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Luciano-Rosario D, Peng H, Gaskins VL, Fonseca JM, Keller NP, Jurick WM. Mining the Penicillium expansum Genome for Virulence Genes: A Functional-Based Approach to Discover Novel Loci Mediating Blue Mold Decay of Apple Fruit. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:1066. [PMID: 37998873 PMCID: PMC10672711 DOI: 10.3390/jof9111066] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Blue mold, a postharvest disease of pome fruits, is caused by the filamentous fungus Penicillium expansum. In addition to the economic losses caused by P. expansum, food safety can be compromised, as this pathogen is mycotoxigenic. In this study, forward and reverse genetic approaches were used to identify genes involved in blue mold infection in apple fruits. For this, we generated a random T-DNA insertional mutant library. A total of 448 transformants were generated and screened for the reduced decay phenotype on apples. Of these mutants, six (T-193, T-275, T-434, T-588, T-625, and T-711) were selected for continued studies and five unique genes were identified of interest. In addition, two deletion mutants (Δt-625 and Δt-588) and a knockdown strain (t-434KD) were generated for three loci. Data show that the ∆t-588 mutant phenocopied the T-DNA insertion mutant and had virulence penalties during apple fruit decay. We hypothesize that this locus encodes a glyoxalase due to bioinformatic predictions, thus contributing to reduced colony diameter when grown in methylglyoxal (MG). This work presents novel members of signaling networks and additional genetic factors that regulate fungal virulence in the blue mold fungus during apple fruit decay.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hui Peng
- Everglades Research and Education Center, Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Belle Glade, FL 33430, USA;
| | - Verneta L. Gaskins
- Food Quality Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA; (V.L.G.); (J.M.F.)
| | - Jorge M. Fonseca
- Food Quality Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA; (V.L.G.); (J.M.F.)
| | - Nancy P. Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Wayne M. Jurick
- Food Quality Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA; (V.L.G.); (J.M.F.)
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Cmcrf1, a Putative Zn2Cys6 Fungal Transcription Factor, Is Involved in Conidiation, Carotenoid Production, and Fruiting Body Development in Cordyceps militaris. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11101535. [PMID: 36290438 PMCID: PMC9598893 DOI: 10.3390/biology11101535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Cordyceps militaris is a high-value medicinal and edible fungus that produces many bioactive compounds, including carotenoid, and thus, improving the carotenoid productivity of C. militaris will increase its commercial value. However, little is known about the genetic regulatory mechanism of carotenoid biosynthesis in C. militaris. To further understanding the regulatory mechanism of carotenoid biosynthesis, we performed a large-scale screen of T-DNA insertional mutant library and identified a defective mutant, denoted T111, whose colonies did not change color from white to yellow upon exposure to light. Mutation analysis confirmed that a single T-DNA insertion occurred in the gene encoding a 695-amino-acid putative fungal-specific transcription factor with a predicted Zn2Cys6 binuclear cluster DNA-binding domain found uniquely in fungi. Targeted deletion of this gene, denoted C. militaris carotenogenesis regulatory factor 1 (Cmcrf1), generated the ΔCmcrf1 mutant that exhibited drastically reduced carotenoid biosynthesis and failed to generate fruiting bodies. In addition, the ΔCmcrf1 mutant showed significantly increased conidiation and increased hypersensitivity to cell-wall-perturbing agents compared with the wild-type strain. However, the Cmcrf1 gene did not have an impact on the mycelia growth of C. militaris. These results show that Cmcrf1 is involved in carotenoid biosynthesis and is required for conidiation and fruiting body formation in C. militaris.
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Deng S, Yao C, Zhang X, Jia Z, Shan C, Luo X, Lin L. Involvement of UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from Verticillium dahliae in cell morphogenesis, stress responses, and host infection. Fungal Biol 2020; 124:648-660. [PMID: 32540188 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2020.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGP, EC 2.7.7.9) is an essential enzyme involved in carbohydrate metabolism. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other fungi, the UGP gene is indispensable for normal cell development, polysaccharide synthesis, and stress response. However, the function of the UGP homolog in plant pathogenic fungi has been rarely explored during pathogenesis. In this study, we characterize a UGP homolog named VdUGP from Verticillium dahliae, a soil-borne fungus that causes plant vascular wilt. In comparison with wild-type strain V07DF2 and complementation strains, the VdUGP knocked down mutant 24C9 exhibited sensitivity to sodium dodecyl sulfate (perturbing membrane integrity) and high sodium chloride concentration (high osmotic pressure stress). More than 25 % of the conidia of the mutant developed into short and swollen hypha and formed hyperbranching and compact colonies. The mutant exhibited decreased virulence on cotton and tobacco seedlings. Further investigation determined that the germination of the mutant spores was significantly delayed compared with the wild-type strain on the host roots. RNA-seq analysis revealed that a considerable number of genes encoding secreted proteins and carbohydrate-active enzymes were significantly downregulated in the mutant at an early stage of infection compared with those of the wild-type strain. RNA-seq data indicated that mutation affected many Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways both in the pathogen and in the inoculated plants at the infection stage. These alterations of the mutant in cultural phenotypes, virulence, and gene expression profiles clearly indicated that VdUGP played important roles in fungal cell morphogenesis, stress responses, and host infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Deng
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhongling street NO.50, Nanjing, 210014, China.
| | - Chuanfei Yao
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhongling street NO.50, Nanjing, 210014, China; College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210046, China.
| | - Xin Zhang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhongling street NO.50, Nanjing, 210014, China.
| | - Zhaozhao Jia
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhongling street NO.50, Nanjing, 210014, China.
| | - Chenyang Shan
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhongling street NO.50, Nanjing, 210014, China; Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
| | - Xiaoyu Luo
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhongling street NO.50, Nanjing, 210014, China; Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
| | - Ling Lin
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhongling street NO.50, Nanjing, 210014, China.
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Deng S, Wang CY, Zhang X, Wang Q, Lin L. VdNUC-2, the Key Regulator of Phosphate Responsive Signaling Pathway, Is Required for Verticillium dahliae Infection. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145190. [PMID: 26670613 PMCID: PMC4682923 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In fungal cells, a phosphate (Pi) responsive signaling and metabolism (PHO) pathway regulates Pi-homeostasis. NUC-2/PHO81 and its homologs are one of the most important components in the regulation pathway. In soil-borne phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae, we identified a Neurospora crassa nuc-2 homolog gene VdNUC-2. VdNUC-2 is composed of 1,018 amino acids, and is highly conserved in tested filamentous fungi. Under conditions of Pi-starvation, compared with the wild-type strain and ectopic complementation strains, the VdNUC-2 knocked out mutants exhibited reduced radial growth, decreased production of conidia and microsclerotia, and were more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide stress. The virulence of VdNUC-2 defective mutants was significantly compromised, and that was unable to be restored by exogenous application of extra Pi. Additionally, the deletion mutants of VdNUC-1, a key transcription factor gene positively controlled by VdNUC-2 in the PHO pathway, showed the similar cultural phenotypes as VdNUC-2 mutants when both of them grew in Pi-limited conditions. However, the virulence of VdNUC-1 mutants was comparable to the wild-type strain. These evidences indicated that the virulence reduction in VdNUC-2 mutants is not due to the interruptions in the PHO pathway or the disturbance of Pi-homeostasis in V. dahliae cytoplasm. VdNUC-2 is not only a crucial gene in the PHO pathway in V. dahliae, but also is required for the full virulence during host-infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Deng
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Cai-yue Wang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Qing Wang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Ling Lin
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
- * E-mail:
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