Actin Is Required for Cellular Development and Virulence of <i>Botrytis cinerea</i> via the Mediation of Secretory Proteins
Hua Li, Zhanquan Zhang, Guozheng Qin, Chang He, Boqiang Li, Shiping Tian
Abstract
The cytoskeleton is an important network that exists in cells of all domains of life. In eukaryotic cells, actin is a vital component of the cytoskeleton. Here, we report that BcactA, an actin protein in B. cinerea , can affect the growth, sporulation, and virulence of B. cinerea . Furthermore, iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis showed that BcactA affects the abundance of 40 extracellular proteins, including 11 down-accumulated CWDEs. Among them, two CWDEs, cellobiohydrolase (BcCBH) and β-endoglucanase (BcEG), contributed to the virulence of B. cinerea , indicating that bcactA plays a crucial role in regulating extracellular virulence factors. These findings unveil previously unknown functions of BcactA in mediating growth, sporulation, and virulence of B. cinerea .