Dissecting the multifaceted influence of the MrBHLH1 transcription factor on development, stress response, and virulence in Metarhizium robertsii

文献类型： 外文期刊

第一作者： Qu, Jiaojiao

作者： Qu, Jiaojiao;Tong, Youmin;Yang, Limei;Wu, Hao;Chen, Mingyue;Huang, Bo;Tong, Youmin;Wu, Hao

作者机构：

关键词： Metarhizium robertsii; bHLH transcription factors; fungal development; stress tolerance; virulence

期刊名称：PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE （ 影响因子：3.8； 五年影响因子：4.3 ）

ISSN： 1526-498X

年卷期： 2025 年

页码：

收录情况： SCI

摘要： BACKGROUNDBasic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are critical regulators of differentiation, metabolism, and environmental response in eukaryotes. However, their functions in entomopathogenic fungus remain largely unexplored.RESULTSIn this study, we identified and characterized the bHLH transcription factor MrBHLH1 in the model entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii. Localization studies revealed that MrBHLH1 is predominantly found in the nuclei of both conidia and hyphae. The Delta MrbHLH1 mutant exhibited significant impairments in vegetative growth and conidial production, showing reductions of 63.01% and 63.95%, respectively, compared to the wild-type (WT) strain on potato dextrose agar. Interestingly, Delta MrbHLH1 demonstrated increased resistance to various abiotic stresses, including ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, thermal, oxidative, osmotic, and cell wall integrity stresses, relative to WT. Furthermore, Delta MrbHLH1 displayed enhanced virulence, evidenced by a 19.3% reduction in median lethal time (LT50, in days) compared to WT, which was associated with accelerated appressoria formation, increased conidial adhesion and hydrophobicity, and improved cuticle penetration ability. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis revealed that MrBHLH1 regulates a set of target genes significantly enriched in the MAPK signaling pathway and autophagy processes.CONCLUSIONThis study establishes MrBHLH1 as a pivotal regulator in M. robertsii, orchestrating a balance between growth, stress adaptation, and pathogenicity. These findings enhance our understanding of the functional roles of bHLH transcription factors in entomopathogenic fungi and provide novel targets for the engineering of entomopathogens with improved biocontrol characteristics. (c) 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

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