Functional characterization of electron-transferring flavoprotein and its dehydrogenase required for fungal development and plant infection by the rice blast fungus.
Electron-transferring flavoprotein (ETF) and its dehydrogenase (ETFDH) are highly conserved electron carriers which mainly function in mitochondrial fatty acid β oxidation. Here, we report the identification and characterization of ETF α and β subunit encoding genes (ETFA and ETFB) and ETFDH encoding gene (ETFDH) in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. It was demonstrated that, by impacting fatty acid metabolism, ETF and ETFDH mutations led to severe growth and conidiation defects, which could be largely rescued by exogenous acetate or carbonate. Furthermore, although conidium germination and appressorium formation appeared to be normal in ETF and ETFDH mutants, most appressoria failed to penetrate the host epidermis due to low turgor pressure. The few appressoria that succeeded in penetration were severely restricted in invasive growth and consequently failed to cause disease. Moreover, ETF mutant etfb(-) induced ROS accumulation in infected host cells and exogenous antioxidant GSH accelerated mutant invading growth without increasing the penetration rate. In addition, mutant etfb(-) displayed elevated lipid body accumulation and reduced ATP synthesis. Taken together, ETF and ETFDH play an important role in fungal development and plant infection in M. oryzae by regulation of fatty acid metabolism, turgor establishment and induction of host ROS accumulation.
Key Laboratory of Biopesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
Ya
Y
Li
Key Laboratory of Biopesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
Jindong
J
Zhu
Key Laboratory of Biopesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
Jiexiong
J
Hu
Key Laboratory of Biopesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
Xiuli
X
Meng
Key Laboratory of Biopesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
Qi
Q
Zhang
Key Laboratory of Biopesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
Kunpeng
K
Zhu
Key Laboratory of Biopesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
Xiaomin
X
Chen
Key Laboratory of Biopesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
Xuehang
X
Chen
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
Guangpu
G
Li
Key Laboratory of Biopesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
Zonghua
Z
Wang
Key Laboratory of Biopesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
Guodong
G
Lu
D044927:Electron-Transferring Flavoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020082:Magnaporthe / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D009154:Mutation; D012275:Oryza / Q000382:microbiology*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000502:physiology
D044927:Electron-Transferring Flavoproteins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors; C023120:electron-transferring-flavoprotein dehydrogenase