CgNis1's Impact on Virulence and Stress Response in .

Pepper anthracnose caused by infection is an important fungal disease and represents a serious threat to pepper yield and quality. At present, the pathogenic molecular mechanism of is not very clear. In our study, we characterized the function of CgNis1, a homolog of MoNis1. We found that the ∆ mutant reduced the growth rate and was defective in conidiation. Although the rate of appressorium formation was unaffected, the germ tube was found to be abnormal. CgNis1 was shown to be involved in the HO stress response and maintaining cell membrane permeability. The pathogenicity assays performed in this study indicated that the deletion of CgNIS1 is associated with virulence. Our results indicate that CgNis1 is necessary for the growth, development, and pathogenicity of the fungus. This work provides an in-depth analysis of the Nis1 protein, helps to enhance studies on pathogen-related molecular mechanisms, and provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of in peppers.