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Bending with the BAR: diverse pathway to modulate fungal virulence via F-BAR protein
A. SHREE, P. K. VERMA
School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, , New Delhi 110067, India
Filamentous fungi respond to various environmental stimuli through the perception of signal cues. The association of the pathogen with its cognate host initiates downstream signaling cascade. Studies suggest that endocytosis in fungi is critical nutrients uptake from the host, polarized hyphal growth, receptor internalization, and activation of downstream signaling cascades. In this study, we identify a unique ArF-BAR gene from the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Ascochyta rabiei as a potential determinant of fungal virulence. A. rabiei enforces a huge challenge in the productivity of its host legume crop Cicer arietinum. The functional role of ArF-BAR is being established by gene-knockout, as the Δarf-bar strain exhibited reduced virulence on its host. The complemented strain phenocopy virulence phenotype of A. rabiei. The Δarf-bar mutant have compromised endocytosis, delayed formation of apical septa, and impairment in secretion of the candidate fungal effector ArPEC25 that modulates lignin biosynthetic pathway in the host. Additionally, we unraveled a stress-induced zinc-finger transcription factor ArCRZ1, as an upstream transcriptional regulator of ArF-BAR. This study delves into a novel mechanism by which fungal pathogen regulates and targets key pathways involved in fungal endocytosis and virulence, which are crucial for successful host colonization. Overall, we will discuss the functional implication of ArF-BAR protein in modulating fungal virulence via endocytosis, actin remodeling and effector secretion.