The transcription factor CsBzip10 controls vegetative growth, asexual development, appressorium formation and pathogenicity in the Rosa chinensis anthracnose fungus Colletotrichum siamense

Transcription factors play crucial roles in development and virulence in a variety of pathogens. Here, we identified and characterized the transcription factor CsBzip10 in Colletotrichum siamense. CsBZIP10 encodes a 316-amino acid protein with a conserved bZIP-ATF2 domain, which is an ortholog of MoBzip10 in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Targeted deletion of CsBZIP10 revealed that vegetative growth, conidiation and appressorium formation of the Delta Csbzip10 mutant were significantly reduced. The Delta Csbzip10 mutant had decreased sensitivity to the cell wall disturbing agent SDS and oxidative stress (H2O2), and increased sensitivity to osmotic stress (NaCl and KCl). Virulence and infectious hyphal growth of the Delta Csbzip10 mutant was remarkably decreased on Rosa chinensis leaves. CsBzip10 is a key transcription factor, that plays pleiotropic roles in the evelopment and pathogenicity of the R. chinensis anthracnose fungus C. siamense.