TITLE:
Expression of T4HR1, a 1,3,6,8-Tetrahydroxynaphthalene Reductase Gene Involved in Melanin Biosynthesis, Is Enhanced by Near-Ultraviolet Irradiation in Bipolaris oryzae
AUTHORS:
Nozomi Tanaka, Yohei Haruki, Makoto Ueno, Sakae Arase, Junichi Kihara
KEYWORDS:
Bipolaris oryzae, Gene Expression, Melanin Biosynthesis, Near-Ultraviolet, 1, 3, 6, 8-Tetrahydroxynaphtalene Reductase
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Microbiology,
Vol.5 No.3,
March
6,
2015
ABSTRACT: Bipolaris oryzae is the causal agent of brown spot disease in rice and produces the dark pigment melanin. We isolated and characterized T4HR1 gene encoding 1,3,6,8-tetrahydroxynaphthalene (1,3,6,8-THN) reductase, which converted 1,3,6,8-THN to scytalone in the melanin biosynthesis from B. oryzae. A sequence analysis showed that the T4HR1 gene encoded a putative protein of 268 amino acids showing 50% - 99% sequence identity to other fungal 1,3,6,8-THN reductases. Targeted disruption of the T4HR1 gene showed a different phenotype of mycelial color due to an accumulation of shunt products compared to those of wild-type on PDA plates using tricyclazole as a melanin biosynthesis inhibitor. A quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression of T4HR1 transcripts was enhanced by near-ultraviolet (NUV) irradiation and regulated by transcriptional factor BMR1, similar to three other melanin biosynthesis genes (polyketide synthase gene [PKS1], scytalone dehydratase gene [SCD1], and 1,3,8-THN reductase gene [THR1]) in the melanin biosynthesis of B. oryzae. These results suggested that common transcriptional mechanisms could regulate the enhanced gene expression of these melanin biosynthesis genes by NUV irradiation in B. oryzae.