CmPEX6, a gene involved in peroxisome biogenesis, is essential for parasitism and conidiation by the sclerotial parasite Coniothyrium minitans.

ABSTRACT: Coniothyrium minitans is a sclerotial parasite of the plant-pathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and conidial production and parasitism are two important aspects for commercialization of this biological control agent. To understand the mechanism of conidiation and parasitism at the molecular level, we constructed a transfer DNA (tDNA) insertional library with the wild-type strain ZS-1. A conidiation-deficient mutant, ZS-1TN22803, was uncovered through screening of this library. This mutant could produce pycnidia on potato dextrose agar (PDA), but most were immature and did not bear conidia. Moreover, this mutant lost the ability to parasitize or rot the sclerotia of S. sclerotiorum. Analysis of the tDNA flanking sequences revealed that a peroxisome biogenesis factor 6 (PEX6) homolog

SUBMITTER: Wei W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3675954 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature