title: System-wide characterization of bZIP transcription factor proteins involved in infection-related morphogenesis of Magnaporthe oryzae.
abstract: The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) domain-containing transcription factors (TFs) function as key regulators of cellular growth and differentiation in eukaryotic organisms including fungi. We have previously identified MoAp1 and MoAtf1 as bZIP TFs in Magnaporthe oryzae and demonstrated that they regulate the oxidative stress response and are critical in conidiogenesis and pathogenicity. Studies of bZIP proteins could provide a novel strategy for controlling rice blast, but a systematic examination of the bZIP proteins has not been carried out. Here, we identified 19 additional bZIP TFs and characterized their functions. We found that the majority of these TFs exhibit active functions, most notably, in conidiogenesis. We showed that MoHac1 regulates the endoplasmic reticulum stress response through a conserved unfolded protein response pathway, MoMetR controls amino acid metabolism to govern growth and differentiation, and MoBzip10 governs appressorium function and invasive hyphal growth. Moreover, MoBzip5 participates in appressorium formation through a pathway distinct from that MoBzip10, and MoMeaB appears to exert a regulatory role through nutrient uptake and nitrogen utilization. Collectively, our results provide insights into shared and specific functions associated with each of these TFs and link the regulatory roles to the fungal growth, conidiation, appressorium formation, host penetration and pathogenicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, Nanjing Agricultural University, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, 210095, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Yanyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ru
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Rongfang
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Xianxian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jingzhen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Haifeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaobo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhengguang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020082:Magnaporthe / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012275:Oryza / Q000382:microbiology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D005656:Fungal Proteins