Is a Key Factor Influencing the Pathogenesis of .

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been revealed in multiple biological processes; however, their physiological roles, as well as their regulatory mechanisms, are largely unknown in organisms, especially in disease-causing fungi such as , which causes Fusarium head blight in cereal crops. Herein, was identified as a key regulator for pathogenesis in Knockout of resulted in significantly reduced pathogenicity during the experiment, which was recovered through a complementation test and dramatically increased by overexpression of , although the growth and development of the genetic modified strains was not impaired. A significant reduction in the deoxynivalenol (DON) level was observed in the knockout mutant compared with control strain, and the expression levels of and , which are essential for DON synthesis, were correspondingly downregulated. In addition, the transcripts of the genes located 10 kb upstream and downstream of were quantified, and significantly increased expression of , , and , as well as dramatically decreased expression of , was found in the knockout line. Subsequent experiments confirmed the silencing efficiency of , further validating its significance in . Altogether, we demonstrated the role of in modulating the transcription of the genes potentially involved in the generation of DON, as well as pathogenesis. These preliminary insights into highlight the function and regulatory model of lncRNAs in plant-fungus interaction.