Research on the function of FolGLS2 gene in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lini.

Flax is the main oil crop in China, and has been affected by flax wilt for a long time. The catalytic subunit of β-1, 3-glucan synthase (FKS/GLS) is necessary for cell wall synthesis, the biological function of which was analyzed in the study through cloning the gene, constructing FolGLS2 gene deletion mutant, observing phenotype and assaying the virulence of the gene disruption mutants. A full-length of 5947bp DNA sequence was obtained, which contained an open reading frame 5847bp, encoding a total of 1948 amino acids. Observation of the phenotype of the FolGLS2 gene deletion mutant showed that the colony of the mutant was small and compact, its growth rate decreased obviously, the mycelium was short, thick and no longer produced conidia. The cell wall of the mutant mycelium changed somehow, which was strongly resistant to the protoplasting buffer commonly used for wild type and was unable to release protoplasts. Infection assay to the flax seedling demonstrated that pathogenicity of deletion mutant was significantly decreased. Conclusively, FolGLS2 gene, which encodes catalytic subunit of β-1, 3- glucan synthase, plays a regulatory role in conidiogenesis, mycelial vegetative growth, cell wall properties and pathogenicity of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.lini. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]