ApCtf1β-Interacting Target Proteins BDPH1 and BDEUL12 Regulate Pathogenicity in Arthrinium phaeospermum

Area of Science:

• Plant Pathology
• Mycology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Arthrinium phaeospermum causes shoot blight in Bambusa pervariabilis × Dendrocalamopsis grandis.
• The transcription factor ApCtf1β is essential for A. phaeospermum pathogenicity.
• Interacting proteins and functions of ApCtf1β in A. phaeospermum remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize proteins interacting with ApCtf1β.
• To elucidate the roles of these interacting proteins in A. phaeospermum pathogenicity.
• To understand the molecular mechanisms of shoot blight disease in hybrid bamboo.

Main Methods:

• Yeast two-hybrid, luciferase protein complementation, and GST pull-down assays were used to detect ApCtf1β-interacting proteins.
• Bioinformatics analyses were performed on the identified proteins BDPH1 and BDEUL12.
• Agrobacterium-mediated fungal genetic transformation was employed to generate overexpression and gene-silenced transformants for functional studies.

Main Results:

• BDPH1 and BDEUL12 were identified as ApCtf1β-interacting proteins.
• Functional studies revealed that both BDPH1 and BDEUL12 are closely associated with the virulence of A. phaeospermum.
• The BDEUL12 gene demonstrated a more significant impact on fungal virulence compared to BDPH1.

Conclusions:

• BDPH1 and BDEUL12 play critical roles in the pathogenicity of Arthrinium phaeospermum.
• BDEUL12 has a more pronounced effect on the virulence of the fungus.
• This research provides a foundation for understanding the molecular basis of shoot blight disease and developing targeted control strategies.