Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

The Plant Infection Test: Spray and Wound-Mediated Inoculation with the Plant Pathogen Magnaporthe Grisea
07:14

The Plant Infection Test: Spray and Wound-Mediated Inoculation with the Plant Pathogen Magnaporthe Grisea

Published on: August 4, 2018

A carnitine-acylcarnitine carrier protein, MoCrc1, is essential for pathogenicity in Magnaporthe oryzae

Jun Yang1, Lingan Kong, Xiaolin Chen

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.

Current Genetics
|March 31, 2012
PubMed

Insights

The carnitine-acylcarnitine carrier protein (MoCRC1) is vital for the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae to infect plants. Deleting MoCRC1 eliminates the fungus's ability to cause disease by impairing infection structures.

Area of Science:

  • Plant Pathology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Fungal Genetics

Background:

  • Magnaporthe oryzae causes rice blast, a devastating plant disease.
  • Appressoria are specialized structures fungi use to penetrate host plants.
  • Understanding fungal infection mechanisms is crucial for disease control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of a novel gene, MoCRC1, in the infection process of M. oryzae.
  • To identify genes essential for appressorium function and pathogenicity.

Main Methods:

  • Mutagenesis screening to isolate defective mutants.
  • Gene deletion and complementation experiments.
  • Confocal microscopy to visualize protein localization.

Main Results:

  • A mutant defective in appressorial penetration was identified with a DNA insertion in MoCRC1.
  • MoCRC1 encodes a carnitine-acylcarnitine carrier protein essential for appressorium turgor and penetration.
  • MoCRC1 deletion resulted in loss of pathogenicity and impaired growth on specific carbon sources.

Conclusions:

  • The carnitine-acylcarnitine carrier protein (MoCRC1) is essential for M. oryzae pathogenesis.
  • MoCRC1 plays a critical role in appressorium-mediated infection.
  • This protein may be a target for controlling rice blast and other fungal diseases.

More Related Videos

Genome-wide Analysis of Histone Modifications Distribution using the Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing Method in Magnaporthe oryzae09:25

Genome-wide Analysis of Histone Modifications Distribution using the Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing Method in Magnaporthe oryzae

Published on: June 2, 2021

Visualizing Early Infection Sites of Rice Blast Disease (Magnaporthe oryzae) on Barley (Hordeum vulgare) Using a Basic Microscope and a Smartphone07:36

Visualizing Early Infection Sites of Rice Blast Disease (Magnaporthe oryzae) on Barley (Hordeum vulgare) Using a Basic Microscope and a Smartphone

Published on: March 17, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Export of Misfolded Proteins out of the ER01:32

Export of Misfolded Proteins out of the ER

After folding, the ER assesses the quality of secretory and membrane proteins. The correctly folded proteins are cleared by the calnexin cycle for transport to their final destination, while misfolded proteins are held back in the ER lumen. The ER chaperones attempt to unfold and refold the misfolded proteins but sometimes fail to achieve the correct native conformation. Such terminally misfolded proteins are then exported to the cytosol by ER-associated degradation or ERAD pathway for...
Protein Transport into the Inner Mitochondrial Membrane01:34

Protein Transport into the Inner Mitochondrial Membrane

Nuclear encoded mitochondrial precursors are imported to the inner membrane in a multistep process involving two separate translocons, TIM22 and TIM23. TIM23 is a cation-selective pore that remains closed by the N terminal segment of the protein. Negative charges on the TIM23 act as a receptor for the incoming precursor, pulling the positively charged matrix-targeting sequence for peptide insertion and translocation.
Transport of mitochondrial precursors across the TIM23 channel is driven by...
Cystic Fibrosis: Pathogenesis01:23

Cystic Fibrosis: Pathogenesis

Cystic fibrosis (CF), an autosomal recessive disorder, significantly affects the function of exocrine glands. This genetically inherited disease is characterized by the production of thick and sticky mucus, which can severely affect various organs and systems in the body.
CF is primarily caused by a genetic mutation in a chromosome 7 gene coding for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common gene mutation leading to CF is the ΔF508 mutation, but...
Translocation of Proteins into the Mitochondria01:19

Translocation of Proteins into the Mitochondria

Mitochondrial precursors are translocated to the internal subcompartments via independent mechanisms involving distinct protein machineries called translocases.
Sorting of outer membrane proteins:
Mitochondrial outer membrane proteins are of two types: the transmembrane, beta-barrel porins, and the membrane-anchored, alpha-helical proteins. Beta-barrel porin precursors are translocated by the TOM complex and inserted into the outer mitochondrial membrane by the SAM complex. In contrast,...
Carbohydrate Catabolism01:30

Carbohydrate Catabolism

Carbohydrate catabolism is a fundamental process in cellular metabolism that enables energy extraction from glucose through two primary pathways: cellular respiration and fermentation. Both pathways begin with glycolysis, which operates independently of oxygen availability.Glycolysis: A Shared Starting PointGlycolysis is an oxygen-independent process that breaks down glucose into two molecules of pyruvic acid. During this process, a net gain of two ATP molecules and two NADH molecules is...
The ADP/ATP Carrier Protein01:42

The ADP/ATP Carrier Protein

ADP/ATP carrier or AAC protein is the most abundant carrier protein in the inner mitochondrial membrane. It transports large quantities of ADP and ATP, equivalent to the average human body weight, every day. Among other transporters, ACC protein is one of the best-studied members of the mitochondrial carrier protein family. The ADP/ATP carrier protein comprises two transmembrane helices connected to a loop and a single alpha-helix on the matrix side. It switches between two conformational...