title: Verticillium transcription activator of adhesion Vta2 suppresses microsclerotia formation and is required for systemic infection of plant roots.
abstract: Six transcription regulatory genes of the Verticillium plant pathogen, which reprogrammed nonadherent budding yeasts for adhesion, were isolated by a genetic screen to identify control elements for early plant infection. Verticillium transcription activator of adhesion Vta2 is highly conserved in filamentous fungi but not present in yeasts. The Magnaporthe grisea ortholog conidiation regulator Con7 controls the formation of appressoria which are absent in Verticillium species. Vta2 was analyzed by using genetics, cell biology, transcriptomics, secretome proteomics and plant pathogenicity assays. Nuclear Vta2 activates the expression of the adhesin-encoding yeast flocculin genes FLO1 and FLO11. Vta2 is required for fungal growth of Verticillium where it is a positive regulator of conidiation. Vta2 is mandatory for accurate timing and suppression of microsclerotia as resting structures. Vta2 controls expression of 270 transcripts, including 10 putative genes for adhesins and 57 for secreted proteins. Vta2 controls the level of 125 secreted proteins, including putative adhesins or effector molecules and a secreted catalase-peroxidase. Vta2 is a major regulator of fungal pathogenesis, and controls host-plant root infection and H2 O2 detoxification. Verticillium impaired in Vta2 is unable to colonize plants and induce disease symptoms. Vta2 represents an interesting target for controlling the growth and development of these vascular pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.|Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, VNU University of Science, 334 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Van-Tuan
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanna A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Braus-Stromeyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kusch
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Cell Biology, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reusche
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 1, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaever
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Anika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kühn
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Valerius
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 1, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Landesfeind
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 1, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aßhauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 1, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Maike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tech
authors.affiliation: Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Straße 47, D-17487, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoff
authors.affiliation: Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Straße 47, D-17487, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Tonatiuh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pena-Centeno
authors.affiliation: Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Straße 47, D-17487, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stanke
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Cell Biology, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lipka
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerhard H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Braus
mesh_terms: D029688:Brassica napus / Q000382:microbiology; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D056229:Fungal Structures / Q000254:growth & development*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000382:microbiology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D020172:Verticillium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015003:Yeasts
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Verticillium; Verticillium transcription activator of adhesion Vta2/conidiation regulator Con7; adhesins; conidiation; microsclerotia; oxidative stress; pathogenicity; yeast