Botrytis cinerea type II inhibitor of apoptosis BcBIR1 enhances the biocontrol capacity of Coniothyrium minitans

Abstract Apoptosis‐like programmed cell death is associated with fungal development, ageing, pathogenicity and stress responses. Here, to explore the potential of Botrytis cinerea type II inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) BcBIR1 in elevating the biocontrol efficacy of Coniothyrium minitans, the BcBIR1 gene was heterologously expressed in C. minitans. Results indicated that the strains expressing BcBIR1 had higher rates of conidiation, mycelial growth and biomass growth than the wild‐type strain. Moreover, BcBIR1 was found to inhibit apoptosis, indicating its role as an IAP in C. minitans. Under various abiotic stresses, the growth rates of BcBIR1‐expressing strains were significantly higher than that of the wild‐type strain. Moreover, the conidial survival rate of the BcBIR1‐expressing strains treated with ultraviolet irradiation was enhanced. In antifungal activity assay, the culture filtrates of BcBIR1‐expressing strains displayed a stronger inhibitory effect on B. cinerea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum than the wild‐type strain. The study also found that BcBIR1 expression increased the mycoparasitism against the sclerotia, but not the hyphae of S. sclerotiorum. Taken together, these results suggest that BcBIR1 enhances vegetative growth, conidiation, anti‐apoptosis activity, abiotic stress resistance, antifungal activity and mycoparasitism in C. minitans. As an IAP, BcBIR1 may improve the control capacity of C. minitans against S. sclerotiorum.