A putative RNA silencing component protein FoQde-2 is involved in virulence of the tomato wilt fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici

摘要

RNA silencing pathways in filamentous fungi are composed of multiple component proteins and known to be involved in vegetative growth, virulence or sexual reproduction. We found that the tomato wilt fungus, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol), carries four homologues genes of Qde-2 , an argonaute protein gene and one of the main component protein genes in Neurospora crassa . Gene targeting revealed that FoQde-2 , one of the Qde- 2 homologues in Fol, is involved in virulence to tomato but not in vegetative growth.