ANDREA CACCIOTTI

Dottore di ricerca

ciclo: XXXV


supervisore: professore Massimo Reverberi

Titolo della tesi: The Role of CRZ1 in Synchronizing Lipid Metabolism, Oxylipin Synthesis and Fumonisins Production

Fight hard or die trying, this could be the extreme synthesis of a pathogenic attack on susceptible plants. In this inter-kingdom communication, the interaction between the two organisms represents a key element for understanding how the pathogen develops inside the host, and on which molecules its virulence is based. Lipid molecules such as oxylipins, sphingolipids, and free fatty acids are among the signals through which the two organisms can communicate. The fine-tuning of these signals by either side guarantees success or defeat, and even “hacking” them can be a way to win. In this scenario, the transcription factor Crz1 integrates itself as a key regulator of various pathways, from the production of specific lipid molecules to the stress response. In this study, its function as a stress response factor and its involvement in lipid metabolism during interaction with Zea mays was demonstrated. In fact, in the FvCrz1∆ deleted strain, lower growth was found during the infection and an imbalance in the production of fatty acids and oxylipins. To confirm its (upstream) role as a virulence regulator, the deleted mutant showed reduced production of mycotoxins. From a transcriptomic regulatory perspective, crz1 regulates numerous pathways during infection, including the production of fatty acids and sphingolipids. In particular, the role of phospholipase A2 (FvPla2) seems to emerge as a direct link between Crz1 and lipid production, through which fusarium, via crz1, regulates the availability of FFA during infection and the consequent production of oxylipins, which enhance the production of mycotoxins downstream. Elucidating its role in the interaction of Fusarium verticillioides and Zea mays will allow a critical understanding of gene regulation in both pathogens and hosts and the development of fine-tuned defense strategies.

Produzione scientifica

  • 11573/1680941 - 2020 - The Crz1 transcription factor regulates lipid metabolism and fumonisin production in Fusarium verticillioides (04d Abstract in atti di convegno)
    BECCACCIOLI, MARZIA; CACCIOTTI, ANDREA; REVERBERI, MASSIMO
  • 11573/1680943 - 2019 - Fatty acid metabolism in Fusarium verticillioides (04d Abstract in atti di convegno)
    BECCACCIOLI, MARZIA; CACCIOTTI, ANDREA; REVERBERI, MASSIMO
  • 11573/1554683 - 2021 - The effect of Fusarium verticillioides fumonisins on fatty acids, sphingolipids, and oxylipins in maize germlings (01a Articolo in rivista)
    BECCACCIOLI, MARZIA; CACCIOTTI, ANDREA; D'ANGELI, SIMONE; REVERBERI, MASSIMO
  • 11573/1657550 - 2022 - Mass spectrometry-based targeted lipidomics and supervised machine learning algorithms in detecting disease, cultivar, and treatment biomarkers in Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca-infected olive trees (01a Articolo in rivista)
    SCALA, VALERIA; SALUSTRI, MANUEL; CACCIOTTI, ANDREA; REVERBERI, MASSIMO
  • 11573/1664310 - 2022 - Modulation of virulence-associated traits in Aspergillus fumigatus by BET Inhibitor JQ1 (01a Articolo in rivista)
    OREKHOVA, ANASTASIA; DE ANGELIS, MARTA; CACCIOTTI, ANDREA; REVERBERI, MASSIMO; ROTILI, DANTE; GIORGI, ALESSANDRA; PROTTO, VIRGINIA; BONINCONTRO, GRAZIANA; FIORENTINO, FRANCESCO; MAI, ANTONELLO; PALAMARA, ANNA TERESA; SIMONETTI, GIOVANNA

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