EvSec22, a SNARE Protein, Regulates Hyphal Growth, Stress Tolerance, and Nematicidal Pathogenicity in <i>Esteya vermicola</i>.

ABSTRACT: Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the causative agent of pine wilt disease (PWD), poses a severe global threat to coniferous forests. Esteya vermicola, an endoparasitic nematophagous fungus, exhibits promising biocontrol potential against this pinewood nematode. The vesicular transport system, evolutionarily conserved in eukaryotes, is essential for fungal pathogenicity. Based on our genome sequence of E. vermicola CBS115803, we identified EvSec22, a gene encoding a SNARE protein implicated in vesicular transport process. This study investigates the role of EvSec22 in E. vermicola during nematode infection, utilizing our optimized gene knockout methodology. Infection assays revealed that EvSec22 deletion significantly impaired the pathogenicity of E.

SUBMITTER: Yuan J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12028303 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature