Transcriptomics reveals gene expression patterns of Fusarium graminearum under pH stress

Abstract:

[Objective] To study the transcriptome regulation mechanism of Fusarium graminearum under different pH stress conditions, analyze the changes in gene expression levels, explore the metabolic pathways involved in the responses of F. graminearum cells to acidic or alkaline conditions, and reveal how F. graminearum regulates intracellular metabolism and synthesis to adapt to the changes in extracellular pH. [Methods] F. graminearum was cultured in the PDB media with initial pH 4.5, 6.5, and 8.0 for 48 h, and the total RNA of the strains was extracted to construct the cDNA library. Transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and the metabolic pathways involved were analyzed. The expression levels of target genes were determined by RT-qPCR. [Results] Under acidic conditions, a total of 4 283 DEGs were identified, including 2 032 genes with up-regulated expression and 2 251 genes with down-regulated expression. Under alkaline conditions, a total of 498 DEGs were identified, including 269 genes with up-regulated expression and 229 genes with down-regulated expression. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed 211 GO terms for the up-regulated genes and 72 GO terms for the down-regulated genes under acidic conditions. Under alkaline conditions, GO analysis yielded 33 GO terms for the up-regulated genes and 40 GO terms for the down-regulated genes. The results of Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed 22 up-regulated pathways and 32 down-regulated pathways under acidic conditions as well as 8 up-regulated pathways and 13 down-regulated pathways under alkaline conditions. The expression of the genes associated with membrane transporters and hydrolysis of carbohydrates was up-regulated, and that of the genes related to protein metabolism was down-regulated, which assisted F. graminearum cells to adapt to changes in the external environment. At the same time, F. graminearum maintained the internal environment balance by reducing secondary metabolism and amino acid metabolism under acidic and alkaline conditions, respectively, to resist extracellular pH stress. [Conclusion] In the acidic environment, F. graminearum adapts to the changes in the extracellular environment by promoting the production of ribonucleoprotein complexes and secondary metabolism. In an alkaline environment, F. graminearum senses and responds to external stresses via amino acid metabolism. The analysis of the metabolic pathways of F. graminearum cells provides gene expression data for studying the responses of F. graminearum to different pH environments. The findings of this study are helpful to understand the pathogenic mechanism of F. graminearum.