriculture, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, Jeju, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonji Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyunghun Min
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hun Kim
- Center for Eco-friendly New Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyung Ja Choi
- Center for Eco-friendly New Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yin-Won Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Su Seo
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Hokyoung Son
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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3
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Shao W, Sun K, Ma T, Jiang H, Hahn M, Ma Z, Jiao C, Yin Y. SUMOylation regulates low-temperature survival and oxidative DNA damage tolerance in Botrytis cinerea. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 238:817-834. [PMID: 36651012 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
SUMOylation as one of the protein post-translational modifications plays crucial roles in multiple biological processes of eukaryotic organisms. Botrytis cinerea is a devastating fungal pathogen and capable of infecting plant hosts at low temperature. However, the molecular mechanisms of low-temperature adaptation are largely unknown in fungi. Combining with biochemical methods and biological analyses, we report that SUMOylation regulates pathogen survival at low temperature and oxidative DNA damage response during infection in B. cinerea. The heat shock protein (Hsp70) BcSsb and E3 ubiquitin ligase BcRad18 were identified as substrates of SUMOylation; moreover, their SUMOylation both requires a single unique SUMO-interacting motif (SIM). SUMOylated BcSsb regulates β-tubulin accumulation, thereby affecting the stability of microtubules and consequently mycelial growth at low temperature. On the contrary, SUMOylated BcRad18 modulates mono-ubiquitination of the sliding clamp protein proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which is involved in response to oxidative DNA damage during infection. Our study uncovers the molecular mechanisms of SUMOylation-mediated low-temperature survival and oxidative DNA damage tolerance during infection in a devastating fungal pathogen, which provides novel insights into low-temperature adaptation and pathogenesis for postharvest pathogens as well as new targets for inhibitor invention in disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyong Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Kewei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Tianling Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Huixian Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Matthias Hahn
- Department of Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, PO Box 3049, 67653, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Zhonghua Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Chen Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yanni Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
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4
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Yu H, Yang H, Haridas S, Hayes RD, Lynch H, Andersen S, Newman M, Li G, Martínez-Soto D, Milo-Cochavi S, Hazal Ayhan D, Zhang Y, Grigoriev IV, Ma LJ. Conservation and Expansion of Transcriptional Factor Repertoire in the Fusarium oxysporum Species Complex. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:359. [PMID: 36983527 PMCID: PMC10056406 DOI: 10.3390/jof9030359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC) includes both plant and human pathogens that cause devastating plant vascular wilt diseases and threaten public health. Each F. oxysporum genome comprises core chromosomes (CCs) for housekeeping functions and accessory chromosomes (ACs) that contribute to host-specific adaptation. This study inspects global transcription factor profiles (TFomes) and their potential roles in coordinating CC and AC functions to accomplish host-specific interactions. Remarkably, we found a clear positive correlation between the sizes of TFomes and the proteomes of an organism. With the acquisition of ACs, the FOSC TFomes were larger than the other fungal genomes included in this study. Among a total of 48 classified TF families, 14 families involved in transcription/translation regulations and cell cycle controls were highly conserved. Among the 30 FOSC expanded families, Zn2-C6 and Znf_C2H2 were most significantly expanded to 671 and 167 genes per family including well-characterized homologs of Ftf1 (Zn2-C6) and PacC (Znf_C2H2) that are involved in host-specific interactions. Manual curation of characterized TFs increased the TFome repertoires by 3% including a disordered protein Ren1. RNA-Seq revealed a steady pattern of expression for conserved TF families and specific activation for AC TFs. Functional characterization of these TFs could enhance our understanding of transcriptional regulation involved in FOSC cross-kingdom interactions, disentangle species-specific adaptation, and identify targets to combat diverse diseases caused by this group of fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houlin Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - He Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Sajeet Haridas
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Richard D. Hayes
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Hunter Lynch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Sawyer Andersen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Madison Newman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Gengtan Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Domingo Martínez-Soto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Shira Milo-Cochavi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Dilay Hazal Ayhan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Igor V. Grigoriev
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94598, USA
| | - Li-Jun Ma
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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5
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Yu H, Yang H, Haridas S, Hayes RD, Lynch H, Andersen S, Li G, Mart Nez-Soto D, Milo-Cochavi S, Hazal Ayhan D, Zhang Y, Grigoriev IV, Ma LJ. Conservation and Expansion of Transcriptional Factor Repertoire in the Fusarium oxysporum Species Complex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.09.527873. [PMID: 36798233 PMCID: PMC9934661 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.09.527873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
The Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC) includes both plant and human pathogens that cause devastating plant vascular wilt diseases and threaten public health. Each F. oxysporum genome comprises core chromosomes (CCs) for housekeeping functions and accessory chromosomes (ACs) that contribute to host-specific adaptation. This study inspected global transcription factor profiles (TFomes) and their potential roles in coordinating CCs and ACs functions to accomplish host-specific pathogenicity. Remarkably, we found a clear positive correlation between the sizes of TFome and proteome of an organism, and FOSC TFomes are larger due to the acquisition of ACs. Among a total of 48 classified TF families, 14 families involved in transcription/translation regulations and cell cycle controls are highly conserved. Among 30 FOSC expanded families, Zn2-C6 and Znf_C2H2 are most significantly expanded to 671 and 167 genes per family, including well-characterized homologs of Ftf1 (Zn2-C6) and PacC (Znf_C2H2) involved in host-specific interactions. Manual curation of characterized TFs increased the TFome repertoires by 3%, including a disordered protein Ren1. Expression profiles revealed a steady expression of conserved TF families and specific activation of AC TFs. Functional characterization of these TFs could enhance our understanding of transcriptional regulation involved in FOSC cross-kingdom interactions, disentangle species-specific adaptation, and identify targets to combat diverse diseases caused by this group of fungal pathogens.
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6
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Yu J, Kim KH. A Phenome-Wide Association Study of the Effects of Fusarium graminearum Transcription Factors on Fusarium Graminearum Virus 1 Infection. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:622261. [PMID: 33643250 PMCID: PMC7904688 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.622261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Fusarium graminearum virus 1 (FgV1) causes noticeable phenotypic changes such as reduced mycelial growth, increase pigmentation, and reduced pathogenicity in its host fungi, Fusarium graminearum. Previous study showed that the numerous F. graminearum genes including regulatory factors were differentially expressed upon FgV1 infection, however, we have limited knowledge on the effect(s) of specific transcription factor (TF) during FgV1 infection in host fungus. Using gene-deletion mutant library of 657 putative TFs in F. graminearum, we transferred FgV1 by hyphal anastomosis to screen transcription factors that might be associated with viral replication or symptom induction. FgV1-infected TF deletion mutants were divided into three groups according to the mycelial growth phenotype compare to the FgV1-infected wild-type strain (WT-VI). The FgV1-infected TF deletion mutants in Group 1 exhibited slow or weak mycelial growth compare to that of WT-VI on complete medium at 5 dpi. In contrast, Group 3 consists of virus-infected TF deletion mutants showing faster mycelial growth and mild symptom compared to that of WT-VI. The hyphal growth of FgV1-infected TF deletion mutants in Group 2 was not significantly different from that of WT-VI. We speculated that differences of mycelial growth among the FgV1-infected TF deletion mutant groups might be related with the level of FgV1 RNA accumulations in infected host fungi. By conducting real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, we observed close association between FgV1 RNA accumulation and phenotypic differences of FgV1-infected TF deletion mutants in each group, i.e., increased and decreased dsRNA accumulation in Group 1 and Group 3, respectively. Taken together, our analysis provides an opportunity to identify host's regulator(s) of FgV1-triggered signaling and antiviral responses and helps to understand complex regulatory networks between FgV1 and F. graminearum interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jisuk Yu
- Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kook-Hyung Kim
- Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul, South Korea.,Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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7
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Fungal Zn(II) 2Cys 6 Transcription Factor ADS-1 Regulates Drug Efflux and Ergosterol Metabolism under Antifungal Azole Stress. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021; 65:AAC.01316-20. [PMID: 33199382 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01316-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Antifungal azoles are the most widely used antifungal drugs in clinical and agricultural practice. Fungi can mount adaptive responses to azole stress by modifying the transcript levels of many genes, and the responsive mechanisms to azoles are the basis for fungi to develop azole resistance. In this study, we identified a new Zn(II)2Cys6 transcription factor, ADS-1, with a positive regulatory function in transcriptional responses to azole stress in the model filamentous fungal species Neurospora crassa Under ketoconazole (KTC) stress, the ads-1 transcript level was significantly increased in N. crassa Deletion of ads-1 increased susceptibility to different azoles, while its overexpression increased resistance to these azoles. The cdr4 gene, which encodes the key azole efflux pump, was positively regulated by ADS-1. Deletion of ads-1 reduced the transcriptional response by cdr4 to KTC stress and increased cellular KTC accumulation under KTC stress, while ads-1 overexpression had the opposite effect. ADS-1 also positively regulated the transcriptional response by erg11, which encodes the azole target lanosterol 14α-demethylase for ergosterol biosynthesis, to KTC stress. After KTC treatment, the ads-1 deletion mutant had less ergosterol but accumulated more lanosterol than the wild type, while ads-1 overexpression had the opposite effect. Homologs of ADS-1 are widely present in filamentous fungal species of Ascomycota but not in yeasts. Deletion of the gene encoding an ADS-1 homolog in Aspergillus flavus also increased susceptibility to KTC and itraconazole (ITZ). Besides, deletion of A. flavus ads-1 (Afads-1) significantly reduced the transcriptional responses by genes encoding homologs of CDR4 and ERG11 in A. flavus to KTC stress, and the deletion mutant accumulated more KTC but less ergosterol. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the function and regulatory mechanism of ADS-1 homologs among different fungal species in azole responses and the basal resistance of azoles are highly conserved.
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8
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Kim JE, Nam H, Park J, Choi GJ, Lee YW, Son H. Characterization of the CCAAT-binding transcription factor complex in the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4898. [PMID: 32184445 PMCID: PMC7078317 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61885-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The CCAAT sequence is a ubiquitous cis-element of eukaryotic promoters, and genes containing CCAAT sequences have been shown to be activated by the CCAAT-binding transcription factor complex in several eukaryotic model organisms. In general, CCAAT-binding transcription factors form heterodimers or heterotrimeric complexes that bind to CCAAT sequences within the promoters of target genes and regulate various cellular processes. To date, except Hap complex, CCAAT-binding complex has been rarely reported in fungi. In this study, we characterized two CCAAT-binding transcription factors (Fct1 and Fct2) in the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. Previously, FCT1 and FCT2 were shown to be related to DNA damage response among eight CCAAT-binding transcription factors in F. graminearum. We demonstrate that the nuclear CCAAT-binding complex of F. graminearum has important functions in various fungal developmental processes, not just DNA damage response but virulence and mycotoxin production. Moreover, the results of biochemical and genetic analyses revealed that Fct1 and Fct2 may form a complex and play distinct roles among the eight CCAAT-binding transcription factors encoded by F. graminearum. To the best of our knowledge, the results of this study represent a substantial advancement in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the functions of CCAAT-binding factors in eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Eun Kim
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyejin Nam
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyeun Park
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyung Ja Choi
- Therapeutic & Biotechnology Division, Center for Eco-friendly New Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Yin-Won Lee
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hokyoung Son
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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9
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Shin J, Bui DC, Kim S, Jung SY, Nam HJ, Lim JY, Choi GJ, Lee YW, Kim JE, Son H. The novel bZIP transcription factor Fpo1 negatively regulates perithecial development by modulating carbon metabolism in the ascomycete fungus Fusarium graminearum. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:2596-2612. [PMID: 32100421 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Fungal sexual reproduction requires complex cellular differentiation processes of hyphal cells. The plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum produces fruiting bodies called perithecia via sexual reproduction, and perithecia forcibly discharge ascospores into the air for disease initiation and propagation. Lipid metabolism and accumulation are closely related to perithecium formation, yet the molecular mechanisms that regulate these processes are largely unknown. Here, we report that a novel fungal specific bZIP transcription factor, F. graminearum perithecium overproducing 1 (Fpo1), plays a role as a global transcriptional repressor during perithecium production and maturation in F. graminearum. Deletion of FPO1 resulted in reduced vegetative growth, asexual sporulation and virulence and overproduced perithecium, which reached maturity earlier, compared with the wild type. Intriguingly, the hyphae of the fpo1 mutant accumulated excess lipids during perithecium production. Using a combination of molecular biological, transcriptomic and biochemical approaches, we demonstrate that repression of FPO1 after sexual induction leads to reprogramming of carbon metabolism, particularly fatty acid production, which affects sexual reproduction of this fungus. This is the first report of a perithecium-overproducing F. graminearum mutant, and the findings provide comprehensive insight into the role of modulation of carbon metabolism in the sexual reproduction of fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyoung Shin
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Duc-Cuong Bui
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sieun Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - So Yun Jung
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Jin Nam
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Yun Lim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyung Ja Choi
- Therapeutic & Biotechnology Division, Center for Eco-friendly New Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Yin-Won Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Eun Kim
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hokyoung Son
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.,Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
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10
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Dong H, Yu D, Wang B, Pan L. Identification and Characterization of a Novel Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factor of Phospholipid Synthesis Regulation in Aspergillus niger. Front Microbiol 2020; 10:2985. [PMID: 31993030 PMCID: PMC6962311 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The synthesis of phospholipids relies on a sort of genes, whose promoter regions contain inositol-sensitive upstream activation sequence (UASINO) and are regulated by the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH)-type ino2/ino4 transcription factor (TF) pair. Ten putative bHLH TFs have been found through whole genome sequencing of Aspergillus niger, but none of these TFs have been characterized. In this study, we identified and characterized the bHLH-type TF ino2(An02g04350) in A. niger. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and yeast two-hybrid assay demonstrated that ino2 functions as a homodimer in UASINO genes (e.g., ino1 and cho1) and binds to opi1(An1g02370) in vitro. Real-time quantitative PCR of ino1 and quantification of total phospholipid indicated that the ino2 disruptant downregulated the transcription of ino1 and the amount of total cellular phosphatidylinositol. In addition, phenotype analyses showed that a loss of ino2 led to resistance to cell wall interference and DNA damage. Comparative transcriptome analyses showed that more than 1000 genes and GO terms associated with UASINO, endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation, phosphatidylinositol synthesis, chitin synthesis, and fatty acid synthesis were differentially expressed in Δino2 compared to the wild type (WT). Taken together, these observations indicate that the bHLH TF ino2 functions as a homodimer that regulates the synthesis of phosphatidylinositol, fatty acid, and chitin and influences the homeostasis of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongzhi Dong
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dou Yu
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bin Wang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Pan
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
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11
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Bui DC, Kim JE, Shin J, Lim JY, Choi GJ, Lee YW, Seo JA, Son H. ARS2 Plays Diverse Roles in DNA Damage Response, Fungal Development, and Pathogenesis in the Plant Pathogenic Fungus Fusarium graminearum. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2326. [PMID: 31681199 PMCID: PMC6803386 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Arsenite-resistance protein 2 (Ars2) is an important nuclear protein involved in various RNA metabolisms in animals and plants, but no Ars2 ortholog has been studied in filamentous fungi. Although it is an essential gene in most model eukaryotes, FgARS2 null mutants were viable in the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. The deletion of FgARS2 resulted in pleiotropic defects in various fungal developmental processes. Fgars2 mutants were irregular in nuclear division, and conidial germination was significantly retarded, causing the fungus to manifest its hypersensitive phenotypes under DNA damage stress. While FgARS2 deletion caused abnormal morphologies of ascospores and defective ascospore discharge, our data revealed that FgARS2 was not closely involved in small-non-coding RNA production in F. graminearum. The dominant nuclear localization of FgArs2-green fluorescent proteins (GFP) and abnormal nuclear division in FgARS2 deletion mutant implicated that FgArs2 functions in the nucleus. Intriguingly, we found that FgArs2 established a robust physical interaction with the cap binding complex (CBC) to form a tertiary complex CBC-Ars2 (CBCA), and disruption of any CBCA complex subunit drastically attenuated the virulence of F. graminearum. The results of the study indicate that Ars2 regulates fungal development, stress response, and pathogenesis via interaction with CBC in F. graminearum and provide a novel insight into understanding of the biological functions of Ars2 in filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc-Cuong Bui
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,School of Systems Biomedical Science, Soongsil University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jung-Eun Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jiyoung Shin
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jae Yun Lim
- School of Systems Biomedical Science, Soongsil University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Gyung Ja Choi
- Therapeutic & Biotechnology Division, Center for Eco-Friendly New Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Yin-Won Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jeong-Ah Seo
- School of Systems Biomedical Science, Soongsil University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hokyoung Son
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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12
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Rad53- and Chk1-Dependent DNA Damage Response Pathways Cooperatively Promote Fungal Pathogenesis and Modulate Antifungal Drug Susceptibility. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.01726-18. [PMID: 30602579 PMCID: PMC6315099 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01726-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome instability is detrimental for living things because it induces genetic disorder diseases and transfers incorrect genome information to descendants. Therefore, living organisms have evolutionarily conserved signaling networks to sense and repair DNA damage. However, how the DNA damage response pathway is regulated for maintaining the genome integrity of fungal pathogens and how this contributes to their pathogenicity remain elusive. In this study, we investigated the DNA damage response pathway in the basidiomycete pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, which causes life-threatening meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised individuals, with an average of 223,100 infections leading to 181,100 deaths reported annually. Here, we found that perturbation of Rad53- and Chk1-dependent DNA damage response pathways attenuated the virulence of C. neoformans and increased its susceptibility to certain antifungal drugs, such as amphotericin B and flucytosine. Therefore, our work paves the way to understanding the important role of human fungal DNA damage networks in pathogenesis and antifungal drug susceptibility. Living organisms are constantly exposed to DNA damage stress caused by endogenous and exogenous events. Eukaryotic cells have evolutionarily conserved DNA damage checkpoint surveillance systems. We previously reported that a unique transcription factor, Bdr1, whose expression is strongly induced by the protein kinase Rad53 governs DNA damage responses by controlling the expression of DNA repair genes in the basidiomycetous fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. However, the regulatory mechanism of the Rad53-dependent DNA damage signal cascade and its function in pathogenicity remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Rad53 is required for DNA damage response and is phosphorylated by two phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-like kinases, Tel1 and Mec1, in response to DNA damage stress. Transcriptome analysis revealed that Rad53 regulates the expression of several DNA repair genes in response to gamma radiation. We found that expression of CHK1, another effector kinase involved in the DNA damage response, is regulated by Rad53 and that CHK1 deletion rendered cells highly susceptible to DNA damage stress. Nevertheless, BDR1 expression is regulated by Rad53, but not Chk1, indicating that DNA damage signal cascades mediated by Rad53 and Chk1 exhibit redundant and distinct functions. We found that perturbation of both RAD53 and CHK1 attenuated the virulence of C. neoformans, perhaps by promoting phagosome maturation within macrophage, reducing melanin production, and increasing susceptibility to oxidative stresses. Furthermore, deletion of both RAD53 and CHK1 increased susceptibility to certain antifungal drugs such as amphotericin B. This report provides insight into the regulatory mechanism of fungal DNA damage repair systems and their functional relationship with fungal virulence and antifungal drug susceptibility.
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13
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Jung B, Park J, Kim N, Li T, Kim S, Bartley LE, Kim J, Kim I, Kang Y, Yun K, Choi Y, Lee HH, Ji S, Lee KS, Kim BY, Shon JC, Kim WC, Liu KH, Yoon D, Kim S, Seo YS, Lee J. Cooperative interactions between seed-borne bacterial and air-borne fungal pathogens on rice. Nat Commun 2018; 9:31. [PMID: 29295978 PMCID: PMC5750236 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02430-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial-fungal interactions are widely found in distinct environments and contribute to ecosystem processes. Previous studies of these interactions have mostly been performed in soil, and only limited studies of aerial plant tissues have been conducted. Here we show that a seed-borne plant pathogenic bacterium, Burkholderia glumae (Bg), and an air-borne plant pathogenic fungus, Fusarium graminearum (Fg), interact to promote bacterial survival, bacterial and fungal dispersal, and disease progression on rice plants, despite the production of antifungal toxoflavin by Bg. We perform assays of toxoflavin sensitivity, RNA-seq analyses, lipid staining and measures of triacylglyceride content to show that triacylglycerides containing linolenic acid mediate resistance to reactive oxygen species that are generated in response to toxoflavin in Fg. As a result, Bg is able to physically attach to Fg to achieve rapid and expansive dispersal to enhance disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boknam Jung
- Department of Applied Biology, Dong-A University, Busan, 49315, Korea
| | - Jungwook Park
- Department of Microbiology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46269, Korea
| | - Namgyu Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46269, Korea
| | - Taiying Li
- Department of Applied Biology, Dong-A University, Busan, 49315, Korea
| | - Soyeon Kim
- Department of Applied Biology, Dong-A University, Busan, 49315, Korea
| | - Laura E Bartley
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Jinnyun Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46269, Korea
| | - Inyoung Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46269, Korea
| | - Yoonhee Kang
- Department of Applied Biology, Dong-A University, Busan, 49315, Korea
| | - Kihoon Yun
- Department of Applied Biology, Dong-A University, Busan, 49315, Korea
| | - Younghae Choi
- Department of Applied Biology, Dong-A University, Busan, 49315, Korea
| | - Hyun-Hee Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46269, Korea
| | - Sungyeon Ji
- Department of Applied Biology, Dong-A University, Busan, 49315, Korea
| | - Kwang Sik Lee
- Department of Applied Biology, Dong-A University, Busan, 49315, Korea
| | - Bo Yeon Kim
- Department of Applied Biology, Dong-A University, Busan, 49315, Korea
| | - Jong Cheol Shon
- BK21 Plus KNU Multi-Omics-Based Creative Drug Research Team, College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, Korea
| | - Won Cheol Kim
- BK21 Plus KNU Multi-Omics-Based Creative Drug Research Team, College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, Korea
| | - Kwang-Hyeon Liu
- BK21 Plus KNU Multi-Omics-Based Creative Drug Research Team, College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, Korea
| | - Dahye Yoon
- Department of Chemistry and Chemistry Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University, Busan, 46269, Korea
| | - Suhkman Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Chemistry Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University, Busan, 46269, Korea
| | - Young-Su Seo
- Department of Microbiology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46269, Korea.
| | - Jungkwan Lee
- Department of Applied Biology, Dong-A University, Busan, 49315, Korea.
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14
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Schuelke TA, Wu G, Westbrook A, Woeste K, Plachetzki DC, Broders K, MacManes MD. Comparative Genomics of Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Beetle-Vectored Fungi in the Genus Geosmithia. Genome Biol Evol 2017; 9:3312-3327. [PMID: 29186370 PMCID: PMC5737690 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Geosmithia morbida is an emerging fungal pathogen which serves as a model for examining the evolutionary processes behind pathogenicity because it is one of two known pathogens within a genus of mostly saprophytic, beetle-associated, fungi. This pathogen causes thousand cankers disease in black walnut trees and is vectored into the host via the walnut twig beetle. Geosmithia morbida was first detected in western United States and currently threatens the timber industry concentrated in eastern United States. We sequenced the genomes of G. morbida in a previous study and two nonpathogenic Geosmithia species in this work and compared these species to other fungal pathogens and nonpathogens to identify genes under positive selection in G. morbida that may be associated with pathogenicity. Geosmithia morbida possesses one of the smallest genomes among the fungal species observed in this study, and one of the smallest fungal pathogen genomes to date. The enzymatic profile in this pathogen is very similar to its nonpathogenic relatives. Our findings indicate that genome reduction or retention of a smaller genome may be an important adaptative force during the evolution of a specialized lifestyle in fungal species that occupy a specificniche, such as beetle vectored tree pathogens. We also present potential genes under selection in G. morbida that could be important for adaptation to a pathogenic lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taruna A Schuelke
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire
| | - Guangxi Wu
- Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University
| | | | - Keith Woeste
- USDA Forest Service Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University
| | - David C Plachetzki
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire
| | - Kirk Broders
- Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University
| | - Matthew D MacManes
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire
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15
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Liu KH, Ding XW, Narsing Rao MP, Zhang B, Zhang YG, Liu FH, Liu BB, Xiao M, Li WJ. Morphological and Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Osmoadaptive Response of Endophytic Fungus Aspergillus montevidensis ZYD4 to High Salt Stress. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1789. [PMID: 28983284 PMCID: PMC5613514 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Halophilic fungi have evolved unique osmoadaptive strategies, enabling them to thrive in hypersaline habitats. Here, we conduct morphological and transcriptomic response of endophytic fungus (Aspergillus montevidensis ZYD4) in both the presence and absence of salt stress. Under salt stress, the colony morphology of the A. montevidensis ZYD4 changed drastically and exhibited decreased colony pigmentation. Extensive conidiophores development was observed under salt stress; conidiophores rarely developed in the absence of salt stress. Under salt stress, yellow cleistothecium formation was inhibited, while glycerol and compatible sugars continued to accumulate. Among differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs), 733 of them were up-regulated while 1,619 unigenes were down-regulated. We discovered that genes involved in the accumulation of glycerol, the storage of compatible sugars, organic acids, pigment production, and asexual sporulation were differentially regulated under salt stress. These results provide further understanding of the molecular basis of osmoadaptive mechanisms of halophilic endophytic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Hui Liu
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of TechnologyHanzhong, China
| | - Xiao-Wei Ding
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of TechnologyHanzhong, China
| | - Manik Prabhu Narsing Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityGuangzhou, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of TechnologyHanzhong, China
| | - Yong-Gui Zhang
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of TechnologyHanzhong, China
| | - Fei-Hu Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan UniversityKunming, China
| | - Bing-Bing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityGuangzhou, China
| | - Min Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityGuangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityGuangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of SciencesÜrűmqi, China
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16
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Motaung TE, Saitoh H, Tsilo TJ. Large-scale molecular genetic analysis in plant-pathogenic fungi: a decade of genome-wide functional analysis. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2017; 18:754-764. [PMID: 27733021 PMCID: PMC6638310 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Plant-pathogenic fungi cause diseases to all major crop plants world-wide and threaten global food security. Underpinning fungal diseases are virulence genes facilitating plant host colonization that often marks pathogenesis and crop failures, as well as an increase in staple food prices. Fungal molecular genetics is therefore the cornerstone to the sustainable prevention of disease outbreaks. Pathogenicity studies using mutant collections provide immense function-based information regarding virulence genes of economically relevant fungi. These collections are rich in potential targets for existing and new biological control agents. They contribute to host resistance breeding against fungal pathogens and are instrumental in searching for novel resistance genes through the identification of fungal effectors. Therefore, functional analyses of mutant collections propel gene discovery and characterization, and may be incorporated into disease management strategies. In the light of these attributes, mutant collections enhance the development of practical solutions to confront modern agricultural constraints. Here, a critical review of mutant collections constructed by various laboratories during the past decade is provided. We used Magnaporthe oryzae and Fusarium graminearum studies to show how mutant screens contribute to bridge existing knowledge gaps in pathogenicity and fungal-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thabiso E. Motaung
- Agricultural Research Council ‐ Small Grain InstitutePrivate Bag X29Bethlehem9700South Africa
| | - Hiromasa Saitoh
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center22‐174‐4 NaritaKitakamiIwate024‐0003Japan
| | - Toi J. Tsilo
- Agricultural Research Council ‐ Small Grain InstitutePrivate Bag X29Bethlehem9700South Africa
- Department of Life and Consumer SciencesUniversity of South AfricaPO Box 392Pretoria0003South Africa
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