The transcription factor FgMed1 is involved in early conidiogenesis and DON biosynthesis in the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum

In this study, we functionally characterized the FgMed1, a gene encoding an ortholog of conserved MedA transcription factor known to be a key conidiogenesis regulator in Aspergillus nidulans. The gene deletion mutant ?FgMed1produced significantly less conidia, and these were generated from abnormal conidiophores devoid of phialides. Additionally, we observed defective sexual development along with reduced virulence and deoxynivalenol (DON) production in ?Fg Med1. The GFP-tagged FgAcr1 protein localized to the nuclei of conidiophores and phialides during early conidiogenesis. Significantly, RNA-Seq analyses showed that a number of the conidiation- and toxin-related genes are differentially expressed in the ?FgMed1 mutant in early conidiogenesis. These data strongly suggest that FgMed1 involved in regulation of genes associated with early conidiogenesis, DON production and virulence in F. graminearum.