AUTHOR=Zhu Yuanye , Zhang Yuanshuai , Liu Na , Ren Weichao , Hou Yiping , Duan Yabing , Song Xiushi , Zhou Mingguo 

TITLE=The Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 Family Gene FgStu2 Is Involved in Vegetative Growth, Morphology, Sexual and Asexual Reproduction, Pathogenicity and DON Production of Fusarium graminearum

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.545015

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.545015

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>The conserved Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 microtubule association proteins (MAPs) family plays an important role in microtubule dynamics, nucleation, and kinetochore-microtubule attachments. However, function of Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 homolog in plant pathogenic fungi has not been determined. Here, we identified and investigated the Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 homolog (FGSG_10528) in <italic>Fusarium graminearum</italic> (<italic>Fg</italic>Stu2p). Co-localization experiment and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay demonstrated that <italic>Fg</italic>Stu2p is a microtubule associated protein. Besides, <italic>Fg</italic>Stu2 could also interact with <italic>Fg</italic>γ-tubulin and presumed <italic>Fg</italic>Ndc80, which suggested that the <italic>Fg</italic>Stu2 gene might associate with microtubule nucleation and kinetochore-microtubule attachments like Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 homologs in other species. Moreover, the <italic>Fg</italic>Stu2 promoter replacement mutants (<italic>Fg</italic>Stu2-Si mutants) produced twisted hyphae and decreased growth rate. Microscope examination further showed that the microtubule polymerization was reduced in <italic>Fg</italic>Stu2-Si mutants, which could account for the aberrant morphology. Although the microtubule polymerization was affected in <italic>Fg</italic>Stu2-Si mutants, the <italic>Fg</italic>Stu2-Si mutants didn’t show highly increased sensitivity to anti-microtubule fungicide carbendazim (methyl benzimidazol-2-ylcarbamate [MBC]). In addition, the <italic>Fg</italic>Stu2-Si mutants exhibited curved conidia, decreased number of conidial production, blocked ability of perithecia production, decreased pathogenicity and deoxynivalenol (DON) production. Taken together, these results indicate that the <italic>Fg</italic>Stu2 gene plays a crucial role in vegetative growth, morphology, sexual reproduction, asexual reproduction, virulence and deoxynivalenol (DON) production of <italic>F. graminearum</italic>, which brings new insights into the functions of Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 homolog in plant pathogenic fungi.</p>