title: The Galpha subunit BCG1, the phospholipase C (BcPLC1) and the calcineurin phosphatase co-ordinately regulate gene expression in the grey mould fungus Botrytis cinerea.
abstract: The Galpha subunit BCG1 is essential for pathogenicity of the grey mould fungus Botrytis cinerea. Several processes such as the transition from primary infection to secondary invasive growth and the production of the phytotoxin botrydial are regulated by BCG1 via a cAMP-independent pathway. Our recent finding that the botrydial biosynthesis genes belong to the group of Ca(2+)/calcineurin-dependent genes suggested for the first time a connection between this Galpha subunit and the calcineurin signalling pathway. To investigate whether this co-regulation of genes by BCG1 and calcineurin is a common feature, a cDNA macroarray approach was used to compare the gene expression pattern of the wild-type and the Deltabcg1 mutant, non-treated or treated with the calcineurin inhibitor cyclosporin A. We identified three sets of genes whose expression was regulated either by both BCG1 and calcineurin, or only by one of them. Among the BCG1/calcineurin-co-regulated genes, we found a new gene cluster coding for a yet unknown polyketide secondary metabolite. Furthermore, we show for the first time in a phytopathogenic fungus that the phospholipase C (BcPLC1) is a component of the BCG1- and calcineurin-dependent signalling pathway as several BCG1- and calcineurin-dependent genes were downregulated in bcplc1 knock-down mutants.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Botanik der Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Schlossgarten 3, D-48149 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viaud
authors.forename: Adeline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tudzynski
mesh_terms: D020171:Botrytis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D044385:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D018525:Germination; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000382:microbiology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000254:growth & development; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014774:Virulence; D027843:Vitis / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D044385:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits; C120817:calcineurin phosphatase; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D010738:Type C Phospholipases