Adenylyl cyclase is required for cAMP production, growth, conidial germination, and virulence in the citrus green mold pathogen Penicillium digitatum

Penicillium digitatum is the causative agent of green mold decay on citrus fruit. The cAMP-mediated signaling pathway plays an important role in the transduction of extracellular signals and has been shown to regulate a wide range of developmental processes and pathogenicity in fungal pathogens. We cloned and characterized a Pdac1 gene of P. digitatum, which encodes a polypeptide similar to fungal adenylyl cyclases. Using a loss-of-function mutation in the Pdac1 gene we demonstrated a critical requirement for hyphal growth and conidial germination. Deletion of Pdac1 resulted in decreased accumulation of cAMP and down-regulation of genes encoding a G protein α subunit, both catalytic and regulatory subunits of PKA, and two transcriptional regulators StuA and Som1. Fungal mutants lacking Pdac1 produced abundant conidia, which failed to germinate effectively and displayed an elevated sensitivity to heat treatment. Pdac1 mutant failed to utilize carbohydrates effectively and thus displayed severe growth retardation on rich and synthetic media. Slow growth seen in the Pdac1 mutants could be due to a defect in nutrient sensing and acquisition. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that Pdac1 was primarily expressed at the early stage of infection. Fungal pathogenicity assayed on citrus fruit revealed that P. digitatum strains impaired for Pdac1 delayed lesion formation. Our results highlight important regulatory roles of adenylyl cyclase-mediated cAMP production in P. digitatum and provide insights into the critical role of cAMP in fungal growth, development and virulence.