title: The Transcription Factor Con7-1 Is a Master Regulator of Morphogenesis and Virulence in Fusarium oxysporum.
abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated the essential role of morphogenetic regulation in Fusarium oxysporum pathogenesis, including processes such as cell-wall biogenesis, cell division, and differentiation of infection-like structures. We identified three F. oxysporum genes encoding predicted transcription factors showing significant identities to Magnaporthe oryzae Con7p, Con7-1, plus two identical copies of Con7-2. Targeted deletion of con7-1 produced nonpathogenic mutants with altered morphogenesis, including defects in cell wall structure, polar growth, hyphal branching, and conidiation. By contrast, simultaneous inactivation of both con7-2 copies caused no detectable defects in the resulting mutants. Comparative microarray-based gene expression analysis indicated that Con7-1 modulates the expression of a large number of genes involved in different biological functions, including host-pathogen interactions, morphogenesis and development, signal perception and transduction, transcriptional regulation, and primary and secondary metabolism. Taken together, our results point to Con7-1 as general regulator of morphogenesis and virulence in F. oxysporum.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Roldán
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pareja-Jaime
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: González-Reyes
authors.forename: M Isabel G
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Roncero
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005670:Fusarium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D025301:Hyphae; D007814:Larva; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000382:microbiology*; D020082:Magnaporthe / Q000235:genetics; D009036:Moths; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010641:Phenotype; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D013172:Spores, Fungal; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D005947:Glucose