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Selectively targeting UDP-glucose 4-epimerase MoUGE1 for controlling rice blast disease
Zhiguang Qu1, Deng Chen2, Hong Hu1
1State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
Journal of Advanced Research
|January 28, 2026
Summary
This study reveals UDP-glucose 4-epimerase 1 (UGE1) is crucial for Magnaporthe oryzae's fungal cell wall integrity and virulence. A novel inhibitor, lig122132, targeting UGE1 shows promise for controlling rice blast disease.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Plant Pathology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- The fungal cell wall is essential for pathogen survival and requires precise synthesis of polysaccharides and proteins.
- UDP-glucose 4-epimerases (UGEs) are key enzymes in fungal cell wall biosynthesis, interconverting UDP-galactose and UDP-glucose.
- Magnaporthe oryzae causes rice blast, a devastating agricultural disease, necessitating novel control strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of MoUGE1 in Magnaporthe oryzae pathogenesis.
- To evaluate MoUGE1 as a potential antifungal target for rice blast control.
- To identify inhibitors of MoUGE1 using virtual screening.
Main Methods:
- Gene knockout to create Δuge1 mutants in M. oryzae.
- Assessment of fungal growth, cell wall composition, and plant infection.
- Metabolomic analysis, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for inhibitor screening.
Main Results:
- Δuge1 mutants showed reduced growth, altered cell wall/membrane composition, and impaired pathogenicity.
- UDP-galactose accumulation and N-glycosylation defects were observed, leading to cell wall instability.
- Virtual screening identified lig122132 as a potent MoUGE1 inhibitor with stable binding.
Conclusions:
- MoUGE1 is vital for M. oryzae cell wall integrity, appressorium function, and virulence.
- MoUGE1 represents a promising antifungal target for developing new rice blast management strategies.
- The identified inhibitor lig122132 offers a potential starting point for novel fungicide development.
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