title: Lack of the COMPASS Component Ccl1 Reduces H3K4 Trimethylation Levels and Affects Transcription of Secondary Metabolite Genes in Two Plant-PathogenicFusariumSpecies.
abstract: In the two fungal pathogensFusarium fujikuroiandFusarium graminearum, secondary metabolites (SMs) are fitness and virulence factors and there is compelling evidence that the coordination of SM gene expression is under epigenetic control. Here, we characterized Ccl1, a subunit of the COMPASS complex responsible for methylating lysine 4 of histone H3 (H3K4me). We show that Ccl1 is not essential for viability but a regulator of genome-wide trimethylation of H3K4 (H3K4me3). Although, recent work inFusariumandAspergillusspp. detected only sporadic H3K4 methylation at the majority of the SM gene clusters, we show here that SM profiles inCCL1deletion mutants are strongly deviating from the wild type. Cross-complementation experiments indicate high functional conservation of Ccl1 as phenotypes of the respective △ccl1were rescued in both fungi. Strikingly, biosynthesis of the species-specific virulence factors gibberellic acid and deoxynivalenol produced byF. fujikuroiandF. graminearum, respectively, was reduced in axenic cultures but virulence was not attenuated in these mutants, a phenotype which goes in line with restored virulence factor production levelsin planta.This suggests that yet unknown plant-derived signals are able to compensate for Ccl1 function during pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbial Genetics and Pathogen Interactions, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life SciencesVienna, Tulln an der Donau, Austria; Institute for Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Westfälische Wilhelms UniversityMünster, Germany.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Studt
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Westfälische Wilhelms University Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Slavica
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Janevska
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms University Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arndt
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbial Genetics and Pathogen Interactions, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Tulln an der Donau, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boedi
authors.affiliation: Center for Analytical Chemistry, Department IFA-Tulln, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Tulln an der Donau, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sulyok
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms University Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Ulrich
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Humpf
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Westfälische Wilhelms University Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tudzynski
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbial Genetics and Pathogen Interactions, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Tulln an der Donau, Austria.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strauss
keywords: COMPASS; Fusarium; H3K4 methylation; histone modification; secondary metabolism; virulence