Identification of Phytophthora sojae genes involved in asexual sporogenesis

To explore the molecular mechanisms involved in asexual spore development in Phytophthora sojae, the zoospores of strain PS26 were treated with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. After selection, a mutant progeny, termed PS26-U03, was obtained and demonstrated to exhibit no oospore production. A suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) approach was developed to investigate differences in gene expression between PS26 and PS26-U03 during asexual sporogenesis. Of the 126 sequences chosen for examination, 39 putative unigenes were identified that exhibit high expression in PS26. These sequences are predicted to encode proteins involved in metabolism, cell cycle, protein biosynthesis, cell signalling, cell defence, and transcription regulation. Seven clones were selected for temporal expression analysis using RT-PCR based on the results of the dot-blot screens. Three of the selected genes, developmental protein DG1037 (UB88), glycoside hydrolase (UB149) and a hypothetical protein (UB145), were expressed only in PS26, whereas the transcripts of phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase (UB36), FAD-dependent pyridine nucleotide-disulphide oxidoreductase (UB226) and sugar transporter (UB256) were expressed at very low levels in PS26-U03 but at high levels in PS26.