茶树炭疽病是茶树的主要病害之一，严重影响茶叶产量与品质。胶孢炭疽菌是引起茶树炭疽病的主要病原菌，研究该菌侵染茶树的致病分子机理对于病害的防治有着重要意义，但目前鲜见相关报道。有研究表明，Homeobox转录因子参与了农作物病原真菌的生长发育和致病过程。鉴此，我们提出研究Homeobox家族转录因子在胶孢炭疽菌致病进程中的作用机制。本项目首先从茶树病叶上分离病原菌并测序；再通过生物信息学方法，找到所有胶孢炭疽菌Homeobox基因；然后，通过基因敲除、互补、表型分析等方法来揭示这些基因的生物学功能以及它们在胶孢炭疽菌侵染茶树过程中的重要作用；最后，通过转录组差异表达分析与酵母单杂交等方法寻找Homeobox转录因子调控的下游关键基因。本项目的完成将提高人们对胶孢炭疽菌侵染茶树分子机制的认识，为防治茶树炭疽病的新策略提供理论依据，最终将有助于茶叶产量与品质的提升。

Anthracnose is a disease to tea plant (Camellia sinensis), which leads to yield loss and the alteration of tea quality. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is the main pathogen responsible for this disease. Study of the pathogenesis molecular mechanism to tea plant infected by C. gloeosporioides is meaningful to control this fungal disease. Up to now, no research was found focus on this field topic. Previous studies indicate that Homeobox transcription factors were involved in fungal development and pathogenicity in some crop pathogens. Based on these results, we plan to study the functions of Homeobox family transcription factors and it is a breakthrough point to reveal the pathogenesis molecular mechanism of C. gloeosporioides. In this project, we first isolate and genome sequence a C. gloeosporioides strain from a diseased tea leaf. Then, we identify all Homeobox genes in C. gloeosporioides by bioinformatic methods. Next, we reveal their biology functions and their roles during pathogenesis by genetic techniques, including gene deletion, complementation and phenotype analysis, etc. Finally, we search for some key target genes regulated by Homeobox transcription factors by methods such as RNA-seq differential expression analysis and yeast one hybrid. Results from this project will advance our knowledge on pathogenesis molecular mechanism of C. gloeosporioides, and lay a solid foundation for initiation of some novel strategies for disease control caused by C. gloeosporioides, and ultimately be helpful to enhance tea yield and quality