Forest Protection Department, State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, National Joint Local Engineering Laboratory of Biopesticide High-efficient Preparation, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Virulence. 2021 Dec;12(1):1705-1716. doi: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1938806.
Virulence attenuation frequently occurs in culturing of pathogenic microbes. In this study, we investigated the total putative long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in an aphid-obligate pathogen, , and screened the differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs and protein-coding genes involved in the virulence decline. The virulence was significantly attenuated after eight subculturing events, in which the median lethal concentration of the conidia ejected from mycelial mats relative to the bamboo aphid, , increased from 36.1 to 126.1 conidia mm, four days after inoculation. In total, 1,252 lncRNAs were identified based on the genome-wide transcriptional analysis. By characterizing their molecular structures and expression patterns, we found that the lncRNAs possessed shorter transcripts, lower expression, and fewer exons than did protein-coding genes in . A total of 410 DE genes of 329 protein-coding genes and 81 lncRNAs were identified. The functional enrichment analysis showed the DE genes were enriched in peptidase activity, protein folding, autophagy, and metabolism. Moreover, target prediction analysis of the 81 lncRNAs revealed 3,111 -regulated and 23 -regulated mRNAs, while 121 DE lncRNA-mRNA pairs were possibly involved in virulence decline. Moreover, the DE lncRNA-regulated target genes mainly encoded small heat shock proteins, secretory proteins, transporters, autophagy proteins, and other stress response-related proteins. This implies that the decline in virulence regulated by lncRNAs was likely associated with the environmental stress response of . Hence, these findings can provide insights into the lncRNA molecules of Entomophthoromycotina, with regards to virulence regulators of entomopathogens.
在培养致病性微生物的过程中，毒力经常会减弱。在这项研究中，我们调查了一种专性蚜虫病原体中的全部假定长非编码 RNA（lncRNA），并筛选了与毒力下降相关的差异表达（DE）lncRNA 和蛋白编码基因。经过八次继代培养事件后，毒力显著减弱，相对于竹蚜，从菌丝垫中射出的分生孢子的半致死浓度从接种后第四天的 36.1 个分生孢子增加到 126.1 个分生孢子。总共根据全基因组转录分析鉴定了 1252 个 lncRNA。通过对其分子结构和表达模式进行特征分析，我们发现 lncRNA 的转录物更短、表达水平更低、外显子数也比少。总共鉴定出 329 个蛋白编码基因和 81 个 lncRNA 的 410 个 DE 基因。功能富集分析表明，DE 基因富集于肽酶活性、蛋白折叠、自噬和代谢。此外，对 81 个 lncRNA 的靶基因预测分析表明，有 3111 个和 23 个受调控的 mRNA，而 121 个 DE lncRNA-mRNA 对可能参与毒力下降。此外，DE lncRNA 调控的靶基因主要编码小热休克蛋白、分泌蛋白、转运蛋白、自噬蛋白和其他应激反应相关蛋白。这表明，lncRNA 调控的毒力下降可能与的环境应激反应有关。因此，这些发现可以为昆虫病原真菌的 lncRNA 分子提供关于昆虫病原物毒力调节剂的见解。
