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Growth and Virulence of Plant Pathogenic Fungi
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Growth and Virulence of Plant Pathogenic Fungi

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 8095

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Guanghui Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Interests: Fusarium graminearum; Magnaporthe oryzae; protein kinase; signaling pathways; mycotoxin; plant-fungus interactions
Prof. Dr. Dongfang Ma

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
MARA Key Laboratory of Sustainable Crop Production in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (Co-Construction by Ministry and Province), College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China
Interests: strip rust; RNAi; effector factor; fungal taxonomy; biological control; antimicrobial peptide
Dr. Xiaofeng Liang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Interests: fungal plant pathogens; the biology; infection mechanisms and control of apple fungal diseases; the efficient control of apple Valsa canker disease; plant-fungus interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungi are among the most dominant causal agents of plant diseases. In addition to causing yield and quality losses, many fungal pathogens produce mycotoxins to contaminate crops before or after harvest, posing a threat to our food and feed safety. Understanding the regulating mechanisms of fungal pathogens’ vegetative growth, sexual/asexual reproduction, toxin biosynthesis, pathogenesis and host–pathogen interactions is critical for developing effective strategies to control plant diseases. In recent years, scientific and technological advances have significantly promoted progress in the research on plant fungal pathogens.

We welcome research and review manuscripts focused on plant diseases caused by fungi or fungal-like organisms. Topics of interest for this Special Issue of the Journal of Fungi include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Biology of plant fungal pathogens including vegetative growth, conidiation, and sexual development;
  2. Mycotoxin biosynthesis;
  3. Pathogenesis;
  4. Host–pathogen interactions;
  5. Effects of abiotic and biotic environmental factors.

Dr. Guanghui Wang
Prof. Dr. Dongfang Ma
Dr. Xiaofeng Liang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plant pathogenic fungi
  • fungal biology
  • mycotoxin
  • pathogenesis
  • host–pathogen interactions
  • environmental factors

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 3132 KiB  
Article
Magnaporthe-Unique Gene MUG1 Is Important for Fungal Appressorial Penetration, Invasive Hyphal Extension, and Virulence in Rice Blast Fungi
by Huixia Zhang, Zhiyi Chen, Zechen Yu, Liu Tang, Wenqiang Gao, Xunli Lu and Jun Yang
J. Fungi 2024, 10(8), 511; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10080511 - 23 Jul 2024
Viewed by 452
Abstract
Species-unique genes that encode specific proteins and have no homologs in other species play certain roles in the evolution of species and adaptations to external environments. Nevertheless, the biological roles of unique genes in plant pathogenic fungi remain largely unknown. Here, four Magnaporthe [...] Read more.
Species-unique genes that encode specific proteins and have no homologs in other species play certain roles in the evolution of species and adaptations to external environments. Nevertheless, the biological roles of unique genes in plant pathogenic fungi remain largely unknown. Here, four Magnaporthe-unique genes (MUG1–MUG4), which were highly expressed during the early infection stages, were functionally characterized in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Subcellular localization assays revealed that Mug1, Mug2, and Mug4 were localized to the cytoplasm and that Mug3 was localized into the nuclei. Furthermore, through gene knockout and phenotypic analysis, only MUG1 was found to be indispensable for fungal virulence and conidiation. Detailed microscopic analysis revealed that the deletion mutants of MUG1 clearly exhibited reduced appressorial turgor pressure and invasive hyphal development. Taken together, our findings indicate that the Magnaporthe-unique gene MUG1 plays a vital role in infection-related morphogenesis and virulence in rice blast fungi and suggest the specific and important roles of species-unique genes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth and Virulence of Plant Pathogenic Fungi)
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18 pages, 3136 KiB  
Article
Identification and Characterization of High-Molecular-Weight Proteins Secreted by Plasmodiophora brassicae That Suppress Plant Immunity
by Yanqun Feng, Xiaoyue Yang, Gaolei Cai, Siting Wang, Pingu Liu, Yan Li, Wang Chen and Wei Li
J. Fungi 2024, 10(7), 462; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10070462 - 29 Jun 2024
Viewed by 547
Abstract
Plasmodiophora brassicae is an obligate intracellular parasitic protist that causes clubroot disease on cruciferous plants. So far, some low-molecular-weight secreted proteins from P. brassicae have been reported to play an important role in plant immunity regulation, but there are few reports on its [...] Read more.
Plasmodiophora brassicae is an obligate intracellular parasitic protist that causes clubroot disease on cruciferous plants. So far, some low-molecular-weight secreted proteins from P. brassicae have been reported to play an important role in plant immunity regulation, but there are few reports on its high-molecular-weight secreted proteins. In this study, 35 putative high-molecular-weight secreted proteins (>300 amino acids) of P. brassicae (PbHMWSP) genes that are highly expressed during the infection stage were identified using transcriptome analysis and bioinformatics prediction. Then, the secretory activity of 30 putative PbHMWSPs was confirmed using the yeast signal sequence trap system. Furthermore, the genes encoding 24 PbHMWSPs were successfully cloned and their functions in plant immunity were studied. The results showed that ten PbHMWSPs could inhibit flg22-induced reactive oxygen burst, and ten PbHMWSPs significantly inhibited the expression of the SA signaling pathway marker gene PR1a. In addition, nine PbHMWSPs could inhibit the expression of a marker gene of the JA signaling pathway. Therefore, a total of 19 of the 24 tested PbHMWSPs played roles in suppressing the immune response of plants. Of these, it is worth noting that PbHMWSP34 can inhibit the expression of JA, ET, and several SA signaling pathway marker genes. The present study is the first to report the function of the high-molecular-weight secreted proteins of P. brassicae in plant immunity, which will enrich the theory of interaction mechanisms between the pathogens and plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth and Virulence of Plant Pathogenic Fungi)
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13 pages, 3777 KiB  
Article
O-Mannosyltransferase CfPmt4 Regulates the Growth, Development and Pathogenicity of Colletotrichum fructicola
by Di Yang, Lan Luo, Yadi Liu and He Li
J. Fungi 2024, 10(5), 330; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10050330 - 1 May 2024
Viewed by 1094
Abstract
Camellia oleifera is a woody, edible-oil plant native to China. Anthracnose is the major disease of Ca. oleifera, and Colletotrichum fructicola is the main epidemic pathogen. Our previous research indicated that CfHac1 (homologous to ATF/CREB1) and CfGcn5 (general control nonderepressible 5, Gcn5) [...] Read more.
Camellia oleifera is a woody, edible-oil plant native to China. Anthracnose is the major disease of Ca. oleifera, and Colletotrichum fructicola is the main epidemic pathogen. Our previous research indicated that CfHac1 (homologous to ATF/CREB1) and CfGcn5 (general control nonderepressible 5, Gcn5) are integral to key cellular processes that govern fungal development and pathogenesis. Further transcriptomic analyses of the CfHac1 and CfGcn5 mutants, particularly under conditions of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, hold the potential to unveil additional genes implicated in this critical cellular response. We identified all OST/PMT (oligosaccharyltransferase/Protein O-Mannosyltransferases) genes in C. fructicola and analyzed their expression levels. To elucidate novel glycosylation-related genes that may be important for the virulence of C. fructicola, we took an unbiased transcriptomic approach comparing wild-type and the ∆Cfhac1 mutant. Notably, all OST/PMT genes were induced by dithiothreitol and down-regulated in the ΔCfhac1 mutant, yet only the CfPMT4 (Protein O-Mannosyltransferases 4) gene (A04626) was unaffected in the ΔCfgcn5. The results of targeted gene deletion experiments indicate that CfPMT4 plays a crucial role in both vegetative growth and conidiation. Additionally, our investigation revealed that the ΔCfpmt4 exhibits deficiencies in appressorium formation, as well as in its response to cell wall integrity and endoplasmic reticulum stresses. Furthermore, the mutant displayed impaired glycogen metabolism, which may contribute to reduced penetration ability. Overall, CfPmt4, an O-mannosyltransferase, controls the growth, development, and pathogenicity of Colletotrichum fructicola. Understanding the function of the CfPMT4 homolog could provide a potential molecular target for controlling Ca. oleifera anthracnose. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth and Virulence of Plant Pathogenic Fungi)
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17 pages, 2968 KiB  
Article
FgFAD12 Regulates Vegetative Growth, Pathogenicity and Linoleic Acid Biosynthesis in Fusarium graminearum
by Yimei Zhang, Zhen Gao, Yinyu Lei, Liuye Song, Weijie He, Jingrong Liu, Mengge Song, Yafeng Dai, Guang Yang and Andong Gong
J. Fungi 2024, 10(4), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10040288 - 14 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1142
Abstract
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), as important components of lipids, play indispensable roles in the development of all organisms. ∆12 fatty acid desaturase (FAD12) is a speed-determining step in the biosynthesis of PUFAs. Here, we report the characterization of FAD12 in Fusarium [...] Read more.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), as important components of lipids, play indispensable roles in the development of all organisms. ∆12 fatty acid desaturase (FAD12) is a speed-determining step in the biosynthesis of PUFAs. Here, we report the characterization of FAD12 in Fusarium graminearum, which is the prevalent agent of Fusarium head blight, a destructive plant disease worldwide. The results demonstrated that deletion of the FgFAD12 gene resulted in defects in vegetative growth, conidial germination and plant pathogenesis but not sexual reproduction. A fatty acid analysis further proved that the deletion of FgFAD12 restrained the reaction of oleic acid to linoleic acid, and a large amount of oleic acid was detected in the cells. Moreover, the ∆Fgfad12 mutant showed increased resistance to osmotic stress and reduced tolerance to oxidative stress. The expression of FgFAD12 did show a temperature-dependent manner, which was not affected at a low temperature of 10 °C when compared to 25 °C. RNA-seq analysis further demonstrated that most genes enriched in fatty acid metabolism, the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, fatty acid biosynthesis, fatty acid degradation, steroid biosynthesis and fatty acid elongation pathways were significantly up-regulated in the ∆Fgfad12 mutants. Overall, our results indicate that FgFAD12 is essential for linoleic acid biosynthesis and plays an important role in the infection process of F. graminearum. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth and Virulence of Plant Pathogenic Fungi)
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16 pages, 6255 KiB  
Article
The APSES Transcription Factor SsStuA Regulating Cell Wall Integrity Is Essential for Sclerotia Formation and Pathogenicity in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
by Wenli Jiao, Maoxiang Li, Tianyi Lei, Xiaoli Liu, Junting Zhang, Jun Hu, Xianghui Zhang, Jinliang Liu, Shusen Shi, Hongyu Pan and Yanhua Zhang
J. Fungi 2024, 10(4), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10040238 - 22 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1199
Abstract
APSES (Asm1p, Phd1p, Sok2p, Efg1p, and StuAp) family transcription factors play crucial roles in various biological processes of fungi, however, their functional characterization in phytopathogenic fungi is limited. In this study, we explored the role of SsStuA, a typical APSES transcription factor, in [...] Read more.
APSES (Asm1p, Phd1p, Sok2p, Efg1p, and StuAp) family transcription factors play crucial roles in various biological processes of fungi, however, their functional characterization in phytopathogenic fungi is limited. In this study, we explored the role of SsStuA, a typical APSES transcription factor, in the regulation of cell wall integrity (CWI), sclerotia formation and pathogenicity of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, which is a globally important plant pathogenic fungus. A deficiency of SsStuA led to abnormal phosphorylation level of SsSmk3, the key gene SsAGM1 for UDP-GlcNAc synthesis was unable to respond to cell wall stress, and decreased tolerance to tebuconazole. In addition, ΔSsStuA was unable to form sclerotia but produced more compound appressoria. Nevertheless, the virulence of ΔSsStuA was significantly reduced due to the deficiency of the invasive hyphal growth and increased susceptibility to hydrogen peroxide. We also revealed that SsStuA could bind to the promoter of catalase family genes which regulate the expression of catalase genes. Furthermore, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation was found to be increased in ΔSsStuA. In summary, SsStuA, as a core transcription factor involved in the CWI pathway and ROS response, is required for vegetative growth, sclerotia formation, fungicide tolerance and the full virulence of S. sclerotiorum. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth and Virulence of Plant Pathogenic Fungi)
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20 pages, 5480 KiB  
Article
FgGmtB Plays an Important Role in Growth, Reproduction, Virulence and Deoxynivalenol Biosynthesis of Fusarium graminearum
by Chenming Zhao, Xiaoyue Yang, Wenqiang Jiang, Guifen Zhang and Dongfang Ma
J. Fungi 2024, 10(3), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10030208 - 11 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1345
Abstract
GDP-mannose transporters (GMTs) have been implicated in the virulence of some important pathogenic fungi, and guanosine diphosphate (GDP) mannose transporters transport GDP-mannose from the cytosol to the Golgi lumen prior to mannosylation, where mannose attaches to the modified protein. GMTs could be potential [...] Read more.
GDP-mannose transporters (GMTs) have been implicated in the virulence of some important pathogenic fungi, and guanosine diphosphate (GDP) mannose transporters transport GDP-mannose from the cytosol to the Golgi lumen prior to mannosylation, where mannose attaches to the modified protein. GMTs could be potential targets for new antifungal drugs, as disruption of any step in GDP-mannose biosynthesis can affect fungal viability, growth, or virulence. To date, the GDP-mannose transporter has been extensively studied in yeast, but its biological function in fungi, particularly F. graminearum, is still unclear. In this experimental study, the role of the GDP-mannose transporter in F. graminearum was investigated by analysing the VRG4 gene. FgGmtA and FgGmtB were blastp-derived from their Scvrg4 protein sequences and proved to be their functional homologues. The mutant and complementary strains of FgGmtA, FgGmtB and FgGmtA&B genes were generated and used to evaluate the effect of the two GMTs genes on mycelial growth, asexual reproduction, sexual reproduction, cell wall sensitivity, glyphosate synthesis and drug susceptibility. Only in the FgGmtB and FgGmtA&B mutants was the rate of mycelial growth slowed, conidium production increased, sexual reproduction impaired, cell wall sensitivity increased, glycemic content decreased, and drug sensitivity reduced. The results of the pathogenicity assessment of GMTs showed that only FgGmtB affects the patogenicity of F. graminearum. At the same time, the effect of GMTs on the ability of rhinoceros to synthesise DON toxins was investigated and the results showed that the ability of ΔFgGmtB and ΔFgGmtA&B mutants to produce the DON toxin was significantly reduced, and the expression of toxin-related genes was also reduced. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth and Virulence of Plant Pathogenic Fungi)
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14 pages, 4838 KiB  
Article
Functional Evolution of Pseudofabraea citricarpa as an Adaptation to Temperature Change
by Saifei Liu, Li Chen, Xinghua Qiao, Jiequn Ren, Changyong Zhou and Yuheng Yang
J. Fungi 2024, 10(2), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10020109 - 28 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1234
Abstract
Citrus target spot, caused by Pseudofabraea citricarpa, was formerly considered a cold-tolerant fungal disease. However, it has now spread from high-latitude regions to warmer low-latitude regions. Here, we conducted physiological observations on two different strains of the fungus collected from distinct regions, [...] Read more.
Citrus target spot, caused by Pseudofabraea citricarpa, was formerly considered a cold-tolerant fungal disease. However, it has now spread from high-latitude regions to warmer low-latitude regions. Here, we conducted physiological observations on two different strains of the fungus collected from distinct regions, and evaluated their pathogenicity. Interestingly, the CQWZ collected from a low-latitude orchard, exhibited higher temperature tolerance and pathogenicity when compared to the SXCG collected from a high-latitude orchard. To further understand the evolution of temperature tolerance and virulence in these pathogens during the spread process, as well as the mechanisms underlying these differences, we performed genomic comparative analysis. The genome size of CQWZ was determined to be 44,004,669 bp, while the genome size of SXCG was determined to be 45,377,339 bp. Through genomic collinearity analysis, we identified two breakpoints and rearrangements during the evolutionary process of these two strains. Moreover, gene annotation results revealed that the CQWZ possessed 376 annotated genes in the “Xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism” pathway, which is 79 genes more than the SXCG. The main factor contributing to this difference was the presence of salicylate hydroxylase. We also observed variations in the oxidative stress pathways and core pathogenic genes. The CQWZ exhibited the presence of a heat shock protein (HSP SSB), a catalase (CAT2), and 13 core pathogenic genes, including a LysM effector, in comparison to the SXCG. Furthermore, there were significant disparities in the gene clusters responsible for the production of seven metabolites, such as Fumonisin and Brefeldin. Finally, we identified the regulatory relationship, with the HOG pathway at its core, that potentially contributes to the differences in thermotolerance and virulence. As the global climate continues to warm, crop pathogens are increasingly expanding to new territories. Our findings will enhance understanding of the evolution mechanisms of pathogens under climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth and Virulence of Plant Pathogenic Fungi)
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