Global Gene Expression of Post-Senescent Telomerase-Negative Δ Strain of .

We analyzed the global expression patterns of telomerase-negative mutants from haploid cells of to identify the gene network required for cell survival in the absence of telomerase. Mutations in either of the telomerase core subunits ( and ) of the dimorphic fungus cause deficiencies in teliospore formation. We report the global transcriptome analysis of two Δ survivor strains of , revealing the deregulation of telomerase-deleted responses (TDR) genes, such as DNA-damage response, stress response, cell cycle, subtelomeric, and proximal telomere genes. Other differentially expressed genes (DEGs) found in the Δ survivor strains were related to pathogenic lifestyle factors, plant-pathogen crosstalk, iron uptake, meiosis, and melanin synthesis. The two Δ survivors were phenotypically comparable, yet DEGs were identified when comparing these strains. Our findings suggest that teliospore formation in is controlled by key pathogenic lifestyle and meiosis genes.