大豆疫霉是一种危害严重的植物病原卵菌，也是国际上疫霉研究的模式菌。申请人前期转录组研究发现，在大豆疫霉产孢缺陷型突变体中，Hedgehog（Hh）信号通路中的2个Patched基因发生了显著性下调表达。目前，有关Hh信号通路的研究主要集中在果蝇和哺乳动物上，其在维持生物体生殖发育等方面发挥着重要作用，但在植物病原菌中的功能尚未见报道。通过比对分析发现，大豆疫霉的Hh信号通路中缺失了多个成员蛋白，但存在4个Patched蛋白PsPtc1-4；通过单敲除发现Ptc1参与大豆疫霉的无性繁殖，Ptc2-4可能存在功能互补。本项目拟在此基础上，通过二、三、四敲除等系统开展4个Patched的生物学功能研究；采用免疫共沉淀、酵母双杂交筛库和组学联用等方法探究Patched参与的调控途径。研究结果将填补卵菌Hh信号通路研究领域的空白，为创制以此通路中重要蛋白为分子靶标的新型卵菌抑制剂提供重要指导。

Phytophthora sojae is a destructive soil-borne plant pathogenic oomycete that has been used as a model pathogen throughout the world. According to our previous study, two Hedgehog activity receptor Patched proteins were down-regulation in the spore production deficit mutants of Phytophthora sojae. So far, the most-studied Hedgehog signaling pathway is that in Drosophila melanogaster or in mammal cell, and it plays important roles in maintaining normal embryonic development and other important biological processes. However, the functions of Hedgehog signaling pathway are still unclear in plant pathogenic oomycetes. Our previous study showed that there are four Patched proteins Ptc1-4 in Phytophthora sojae, but it was found that several other member proteins in Hedgehog signaling pathway are absent. Based on the phenotype data of single Ptc1-4 knockout mutants, it indicated that Ptc1 participated in the asexual stages of Phytophthora, and there might be functional complementation among Ptc2-4. This project aims to investigate the biological function of Ptc1-4 by double, three, four knockout and complement; and to explore the interaction protein network and regulatory pathway of Patched proteins using immunoprecipitation, RNA-Seq and Proteomics et al.. The results of this project will fill a void in the research of Hedgehog signaling pathway in plant pathogenic oomycetes. Moreover, the data will provide important scientific evidence for the development of novel oomycete fungicides which can target on Patched proteins and important proteins in their interaction regulatory network.