A novel MADS-box transcription factor PstMCM1-1 is responsible for full virulence of Puccinia striiformis f. sp tritici

作者：Zhu, Xiaoguo; Jiao, Min; Guo, Jia; Liu, Peng; Tan, Chenglong; Yang, Qian; Zhang, Yang; Voegele, Ralf Thomas; Kang, Zhensheng^*; Guo, Jun

来源：Environmental Microbiology, 2018, 20(4): 1452-1463.

DOI：10.1111/1462-2920.14054

• MATING-TYPE
• COMBINATORIAL CONTROL
• GENE-EXPRESSION
• ALTERNATE HOSTS
• USTILAGO-MAYDIS
• PROTEIN
• MCM1
• IDENTIFICATION
• PATHOGEN
• YEAST

In many eukaryotes, transcription factor MCM1 gene plays crucial roles in regulating mating processes and pathogenesis by interacting with other co-factors. However, little is known about the role of MCM1 in rust fungi. Here, we identified two MCM1 orthologs, PstMCM1-1 and PstMCM1-2, in the stripe rust pathogen Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst). Sequence analysis indicated that both PstMCM1-1 and PstMCM1-2 contain conserved MADS domains and that PstMCM1-1 belongs to a group of SRF-like proteins that are evolutionarily specific to rust fungi. Yeast two-hybrid assays indicated that PstMCM1-1 interacts with transcription factors PstSTE12 and PstbE1. PstMCM1-1 was found to be highly induced during early infection stages in wheat and during pycniospore formation on the alternate host barberry (Berberis shensiana). PstMCM1-1 could complement the lethal phenotype and mating defects in a mcm1 mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In addition, it partially complemented the defects in appressorium formation and plant infection in a Magnaporthe oryzae Momcm1 mutant. Knock down of PstMCM1-1 resulted in a significant reduction of hyphal extension and haustorium formation and the virulence of Pst on wheat. Our results suggest that PstMCM1-1 plays important roles in the regulation of mating and pathogenesis of Pst most likely by interacting with co-factors.

• 单位
  西北农林科技大学; 旱区作物逆境生物学国家重点实验室