In this study, the role of WSC1 in the
infection
of pear fruit by Penicillium expansum was investigated. The WSC1 gene was knocked out
and complemented by Agrobacterium-mediated
homologous recombination technology. Then, the changes in growth,
development, and pathogenic processes of the knockout mutant and the
complement mutant were analyzed. The results indicated that deletion
of WSC1 slowed the growth rate, reduced the mycelial
and spore yield, and reduced the ability to produce toxins and pathogenicity
of P. expansum in pear fruits. At the
same time, the deletion of WSC1 reduced the tolerance
of P. expansum to cell wall stress
factors, enhanced antioxidant capacity, decreased hypertonic sensitivity,
decreased salt stress resistance, and was more sensitive to most metal
ions. Our results confirmed that WSC1 plays an important
role in maintaining cell wall integrity and responding to stress,
toxin production, and the pathogenicity of P. expansum.