title: Nox Complex signal and MAPK cascade pathway are cross-linked and essential for pathogenicity and conidiation of mycoparasite Coniothyrium minitans.
abstract: The NADPH oxidase complex of a sclerotial mycoparasite Coniothyrium minitans, an important biocontrol agent against crop diseases caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, was identified and its functions involved in conidiation and mycoparasitism were studied. Gene knock-out and complementary experiments indicated that CmNox1, but not CmNox2, is necessary for conidiation and parasitism, and its expression could be significantly induced by its host fungus. CmNox1 is regulated by CmRac1-CmNoxR and interacts with CmSlt2, a homolog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Slt2 encoding cell wall integrity-related MAP kinase. In ΔCmNox1, CmSlt2-GFP fusion protein lost the ability to localize to the cell nucleus accurately. The defect of conidiation in ΔCmRac1 could be partially restored by over-expressing CmSlt2, indicating that CmSlt2 was a downstream regulatory factor of CmNox1 and was involved in conidiation and parasitism. The expressions of mycoparasitism-related genes CmPks1, Cmg1 and CH1 were suppressed in the knock-out mutants of the genes in CmNox1-CmSlt2 signal pathway when cultivated either on PDA. Therefore, our study infers that CmRac1-CmNoxR regulates CmNox1-CmSlt2 pathway in regulating conidiation and pathogenicity of C. minitans.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, P R China.|The Provincial Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei Province, P R China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, P R China.|The Provincial Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei Province, P R China.
authors.forename: Wenjun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: The Provincial Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei Province, P R China.
authors.forename: Jiasen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: The Provincial Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei Province, P R China.
authors.forename: Jiatao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, P R China.|The Provincial Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei Province, P R China.
authors.forename: Daohong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei Province, P R China.|The Provincial Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei Province, P R China.
authors.forename: Guoqing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: The Provincial Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei Province, P R China.
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D060066:Protein Interaction Maps; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D019255:NADPH Oxidases; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases