title: The mating-type locus b of the sugarcane smut Sporisorium scitamineum is essential for mating, filamentous growth and pathogenicity.
abstract: Sporisorium scitamineum is the causal agent of sugarcane smut, which is one of the most serious constraints to global sugarcane production. S. scitamineum and Ustilago maydis are two closely related smut fungi, that are predicted to harbor similar sexual mating processes/system. To elucidate the molecular basis of sexual mating in S. scitamineum, we identified and deleted the ortholog of mating-specific U. maydis locus b, in S. scitamineum. The resultant b-deletion mutant was defective in mating and pathogenicity in S. scitamineum. Furthermore, a functional b locus heterodimer could trigger filamentous growth without mating in S. scitamineum, and functionally replace the b locus in U. maydis in terms of triggering aerial filament production and forming solopathogenic strains, which do not require sexual mating prior to pathogenicity on the host plants.
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Biotechnology Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Meixin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Guangxi Key Laboratory of Biology for Crop Diseases and Insect Pests, Plant Protection Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guining
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Guangxi Key Laboratory of Biology for Crop Diseases and Insect Pests, Plant Protection Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shanyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Guangxi Key Laboratory of Biology for Crop Diseases and Insect Pests, Plant Protection Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xian
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Changqing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Pinggen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wankuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Enping
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: zdjiang@scau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zide
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: dengyz@scau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yi Zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lian-Hui
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D049770:Genes, Mating Type, Fungal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D059386:Reverse Genetics; D031786:Saccharum / Q000382:microbiology*; D014587:Ustilaginales / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014588:Ustilago / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014774:Virulence
keywords: Fungal pathogenicity; Mating; Solopathogenic haploid; Sugarcane smut; bE/bW heterodimeric transcriptional factor