title: Systematic characterization of the bZIP transcription factor gene family in the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae.
abstract: Regulatory roles of the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors (TFs) in fungi have been identified in diverse cellular processes such as development, nutrient utilization and various stress responses. In this study, the 22 Magnaporthe oryzae genes encoding bZIP TFs were systematically characterized. Phylogenetic analysis of fungal bZIP TFs revealed that seven MobZIPs are Magnaporthe-specific, while others belongs to 15 clades of orthologous Ascomycota genes. Expression patterns of MobZIPs under various conditions showed that they are highly stress responsive. We generated deletion mutants for 13 MobZIPs: nine with orthologues in other fungal species and four Magnaporthe-specific ones. Seven of them exhibited defects in mycelial growth, development and/or pathogenicity. Consistent with the conserved functions of the orthologues, MobZIP22 and MobZIP13 played a role in sulfur metabolism and iron homeostasis respectively. Along with MobZIP22 and MobZIP13, one Magnaporthe-specific gene, MobZIP11 is essential for pathogenicity in a reactive oxygen species-dependent manner. Taken together, our results will contribute to understanding the regulatory mechanisms of the bZIP TF gene family in fungal development, adaptation to environmental stresses and pathogenicity in the rice blast fungus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Genetic Resources, and Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sunghyung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Sook-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yong-Hwan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005658:Fungi / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D020082:Magnaporthe / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D012275:Oryza / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D005656:Fungal Proteins