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The small GTPases FoRab5, FoRab7, and FoRab8 regulate vesicle transport to modulate vegetative development and pathogenicity in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans

Summary

Researchers studied three important protein switches (Rab GTPases) in a fungus that causes cabbage wilt disease. By deleting these proteins one at a time, they found that each plays a critical role in fungal growth, spore production, and the ability to infect plants. The findings suggest that targeting these proteins could be a strategy to control the devastating cabbage wilt disease.

Background

Rab GTPases play crucial roles in vesicle transport during fungal biogenesis, but their specific biological functions in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans (Foc), the causative agent of cabbage wilt disease, remain poorly understood. This study examines three Rab GTPase proteins (FoRab5, FoRab7, and FoRab8) that show homology to Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rab proteins and investigates their roles in fungal development and pathogenicity.

Objective

To investigate the functional roles of FoRab5, FoRab7, and FoRab8 genes in Foc by creating deletion mutants and complementary strains, and to determine their effects on vegetative growth, sporulation, stress response, ectoenzyme secretion, and pathogenicity to cabbage seedlings.

Results

All three gene deletions reduced mycelial growth rate and sporulation. FoRab5 deletion affected vesicles and reduced aerial hyphae growth. FoRab7 deletion caused vacuolar fragmentation and nearly eliminated spore production. FoRab8 deletion localized at hyphal tips and affected cellulase activity. All mutants showed increased sensitivity to various stresses and significantly reduced pathogenicity to cabbage seedlings.

Conclusion

FoRab5, FoRab7, and FoRab8 are essential regulators of growth, sporulation, pathogenicity, and ectoenzyme secretion in Foc. These findings establish the functional importance of Rab GTPases in fungal development and virulence, providing insights into vesicle transport mechanisms in plant pathogenic fungi.
  • Published in:Frontiers in Microbiology,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMC11814470, PMID: 39944649
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