Abstract
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a fungal pathogen with a broad range of hosts, which can cause diseases and pose a great threat to many crops. Fungal-specific Zn(2)Cys(6) transcription factors (TFs) constitute a large family prevalent among plant pathogens. However, the function of Zn(2)Cys(6) TFs remains largely unknown. In this study, we identified and characterized SsZNC1, a Zn(2)Cys(6) TF in S. sclerotiorum, which is involved in virulence, sclerotial development, and osmotic stress response. The expression of SsZNC1 was significantly up-regulated in the early stages of S. sclerotiorum infection on Arabidopsis leaves. The target deletion of SsZNC1 resulted in reduced virulence on Arabidopsis and oilseed rape. In addition, sclerotial development ability and growth ability under hyperosmotic conditions of SsZNC1 knockout transformants were reduced. A transcriptomic analysis unveiled its regulatory role in key cellular functions, including cellulose catabolic process, methyltransferase activity, and virulence, etc. Together, our results indicated that SsZNC1, a core regulatory gene involved in virulence, sclerotial development and stress response, provides new insight into the transcription regulation and pathogenesis of S. sclerotiorum.