Ste12 Transcription Factor Homologue CpST12 Is Down-Regulated by HypovirusInfection and Required for Virulence and Female Fertility of the Chestnut Blight Fungus Cryphonectria parasitica
ABSTRACT A putative homologue of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ste12 transcription factor was identified in a series of expressed sequence tag-based microarray analyses as being down-regulated in strains of the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica , infected by virulence-attenuating hypov...
Saved in:
Published in | Eukaryotic cell Vol. 6; no. 2; pp. 235 - 244 |
---|---|
Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
01.02.2007
|
Online Access | Get full text |
Cover
Loading…
Summary: | ABSTRACT
A
putative homologue of the
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Ste12
transcription factor was identified in a series of expressed sequence
tag-based microarray analyses as being down-regulated in strains of the
chestnut blight fungus,
Cryphonectria parasitica
, infected by
virulence-attenuating hypoviruses. Cloning of the corresponding gene,
cpst12
, confirmed a high level of similarity to Ste12
homologues of other filamentous fungi. Disruption of
cpst12
resulted in no alterations in in vitro growth characteristics or colony
morphology and an increase in the production of asexual spores,
indicating that CpST12 is dispensable for vegetative growth and
conidiation on artificial medium. However, the disruption mutants
showed a very substantial reduction in virulence on chestnut tissue and
a complete loss of female fertility, two symptoms normally conferred by
hypovirus infection. Both virulence and female fertility were restored
by complementation with the wild-type
cpst12
gene. Analysis of
transcriptional changes caused by
cpst12
gene disruption with
a custom
C. parastica
cDNA microaray chip identified 152
responsive genes. A significant number of these putative
CpST12-regulated genes were also responsive to hypovirus infection.
Thus,
cpst12
encodes a cellular transcription factor, CpST12,
that is down-regulated by hypovirus infection and required for female
fertility, virulence and regulated expression of a subset of hypovirus
responsive host
genes. |
---|---|
ISSN: | 1535-9778 1535-9786 |
DOI: | 10.1128/EC.00302-06 |