CtPMK1, a mitogen‐activated‐protein kinase gene, is required for conidiation, appressorium formation, and pathogenicity of Colletotrichum truncatum on soybean. (27th March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xiong, Q.; Xu, J.; Zhao, Y.; Wang, K.
• Is Part Of: Annals of applied biology. Volume 167:Number 1(2015)
• Page Start: 63
• Page End: 74
• Publication Date: 2015-03-27
• Subjects: Crop science -- Periodicals; Plants, Protection of -- Periodicals; Crops -- Ecology -- Periodicals; 630
• DOI: 10.1111/aab.12209
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-4746

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="aab12209-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p id="aab12209-para-0001"> <italic>Colletotrichum truncatum</italic>, the causal agent of soybean anthracnose, invades host plants by forming a specialised infection structure called an appressorium. Mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) genes have been shown to play vital roles in several phytopathogenic fungi in regulating various infection processes, including spore germination, melanised appressorium formation, appressorial penetration and subsequent invasive growth in host plants. In this study, we identified and characterised the first Fus3/Kss1‐related MAPK gene, <italic>CtPMK1</italic>, in <italic>Colletotrichum truncatum</italic>, which is related to <italic>PMK1</italic> in <italic>Magnaporthe oryzae</italic>. Disruption of <italic>CtPMK1</italic> in <italic>C. truncatum</italic> resulted in a mutant with slightly reduced mycelial growth (‐30%) and melanisation that is deficient in sporulation (‐99%), as observed in the <italic>CMK1</italic> mutant of <italic>Colletotrichum lagenarium</italic> (a synonym of <italic>Colletotrichum orbiculare</italic>, which is now the accepted name for this taxon). In contrast to <italic>CMK1</italic> of <italic>C. lagenarium</italic>, conidia from the <italic>Ctpmk1</italic> mutant germinated normally on glass slides and onion epidermal surfaces. Our findings suggest that there are differences in the types of <italic>in vitro</italic> functions controlled by <italic>PMK1</italic>, even between closely related species. Furthermore, the <italic>Ctpmk1</italic> mutant failed to form appressoria or hyphopodia, subsequently resulting in the complete loss of pathogenicity on host plants. Overall, the results indicate that the Fus3/Kss1‐related MAPK gene has a conserved role in infection structure formation and pathogenicity in phytopathogenic fungi.</p> </abstract>