Find in Library

C₂H₂ zinc finger is one of the most common motifs found in the transcription factors (TFs) in eukaryotes organisms, which have a broad range of functions, such as regulation of growth and development, stress tolerance and pathogenicity. Here, <i>PlCZF1</i> was identified to encode a C₂H₂ zinc finger in the litchi downy blight pathogen <i>Peronophythora litchii</i>. <i>PlCZF1</i> is conserved in <i>P. litchii</i> and <i>Phytophthora</i> species. In <i>P. litchii</i>, <i>PlCZF1</i> is highly expressed in sexual developmental and early infection stages. We generated <i>Δplczf1</i> mutants using the CRISPR/Cas9 method. Compared with the wild type, the <i>Δplczf1</i> mutants showed no significant difference in vegetative growth and asexual reproduction, but were defective in oospore development and virulence. Further experiments revealed that the transcription of <i>PlM90</i>, <i>PlLLP</i> and three laccase encoding genes were down-regulated in the <i>Δplczf1</i> mutant. Our results demonstrated that <i>PlCZF1</i> is a vital regulator for sexual development and pathogenesis in <i>P. litchii.</i>