The RNA-binding protein FvNrd1 regulates fungal growth, stress response, and virulence by modulating RNA metabolism and ribosome biogenesis in Fusarium verticillioides
This project aims to investigate the transcriptomic changes caused by deletion of the FvNrd1 gene in Fusarium verticillioides, an important fungal pathogen of maize. The molecular function of the FvNrd1 gene remains largely unknown.To elucidate the regulatory pathways affected by FvNrd1, comparative transcriptome analysis was performed between the wild-type strain FvLNF15-11 and the FvNrd1 deletion mutant. Both strains were cultured in liquid complete medium (CM) with shaking at 220 rpm for 3 days. Mycelia were harvested, and total RNA was extracted using the TRIzol method. RNA quality was assessed using a NanoDrop spectrophotometer and an Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer. Sequencing libraries were subjected to paired-end sequencing on an Illumina platform.The obtained clean reads were aligned to the F. verticillioides reference genome, and gene expression levels were quantified to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the wild-type and mutant strains. Functional enrichment analyses, including Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), were performed to explore the biological processes and metabolic pathways associated with FvNrd1 deletion.The transcriptomic datasets generated in this study will provide valuable resources for understanding the gene regulatory networks controlled by FvNrd1 and their potential roles in fungal growth and pathogenicity in F. verticillioides.