AUTHOR=Si Jierui , Pei Yong , Ji Peiyun , Zhang Xiong , Xu Ruofei , Qiao Huijun , Shen Danyu , Peng Hao , Dou Daolong 

TITLE=PsGRASP, a Golgi Reassembly Stacking Protein in Phytophthora sojae, Is Required for Mycelial Growth, Stress Responses, and Plant Infection

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.702632

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2021.702632

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Golgi reassembly stacking proteins (GRASPs) play important roles in Golgi structure formation, ER stress response, and unconventional secretion in eukaryotic cells. However, GRASP functions in oomycetes haven’t been adequately characterized. Here, we report the identification and functional analysis of <italic>PsGRASP</italic>, a GRASP-encoding gene from the soybean-infecting oomycete <italic>Phytophthora sojae</italic>. Transcriptional profiling showed that <italic>PsGRASP</italic> expression is up-regulated at the infection stages. <italic>PsGRASP</italic> knockout mutants were created using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. These mutants exhibited impaired vegetative growth, zoospore release and virulence. PsGRASP was involved ER stress responses and altered laccase activity. Our work suggests that PsGRASP is crucial for <italic>P. sojae</italic> development and pathogenicity.</p>