This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Other Versions of this Article: EC.00426-07v1 7/4/584    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Schumacher, J. Articles by Tudzynski, B. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Schumacher, J. Articles by Tudzynski, B.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Eukaryotic Cell, April 2008, p. 584-601, Vol. 7, No. 4
1535-9778/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/EC.00426-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Calcineurin-Responsive Zinc Finger Transcription Factor CRZ1 of Botrytis cinerea Is Required for Growth, Development, and Full Virulence on Bean Plants

Institut für Botanik, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Schlossgarten 3, 48149 Münster, Germany,¹ Departamento de Química Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), Po. de Manuel de Lardizabal 3, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain²

Received 23 November 2007/ Accepted 24 January 2008

Recently, we showed that the subunit BCG1 of a heterotrimeric G protein is an upstream activator of the Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase calcineurin in the gray mold fungus Botrytis cinerea. To identify the transcription factor acting downstream of BCG1 and calcineurin, we cloned the gene encoding the B. cinerea homologue of CRZ1 ("CRaZy," calcineurin-responsive zinc finger transcription factor), the mediator of calcineurin function in yeast. BcCRZ1 is able to partially complement the corresponding Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant, and the subcellular localization of the green fluorescent protein-BcCRZ1 fusion product in yeast cells depends on the calcium level and calcineurin activity. Bccrz1 deletion mutants are not able to grow on minimal media and grow slowly on media containing plant extracts. Hyphal morphology, conidiation, and sclerotium formation are impaired. The cell wall and membrane integrity, stress response (extreme pH, H₂O₂, Ca²⁺, Li⁺), and ability of the hyphae to penetrate the intact plant surface are affected in the mutants. However, BcCRZ1 is almost dispensable for the conidium-derived infection of bean plants. The addition of Mg²⁺ restores the growth rate, conidiation, and penetration and improves the cell wall integrity but has no impact on sclerotium formation or hypersensitivity to Ca²⁺ and H₂O₂. The expression of a set of recently identified BCG1- and calcineurin-dependent genes is also affected in Bccrz1 mutants, confirming that this transcription factor acts downstream of calcineurin in B. cinerea. Since the Bccrz1 mutants still respond to calcineurin inhibitors, we conclude that BcCRZ1 is not the only target of calcineurin.

Published ahead of print on 8 February 2008.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Cramer, R. A. Jr., Perfect, B. Z., Pinchai, N., Park, S., Perlin, D. S., Asfaw, Y. G., Heitman, J., Perfect, J. R., Steinbach, W. J. (2008). Calcineurin Target CrzA Regulates Conidial Germination, Hyphal Growth, and Pathogenesis of Aspergillus fumigatus. Eukaryot Cell 7: 1085-1097 [Abstract] [Full Text]