The Cell Wall Integrity MAPK Cascade Regulates Diverse Biological Processes in Parallel With the Pheromone MAPK Pathway in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Provides Effective HIGS Targets for Disease Control.

Loss-of-function of the CWI MAPK cascade components SsBck1, SsMkk1, SsSmk3, and scaffold SsPro40 in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum completely abolishes sclerotia formation and virulence.

• Why it matters: Sclerotia persist for years in soil, and the molecular basis of sclerotia development and infection is fragmented, limiting durable disease control strategies.
• What they did: Using forward genetic screening plus reverse genetics, the study characterized CWI pathway mutants and combined genetic tests with MAPK phosphorylation analysis, including SsAdv1 transcription factor work.
• The result: The CWI cascade shows dual requirements with the pheromone MAPK pathway for sclerotia development and virulence, and CWI kinases are effective HIGS targets to suppress Sclerotinia stem rot.

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