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The Global Regulatory Protein VelA Is Required for Symbiosis Between the Endophytic Fungus Epichloë festucae and Lolium perenne

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-03, 15:22 authored by Mostafa Rahnama, Richard JohnsonRichard Johnson, Christine VoiseyChristine Voisey, Wayne SimpsonWayne Simpson, Damien Fleetwood
Epichloë species fungi form bioprotective endophytic symbioses with many cool-season grasses, including agriculturally important forage grasses. Despite its importance, relatively little is known about the molecular details of the interaction and the regulatory genes involved. The conserved velvet-domain protein VelA (or VeA) is a global regulator of a number of cellular and developmental functions in fungi. In this study, the E. festucae velA gene was functionally characterized in vitro and during interaction with perennial ryegrass. The velA gene is required in E. festucae for resistance to osmotic and cell wall-damaging stresses, repression of conidiation, and normal hyphal morphology during nutrient-limited in-vitro conditions. Expression of velA in E. festucae is light- and nitrogen-dependent and is tissue-specific in mature infected plants. In-planta studies showed that velA is required in E. festucae for a compatible interaction. Inoculating seedlings with mutant ΔvelA induced callose deposition and H2O2 production, and a high level of seedling death was observed. In surviving plants infected with ΔvelA mutant fungi, plants were stunted and we observed increased biomass and invasion of vascular bundles. Overall, this work characterizes a key fungal regulatory factor in this increasingly important model symbiotic association.

History

Rights statement

© 2018 The American Phytopathological Society

Language

  • English

Does this contain Māori information or data?

  • No

Publisher

MDPI

Journal title

Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions

ISSN

0894-0282

Citation

Rahnama, M., Johnson, R. D., Voisey, C. R., Simpson, W. R., & Fleetwood, D. J. (2018). The Global Regulatory Protein VelA Is Required for Symbiosis Between the Endophytic Fungus Epichloë festucae and Lolium perenne. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 31(6), 591–604. doi:10.1094/MPMI-11-17-0286-R

Funder

Strategic Science Investment Fund (SSIF)

Contract number

A20067

Job code

50200X03

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