Yanze Kan

Abstract Click to copy section linkSection link copied! The cell wall integrity is crucial for fungal development, adaptation to adverse environments, and virulence. Here, a transcription factor (TF) heterodimer, BbOsrR2-BbOsrR3, in complex with a cyclin BbClp1 was found to orchestrate cell wall homeostasis in an entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. The ΔBbOsrR2 mutant displayed increased sensitivity to cell wall stress, with reduced β-1,3-glucan and chitin contents.

Sterol regulatory element-binding protein, Sre1, regulates sterol biosynthesis, lipid metabolism, hypoxia adaptation, and virulence in some fungi, even though its roles are varied in fungal species. However, few studies report its other functions in fungi. Here, we report novel roles of Sre1 homolog, BbSre1, in the insect fungal pathogen, Beauveria bassiana, that regulates oxidative stress response, peroxisome division, and redox homeostasis.