AUTHOR=Yang Ji-Yun , Fang Yu-Lan , Wang Ping , Ye Jian-Ren , Huang Lin 

TITLE=Pleiotropic Roles of ChSat4 in Asexual Development, Cell Wall Integrity Maintenance, and Pathogenicity in Colletotrichum higginsianum

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02311

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2018.02311

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Potassium has an important role to play in multiple cellular processes. In <italic>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</italic>, the serine/threonine (S/T) kinase Sat4/Hal4 is required for potassium accumulation, and thus, regulates the resistance to sodium salts and helps in the stabilization of other plasma membrane transporters. However, the functions of Sat4 in filamentous phytopathogenic fungi are largely unknown. In this study, ChSat4, the yeast Sat4p homolog in <italic>Colletotrichum higginsianum</italic>, has been identified. Target deletion of <italic>ChSAT4</italic> resulted in defects in mycelial growth and sporulation. Intracellular K<sup>+</sup> accumulation was significantly decreased in the <italic>ChSAT4</italic> deletion mutant. Additionally, the Δ<italic>Chsat4</italic> mutant showed defects in cell wall integrity, hyperoxide stress response, and pathogenicity. Localization pattern analysis indicated ChSat4 was localized in the cytoplasm. Furthermore, ChSat4 showed high functional conservation with the homolog FgSat4 in <italic>Fusarium graminearum</italic>. Taken together, our data indicated that ChSat4 was important for intracellular K<sup>+</sup> accumulation and infection morphogenesis in <italic>C. higginsianum</italic>.</p>