Sucrose non-fermenting 1 (SNF1) protein kinase complex is heterotrimer that functions for energy homeostasis in eukaryotes by regulating transcription of glucose repressible genes. Our previous study revealed that SNF1 of homothallic ascomycete fungus...
Sucrose non-fermenting 1 (SNF1) protein kinase complex is heterotrimer that functions for energy homeostasis in eukaryotes by regulating transcription of glucose repressible genes. Our previous study revealed that SNF1 of homothallic ascomycete fungus Gibberella zeae plays important roles in vegetative growth, sexual development, and virulence. In this study, we identified the putative components of SNF1 complex in G. zeae and characterized their functions. Based on our current results, we suspect that SNF1 complex in G. zeae consists of one alpha subunit, GzSNF1, one beta subunit (GzGAL83), and one gamma subunit (GzSNF4). Deletion of GzGAL83 and GzSNF4 resulted in milder phenotype changes in vegetative growth and sexual development than GzSNF1 deletion mutant. However, all of the single, double, and triple deletion mutants among GzSNF1, GzGAL83, and GzSNF4 were defected in virulence in similar level. There was no synergistic effect of mutant phenotypes in single, double, and triple deletions of SNF1 complex component genes except radial growth on sucrose utilization. In this study, we revealed that GzSNF1 is mainly required for SNF1 complex functions, and the other two SNF1 complex components have assistant roles for GzSNF1 in sucrose utilization and sexual development but major role for virulence in G. zeae.