State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China.
State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2021 Jan 1;166:1162-1172. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.10.271. Epub 2020 Nov 4.
Chitin is one of the major components of the fungal cell wall and contributes to the mechanical strength and shape of the fungal cell. Zn(II)Cys transcription factors are unique to the fungal kingdom and have a variety of functions in some fungi. However, the mechanisms by which Zn(II)Cys proteins affect entomopathogenic fungi are largely unknown. Here, we characterized the Zn(II)Cys transcription factor BbTpc1 in the insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. Disruption of BbTpc1 resulted in a distinct changes in vegetative growth and septation patterns, and a significant decrease in conidia and blastospore yield. The ΔBbTpc1 mutant displayed impaired resistance to chemical stresses and heat shock and attenuated virulence in topical and intrahemocoel injection assays. Importantly, the ΔBbTpc1 mutant had an abnormal cell wall with altered wall thickness and chitin synthesis, which were accompanied by transcriptional repression of the chitin synthetase family genes. In addition, comparative transcriptomics revealed that deletion of BbTpc1 altered fungal asexual reproduction via different genetic pathways. These data revealed that BbTpc1 regulates fungal development, chitin synthesis and biological control potential in B. bassiana.
几丁质是真菌细胞壁的主要成分之一，有助于真菌细胞的机械强度和形状。Zn(II)Cys 转录因子是真菌王国所特有的，在一些真菌中具有多种功能。然而，Zn(II)Cys 蛋白影响昆虫病原真菌的机制在很大程度上是未知的。在这里，我们对昆虫病原真菌白僵菌中的 Zn(II)Cys 转录因子 BbTpc1 进行了表征。破坏 BbTpc1 导致营养生长和隔膜模式发生明显变化，分生孢子和芽生孢子的产量显著下降。ΔBbTpc1 突变体对化学胁迫和热休克的抗性降低，在体表和血腔注射试验中的毒力减弱。重要的是，ΔBbTpc1 突变体的细胞壁异常，细胞壁厚度和几丁质合成改变，伴随着几丁质合成酶家族基因的转录抑制。此外，比较转录组学揭示了 BbTpc1 的缺失通过不同的遗传途径改变了真菌的无性繁殖。这些数据表明 BbTpc1 调节白僵菌的发育、几丁质合成和生物防治潜力。
