Golgi‐localized calcium/manganese transporters FgGdt1 and FgPmr1 regulate fungal development and virulence by maintaining Ca 2+ and Mn 2+ homeostasis in Fusarium graminearum

Abstract Calcium and manganese transporters play important roles in regulating Ca 2+ and Mn 2+ homeostasis in cells, which is necessary for the normal physiological activities of eukaryotes. Gdt1 and Pmr1 function as calcium/manganese transporters in the Golgi apparatus. However, the functions of Gdt1 and Pmr1 have not been previously characterized in the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum . Here, we identified and characterized the biological functions of FgGdt1 and FgPmr1 in F . graminearum . Our study shows that FgGdt1 and FgPmr1 are both localized to the cis‐ and medial ‐Golgi. Disruption of FgGdt1 or FgPmr1 in F . graminearum caused serious defects in vegetative growth, conidiation, sexual development and significantly decreased virulence in wheat but increased deoxynivalenol (DON) production. Importantly, FgGdt1 is involved in Ca 2+ and Mn 2+ homeostasis and the severe phenotypic defects of the Δ Fggdt1 mutant were largely due to loss of FgGdt1 function in Mn 2+ transportation. FgGdt1‐mCherry colocalizes with FgPmr1‐GFP at the Golgi, and FgGDT1 exerts its biological function upstream of FgPMR1 . Taken together, our results collectively demonstrate that the cis ‐ and medial ‐Golgi‐localized proteins FgGdt1 and FgPmr1 regulate Ca 2+ and Mn 2+ homeostasis of the Golgi apparatus, and this function is important in modulating the growth, development, DON biosynthesis and pathogenicity of F . graminearum .