Dataset Information

Chitin Synthase Genes Are Differentially Required for Growth, Stress Response, and Virulence in Verticillium dahliae.

ABSTRACT: Crop wilt disease caused by Verticillium dahliae usually leads to serious yield loss. Chitin, an important component of most fungal cell walls, functions to maintain the rigidity of cell walls and septa. Chitin synthesis mainly relies on the activity of chitin synthase (CHS). Eight CHS genes have been predicted in V. dahliae. In this study, we characterized the functions of these genes in terms of growth, stress responses, penetration, and virulence. Results showed that VdCHS5 is important for conidia germination and resistance to hyperosmotic stress. Conidial production is significantly decreased in Vdchs1, Vdchs4, and Vdchs8 mutants. VdCHS1, VdCHS2, VdCHS4, VdCHS6, VdCHS7, and VdCHS8 genes are important for cell wall integrity, while all mutants are important for cell membrane integrity. All of the VdCHS genes, except for VdCHS3, are required for the full pathogenicity of V. dahliae to Arabidopsis thaliana and cotton plants. The in vitro and in vivo penetration of Vdchs1, Vdchs4, Vdchs6, and Vdchs7 mutants was impaired, while that of the other mutants was normal. Overall, our results indicate that the VdCHS genes exert diverse functions to regulate the growth and development, conidial germination, conidial production, stress response, penetration, and virulence in V. dahliae.

SUBMITTER: Qin J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9320267 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Chitin Synthase Genes Are Differentially Required for Growth, Stress Response, and Virulence in Verticillium dahliae.

Qin Jun J Zhao Peichen P Ye Ziqin Z Sun Lifan L Hu Xiaoping X Zhang Jie J

Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) 20220628 7

Crop wilt disease caused by Verticillium dahliae usually leads to serious yield loss. Chitin, an important component of most fungal cell walls, functions to maintain the rigidity of cell walls and septa. Chitin synthesis mainly relies on the activity of chitin synthase (CHS). Eight CHS genes have been predicted in V. dahliae. In this study, we characterized the functions of these genes in terms of growth, stress responses, penetration, and virulence. Results showed that V ...[more]

PMID: 35887437

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Project description:The initial interaction of a pathogenic fungus with its host is complex and involves numerous metabolic pathways and regulatory proteins. Considerable attention has been devoted to proteins that play a crucial role in these interactions, with an emphasis on so-called effector molecules that are secreted by the invading microbe to establish the symbiosis. However, the contribution of other types of molecules, such as glycans, is less well appreciated. Here, we present a random genetic screen that enabled us to identify 58 novel candidate genes that are involved in the pathogenic potential of the fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae, which causes vascular wilt diseases in over 200 dicotyledonous plant species, including economically important crops. One of the candidate genes that was identified concerns a putative biosynthetic gene involved in nucleotide sugar precursor formation, as it encodes a putative nucleotide-rhamnose synthase/epimerase-reductase (NRS/ER). This enzyme has homology to bacterial enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of the nucleotide sugar deoxy-thymidine diphosphate (dTDP)-rhamnose, a precursor of L-rhamnose, which has been shown to be required for virulence in several human pathogenic bacteria. Rhamnose is known to be a minor cell wall glycan in fungi and has therefore not been suspected as a crucial molecule in fungal-host interactions. Nevertheless, our study shows that deletion of the VdNRS/ER gene from the V. dahliae genome results in complete loss of pathogenicity on tomato and Nicotiana benthamiana plants, whereas vegetative growth and sporulation are not affected. We demonstrate that VdNRS/ER is a functional enzyme in the biosynthesis of uridine diphosphate (UDP)-rhamnose, and further analysis has revealed that VdNRS/ER deletion strains are impaired in the colonization of tomato roots. Collectively, our results demonstrate that rhamnose, although only a minor cell wall component, is essential for the pathogenicity of V. dahliae.

Project description:BackgroundThe complete mitochondrial respiratory chain is a precondition for maintaining cellular energy supply, development, and metabolic balance. Due to the evolutionary differentiation of complexes and the semi-autonomy of mitochondria, respiratory chain subunits have become critical targets for crop improvement and fungal control. In fungi, mitochondrial complex I mediates growth and metabolism. However, the role of this complex in the pathogenesis of phytopathogenic fungi is largely unknown.ResultsIn this study, we identified the NADH: ubiquinone oxidoreductase 24-kDa subunit (VdNuo1) of complex in vascular wilt pathogen, Verticillium dahliae, and examined its functional conservation in phytopathogenic fungi. Based on the treatments with respiratory chain inhibitors, the mitochondria-localized VdNuo1 was confirmed to regulate mitochondrial morphogenesis and homeostasis. VdNuo1 was induced during the different developmental stages in V. dahliae, including hyphal growth, conidiation, and melanized microsclerotia development. The VdNuo1 mutants displayed variable sensitivity to stress factors and decreased pathogenicity in multiple hosts, indicating that VdNuo1 is necessary in stress tolerance and full virulence. Comparative transcriptome analysis demonstrated that VdNuo1 mediates global transcriptional effects, including oxidation and reduction processes, fatty acid, sugar, and energy metabolism. These defects are partly attributed to impairments of mitochondrial morphological integrity, complex assembly, and related functions. Its homologue (CgNuo1) functions in the vegetative growth, melanin biosynthesis, and pathogenicity of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides; however, CgNuo1 does not restore the VdNuo1 mutant to normal phenotypes.ConclusionsOur results revealed that VdNuo1 plays important roles in growth, metabolism, microsclerotia development, stress tolerance, and virulence of V. dahliae, sharing novel insight into the function of complex I and a potential fungicide target for pathogenic fungi.

Dataset Information

Chitin Synthase Genes Are Differentially Required for Growth, Stress Response, and Virulence in Verticillium dahliae.

Publications

Chitin Synthase Genes Are Differentially Required for Growth, Stress Response, and Virulence in <i>Verticillium dahliae</i>.

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