<i>VdPT1</i> Encoding a Neutral Trehalase of <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> Is Required for Growth and Virulence of the Pathogen
<i>Verticillum dahliae</i> is a soil-borne phytopathogenic fungus causing destructive Verticillium wilt disease. We previously found a trehalase-encoding gene (<i>VdPT1</i>) in <i>V. dahliae</i> being significantly up-regulated after sensing root exudates from a s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/1/294 |
| Summary: | <i>Verticillum dahliae</i> is a soil-borne phytopathogenic fungus causing destructive Verticillium wilt disease. We previously found a trehalase-encoding gene (<i>VdPT1</i>) in <i>V. dahliae</i> being significantly up-regulated after sensing root exudates from a susceptible cotton variety. In this study, we characterized the function of <i>VdPT1</i> in the growth and virulence of <i>V. dahliae</i> using its deletion-mutant strains. The <i>VdPT1</i> deletion mutants (<i>ΔVdPT1</i>) displayed slow colony expansion and mycelial growth, reduced conidial production and germination rate, and decreased mycelial penetration ability and virulence on cotton, but exhibited enhanced stress resistance, suggesting that <i>VdPT1</i> is involved in the growth, pathogenesis, and stress resistance of <i>V. dahliae</i>. Host-induced silencing of <i>VdPT1</i> in cotton reduced fungal biomass and enhanced cotton resistance against <i>V. dahliae</i>. Comparative transcriptome analysis between wild-type and mutant identified 1480 up-regulated and 1650 down-regulated genes in the <i>ΔVdPT1</i> strain. Several down-regulated genes encode plant cell wall-degrading enzymes required for full virulence of <i>V. dahliae</i> to cotton, and down-regulated genes related to carbon metabolism, DNA replication, and amino acid biosynthesis seemed to be responsible for the decreased growth of the <i>ΔVdPT1</i> strain. In contrast, up-regulation of several genes related to glycerophospholipid metabolism in the <i>ΔVdPT1</i> strain enhanced the stress resistance of the mutated strain. |
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| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |