Premium
Systematic characterization of the bZIP transcription factor gene family in the rice blast fungus, M agnaporthe oryzae
Author(s) -
Kong Sunghyung,
Park SookYoung,
Lee YongHwan
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/1462-2920.12633
Subject(s) - biology , gene , genetics , transcription factor , gene family , mutant , fungus , ascomycota , transcriptome , fungal protein , leucine zipper , gene expression , botany
Summary Regulatory roles of the basic leucine zipper ( bZIP ) transcription factors ( TFs ) in fungi have been identified in diverse cellular processes such as development, nutrient utilization and various stress responses. In this study, the 22 M agnaporthe oryzae genes encoding bZIP TFs were systematically characterized. Phylogenetic analysis of fungal bZIP TFs revealed that seven MobZIP s are M agnaporthe ‐specific, while others belongs to 15 clades of orthologous Ascomycota genes. Expression patterns of MobZIP s under various conditions showed that they are highly stress responsive. We generated deletion mutants for 13 MobZIP s : nine with orthologues in other fungal species and four M agnaporthe ‐specific ones. Seven of them exhibited defects in mycelial growth, development and/or pathogenicity. Consistent with the conserved functions of the orthologues, MobZIP 22 and MobZIP 13 played a role in sulfur metabolism and iron homeostasis respectively. Along with MobZIP 22 and MobZIP 13 , one M agnaporthe ‐specific gene, MobZIP 11 is essential for pathogenicity in a reactive oxygen species‐dependent manner. Taken together, our results will contribute to understanding the regulatory mechanisms of the bZIP TF gene family in fungal development, adaptation to environmental stresses and pathogenicity in the rice blast fungus.