Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

Visualizing Early Infection Sites of Rice Blast Disease (Magnaporthe oryzae) on Barley (Hordeum vulgare) Using a Basic Microscope and a Smartphone
07:36

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

MoMon1 is required for vacuolar assembly, conidiogenesis and pathogenicity in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe

Hui-Min Gao1, Xiao-Guang Liu, Huan-Bin Shi

  • 1State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, Biotechnology Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.

Research in Microbiology
|February 5, 2013
PubMed

Insights

The Mon1 protein (MoMON1) in Magnaporthe oryzae is crucial for vacuole structure, autophagy, and fungal development. Its absence disrupts pathogenicity, highlighting MoMON1

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Plant Pathology

Background:

  • Mon1 protein regulates cytoplasm-to-vacuole trafficking, vacuolar morphology, and autophagy in yeast.
  • Homotypic vacuole fusion is a critical process dependent on Mon1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize the function of the Mon1 ortholog (MoMON1) in the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae.
  • To investigate the role of MoMON1 in vacuolar dynamics, autophagy, fungal development, and pathogenicity.

Main Methods:

  • Gene deletion of MoMON1 in M. oryzae.
  • Phenotypic analysis of the ΔMomon1 mutant, including vacuolar morphology, growth, conidiation, and pathogenicity assays.
  • Assessment of cellular processes such as autophagy and cell wall integrity.

Main Results:

  • MoMON1 is essential for vacuolar morphology and vesicle fusion in M. oryzae.
  • Deletion of MoMON1 led to abnormal vacuole accumulation, blocked autophagy, and impaired fungal development (aerial hyphae, conidiation).
  • The ΔMomon1 mutant showed reduced pathogenicity on rice, despite forming appressoria, and exhibited cell wall alterations.

Conclusions:

  • MoMON1 plays a vital role in vacuolar biogenesis, autophagy, and overall fungal development in M. oryzae.
  • MoMON1 is indispensable for the pathogenicity of M. oryzae, likely through its roles in cellular homeostasis and development.
  • Understanding MoMON1 function provides insights into fungal pathogenesis mechanisms and potential targets for disease control.

More Related Videos

The Plant Infection Test: Spray and Wound-Mediated Inoculation with the Plant Pathogen Magnaporthe Grisea07:14

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

Published on: August 4, 2018

Detached Maize Sheaths for Live-Cell Imaging of Infection by Fungal Foliar Maize Pathogens06:12

Detached Maize Sheaths for Live-Cell Imaging of Infection by Fungal Foliar Maize Pathogens

Published on: September 15, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Gene Regulation During Sporulation01:17

Gene Regulation During Sporulation

Sporulation is a complex developmental process that allows certain Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium species, to survive extreme environmental conditions. This process is tightly regulated by a series of signaling cascades and transcriptional controls, ensuring the formation of a highly resistant endospore.Sporulation is triggered by unfavorable conditions, such as nutrient depletion, and is governed by a phosphorelay system. One of the sensor kinases, such as...
Fungal Group Zygomycota01:29

Fungal Group Zygomycota

Zygomycota, previously classified as a distinct fungal group, are primarily terrestrial, saprophytic molds that play a crucial role as decomposers. Recent phylogenetic studies have revealed that these fungi are now divided into two major clades — Mucoromycota, which includes many symbiotic species, and Zoopagomycota, which primarily consists of parasitic and pathogenic fungi. These groups exhibit distinct ecological roles and reproductive strategies while sharing key structural and...
Protein Complex Assembly02:41

Protein Complex Assembly

Proteins can form homomeric complexes with another unit of the same protein or heteromeric complexes with different types.  Most protein complexes self-assemble spontaneously via ordered pathways, while some proteins need assembly factors that guide their proper assembly. Despite the crowded intracellular environment, proteins usually interact with their correct partners and form functional complexes.
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
Endospores and Sporulation01:20

Endospores and Sporulation

Endospores are specialized, dormant cells primarily formed by Gram-positive bacteria, including Bacillus and Clostridium, enabling survival under extreme environmental conditions. Due to their unique composition and formation process, these structures are highly resistant to physical and chemical insults, such as extreme heat, ultraviolet and ionizing radiation, desiccation, and toxic chemicals. Rare instances of endospore-like structures have also been observed in some Gram-negative bacteria,...
Role of Microtubules in Cell Wall Deposition01:02

Role of Microtubules in Cell Wall Deposition

Microtubules are small hollow tubes in eukaryotic cells. The cell wall microtubules are polymerized dimers of two globular proteins, α-tubulin and β-tubulin, two globular proteins. With a diameter of about 25 nm, microtubules are the widest components of the cytoskeleton. They help the cell resist compression and provide a track along which vesicles move through the cell or pull replicated chromosomes to opposite ends of a dividing cell. Microtubules go through quick cycles of disassembly and...