| Title: | Components of TOR and MAP kinase signaling control chemotropism and pathogenicity in the fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae |
| Author(s): | Vangalis V; Markakis EA; Knop M; Pietro AD; Typas MA; Papaioannou IA; |
| Address: | "Department of Genetics & Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece. Laboratory of Mycology, Department of Viticulture, Vegetable Crops, Floriculture and Plant Protection, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, N.AG.RE.F., Hellenic Agricultural Organization - DIMITRA, 71307 Heraklion, Crete, Greece. Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. Departamento de Genetica, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario ceiA3, Universidad de Cordoba, 14014 Cordoba, Spain. Department of Genetics & Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece. Electronic address: matypas@biol.uoa.gr. Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: i.papaioannou@zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127361 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1618-0623 (Electronic) 0944-5013 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Filamentous fungi can sense useful resources and hazards in their environment and direct growth of their hyphae accordingly. Chemotropism ensures access to nutrients, contact with other individuals (e.g., for mating), and interaction with hosts in the case of pathogens. Previous studies have revealed a complex chemotropic sensing landscape during host-pathogen interactions, but the underlying molecular machinery remains poorly characterized. Here we studied mechanisms controlling directed hyphal growth of the important plant-pathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae towards different chemoattractants. We found that the homologs of the Rag GTPase Gtr1 and the GTPase-activating protein Tsc2, an activator and a repressor of the TOR kinase respectively, play important roles in hyphal chemotropism towards nutrients, plant-derived signals, and heterologous alpha-pheromone of Fusarium oxysporum. Furthermore, important roles of these regulators were identified in fungal development and pathogenicity. We also found that the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) Fus3 is required for chemotropism towards nutrients, while the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) Ste2 and the MAPK Slt2 control chemosensing of plant-derived signals and alpha-pheromone. Our study establishes V. dahliae as a suitable model system for the analysis of fungal chemotropism and discovers new components of chemotropic signaling during growth and host-pathogen interactions of V. dahliae" |
| Keywords: | Humans Virulence Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics/metabolism *Verticillium *Ascomycota/metabolism Pheromones/metabolism Fungal Proteins/metabolism Plant Diseases Autophagy Chemotropism Environmental sensing Pathogenicity Verticillium dahliae mTO; |
| Notes: | "MedlineVangalis, Vasileios Markakis, Emmanouil A Knop, Michael Pietro, Antonio Di Typas, Milton A Papaioannou, Ioannis A eng Germany 2023/03/16 Microbiol Res. 2023 Jun; 271:127361. doi: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127361. Epub 2023 Mar 12" |
