Abstract:

The bZIP transcription factor, containing a leucine zipper structure, is one of the most critical transcription factor families in plant-pathogenic fungi, which plays a pivotal regulatory role in various aspects, such as the growth and development, stress responses, response to adversity, and secondary metabolism of plant-pathogenic fungi and so on. In this paper, the structural features and functional analysis of the bZIP gene family, and its role in the regulation of secondary metabolism and response to stress in plant-pathogenic fungi were comprehensively reviewed, in order to provide a guide for in-depth investigation into the molecular regulatory mechanisms of bZIP transcription factors in growth and development, stress resistance, secondary metabolism, which finally contribute to find new strategies to the prevention and control of pathogenic fungi. Current research primarily focuses on the functional analysis of individual bZIP transcription factors, with limited systematic exploration of the coordinated regulatory mechanisms among multiple transcription factors, the identification of downstream target genes, and the effects of bZIP transcription factors on signaling pathways. Therefore, future studies should aim to comprehensively elucidate the functions of the bZIP transcription factor family, emphasizing the construction of “one-to-many” or even “many-to-many” regulatory networks and uncovering their key roles in pathogen-host interactions, thereby advancing progress in this field.

Key words: pathogenic fungi, bZIP, growth and development, secondary metabolism, stress response