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Genetic Manipulation of the Plant Pathogen Ustilago maydis to Study Fungal Biology and Plant Microbe Interactions
Published on: September 30, 2016
The Magnaporthe grisea class VII chitin synthase is required for normal appressorial development and function
Dominik Odenbach1, Eckhard Thines, Heidrun Anke
1IBWF e.V., Institute for Biotechnology and Drug Research, Erwin-Schrödinger-Str. 56, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Molecular Plant Pathology
|January 24, 2009
Summary
The chitin synthase gene CHS7 is essential for Magnaporthe grisea to form functional appressoria, which are critical infection structures. Deleting CHS7 impairs the fungus
Area of Science:
- * Plant Pathology
- * Mycology
- * Molecular Biology
Background:
- * Magnaporthe grisea utilizes appressoria for host penetration.
- * Appressoria are rich in the polysaccharide chitin.
- * CHS7 gene transcription is regulated by Con7p, crucial for appressorium formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To investigate the role of the CHS7 gene in appressorium formation and function.
- * To understand the consequences of targeted CHS7 deletion in M. grisea.
Main Methods:
- * Targeted deletion of the CHS7 gene to create chs7(-) mutants.
- * Analysis of appressorium formation on artificial surfaces with and without inducers.
- * Assessment of chitin content in appressoria.
- * Evaluation of M. grisea's ability to infect rice plants.
- * Gene expression analysis using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
Main Results:
- * chs7(-) mutants failed to form appressoria on artificial surfaces without specific inducers (1,16-hexadecanediol and cyclic adenosine monophosphate).
- * Appressoria formed by chs7(-) mutants exhibited reduced chitin content, smaller size, and misshapen morphology.
- * The ability of chs7(-) mutants to penetrate rice plants was significantly reduced.
- * CHS7 gene transcription was highly induced during spore germination and Chs7p protein was abundant during infection-related development.
Conclusions:
- * The class VII chitin synthase, Chs7p, is indispensable for normal appressorium development in M. grisea.
- * CHS7 plays a critical role in the structural integrity and function of appressoria, impacting host plant infection.
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