Calcineurin-Responsive Transcription Factor CgCrzA Is Required for Cell Wall Integrity and Infection-Related Morphogenesis in .

The ascomycete fungus infects a wide range of plant hosts and causes enormous economic losses in the world. The transcription factors (TFs) play an important role in development and pathogenicity of many organisms. In this study, we found that the CH TF CgCrzA is localized in both cytoplasm and nucleus under standard condition, and it translocated from cytoplasm to nucleus in a calcineurin-dependent manner. Moreover, the Δ was hypersensitive to cell wall perturbing agents and showed severe cell wall integrity defects. Deletion of the inhibited the development of invasive structures and lost pathogenicity to plant hosts. Our results suggested that calcineurin-responsive TF CgCrzA was not only involved in regulating cell wall integrity, but also in morphogenesis and virulence in .