Abstract
The zinc finger transcription factor PAC-3/RIM101/PacC has a defined role in the secretion of enzymes and proteins in response to ambient pH, and also contributes to the virulence of species. Herein we evaluated the role of PAC-3 in the regulation of Neurospora crassa genes, in a model that examined the plant-fungi interactions. N. crassa is a model fungal species capable of exhibiting dynamic responses to its environment by employing endophytic or phytopathogenic behavior according to a given circumstance. Since plant growth and productivity are highly affected by pH and phosphorus (P) acquisition, we sought to verify the impact that induction of a Δpac-3 mutation would have under limited and sufficient Pi availability, while ensuring that the targeted physiological adjustments mimicked ambient pH and nutritional conditions required for efficient fungal growth and development. Our results suggest direct regulatory functions for PAC-3 in cell wall biosynthesis, homeostasis, oxidation-reduction processes, hydrolase activity, transmembrane transport, and modulation of genes associated with fungal virulence. Pi-dependent modulation was observed mainly in genes encoding for transporter proteins or related to cell wall development, thereby advancing the current understanding regarding colonization and adaptation processes in response to challenging environments. We have also provided comprehensive evidence that suggests a role for PAC-3 as a global regulator in plant pathogenic fungi, thus presenting results that have the potential to be applied to various types of microbes, with diverse survival mechanisms.
Highlights
Soil nutrient cycling is primarily performed by microorganisms and serves to support plant development through the uptake of soil minerals and by facilitating the decomposition of organic matter
Studies have suggested that changes in the composition of the soil fungal community are strongly correlated with changes in soil pH, which subsequently controls the availability of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) (Hinsinger, 2001; Kemmitt et al, 2006; Rousk et al, 2009; Zhang et al, 2016)
Our results suggest potential regulatory mechanisms employed by pac-3 in a ubiquitous filamentous fungus, thereby providing a comprehensive overview of genetic modulation in a model organism that is proficient in deconstruction of plant cell walls (Antonieto et al, 2017)
Summary
Soil nutrient cycling is primarily performed by microorganisms and serves to support plant development through the uptake of soil minerals and by facilitating the decomposition of organic matter. Studies have suggested that changes in the composition of the soil fungal community are strongly correlated with changes in soil pH, which subsequently controls the availability of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) (Hinsinger, 2001; Kemmitt et al, 2006; Rousk et al, 2009; Zhang et al, 2016). The second route is indirect and occurs via mycorrhizal symbiosis. The host plant obtains P primarily from soil fungal partners supported by chemotropism, which is the ability of fungi to sense and grow toward a chemical gradient. The association with specialized soil fungi, and subsequent formation of mycorrhizal roots, serves to improve and increase the P content in plants. The beneficial effect afforded by the development of mycorrhizal symbiosis varies according to the fungal species involved (Hinsinger, 2001; Plassard et al, 2011; Johri et al, 2015; Turrà and Di Pietro, 2015)
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