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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbe and Virus Interactions with Plants
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1514092

The small GTPase FoRab5, FoRab7 and FoRab8 is involved in vegetative development and pathogenicity by regulating vesicle transport in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans

Provisionally accepted
Xiangyu Tan Xiangyu Tan 1Lin Chen Lin Chen 2Ying Chen Ying Chen 1Yuxin Li Yuxin Li 1Lihan Lu Lihan Lu 1Erfeng Li Erfeng Li 1*
  • 1 Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, China
  • 2 Huanghe University of Science and Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Rab GTPases play a crucial role in facilitating the transportation of vesicles during the process of fungal biogenesis. Currently, there is limited understanding regarding the specific biological functions of Rab small GTPase elements within Fusarium oxysporum. In this study, we examined the three proteins FoRab5, FoRab7 and FoRab8 of Foc, which exhibit homology to the Rab protein family found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In addition, we also discussed the function of FoRab5, FoRab7 and FoRab8 of Foc in depth. FoRab5 was located on vesicles of various sizes within the cell. Compared with the wild-type, the growth rate of the mutant FoRab5 strain decreased, the aerial hyphae decreased, the sporulation decreased, and the spore germination rate decreased. The sensitivity to cell membrane stress, cell wall stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress increased, the activity of laccase and glucoamylase decreased significantly, and the pathogenicity to cabbage seedlings decreased. FoRab7 was located on the vacuolar membrane. Compared with the wild-type, the growth rate of the mutant FoRab7 strain decreased, the bacteria produced a large amount of pigment deposition, the aerial hyphae decreased significantly, the hyphal branches increased, and the mutant almost lost the ability to produce spores. The sensitivity to osmotic stress, cell membrane stress, cell wall stress, metal ion stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress was enhanced, and the vacuole was fragmented. Laccase and glucoamylase activities decreased in a significant manner.And there was a decrease in the pathogenicity to cabbage seedlings. FoRab8 was located at the tip of the mycelium. Compared with the wild-type, the growth rate of the mutant FoRab8 strain decreased, the sporulation decreased, the sensitivity of the mutant to osmotic stress and endoplasmic reticulum pressure increased. There was a significant decrease in the activity of laccase, glucoamylase and cellulase. And a reduction in the pathogenicity to cabbage seedlings occurred. In summary, these results indicate that members of the Rab family proteins FoRab5, FoRab7 and FoRab8 regulate a series of processes such as growth, sporulation, pathogenicity and ectoenzyme secretion in Foc.

    Keywords: Fusarium oxysporum, rab gtpases, gene knockout, Vesicle transport, pathogenicity

    Received: 20 Oct 2024; Accepted: 07 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Tan, Chen, Chen, Li, Lu and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Erfeng Li, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, China

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