title: Molecular characterization and functional analysis of a specific secreted protein from highly virulent defoliating Verticillium dahliae.
abstract: Verticillium dahliae Kleb. is a phytopathogenic fungus that causes wilt diseases in hundreds of dicotyledonous plant species. Previous research has demonstrated that the secretome plays an important role in the pathogenicity of V. dahliae. In this study, the specific secreted protein gene (VdSSP1) in highly virulent defoliating V. dahliae strain VDG1 was cloned, and considered to be a secreted protein by signal peptide activity assay. VdSSP1 deletion mutants in VDG1 significantly compromised virulence, and the fungal growth decreased in media with pectin and starch as carbon sources. Pathogenicity and carbon utilization were restored upon complementation of the VdSSP1 deletion strains or low virulence non-defoliating strain VDG2, which lacks VdSSP1. It is indicated that the virulence role of VdSSP1 is associated with plant cell wall degradation. In conclusion, our data suggested that VdSSP1 is a secreted protein that is engaged in the pathogenicity of the highly virulent defoliating V. dahliae.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agro-Products Processing Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
authors.forename: Shao-Yan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jie-Yin
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jin-Long
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hong-Li
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Sami M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: Xiao-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D003368:Gossypium / Q000382:microbiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D020172:Verticillium / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D002244:Carbon
keywords: 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride; CWDE; DI; Hyg-e; PL; Pathogenicity; Plant cell wall degradation; RACE; Secreted protein; TTC; V. dahliae; VdSSP1; a rapid amplification of cDNA ends; cell wall degrading enzyme; disease index; hygromycin element; polysaccharide lyase; the specific secreted protein gene 1