BLR-1 and BLR-2, key regulatory elements of photoconidiation and mycelial growth in Trichoderma atroviride

In fungi, phototropism, the induction of carotenogenesis and reproductive structures, and resetting of the circadian rhythm are controlled by blue light. Trichoderma atroviride, a fungus used in biological control, sporulates in a synchronized manner following a brief pulse of blue light. Due to its apparent simplicity, this response was chosen for pursuing photoreceptor isolation. Two genes were cloned, blue-light regulators 1 and 2 (blr-1 and blr-2), similar to the Neurospora crassa white-collar 1 and 2, respectively. The BLR-1 protein has all the characteristics of a blue-light photoreceptor, whereas the structure of the deduced BLR-2 protein suggests that it interacts with BLR-1 through PAS domains to form a complex. Disruption of the corresponding genes demonstrated that they are essential for blue-light-induced conidiation. blr-1 and blr-2 were also shown to be essential for the light-induced expression of the photolyase-encoding gene (phr-1). Mechanical injury of mycelia was found to trigger conidiation of T. atroviride, a response not described previously. This response was not altered in the mutants. A novel effect of both red and blue light on mycelial growth was found involving another light receptor, which is compensated by the BLR proteins.