Cloning and expression analysis of NhL1, a gene encoding an extracellular lipase from the fungal pea pathogen Nectria haematococca MP VI (Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi) that is expressed in planta

Abstract.

The filamentous fungus Nectria haematococca (anamorph Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi) resides in soil, and attacks pea seedlings in the area of the underground epicotyl and upper tap root, causing foot rot disease. We detected lipase activity during in vitro growth of N. haematococca. Subsequently, a lipase gene was cloned and functionally characterised by heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The full-length cDNA of 1152 bp was cloned using a 3′ RACE-PCR approach coupled with cDNA library screening. The genomic clone, comprising an ORF of 999 bp interrupted by two introns of 56 and 64 bp, was isolated from a newly constructed lambda phage library. Analysis of the deduced protein sequence revealed the presence of a typical signal peptide at the N-terminus, and of the three conserved amino acids forming the active site of lipases. The lipase of N. haematococca has a low degree of similarity to the lipases from Humicola lanuginosa (37.2%), Rhizomucor miehei (21.6%), Rhizopus delemar (23.1%), Rhizopus niveus (25.9%), and to mono- and diacylglycerol lipase from Penicillium camembertii (30.8%), and very high similarity (94.6%) to a lipase from Fusarium heterosporum. The lipase from N. haematococca shows maximal activity at 37°C and pH 8.0. Based on Southern analysis, the lipase clone represents a single-copy gene in N. haematococca. Expression analysis was performed by RT-PCR. In vitro, the lipase gene shows a low basal expression, but is highly inducible by lipase substrates, and repressed by glucose. During plant infection, transcripts of this fungal lipase gene were detected 4, 8, and 10 days after infection.