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The Farnesyltransferase β-Subunit Ram1 Regulates Sporisorium scitamineum Mating, Pathogenicity and Cell Wall

Shuquan Sun1, Yizhen Deng1, Enping Cai1

  • 1Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|May 29, 2019
PubMed

Insights

The study reveals that Ram1, a farnesyltransferase subunit in Sporisorium scitamineum, is crucial for fungal mating, pathogenicity, and cell wall stability, impacting sugarcane smut disease.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Plant Pathology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Sugarcane smut, caused by Sporisorium scitamineum, is a significant agricultural disease.
  • The molecular mechanisms underlying fungal sexual mating and pathogenicity are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of the farnesyltransferase (FTase) beta subunit, Ram1, in Sporisorium scitamineum.
  • To explore the involvement of Ram1 in mating, pathogenicity, and cell wall integrity.

Main Methods:

  • Gene deletion mutants (ram1Δ, ras1Δ, ras2Δ, mfa1Δ) were created and analyzed.
  • Pathogenicity assays were performed on sugarcane.
  • Cell wall integrity was assessed using Congo red.
  • Transcriptional profiling was conducted.

Main Results:

  • The ram1Δ mutant showed reduced mating, filamentation, and pathogenicity.
  • Ram1 appears to be involved in cell wall integrity regulation, as indicated by Congo red tolerance and gene expression changes.
  • Mutants lacking Ras proteins (Ras1, Ras2) or Mfa1 also exhibited mating defects, with Ras mutants showing hypersensitivity to Congo red.

Conclusions:

  • RAM1 is essential for Sporisorium scitamineum mating, filamentation, and pathogenicity.
  • Ram1 plays a role in maintaining cell wall stability in S. scitamineum.
  • The study highlights the importance of FTase pathway components in fungal development and host interaction.
Keywords:
RAM1RasSporisorium scitamineumcell wall integritymating

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