Characterization and Functional Analysis of a New Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase (CaMK1) in the Citrus Pathogenic Fungus <i>Penicillium italicum</i>
Calcium (Ca<sup>2+</sup>)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs) act as a class of crucial elements in Ca<sup>2+</sup>-signal transduction pathways that regulate fungal growth, sporulation, virulence, and environmental stress tolerance. However, little is known about th...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Fungi |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/8/7/667 |
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| author | Guoqi Li Shaoting Liu Lijuan Wu Xiao Wang Rongrong Cuan Yongliang Zheng Deli Liu Yongze Yuan |
| author_facet | Guoqi Li Shaoting Liu Lijuan Wu Xiao Wang Rongrong Cuan Yongliang Zheng Deli Liu Yongze Yuan |
| author_sort | Guoqi Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Calcium (Ca<sup>2+</sup>)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs) act as a class of crucial elements in Ca<sup>2+</sup>-signal transduction pathways that regulate fungal growth, sporulation, virulence, and environmental stress tolerance. However, little is known about the function of such protein kinase in phytopathogenic <i>Penicillium</i> species. In the present study, a new CaMK gene from the citrus pathogenic fungus <i>P. italicum</i>, designated <i>PiCaMK1</i>, was cloned and functionally characterized by gene knockout and transcriptome analysis. The open reading frame of <i>PiCaMK1</i> is 1209 bp in full length, which encodes 402 amino acid residues (putative molecular weight ~45.2 KD) with the highest homologous (~96.3%) to the <i>P. expansum</i> CaMK. The knockout mutant Δ<i>PiCaMK1</i> showed a significant reduction in vegetative growth, conidiation, and virulence (i.e., to induce blue mold decay on citrus fruit). Δ<i>PiCaMK1</i> was less sensitive to NaCl- or KCl-induced salinity stress and less resistant to mannitol-induced osmotic stress, indicating the functional involvement of <i>PiCaMK1</i> in such environmental stress tolerance. In contrast, the <i>PiCaMK1</i>-complemented strain Δ<i>PiCaMK1</i>COM can restore all the defective phenotypes. Transcriptome analysis revealed that knockout of <i>PiCaMK1</i> down-regulated expression of the genes involved in DNA replication and repair, cell cycle, meiosis, pyrimidine and purine metabolisms, and MAPK signaling pathway. Our results suggested the critical role of <i>PiCaMK1</i> in regulating multiple physical and cellular processes of citrus postharvest pathogen <i>P. italicum</i>, including growth, conidiation, virulence, and environmental stress tolerance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:16:03Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2309-608X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:16:03Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Journal of Fungi |
| spelling | doaj.art-111ef98dcf244de4849c6de739ee99622023-12-01T22:19:49ZengMDPI AGJournal of Fungi2309-608X2022-06-018766710.3390/jof8070667Characterization and Functional Analysis of a New Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase (CaMK1) in the Citrus Pathogenic Fungus <i>Penicillium italicum</i>Guoqi Li0Shaoting Liu1Lijuan Wu2Xiao Wang3Rongrong Cuan4Yongliang Zheng5Deli Liu6Yongze Yuan7Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaSchool of Public Administration, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaHubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaHubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaHubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaHubei Key Laboratory of Economic Forest Germplasm Improvement and Resources Comprehensive Utilization, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for the Characteristic Resources Exploitation of Dabie Mountains, College of Biology and Agricultural Resources, Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang 438000, ChinaHubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaHubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaCalcium (Ca<sup>2+</sup>)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs) act as a class of crucial elements in Ca<sup>2+</sup>-signal transduction pathways that regulate fungal growth, sporulation, virulence, and environmental stress tolerance. However, little is known about the function of such protein kinase in phytopathogenic <i>Penicillium</i> species. In the present study, a new CaMK gene from the citrus pathogenic fungus <i>P. italicum</i>, designated <i>PiCaMK1</i>, was cloned and functionally characterized by gene knockout and transcriptome analysis. The open reading frame of <i>PiCaMK1</i> is 1209 bp in full length, which encodes 402 amino acid residues (putative molecular weight ~45.2 KD) with the highest homologous (~96.3%) to the <i>P. expansum</i> CaMK. The knockout mutant Δ<i>PiCaMK1</i> showed a significant reduction in vegetative growth, conidiation, and virulence (i.e., to induce blue mold decay on citrus fruit). Δ<i>PiCaMK1</i> was less sensitive to NaCl- or KCl-induced salinity stress and less resistant to mannitol-induced osmotic stress, indicating the functional involvement of <i>PiCaMK1</i> in such environmental stress tolerance. In contrast, the <i>PiCaMK1</i>-complemented strain Δ<i>PiCaMK1</i>COM can restore all the defective phenotypes. Transcriptome analysis revealed that knockout of <i>PiCaMK1</i> down-regulated expression of the genes involved in DNA replication and repair, cell cycle, meiosis, pyrimidine and purine metabolisms, and MAPK signaling pathway. Our results suggested the critical role of <i>PiCaMK1</i> in regulating multiple physical and cellular processes of citrus postharvest pathogen <i>P. italicum</i>, including growth, conidiation, virulence, and environmental stress tolerance.https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/8/7/667<i>P. italicum</i>calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK)conidiationvirulencestress tolerancetranscriptome |
| spellingShingle | Guoqi Li Shaoting Liu Lijuan Wu Xiao Wang Rongrong Cuan Yongliang Zheng Deli Liu Yongze Yuan Characterization and Functional Analysis of a New Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase (CaMK1) in the Citrus Pathogenic Fungus <i>Penicillium italicum</i> Journal of Fungi <i>P. italicum</i> calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) conidiation virulence stress tolerance transcriptome |
| title | Characterization and Functional Analysis of a New Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase (CaMK1) in the Citrus Pathogenic Fungus <i>Penicillium italicum</i> |
| title_full | Characterization and Functional Analysis of a New Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase (CaMK1) in the Citrus Pathogenic Fungus <i>Penicillium italicum</i> |
| title_fullStr | Characterization and Functional Analysis of a New Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase (CaMK1) in the Citrus Pathogenic Fungus <i>Penicillium italicum</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterization and Functional Analysis of a New Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase (CaMK1) in the Citrus Pathogenic Fungus <i>Penicillium italicum</i> |
| title_short | Characterization and Functional Analysis of a New Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase (CaMK1) in the Citrus Pathogenic Fungus <i>Penicillium italicum</i> |
| title_sort | characterization and functional analysis of a new calcium calmodulin dependent protein kinase camk1 in the citrus pathogenic fungus i penicillium italicum i |
| topic | <i>P. italicum</i> calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) conidiation virulence stress tolerance transcriptome |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/8/7/667 |
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