The Transcription Factor Con7-1 Is a Master Regulator of Morphogenesis and Virulence in Fusarium oxysporum.

Previous studies have demonstrated the essential role of morphogenetic regulation in Fusarium oxysporum pathogenesis, including processes such as cell-wall biogenesis, cell division, and differentiation of infection-like structures. We identified three F. oxysporum genes encoding predicted transcription factors showing significant identities to Magnaporthe oryzae Con7p, Con7-1, plus two identical copies of Con7-2.

The Fusarium oxysporum gnt2, encoding a putative N-acetylglucosamine transferase, is involved in cell wall architecture and virulence.

With the aim to decipher the molecular dialogue and cross talk between Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersci and its host during infection and to understand the molecular bases that govern fungal pathogenicity, we analysed genes presumably encoding N-acetylglucosaminyl transferases, involved in glycosylation of glycoproteins, glycolipids, proteoglycans or small molecule acceptors in other microorganisms.

The tomato calcium sensor Cbl10 and its interacting protein kinase Cipk6 define a signaling pathway in plant immunity.

Ca(2+) signaling is an early and necessary event in plant immunity. The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) kinase Pto triggers localized programmed cell death (PCD) upon recognition of Pseudomonas syringae effectors AvrPto or AvrPtoB. In a virus-induced gene silencing screen in Nicotiana benthamiana, we independently identified two components of a Ca(2+)-signaling system, Cbl10 (for calcineurin B-like protein) and Cipk6 (for calcineurin B-like interacting protein kinase), as their silencing inhibited Pto/AvrPto-elicited PCD.

Chitin synthase-deficient mutant of Fusarium oxysporum elicits tomato plant defence response and protects against wild-type infection.

A mutant of the root pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, deficient in class V chitin synthase, has been shown previously to be nonvirulent.

Tomatinase from Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici is required for full virulence on tomato plants.

Saponin detoxification enzymes from pathogenic fungi are involved in the infection process of their host plants. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp lycopersici, a tomato pathogen, produces the tomatinase enzyme Tom1, which degrades alpha-tomatine to less toxic derivates.