A novel Botrytis cinerea-specific gene BcHBF1 enhances virulence of the grey mould fungus via promoting host penetration and invasive hyphal development.

Botrytis cinerea is the causative agent of grey mould on over 1000 plant species and annually causes enormous economic losses worldwide. However, the fungal factors that mediate pathogenesis of the pathogen remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that a novel B.