The phosphatase gene MaCdc14 negatively regulates UV-B tolerance by mediating the transcription of melanin synthesis-related genes and contributes to conidiation in Metarhizium acridum

• Published in: Current genetics 2020-02, Vol.66 (1), p.141-153
• Main Authors: Gao, Pingping, Jin, Kai, Xia, Yuxian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Biological; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cell Biology; Cell Cycle Proteins - genetics; Cell Cycle Proteins - metabolism; Cell division; Cell walls; Clonal deletion; Conidia; Cytokinesis; Cytokinesis - genetics; Deactivation; Deletion mutant; Eukaryotes; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal - radiation effects; Genes; Germination; Inactivation; Irradiation; Kinases; Life Sciences; Melanin; Melanins - biosynthesis; Metarhizium - physiology; Metarhizium - radiation effects; Metarhizium acridum; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Morphogenesis; Morphology; Mutation; Nuclear division; Original Article; Oxidative stress; Phosphatase; Phosphorylation; Phylogeny; Pigmentation; Plant Sciences; Production capacity; Protein kinase; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases - genetics; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases - metabolism; Proteins; Proteomics; Reagents; Septum; Spores, Fungal; Stress, Physiological; Synthesis; Temperature tolerance; Transcription; Ultraviolet radiation; Ultraviolet Rays; Virulence
• ISSN: 0172-8083; 1432-0983
• DOI: 10.1007/s00294-019-01008-3

Reversible phosphorylation of proteins regulated by protein kinases and phosphatases mediate multiple biological events in eukaryotes. In this study, a dual-specificity cell division cycle 14 phosphatase, MaCdc14, was functionally characterized in Metarhizium acridum . Deletion of MaCdc14 decreased branch numbers, affected septum formation and resulted in multiple nuclei in each hyphal compartment, indicating nuclear division and cytokinesis defects. The spore production capacity was severely impaired with decreased conidial yield and delayed conidiation in MaCdc14 -deletion mutant (Δ MaCdc14 ). The transcription levels of conidiation-related genes were significantly changed after MaCdc14 inactivation. The morphology of conidia was uneven in size and the germination rate of conidia was increased in Δ MaCdc14. In addition, Δ MaCdc14 displayed significantly enhanced conidial tolerance to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation but had no significant effect on the thermotolerance, the sensitivities to cell wall damage reagents, osmotic and oxidative stresses, and virulence compared to the wild-type strain and complementary transformant. Furthermore, the pigmentation of Δ MaCdc14 was increased by the upregulated expression of melanin synthesis-related genes, which may result in the enhanced UV-B tolerance of Δ MaCdc14 . In summary, MaCdc14 negatively regulated UV-B tolerance by mediating the transcription of melanin synthesis-related genes, contributed to conidiation by regulating the expression levels of conidiation-related genes and also played important roles in cytokinesis and morphogenesis in Metarhizium acridum.