The α-1,6-mannosyltransferase VdOCH1 plays a major role in microsclerotium formation and virulence in the soil-borne pathogen Verticillium dahliae.

Sunflower yellow wilt is a widespread and destructive disease caused by the soil-borne pathogen Verticillium dahliae (V. dahliae). To better understand the pathogenesis mechanism of V. dahliae in sunflower, T-DNA insertion library was generated via Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation system (ATMT). Eight hundred positive transformants were obtained. Transformants varied in colony morphology, growth rate, conidia production and pathogenicity in sunflower compared to the wild type strain. A mutant, named VdGn3-L2, was chosen for further analysis based on its deprivation on microsclerotia formation. The flanking sequence of T-DNA insertion site of VdGn3-L2 was identified via hiTAIL-PCR, and the interrupted gene encoded an initiation-specific α-1, 6-mannosyltransferase, named as VdOCH1. The deletion mutant ΔVdOCH1 was impaired in certain characteristics such as fungal growth, conidia production, and microsclerotia formation. Also, ΔVdOCH1 mutants were more sensitive to the cell wall perturbing reagents, such as SDS and Congo red, lost their penetration ability through cellophane membrane, and exhibited dramatically decreased pathogenicity to sunflower. The impaired phenotypes could be restored to the wild type level by complementation of the deletion mutant with full-length VdOCH1 gene. In conclusion, VdOCH1, encoded α-1,6-mannosyltransferase, manipulating the biological characteristics, microsclerotia formation and pathogenic ability of V. dahliae in sunflower.