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Yan J, Wang R, Wu M, Cai M, Qu J, Liu L, Xie J, Yin W, Luo C. Transcriptional Activator UvXlnR Is Required for Conidiation and Pathogenicity of Rice False Smut Fungus Ustilaginoidea virens. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2024:PHYTO01240038R. [PMID: 38506745 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-01-24-0038-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Transcription factors play critical roles in diverse biological processes in fungi. XlnR, identified as a transcriptional activator that regulates the expression of the extracellular xylanase genes in fungi, has not been extensively studied for its function in fungal development and pathogenicity in rice false smut fungus Ustilaginoidea virens. In this study, we characterized UvXlnR in U. virens and established that the full-length, N-terminal, and C-terminal forms have the ability to activate transcription. The study further demonstrated that UvXlnR plays crucial roles in various aspects of U. virens biology. Deletion of UvXlnR affected growth, conidiation, and stress response. UvXlnR mutants also exhibited reduced pathogenicity, which could be partially attributed to the reduced expression of xylanolytic genes and extracellular xylanase activity of U. virens during the infection process. Our results indicate that UvXlnR is involved in regulating growth, conidiation, stress response, and pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiali Yan
- The National State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Rui Wang
- The National State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Mengyao Wu
- The National State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Minzheng Cai
- The National State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jinsong Qu
- The National State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lianmeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 311400, China
| | - Jiatao Xie
- The National State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Weixiao Yin
- The National State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Chaoxi Luo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
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2
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Qin H, Yin W, Luo C, Liu L. The Identification, Characterization, and Functional Analysis of the Sugar Transporter Gene Family of the Rice False Smut Pathogen, Villosiclava virens. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:600. [PMID: 38203770 PMCID: PMC10779207 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
False smut, caused by Villosiclava virens, is becoming increasingly serious in modern rice production systems, leading to yield losses and quality declines. Successful infection requires efficient acquisition of sucrose, abundant in rice panicles, as well as other sugars. Sugar transporters (STPs) may play an important role in this process. STPs belong to a major facilitator superfamily, which consists of large multigenic families necessary to partition sugars between fungal pathogens and their hosts. This study identified and characterized the STP family of V. viren, and further analyzed their gene functions to uncover their roles in interactions with rice. Through genome-wide and systematic bioinformatics analyses, 35 STPs were identified from V.virens and named from VvSTP1 to VvSTP35. Transmembrane domains, gene structures, and conserved motifs of VvSTPs have been identified and characterized through the bioinformatic analysis. In addition, a phylogenetic analysis revealed relationship between VvSTPs and STPs from the other three reference fungi. According to a qRT-PCR and RNA-sequencing analysis, VvSTP expression responded differently to different sole carbon sources and H2O2 treatments, and changed during the pathogenic process, suggesting that these proteins are involved in interactions with rice and potentially functional in pathogenesis. In total, 12 representative VvSTPs were knocked out through genetic recombination in order to analyze their roles in pathogenicity of V. virens. The knock-out mutants of VvSTPs showed little difference in mycelia growth and conidiation, indicating a single gene in this family cannot influence vegetative growth of V. virens. It is clear, however, that these mutants result in a change in infection efficiency in a different way, indicating that VvSTPs play an important role in the pathogenicity of virens. This study is expected to contribute to a better understanding of how host-derived sugars contribute to V. virens pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 311400, China;
| | - Weixiao Yin
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
| | - Chaoxi Luo
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
| | - Lianmeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 311400, China;
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Chen X, Duan Y, Ren Z, Niu T, Xu Q, Wang Z, Zheng L, Wang Y, Chen X, Huang J, Pan Y. Post-Translational Modification β-Hydroxybutyrylation Regulates Ustilaginoidea virens Virulence. Mol Cell Proteomics 2023; 22:100616. [PMID: 37442371 PMCID: PMC10423879 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2023.100616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Lysine β-hydroxybutyrylation (Kbhb) is an evolutionarily conserved and widespread post-translational modification that is associated with active gene transcription and cellular proliferation. However, its role in phytopathogenic fungi remains unknown. Here, we characterized Kbhb in the rice false smut fungus Ustilaginoidea virens. We identified 2204 Kbhb sites in 852 proteins, which are involved in diverse biological processes. The mitogen-activated protein kinase UvSlt2 is a Kbhb protein, and a strain harboring a point mutation at K72, the Kbhb site of this protein, had decreased UvSlt2 activity and reduced fungal virulence. Molecular dynamic simulations revealed that K72bhb increases the hydrophobic solvent-accessible surface area of UvSlt2, thereby affecting its binding to its substrates. The mutation of K298bhb in the septin UvCdc10 resulted in reduced virulence and altered the subcellular localization of this protein. Moreover, we confirmed that the NAD+-dependent histone deacetylases UvSirt2 and UvSirt5 are the major enzymes that remove Kbhb in U. virens. Collectively, our findings identify regulatory elements of the Kbhb pathway and reveal important roles for Kbhb in regulating protein localization and enzymatic activity. These findings provide insight into the regulation of virulence in phytopathogenic fungi via post-translational modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Chen
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Yuhang Duan
- The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhiyong Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Taotao Niu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Qiutao Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhaoyun Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Lu Zheng
- The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yaohui Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China; Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Junbin Huang
- The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuemin Pan
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China.
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The Adaptor Protein UvSte50 Governs Fungal Pathogenicity of Ustilaginoidea virens via the MAPK Signaling Pathway. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8090954. [PMID: 36135679 PMCID: PMC9503583 DOI: 10.3390/jof8090954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways regulate diverse cellular processes and have been partially characterized in the rice false smut fungus Ustilaginoidea virens. UvSte50 has been identified as a homolog to Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ste50, which is known to be an adaptor protein for MAPK cascades. ΔUvste50 was found to be defective in conidiation, sensitive to hyperosmotic and oxidative stresses, and non-pathogenic. The mycelial expansion of ΔUvste50 inside spikelets of rice terminated at stamen filaments, eventually resulting in a lack of formation of false smut balls on spikelets. We determined that UvSte50 directly interacts with both UvSte7 (MAPK kinase; MEK) and UvSte11 (MAPK kinase kinase; MEKK), where the Ras-association (RA) domain of UvSte50 is indispensable for its interaction with UvSte7. UvSte50 also interacts with UvHog1, a MAP kinase of the Hog1-MAPK pathway, which is known to have important roles in hyphal growth and stress responses in U. virens. In addition, affinity capture-mass spectrometry analysis and yeast two-hybrid assay were conducted, through which we identified the interactions of UvSte50 with UvRas2, UvAc1 (adenylate cyclase), and UvCap1 (cyclase-associated protein), key components of the Ras/cAMP signaling pathway in U. virens. Together, UvSte50 functions as an adaptor protein interacting with multiple components of the MAPK and Ras/cAMP signaling pathways, thus playing critical role in plant infection by U. virens.
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Sun Q, Qian Z, Liu H, Zhang Y, Yi X, Kong R, Cheng S, Man J, Zheng L, Huang J, Su G, Letcher RJ, Giesy JP, Liu C. Occurrence and translocation of ustiloxins in rice false smut-occurred paddy fields, Hubei, China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 307:119460. [PMID: 35568292 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ustiloxin A (UA) and ustiloxin B (UB), two major mycotoxins produced by the pathogen of rice false smut (RFS) during rice cultivation, have attracted increasing attentions due to their potential health risks. However, limited data are available about their occurrence and fate in paddy fields and contamination profiles in rice. In this study, a field study was performed to investigate the occurrence and translocation of UA and UB in RFS-occurred paddies. For the first time to our knowledge, we reported a ubiquitous occurrence of the two ustiloxins in the paddy water (range: 0.01-3.46 μg/L for UA and <0.02-1.15 μg/L for UB) and brown rice (range: 0.09-154.08 μg/kg for UA and <0.09-23.57 μg/kg for UB). A significant positive correlation was observed between ustiloxin levels in paddy water and brown rice (rs = 0.48-0.79, p < 0.01). The occurrence of ustiloxin uptake in water-rice system was also evidenced by the rice exposure experiment, suggesting paddy water might be an important source for ustiloxin accumulation in rice. These results suggested that the contamination of ustiloxins in rice might occur widely, which was supported by the significantly high detection frequencies of UA (96.6%) and UB (62.4%) in polished rice (149 samples) from Hubei Province, China. The total concentrations of ustiloxins in the polished rice samples collected from Hubei Province ranged from <20.7 ng/kg (LOD) to 55.1 μg/kg (dry weight). Further studies are needed to evaluate the potential risks of ustiloxin exposure in the environment and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Sun
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Zhisong Qian
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Hao Liu
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yongkang Zhang
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xun'e Yi
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Ren Kong
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Shiyang Cheng
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jianguo Man
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Lu Zheng
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Junbin Huang
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Guanyong Su
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - John P Giesy
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5B3, Canada
| | - Chunsheng Liu
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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UvKmt2-Mediated H3K4 Trimethylation Is Required for Pathogenicity and Stress Response in Ustilaginoidea virens. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8060553. [PMID: 35736036 PMCID: PMC9225167 DOI: 10.3390/jof8060553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modification is important for cellular functions. Trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3), which associates with transcriptional activation, is one of the important epigenetic modifications. In this study, the biological functions of UvKmt2-mediated H3K4me3 modification were characterized in Ustilaginoidea virens, which is the causal agent of the false smut disease, one of the most destructive diseases in rice. Phenotypic analyses of the ΔUvkmt2 mutant revealed that UvKMT2 is necessary for growth, conidiation, secondary spore formation, and virulence in U. virens. Immunoblotting and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) showed that UvKMT2 is required for the establishment of H3K4me3, which covers 1729 genes of the genome in U. virens. Further RNA-seq analysis demonstrated that UvKmt2-mediated H3K4me3 acts as an important role in transcriptional activation. In particular, H3K4me3 modification involves in the transcriptional regulation of conidiation-related and pathogenic genes, including two important mitogen-activated protein kinases UvHOG1 and UvPMK1. The down-regulation of UvHOG1 and UvPMK1 genes may be one of the main reasons for the reduced pathogenicity and stresses adaptability of the ∆Uvkmt2 mutant. Overall, H3K4me3, established by histone methyltransferase UvKMT2, contributes to fungal development, secondary spore formation, virulence, and various stress responses through transcriptional regulation in U. virens.
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Sun Q, Liu H, Zhang Y, Yi X, Kong R, Cheng S, Man J, Zheng L, Huang J, Su G, Letcher RJ, Giesy JP, Liu C. Global distribution of ustiloxins in rice and their male-biased hepatotoxicity. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 301:118992. [PMID: 35157931 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ustiloxins, a group of bioactive metabolites produced by the pathogen of rice false smut (RFS), have emerged as ubiquitous contaminants in RFS-occurred paddy fields and could accumulate in rice. Nevertheless, the prevalence of ustiloxins in rice and exposure risks of humans are limited. In this study, concentrations of ustiloxin A (UA) and ustiloxins B (UB), which are two predominant ustiloxins, were measured in 240 rice samples from China and 72 rice samples from 12 other counties. The detection rates (DRs) of UA and UB were 82.1% and 49.3%, respectively, and their concentrations in rice ranged from below detection limit (LOD: 0.22 μg/kg) to 85.96 μg/kg dw. Furthermore, for the first time, we reported the occurrence of UA (DR = 22.8%) in urine collected from residues of Enshi city, China. Urinary UA were significantly correlated with the activities of alanine aminotransferase in male, and this male-biased hepatotoxicity was further confirmed in mice exposure experiment. This study for the first time reported the widespread geographical distribution of ustiloxins in rice, as well as emphasized the occurrence of internal exposure and potential health risk in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Sun
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Hao Liu
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yongkang Zhang
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xun'e Yi
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Ren Kong
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Shiyang Cheng
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jianguo Man
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lu Zheng
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Junbin Huang
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Guanyong Su
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - John P Giesy
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B3, Canada
| | - Chunsheng Liu
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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Yu M, Yu J, Cao H, Pan X, Song T, Qi Z, Du Y, Huang S, Liu Y. The Velvet Protein UvVEA Regulates Conidiation and Chlamydospore Formation in Ustilaginoidea virens. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8050479. [PMID: 35628735 PMCID: PMC9148152 DOI: 10.3390/jof8050479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Rice false smut, caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, is a serious disease of rice worldwide, severely reducing the quantity and quality of rice production. The conserved fungal velvet proteins are global regulators of diverse cellular processes. We identified and functionally characterized two velvet genes, UvVEA and UvVELB, in U. virens. The deletion of these genes affected the conidiation of U. virens but had no effect on the virulence of this pathogen. Interestingly, the ΔUvVEA mutants appeared in the form of smaller false smut balls with a reduced number of chlamydospores compared with the wide-type strains. In addition, the deletion of UvVEA affected the expression of some transmembrane transport genes during chlamydospore formation and rice false smut balls development. Furthermore, the ΔUvVEA mutants were shown to be defective in the utilization of glucose. These findings proved the regulatory mechanism underlying the formation of rice false smut balls and chlamydospores and provided a basis for the further exploration of the mechanism of these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 311400, China; (M.Y.); (S.H.)
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; (J.Y.); (H.C.); (X.P.); (T.S.); (Z.Q.); (Y.D.)
| | - Junjie Yu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; (J.Y.); (H.C.); (X.P.); (T.S.); (Z.Q.); (Y.D.)
| | - Huijuan Cao
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; (J.Y.); (H.C.); (X.P.); (T.S.); (Z.Q.); (Y.D.)
| | - Xiayan Pan
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; (J.Y.); (H.C.); (X.P.); (T.S.); (Z.Q.); (Y.D.)
| | - Tianqiao Song
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; (J.Y.); (H.C.); (X.P.); (T.S.); (Z.Q.); (Y.D.)
| | - Zhongqiang Qi
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; (J.Y.); (H.C.); (X.P.); (T.S.); (Z.Q.); (Y.D.)
| | - Yan Du
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; (J.Y.); (H.C.); (X.P.); (T.S.); (Z.Q.); (Y.D.)
| | - Shiwen Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 311400, China; (M.Y.); (S.H.)
| | - Yongfeng Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; (J.Y.); (H.C.); (X.P.); (T.S.); (Z.Q.); (Y.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-25-8439-1002
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Chen X, Pei Z, Liu H, Huang J, Chen X, Luo C, Hsiang T, Zheng L. Host-induced gene silencing of fungal-specific genes of Ustilaginoidea virens confers effective resistance to rice false smut. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2022; 20:253-255. [PMID: 34850522 PMCID: PMC8753348 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant PathologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Zhangxin Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant PathologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Hao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant PathologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Junbin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant PathologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant PathologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Chaoxi Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant PathologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Tom Hsiang
- School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of GuelphGuelphCanada
| | - Lu Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant PathologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
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Meng S, Liu Z, Shi H, Wu Z, Qiu J, Wen H, Lin F, Tao Z, Luo C, Kou Y. UvKmt6-mediated H3K27 trimethylation is required for development, pathogenicity, and stress response in Ustilaginoidea virens. Virulence 2021; 12:2972-2988. [PMID: 34895056 PMCID: PMC8667953 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.2008150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is responsible for the trimethylation of lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3)-mediated transcriptional silencing. At present, its biological roles in the devastating rice pathogenic fungus Ustilaginoidea virens remain unclear. In this study, we analyzed the function of a putative PRC2 catalytic subunit UvKmt6. The results showed that disruption of UvKMT6 resulted in reduced growth, conidiation and pathogenicity in U. virens. Furthermore, UvKmt6 is essential for establishment of H3K27me3 modification, which covers 321 genes in the genome. Deletion of UvKMT6 led to transcriptional derepression of 629 genes, 140 of which were occupied with H3K27me3 modification. Consistent with RNA-seq and ChIP-seq analysis, UvKmt6 was further confirmed to participate in the transcriptional repression of genes encoding effectors and genes associated with secondary metabolites production, such as PKSs, NRPSs and Cytochrome P450s. Notably, we found that UvKmt6 is involved in transcriptional repression of oxidative, osmotic, cell wall and nutrient starvation stresses response-related genes. From the perspective of gene expression and phenotype, in addition to the relatively conservative role in fungal development, virulence and production of secondary metabolites, we further reported that UvKmt6-mdediated H3K27me3 plays a critical role in the response to various stresses in U. virens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, and College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhiquan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huanbin Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhongling Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiehua Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hui Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fucheng Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zeng Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chaoxi Luo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, and College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanjun Kou
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
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11
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Genome-Wide Identification and Functional Characterization of CCHC-Type Zinc Finger Genes in Ustilaginoidea virens. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7110947. [PMID: 34829234 PMCID: PMC8619310 DOI: 10.3390/jof7110947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Rice false smut caused by Ustilaginoidea virens is a serious disease of rice (Oryza sativa), severely reducing plant mass and yields worldwide. We performed genome-wide analysis of the CCHC-type zinc-finger transcription factor family in this pathogen. We identified and functionally characterized seven UvCCHC genes in U. virens. The deletion of various UvCCHC genes affected the stress responses, vegetative growth, conidiation, and virulence of U. virens. ∆UvCCHC5 mutants infected rice spikelets normally but could not form smut balls. Sugar utilization experiments showed that the ∆UvCCHC5 mutants were defective in the utilization of glucose, sucrose, lactose, stachyose, and trehalose. Deletion of UvCCHC5 did not affect the expression of rice genes associated with grain filling, as revealed by RT-qPCR. We propose that the ∆UvCCHC5 mutants are impaired in transmembrane transport, and the resulting nutrient deficiencies prevent them from using nutrients from rice to form smut balls. RNA-seq data analysis indicated that UvCCHC4 affects the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, ribosomes, transporters, and ribosome biogenesis. These findings improve our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying smut ball formation in rice by U. virens.
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12
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Yu M, Yu J, Cao H, Song T, Pan X, Qi Z, Du Y, Zhang R, Huang S, Liu W, Liu Y. SUN-Family Protein UvSUN1 Regulates the Development and Virulence of Ustilaginoidea virens. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:739453. [PMID: 34589077 PMCID: PMC8473917 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.739453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Ustilaginoidea virens, the causal agent of rice false smut disease, is an important plant pathogen that causes severe quantitative and qualitative losses in rice worldwide. UvSUN1 is the only member of Group-I SUN family proteins in U. virens. In this work, the role of UvSUN1 in different aspects of the U. virens biology was studied by phenotypic analysis of Uvsun1 knockout strains. We identified that UvSUN1 was expressed during both conidial germination and the infection of rice. Disruption of the Uvsun1 gene affected the hyphal growth, conidiation, morphology of hyphae and conidia, adhesion and virulence. We also found that UvSUN1 is involved in the production of toxic compounds, which are able to inhibit elongation of the germinated seeds. Moreover, RNA-seq data showed that knockout of Uvsun1 resulted in misregulation of a subset of genes involved in signal recognition and transduction system, glycometabolism, cell wall integrity, and secondary metabolism. Collectively, this study reveals that Uvsun1 is required for growth, cell wall integrity and pathogenicity of U. virens, thereby providing new insights into the function of SUN family proteins in the growth and pathogenesis of this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Yu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Junjie Yu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing, China
| | - Huijuan Cao
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing, China
| | - Tianqiao Song
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiayan Pan
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhongqiang Qi
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing, China
| | - Yan Du
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing, China
| | - Rongsheng Zhang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing, China
| | - Shiwen Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wende Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Yongfeng Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing, China
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13
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Chen X, Xu Q, Duan Y, Liu H, Chen X, Huang J, Luo C, Zhou DX, Zheng L. Ustilaginoidea virens modulates lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation in rice flowers during infection. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 63:1801-1814. [PMID: 34245484 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The post-translational modification lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation (Khib ) plays an important role in gene transcription, metabolism, and enzymatic activity. Khib sites have been identified in rice (Oryza sativa). However, the Khib status of proteins in rice flowers during pathogen infection remains unclear. Here, we report a comprehensive identification of Khib -modified proteins in rice flowers, and the changes in these proteins during infection with the fungal pathogen Ustilaginoidea virens. By using a tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomics approach, we identified 2,891 Khib sites on 964 proteins in rice flowers. Our data demonstrated that 2-hydroxyisobutyrylated proteins are involved in diverse biological processes. Khib levels were substantially reduced upon infection with U. virens. Chromatin immunoprecipitation polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcription quantitative PCR analyses revealed that histone Khib is involved in the expression of disease-resistance genes. More importantly, most quantified sites on core histones H3 were downregulated upon U. virens infection. In addition, the histone deacetylases HDA705, HDA716, SRT1, and SRT2 are involved in the removal of Khib marks in rice. HDA705 was further confirmed to negatively regulate rice disease resistance to pathogens U. virens, Magnaporthe oryzae, and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). Our data suggest that U. virens could modulate Khib in rice flowers during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Qiutao Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yuhang Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Hao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Junbin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Chaoxi Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Dao-Xiu Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Institute of Plant Science Paris-Saclay (IPS2), CNRS, INRAE, University Paris-Saclay, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Lu Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
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14
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Chen X, Li P, Liu H, Chen X, Huang J, Luo C, Li G, Hsiang T, Collinge DB, Zheng L. A novel transcription factor UvCGBP1 regulates development and virulence of rice false smut fungus Ustilaginoidea virens. Virulence 2021; 12:1563-1579. [PMID: 34348597 PMCID: PMC8344781 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1936768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ustilaginoidea virens, causing rice false smut (RFS) is an economically important ascomycetous fungal pathogen distributed in rice-growing regions worldwide. Here, we identified a novel transcription factor UvCGBP1 (Cutinase G-box binding protein) from this fungus, which is unique to ascomycetes. Deletion of UvCGBP1 affected development and virulence of U. virens. A total of 865 downstream target genes of UvCGBP1 was identified using ChIP-seq and the most significant KEGG enriched functional pathway was the MAPK signaling pathway. Approximately 36% of target genes contain the AGGGG (G-box) motif in their promoter. Among the targets, deletion of UvCGBP1 affected transcriptional and translational levels of UvPmk1 and UvSlt2, both of which were important in virulence. ChIP-qPCR, yeast one-hybrid and EMSA confirmed that UvCGBP1 can bind the promoter of UvPmk1 or UvSlt2. Overexpression of UvPmk1 in the ∆UvCGBP1-33 mutant restored partially its virulence and hyphae growth, indicating that UvCGBP1 could function via the MAPK pathway to regulate fungal virulence. Taken together, this study uncovered a novel regulatory mechanism of fungal virulence linking the MAPK pathway mediated by a G-box binding transcription factor, UvCGBP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Pingping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Junbin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Chaoxi Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Guotian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Tom Hsiang
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - David B Collinge
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Lu Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology/Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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15
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Chen X, Liu H, Chen X, Huang J, Hsiang T, Zheng L. ATAC-Seq Data for Genome-Wide Profiling of Transcription Factor Binding Sites in the Rice False Smut Fungus Ustilaginoidea virens. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2021; 34:830-834. [PMID: 33555221 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-01-21-0006-a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Identification of transcription factor binding sites is one of the most important steps in understanding the function of transcription factors and regulatory networks in organisms. The assay for transposase accessible chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq) is a simple protocol for detection of open chromatin that could be a powerful tool to advance studies of protein-DNA interactions. Although ATAC-seq has been used in systematic identification of cis-regulatory regions in animal and plant genomes, this method has been rarely applied in fungi. Here, we describe a valuable ATAC-seq resource in the genome of an economically important phytopathogen, the rice false smut fungus Ustilaginoidea virens. The ATAC-seq data of U. virens mycelia collected from potato sucrose broth (PSB) and PSB supplied with rice spikelet extract were both generated. This is the first genome-wide profiling of open chromatin and transcription factor binding sites in U. virens.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Hao Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Junbin Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Tom Hsiang
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Lu Zheng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
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16
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Quantitative Proteomics Analysis Reveals the Function of the Putative Ester Cyclase UvEC1 in the Pathogenicity of the Rice False Smut Fungus Ustilaginoidea virens. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22084069. [PMID: 33920773 PMCID: PMC8071170 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rice false smut is a fungal disease distributed worldwide and caused by Ustilaginoidea virens. In this study, we identified a putative ester cyclase (named as UvEC1) as being significantly upregulated during U. virens infection. UvEC1 contained a SnoaL-like polyketide cyclase domain, but the functions of ketone cyclases such as SnoaL in plant fungal pathogens remain unclear. Deletion of UvEC1 caused defects in vegetative growth and conidiation. UvEC1 was also required for response to hyperosmotic and oxidative stresses and for maintenance of cell wall integrity. Importantly, ΔUvEC1 mutants exhibited reduced virulence. We performed a tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomic analysis to identify differentially accumulating proteins (DAPs) between the ΔUvEC1-1 mutant and the wild-type isolate HWD-2. Proteomics data revealed that UvEC1 has a variety of effects on metabolism, protein localization, catalytic activity, binding, toxin biosynthesis and the spliceosome. Taken together, our findings suggest that UvEC1 is critical for the development and virulence of U. virens.
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17
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Chen X, Li X, Li P, Chen X, Liu H, Huang J, Luo C, Hsiang T, Zheng L. Comprehensive identification of lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylated proteins in Ustilaginoidea virens reveals the involvement of lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation in fungal virulence. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 63:409-425. [PMID: 33427395 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation (Khib ) is a newly identified post-translational modification (PTM) that plays important roles in transcription and cell proliferation in eukaryotes. However, its function remains unknown in phytopathogenic fungi. Here, we performed a comprehensive assessment of Khib in the rice false smut fungus Ustilaginoidea virens, using Tandem Mass Tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics approach. A total of 3 426 Khib sites were identified in 977 proteins, suggesting that Khib is a common and complex PTM in U. virens. Our data demonstrated that the 2-hydroxyisobutyrylated proteins are involved in diverse biological processes. Network analysis of the modified proteins revealed a highly interconnected protein network that included many well-studied virulence factors. We confirmed that the Zn-binding reduced potassium dependency3-type histone deacetylase (UvRpd3) is a major enzyme that removes 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation and acetylation in U. virens. Notably, mutations of Khib sites in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) UvSlt2 significantly reduced fungal virulence and decreased the enzymatic activity of UvSlt2. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation in UvSlt2 increased the hydrophobic solvent-accessible surface area and thereby affected binding between the UvSlt2 enzyme and its substrates. Our findings thus establish Khib as a major post-translational modification in U. virens and point to an important role for Khib in the virulence of this phytopathogenic fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xiabing Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Pingping Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Hao Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Junbin Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Chaoxi Luo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Tom Hsiang
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Lu Zheng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
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18
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Chen X, Tang J, Pei Z, Liu H, Huang J, Luo C, Tom H, Zheng L. The 'pears and lemons' protein UvPal1 regulates development and virulence of Ustilaginoidea virens. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:5414-5432. [PMID: 33073491 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Ustilaginoidea virens is an economically important fungus causing a devastating grain disease, rice false smut. An insertional mutagenesis screen was used to explore biological mechanisms underlying infection process of U. virens. T184, a new mutant was identified, with abnormal conidial morphology and deficient virulence. Analysis of the T-DNA inserted gene UvPal1 in the mutant confirmed it as a putative homologue of a cellular morphogenetic protein in yeast, Pal1, whose function has not been well characterized. Deletion of UvPal1 affected hyphal growth, cell morphology, stress adaptation and virulence. UvPal1 could interact with the endocytic proteins, UvEde1 and UvSla2, but was not required for receptor-mediated endocytosis. A yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) analysis was further carried out to screen the UvPal1-interacting proteins, resulting in the identification of 16 putative interacting proteins. Interestingly, UvPal1 interacted with a septin protein, UvCdc11 in vivo and in vitro, and also affected subcellular localization of UvCdc11 protein. Deletion of the four core septins impaired the growth, morphogenesis, stress response and virulence. Collectively, effects on cell morphology, oxidative stress response and virulence are similar to those of UvPal1, suggesting that UvPal1 physically interacts with UvCdc11 to mediate the septin complex to maintain the cellular morphology and virulence of U. virens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Chen
- The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jintian Tang
- The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Zhangxin Pei
- The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Hao Liu
- The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Junbin Huang
- The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Chaoxi Luo
- The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Hsiang Tom
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Lu Zheng
- The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
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19
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Sun W, Fan J, Fang A, Li Y, Tariqjaveed M, Li D, Hu D, Wang WM. Ustilaginoidea virens: Insights into an Emerging Rice Pathogen. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2020; 58:363-385. [PMID: 32364825 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-010820-012908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
False smut of rice, caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, has become one of the most important diseases in rice-growing regions worldwide. The disease causes a significant yield loss and imposes health threats to humans and animals by producing mycotoxins. In this review, we update our understanding of the pathogen, including the disease cycle and infection strategies, the decoding of the U. virens genome, comparative/functional genomics, and effector biology. Whereas the decoding of the U. virens genome unveils specific adaptations of the pathogen in successfully occupying rice flowers, progresses in comparative/functional genomics and effector biology have begun to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying U. virens virulence and pathogenicity. We highlight the identification and characterization of the produced mycotoxins and their biosynthetic pathways in U. virens.The management strategies for this disease are also discussed. The flower-specific infection strategy makes the pathogen a unique tool to unveil novel mechanisms for the interactions between nonobligate biotrophic pathogens and their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxian Sun
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China;
- College of Plant Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jing Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Rice Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China;
| | - Anfei Fang
- College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yuejiao Li
- College of Plant Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Muhammad Tariqjaveed
- College of Plant Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Dayong Li
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China;
| | - Dongwei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Biotechnology Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Wen-Ming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Rice Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China;
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20
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Meng S, Xiong M, Jagernath JS, Wang C, Qiu J, Shi H, Kou Y. UvAtg8-Mediated Autophagy Regulates Fungal Growth, Stress Responses, Conidiation, and Pathogenesis in Ustilaginoidea virens. RICE (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 13:56. [PMID: 32785866 PMCID: PMC7423828 DOI: 10.1186/s12284-020-00418-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ustilaginoidea virens has become one of the most devastating rice pathogens in China, as well as other rice-growing areas. Autophagy is an important process in normal cell differentiation and development among various organisms. To date, there has been no optimized experimental system introduced for the study of autophagy in U. virens. In addition, the function of autophagy in pathogenesis remains unknown in U. virens. Therefore, the functional analyses of UvAtg8 may potentially shed some light on the regulatory mechanism and function of autophagy in U. virens. RESULTS In this study, we characterized the functions of UvAtg8, which is a homolog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ScAtg8, in the rice false smut fungus U. virens. The results showed that UvATG8 is essential for autophagy in U. virens. Also, the GFP-UvATG8 strain, which could serve as an appropriate marker for monitoring autophagy in U. virens, was generated. Furthermore, this study found that the ΔUvatg8 mutant was defective in the vegetative growth, conidiation, adaption to oxidative, hyperosmotic, cell wall stresses, and production of toxic compounds. Pathogenicity assays indicated that deletion of UvATG8 resulted in significant reduction in virulence of U. virens. Further microscopic examinations of the infection processes revealed that the severe virulence defects in the ∆Uvatg8 were mainly caused by the highly reduced conidiation and secondary spore formation. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that the UvAtg8 is necessary for the fungal growth, stresses responses, conidiation, secondary spore formation, and pathogenicity of U. virens. Moreover, our research finding will potentially assist in further clarifying the molecular mechanism of U. virens infection, as well as provide a good marker for autophagy in U. virens and a good reference value for the further development of effective fungicides based on gene targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, 311400, China
| | - Meng Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Regional Plant Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement (CTGU)/Biotechnology Research Center, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, 443000, China
| | - Jane Sadhna Jagernath
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, 311400, China
| | - Congcong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, 311400, China
| | - Jiehua Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, 311400, China
| | - Huanbin Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, 311400, China
| | - Yanjun Kou
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, 311400, China.
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