title: VdNUC-2, the Key Regulator of Phosphate Responsive Signaling Pathway, Is Required for Verticillium dahliae Infection.
abstract: In fungal cells, a phosphate (Pi) responsive signaling and metabolism (PHO) pathway regulates Pi-homeostasis. NUC-2/PHO81 and its homologs are one of the most important components in the regulation pathway. In soil-borne phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae, we identified a Neurospora crassa nuc-2 homolog gene VdNUC-2. VdNUC-2 is composed of 1,018 amino acids, and is highly conserved in tested filamentous fungi. Under conditions of Pi-starvation, compared with the wild-type strain and ectopic complementation strains, the VdNUC-2 knocked out mutants exhibited reduced radial growth, decreased production of conidia and microsclerotia, and were more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide stress. The virulence of VdNUC-2 defective mutants was significantly compromised, and that was unable to be restored by exogenous application of extra Pi. Additionally, the deletion mutants of VdNUC-1, a key transcription factor gene positively controlled by VdNUC-2 in the PHO pathway, showed the similar cultural phenotypes as VdNUC-2 mutants when both of them grew in Pi-limited conditions. However, the virulence of VdNUC-1 mutants was comparable to the wild-type strain. These evidences indicated that the virulence reduction in VdNUC-2 mutants is not due to the interruptions in the PHO pathway or the disturbance of Pi-homeostasis in V. dahliae cytoplasm. VdNUC-2 is not only a crucial gene in the PHO pathway in V. dahliae, but also is required for the full virulence during host-infection.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Cai-yue
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects; D018390:Gene Targeting; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D003368:Gossypium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D010710:Phosphates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D036226:Seedlings / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D020172:Verticillium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D010710:Phosphates; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins