CcPmk1 is a regulator of pathogenicity in Cytospora chrysosperma and can be used as a potential target for disease control

Fus3/Kss1, also known as Pmk1 in several pathogenic fungi, is a component of the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway that functions as a regulator in fungal development, stress response, mating, and pathogenicity. Cytospora chrysosperma, a notorious woody plant‐pathogenic fungus, causes canker disease in many species, and its Pmk1 homolog, CcPmk1, is required for fungal development and pathogenicity. However, the global regulation network of CcPmk1 is still unclear. In this study, we compared transcriptional analysis between a CcPmk1 deletion mutant and the wild type during the simulated infection process. A subset of transcription factor genes and putative effector genes were significantly down‐regulated in the CcPmk1 deletion mutant, which might be important for fungal pathogenicity. Additionally, many tandem genes were found to be regulated by CcPmk1. Eleven out of 68 core secondary metabolism biosynthesis genes and several gene clusters were significantly down‐regulated in the CcPmk1 deletion mutant. GO annotation of down‐regulated genes showed that the ribosome biosynthesis‐related processes were over‐represented in the CcPmk1 deletion mutant. Comparison of the CcPmk1‐regulated genes with the Pmk1‐regulated genes from Magnaporthe oryzae revealed only a few overlapping regulated genes in both CcPmk1 and Pmk1, while the enrichment GO terms in the ribosome biosynthesis‐related processes were also found. Subsequently, we calculated that in vitro feeding artificial small interference RNAs of CcPmk1 could silence the target gene, resulting in inhibited fungal growth. Furthermore, silencing of BcPmk1 in Botrytis cinerea with conserved CcPmk1 and BcPmk1 fragments could significantly compromise fungal virulence using the virus‐induced gene silencing system in Nicotiana benthamiana. These results suggest that CcPmk1 functions as a regulator of pathogenicity and can potentially be designed as a target for broad‐spectrum disease control, but unintended effects on nonpathogenic fungi need to be avoided.