Open AccessH3K4 trimethylation by CclA regulates pathogenicity and the production of three families of terpenoid secondary metabolites in Colletotrichum higginsianum
Author(s) -
Dallery JeanFélix,
Adelin Émilie,
Le Goff Géraldine,
Pigné Sandrine,
Auger Annie,
Ouazzani Jamal,
O'Connell Richard J.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
molecular plant pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.945
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1364-3703
pISSN - 1464-6722
DOI - 10.1111/mpp.12795
Subject(s) - biology , appressorium , mutant , colletotrichum , hypha , conidiation , secondary metabolism , brachypodium distachyon , spore germination , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , botany , gene , spore , genome , biosynthesis
Summary The role of histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methylation is poorly understood in plant pathogenic fungi. Here, we analysed the function of CclA, a subunit of the COMPASS complex mediating H3K4 methylation, in the brassica anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum higginsianum . We show that CclA is required for full genome‐wide H3K4 trimethylation. The deletion of cclA strongly reduced mycelial growth, asexual sporulation and spore germination but did not impair the morphogenesis of specialized infection structures (appressoria and biotrophic hyphae). Virulence of the Δ cclA mutant on plants was strongly attenuated, associated with a marked reduction in appressorial penetration ability on both plants and inert cellophane membranes. The secondary metabolite profile of the Δ cclA mutant was greatly enriched compared to that of the wild type, with three different families of terpenoid compounds being overproduced by the mutant, namely the colletochlorins, higginsianins and sclerosporide. These included five novel molecules that were produced exclusively by the Δ cclA mutant: colletorin D, colletorin D acid, higginsianin C, 13‐ epi ‐higginsianin C and sclerosporide. Taken together, our findings indicate that H3K4 trimethylation plays a critical role in regulating fungal growth, development, pathogenicity and secondary metabolism in C. higginsianum .