Rice Science ›› 2023, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (1): 50-57.DOI: 10.1016/j.rsci.2022.12.001

• Research Paper • Previous Articles     Next Articles

bZIP Transcription Factor UvATF21 Mediates Vegetative Growth, Conidiation, Stress Tolerance and Is Required for Full Virulence of Rice False Smut Fungus Ustilaginoidea virens

Liu Yueran1, Qu Jinsong1, Wang Yufu1, Yin Weixiao1(), Luo Chaoxi1   

  1. Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology / College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
  • Received:2022-02-21 Accepted:2022-05-24 Online:2023-01-28 Published:2022-11-11
  • Contact: Yin Weixiao
  • About author:First author contact:

    #These authors contributed equally to this work
    This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

    Peer review under responsibility of China National Rice Research Institute

Abstract:

bZIP proteins are widely distributed in eukaryotic organisms and regulate a diverse range of physiological processes. Several bZIP proteins have previously been identified in Ustilaginoidea virens. However, the biological roles of these bZIP proteins in this pathogen are still unknown. Here, one of these bZIP protein coding genes, UvATF21, was functionally characterized. Targeted deletion of UvATF21resulted in reduced conidiation and pathogenicity despite of the increased vegetative growth. The deletion mutants also significantly decreased the sensitivity to osmotic and oxidative stresses. Interestingly, deletion of UvATF21 exhibited different performances to cell wall integrity stress. These results indicated that UvATF21played crucial roles in vegetative growth, conidiation, stress response, and full virulence in U. virens.

Key words: Ustilaginoidea virens, bZIP protein, conidiation, stress response, pathogenicity