PacCl, a pH-responsive transcriptional regulator, is essential in the pathogenicity of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, a causal agent of anthracnose in bean plants

Abstract

In fungi, the expression of genes encoding proteins related to parasitism is regulated by several factors, including pH. This study reports the structural and functional characterization of the pacCl gene, which encodes the transcription factor PacC of C. lindemuthianum. The pacCl gene showed reduced expression in acidic pH, and its transcription was activated by elevated extracellular pH. The importance of this gene was demonstrated by the development of a pacC1 disruption mutant line of C. lindemuthianum. The mutant line was able to penetrate the host tissue through differentiation of primary hyphae. However, it was not able to cause maceration on the infected plant tissue. The results suggest that PacCl is a regulator of gene activation, and its expression is required for fungal growth in alkaline conditions, as well as for the transcription of genes necessary for the passage from the biotrophic to the necrotrophic phase.