Functional characterization of BbEaf6 in : Implications for fungal virulence and stress response.

The Eaf6 protein, a conserved component of the NuA4 and NuA3 complexes in yeast and MOZ/MORF complexes in humans, plays crucial roles in transcriptional activation, gene regulation, and cell cycle control. Despite its significance in other organisms, the functional role of Eaf6 in entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) remained unexplored. Here, we investigate the function of BbEaf6, the Eaf6 homolog in the entomopathogenic fungus . We demonstrate that BbEaf6 is predominantly localized in nuclei, similar to its counterpart in other fungi. Deletion of resulted in delayed conidiation, reduced conidial yield, and altered conidial properties. Transcriptomic analysis revealed dysregulation of the genes involved in asexual development and cell cycle progression in the Δ mutant. Furthermore, the Δ mutant exhibited decreased tolerance to various stresses, including ionic stress, cell wall perturbation, and DNA damage stress. Notably, the Δ mutant displayed attenuated virulence in insect bioassays, accompanied by dysregulation of genes associated with cuticle penetration and haemocoel infection. Overall, our study elucidates the multifaceted role of BbEaf6 in stress response, development, and virulence in , providing valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms governing fungal pathogenesis and potential targets for pest management strategies.