20887797
not annotated - annotated - LINNAEUS only
The FvMK1 mitogen-activated protein kinase gene regulates conidiation, pathogenesis, and fumonisin production in Fusarium verticillioides.
Fusarium verticillioides is one of the most important fungal pathogens to cause destructive diseases of maize worldwide. Fumonisins produced by the fungus are harmful to human and animal health. To date, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with pathogenicity and fumonisin biosynthesis in F. verticillioides is limited. Because MAP kinase pathways have been implicated in regulating diverse processes important for plant infection in phytopathogenic fungi, in this study we identified and functionally characterized the FvMK1 gene in F. verticillioides. FvMK1 is orthologous to FMK1 in F. oxysporum and GPMK1 in F. graminearum. The Fvmk1 deletion mutant was reduced in vegetative growth and production of microconidia. However, it was normal in sexual reproduction and increased in the production of macroconidia. In infection assays with developing corn kernels, the Fvmk1 mutant was non-pathogenic and failed to colonize through wounding sites. It also failed to cause stalk rot symptoms beyond the inoculation sites on corn stalks, indicating that FvMK1 is essential for plant infection. Furthermore, the Fvmk1 mutant was significantly reduced in fumonisin production and expression levels of FUM1 and FUM8, two genes involved in fumonisin biosynthesis. The defects of the Fvmk1 mutant were fully complemented by re-introducing the wild type FvMK1 allele. These results demonstrate that FvMK1 plays critical roles in the regulation of vegetative growth, asexual reproduction, fumonisin biosynthesis, and pathogenicity.
Ann file
T1 Species 113 137 Fusarium verticillioides
N1 Reference T1 Taxonomy:117187
T2 Species 141 165 Fusarium verticillioides
N2 Reference T2 Taxonomy:117187
T3 Species 245 250 maize
N3 Reference T3 Taxonomy:4577
T4 Species 311 316 human
N4 Reference T4 Taxonomy:9606
T5 Species 451 469 F. verticillioides
N5 Reference T5 Taxonomy:117187
T6 Species 696 714 F. verticillioides
N6 Reference T6 Taxonomy:117187
T7 Species 748 760 F. oxysporum
N7 Reference T7 Taxonomy:5507
T8 Species 774 788 F. graminearum
N8 Reference T8 Taxonomy:5518
T9 Species 1012 1016 corn
N9 Reference T9 Taxonomy:4577
T10 Species 1184 1188 corn
N10 Reference T10 Taxonomy:4577