Zinc finger transcription factor ZFP1 is associated with growth, conidiation, osmoregulation, and virulence in the Polygonatum kingianum pathogen Fusarium oxysporum

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 16061 - 11
• Main Authors: Su, Jianyun, Wang, Jingyi, Tang, Jingying, Yu, Weimei, Liu, Jiajia, Dong, Xian, Dong, Jiahong, Chai, Xia, Ji, Pengzhang, Zhang, Lei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 11-07-2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/326/193/2484; 631/326/193/2538; 631/326/193/2542; Aquatic plants; Cell walls; Conidia; Deletion mutant; Fungal Proteins - genetics; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; Fusarium - genetics; Fusarium - growth & development; Fusarium - pathogenicity; Fusarium - physiology; Fusarium oxysporum; Gene deletion; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Mutants; Mycelia; Osmoregulation; Pathogenicity; Pathogens; Plant diseases; Plant Diseases - microbiology; Polygonatum; Polygonatum - microbiology; Rhizomes; Rot; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Soil microorganisms; Soil-borne diseases; Spores, Fungal - genetics; Spores, Fungal - growth & development; Transcription factors; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Virulence; Virulence - genetics; Zinc finger proteins; Zinc Fingers
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67040-7

Rhizome rot is a destructive soil-borne disease of
Polygonatum kingianum
and adversely affects the yield and sustenance of the plant. Understanding how the causal fungus
Fusarium oxysporum
infects
P. kingianum
may suggest effective control measures against rhizome rot. In germinating conidia of infectious
F. oxysporum
, expression of the zinc finger transcription factor gene
Zfp1
, consisting of two C
2
H
2
motifs, was up-regulated. To characterize the critical role of ZFP1, we generated independent deletion mutants (
zfp1
) and complemented one mutant with a transgenic copy of ZFP1 (
zfp1
tZFP1). Mycelial growth and conidial production of
zfp1
were slower than those of wild type (
ZFP1
) and
zfp1
tZFP1. Additionally, a reduced inhibition of growth suggested
zfp1
was less sensitive to conditions promoting cell wall and osmotic stresses than
ZFP1
and
zfp1
tZFP1. Furthermore pathogenicity tests suggested a critical role for growth of
zfp1
in infected leaves and rhizomes of
P. kingianum
. Thus ZFP1 is important for mycelial growth, conidiation, osmoregulation, and pathogenicity in
P. kingianum
.