Institute of Plant Protection, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu, China.
Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southwest, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China.
J Appl Microbiol. 2022 Aug;133(2):808-818. doi: 10.1111/jam.15575. Epub 2022 May 15.
NDT80, a known transcriptional factor, regulates various targets, including regulation of meiosis, stress responses, filamentous growth, sexual development, biofilm formation, drug resistance, and virulence. But the numbers and roles of Ndt80-like genes in different fungi are highly variable. This study aims to address the numbers and functions of Ndt80-like genes in Coniothyrium minitans, a well-known biocontrol agent against Sclerotinia diseases.
Here, two genes (CmNdt80a and CmNdt80b) encoding NDT80-like proteins were obtained by searching the genomic sequence of C. minitans. RT-PCR analysis showed that both CmNdt80 genes were constitutively expressed in C. minitans from the hyphal growth stage (48 hpi) to the pycnidial maturation stage (120 hpi). The roles of CmNdt80a and CmNdt80b in C. minitans were verified through gene knockout and complementation experiments. The results showed that the ΔCmNdt80a mutants exhibited a lighter colour and normal growth rate on potato dextrose agar plates. The ability of the ΔCmNdt80a mutants to produce conidia and parasitize the colony and sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was markedly diminished compared with the wild-type strain and complemented strain. Interestingly, the ΔCmNdt80a mutant showed less sensitivity to cell wall stressors and cell wall-degrading enzymes, and had thicker cell walls than the wild-type strain and complemented strain. However, no phenotypic consequences were discovered for the deletion of CmNdt80b.
Two Ndt80-like genes, CmNdt80a and CmNdt80b, were present in C. minitans. CmNdt80a, but not CmNdt80b, plays a crucial role in conidiogenesis, mycoparasitism, and cell wall integrity.
Understanding the mechanisms that regulate the conidiation and parasitism of C. minitans could help us to more efficiently utilize this biological control agent and advance our knowledge of fungal biology.
NDT80 是一种已知的转录因子，调节各种靶标，包括减数分裂、应激反应、丝状生长、性发育、生物膜形成、耐药性和毒力的调节。但是，不同真菌中 Ndt80 样基因的数量和作用是高度可变的。本研究旨在探讨 Coniothyrium minitans 中 Ndt80 样基因的数量和功能，Coniothyrium minitans 是一种防治核盘菌病害的著名生物防治剂。
在这里，通过搜索 C. minitans 的基因组序列，获得了两个编码 NDT80 样蛋白的基因（CmNdt80a 和 CmNdt80b）。RT-PCR 分析表明，在菌丝生长阶段（48 hpi）到产孢成熟阶段（120 hpi），CmNdt80 基因在 C. minitans 中均为组成型表达。通过基因敲除和互补实验验证了 CmNdt80a 和 CmNdt80b 在 C. minitans 中的作用。结果表明，与野生型菌株和互补菌株相比，ΔCmNdt80a 突变体在马铃薯葡萄糖琼脂平板上的颜色更浅，生长速度正常。ΔCmNdt80a 突变体产生分生孢子和寄生核盘菌菌落和菌核的能力明显减弱。有趣的是，与野生型菌株和互补菌株相比，ΔCmNdt80a 突变体对细胞壁应激物和细胞壁降解酶的敏感性降低，细胞壁较厚。然而，缺失 CmNdt80b 并没有表现出表型后果。
在 C. minitans 中存在两个 Ndt80 样基因，CmNdt80a 和 CmNdt80b。CmNdt80a 而不是 CmNdt80b 在分生孢子发生、菌寄生和细胞壁完整性中起着关键作用。
了解调节 C. minitans 分生孢子形成和寄生的机制可以帮助我们更有效地利用这种生物防治剂，并提高我们对真菌生物学的认识。
