The ASH1-PEX16 regulatory pathway controls peroxisome biogenesis for appressorium-mediated insect infection by a fungal pathogen.

ABSTRACT: Entomopathogenic fungi infect insects by penetrating through the cuticle into the host body. To breach the host cuticle, some fungal pathogens produce specialized infection cells called appressoria, which develop enormous turgor pressure to allow cuticle penetration. However, regulatory mechanisms underlying appressorium turgor generation are poorly understood. Here, we show that the histone lysine methyltransferase ASH1 in the insecticidal fungus Metarhizium robertsii, which is strongly induced during infection of the mosquito cuticle, regulates appressorium turgor generation and cuticle penetration by activating the peroxin gene Mrpex16 via H3K36 dimethylation. MrPEX16 is required for the biogenesis of peroxisomes that participate in lipid catabolism and further promotes th

SUBMITTER: Wang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9942893 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature