Red- and Blue-Light Sensing in the Plant Pathogen Alternaria alternata Depends on Phytochrome and the White-Collar Protein LreA

Abstract

Light controls many processes in filamentous fungi. The study of light regulation in a number of model organisms revealed an unexpected complexity. Although the molecular components for light sensing appear to be widely conserved in fungal genomes, the regulatory circuits and the sensitivity of certain species toward specific wavelengths seem different. In N. crassa , most light responses are triggered by blue light, whereas in A. nidulans , red light plays a dominant role. In Alternaria alternata , both blue and red light appear to be important. In A. alternata , photoreceptors control morphogenetic pathways, the homeostasis of reactive oxygen species, and the production of secondary metabolites. On the other hand, high-osmolarity sensing required FphA and LreA, indicating a sophisticated cross talk between light and stress signaling.