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MoLEU1 , MoLEU2 , and MoLEU4 regulated by MoLEU3 are involved in leucine biosynthesis, fungal development, and pathogenicity in Magnaporthe oryzae
Author(s) -
Wei YunYun,
Yu Qin,
Dong Bo,
Zhang Yong,
Liu XiaoHong,
Lin FuCheng,
Liang Shuang
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
environmental microbiology reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.229
H-Index - 69
ISSN - 1758-2229
DOI - 10.1111/1758-2229.12800
Subject(s) - biology , conidiation , leucine , mutant , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , gene , transcription factor , amino acid , biosynthesis , appressorium
Summary Amino acids are vital components in cell metabolism. Leucine is a regulatory factor that generates significant impact on protein synthesis/turnover, modulates diverse cellular signalling pathways and participates in oxidative processes and immune responses. Here, we identified and characterized the functions of a leucine‐associated Zn 2 Cys 6 ‐type transcription factor, MoLeu3. Disruption of MoLEU3 resulted in significantly reduced pathogenicity in barley and rice. Quantitative RT‐PCR showed that the expression levels of the putative leucine biosynthesis‐related genes, MoLEU1 , MoLEU2 and MoLEU4 were downregulated in the Δ Moleu3 mutant. We used high‐throughput gene knockout method to generate the null mutants of MoLEU1 , MoLEU2 and MoLEU4 respectively. The Δ Moleu1 , Δ Moleu2 and Δ Moleu4 mutants are leucine auxotroph and showed similar phenotypic characterizations, including reduced conidiation, delayed mobilization and degradation of glycogen and lipid droplets, limited appressorium‐mediated penetration, and restricted invasive hyphae growth within host cells. Collectively, MoLEU1 , MoLEU2 , and MoLEU4 regulated by MoLEU3 play crucial roles in fungal development and infectious processes through modulation of leucine biosynthesis in Magnaporthe oryzae .