Pot2, an inverted repeat transposon from the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea

We report the cloning and characterisation of Pot2, a putative transposable element from Magnaporthe grisea. The element is 1857 by in size, has 43-bp perfect terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) and 16-bp direct repeats within the TIRs. A large open reading frame, potentially coding for a transposase-like protein, was identified. This putative protein coding region showed extensive identity to that of Fott, a transposable element from another phytopathogenic fungus, Fusarium oxysporum. Pot2, like the transposable elements Tc1 and Mariner of Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila, respectively, duplicates the dinucleotide TA at the target insertion site. Sequence analysis of DNA flanking 12 Pot2 elements revealed similarity to the consensus insertion sequence of Tct. Pot2 is present at a copy number of approximately 100 per haploid genome and represents one of the major repetitive DNAs shared by both rice and non-rice pathogens of M. grisea.     

Infection-related development in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea

Recent developments have been made in the identification of signal transduction pathways and gene products involved in the infection-related development of the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea. It has been established that cAMP-dependent and MAP kinase-mediated signaling are both critical for appressorium morphogenesis and function. These signaling pathways may act downstream of hydrophobin-mediated surface sensing by the growing germ tube. Several genes have been identified that are required for invasive growth of M. grisea including genes that allow adaptation of fungal metabolism to growth within plant tissues.     

Biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea: the role of hybrid PKS-NRPS in pathogenicity

Fungal secondary metabolites are an important source of bioactive compounds for agrochemistry and pharmacology. Over the past decade, many studies have been undertaken to characterize the biosynthetic pathways of fungal secondary metabolites. This effort has led to the discovery of new compounds, gene clusters, and key enzymes, and has been greatly supported by the recent releases of fungal genome sequences. In this review, we present results from a search for genes involved in secondary metabolism and their clusters in the genome of the rice pathogen, Magnaporthe grisea, as well as in other fungal genomes. We have also performed a phylogenetic analysis of recently discovered genes encoding hybrids between a polyketide synthase and a single non-ribosomal peptide synthetase module (PKS–NRPS), as M. grisea seems rich in these enzymes compared with other fungi. Using results from expression and functional studies, we discuss the role of these PKS-NRPS in the avirulence and pathogenicity of M. grisea.     

Estimates of biomechanical forces in Magnaporthe grisea

The mechanical actions of the fungus Magnaporthe grisea raise many intriguing questions concerning the forces involved. These include: (1) the material properties of the appressorial wall; (2) the strength of the adhesive that keeps the appressorium anchored to the rice leaf surface; and (3) the forces involved in the penetration process whereby a peg is driven through the host cell wall. In this paper we give order of magnitude estimates for all three of these quantities. A simple Young-Laplace law type argument is used to show that the appressorial wall elastic modulus is of order 10–100 MPa; and an adaptation of standard adhesion theory indicates a lower bound on the strength of the appressorial adhesive to be of the order 500 J/m². Drawing on ideas from plasticity theory and ballistics, estimates of the penetration force raise interesting questions about experiments performed on the penetration of inert substrates by the fungus.     

Transgenic indica rice expressing Mirabilis jalapa antimicrobial protein (Mj-AMP2) shows enhanced resistance to the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

Mj-AMP2, a knottin-type antimicrobial peptide, in vitro inhibits the growth of several plant pathogenic fungi including Magnaporthe oryzae. We demonstrate that transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants expressing the Mj-AMP2 gene show enhanced resistance to M. grisea, the causal agent of the rice blast disease. Mj-AMP2 was efficiently expressed and the level of Mj-AMP2 ranged from 0.32% to 0.38% of the total protein in the transgenic rice plants. In vitro inhibitory activity assays with the crude protein extract from transgenic rice indicated that the Mj-AMP2 protein produced was biologically active. Constitutive expression of Mj-AMP2 in transgenic rice reduces the growth of M. grisea by 63% with respect to untransformed control plant, and no effect on plant phenotype was observed. Transgene expression of Mj-AMP2 gene was not accompanied by an induction of pathogenesis-related (PR) gene expression indicating that the transgene product itself is directly active against the pathogen. The results presented in this study suggest that the Mj-AMP2 gene could be a useful candidate for protection of rice plants against the rice blast fungus M. grisea.     

Isolation of Pheromone Precursor Genes of Magnaporthe grisea

In heterothallic ascomycetes one mating partner serves as the source of female tissue and is fertilized with spermatia from a partner of the opposite mating type. The role of pheromone signaling in mating is thought to involve recognition of cells of the opposite mating type. We have isolated two putative pheromone precursor genes of Magnaporthe grisea. The genes are present in both mating types of the fungus but they are expressed in a mating type-specific manner. The MF1-1 gene, expressed in Mat1-1 strains, is predicted to encode a 26-amino-acid polypeptide that is processed to produce a lipopeptide pheromone. The MF2-1 gene, expressed in Mat1-2 strains, is predicted to encode a precursor polypeptide that is processed by a Kex2-like protease to yield a pheromone with striking similarity to the predicted pheromone sequence of a close relative, Cryphonectria parasitica. Expression of the M. grisea putative pheromone precursor genes was observed under defined nutritional conditions and in field isolates. This suggests that the requirement for complex media for mating and the poor fertility of field isolates may not be due to limitation of pheromone precursor gene expression. Detection of putative pheromone precursor gene mRNA in conidia suggests that pheromones may be important for the fertility of conidia acting as spermatia.     

MAGGY, a retrotransposon in the genome of the rice blast fungusMagnaporthe grisea

Full-length copies of a previously described repetitive DNA sequence (CH2-8) were isolated from the genome of theMagnaporthe grisea strain 2539. One copy of the complete element was sequenced and found to resemble agypsy-like LTR retrotransposon. We named this element MAGGY (MAGnaporthe GYpsy-like element). MAGGY contains two internal ORFs putatively encoding Gag, Pol and Env-like proteins which are similar to peptides encoded by retroelements identified in other filamentous fungi. MAGGY was found to be widely distributed amongM. grisea isolates from geographically dispersed locations and different hosts. It was present in high copy number in the genomes of all nine rice-pathogenic isolates examined. By contrast,M. grisea strains isolated from other Gramineae were found to possess varying copy numbers of MAGGY and in some cases the element was completely absent. The wide distribution of MAGGY suggests that this element invaded the genome ofM. grisea prior to the evolution of rice-specific form(s). It may since have been horizontally transmitted to other sub-specific groups. One copy of MAGGY, corresponding to the element we sequenced, was located at identical locations in the genomes of geographically dispersed strains, suggesting that this copy of the element is a relatively ancient insertion.     

Cloning and analysis of CUT1, a cutinase gene from Magnaporthe grisea

Summary A gene from Magnaporthe grisea was cloned using a cDNA clone of the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides cutinase gene as a heterologous probe; the nucleotide sequence of a 2 kb DNA segment containing the gene has been determined. DNA hybridization analysis shows that the M. grisea genome contains only one copy of this gene. The predicted polypeptide contains 228 amino acids and is homologous to the three previously characterized cutinases, showing 74% amino acid similarity to the cutinase of C. gloeosporioides. Comparison with previously determined cutinase sequences suggests that the gene contains two introns, 115 and 147 bp in length. The gene is expressed when cutin is the sole carbon source but not when the carbon source is cutin and glucose together or glucose alone. Levels of intracellular and extracellular cutinase activity increase in response to growth in the presence of cutin. The activity level is higher in a transformant containing multiple copies of the cloned gene than in the parent strain. Non-denaturing polyacrylamide gels stained for esterase activity show a single major band among intracellular and extracellular proteins from cutin-grown cultures that is not present among intracellular and extracellular proteins prepared from glucose-grown or carbon-starved cultures. This band stains more intensely in extracts from the multicopy transformant than in extracts from the parent strain. We conclude that the cloned DNA contains a M. grisea gene for cutinase, which we have named CUT1.     

利用有序差异显示技术克隆受稻瘟病菌诱导表达的水稻cDNA的研究

利用有序差异显示技术(ODD)分析受稻瘟病菌诱导表达的水稻基因,通过反式RNA印迹进行辅助筛选,获得了37个在接种稻瘟病菌后表达量增强的水稻cDNA克隆.采用RNA印迹对其中5个克隆在接种稻瘟病菌后的表达分析表明,这些克隆在抗病以及感病的水稻株系中都具有诱导表达的特点.根据序列同源性分析,与这些克隆序列相应的同源基因可能涉及抑制病原菌生长、清除真菌毒素、传递抗病信号以及调节宿主生理状态等几方面的功能.     

链霉菌JD211对接种稻瘟病后水稻过敏性反应的生理机制分析

以水稻品种"陆两优996"为材料,采用盆栽试验,通过施加链霉菌JD211固体菌剂培育水稻,以叶片喷施稻瘟病菌孢子悬液接种稻瘟病菌为处理,以喷施清水为对照,测定分析水稻叶片过氧化氢(H2O2)含量、过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性、脂氧合酶(LOX)活性、丙二醛(MDA)含量及细胞质膜透性等生理生化指标变化,探究链霉菌JD211对接种稻瘟病后水稻过敏性反应的生理机制。结果表明:(1)水稻秧龄30d时,只添加链霉菌JD211处理组水稻的叶片CAT活性、LOX活性、H2O2含量较对照组分别显著提高50.30%、40.85%和45.31%,其MDA含量显著降低25.75%。(2)接种稻瘟病菌后添加JD211处理组水稻的叶片CAT活性、LOX活性、H2O2含量较未添加JD211处理组(只接种稻温病菌处理组)分别提高了33.50%、4.07%和47.76%,其MDA含量降低了38.68%。(3)接种稻瘟病菌后添加JD211处理组的细胞膜透性较未添加JD211处理组在秧龄32、34和36d时分别提高了38.94%、39.03%和8.08%。研究认为,施加链霉菌JD211提高了水稻叶片过氧化氢含量、过氧化氢酶以及脂氧合酶活性,抑制了丙二醛积累,在后期增加了接种稻瘟病菌处理组的细胞膜透性,从而能够有效调控细胞过敏性反应,诱发细胞过敏性坏死,阻止病原菌的进一步侵染,有效提高水稻稻瘟病抗性。     

稻瘟病菌拮抗性大豆根瘤内生细菌的筛选及抑制效果

【目的】从河南大豆根瘤的内生细菌资源中筛选对稻瘟病菌有拮抗作用的菌株,初步探讨其抑菌效果,为进一步研究其抑菌机理提供菌种资源。【方法】以稻瘟病菌为供试病原菌,采用对峙法进行拮抗性菌株筛选,显微观察法研究受抑制病原菌菌丝变化,对筛选拮抗性菌株进行细胞形态学及生理生化特性试验、16S rRNA基因测序和系统发育分析及接种防效试验。【结果】经复筛有17株内生菌拮抗效果较明显,最高抑制率为62.16%;受抑制病原菌丝呈现弯曲打结、断裂、原生质浓缩等畸形状态。拮抗性筛选过程中内生菌快速生长形成生物薄膜,包埋菌丝并使其断裂。拮抗菌株分布在7属9种,稻瘟病拮抗性大豆根瘤内生菌呈现种属多样性。防效试验表明内生菌处理组稻苗发病率和病情指数均显著降低,防治效果最高达74.19%。【结论】大豆根瘤内生拮抗性菌株具有种属多样性,拮抗性菌株处理组稻苗发病率和病情指数均显著降低,防治效果显著,为进一步研究其抑菌机理提供菌种资源。     

Light regulation of asexual development in the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae

Light is a major environmental factor that influences many biological processes. We characterized the roles of light in asexual development (including the formation of aerial hyphae and conidiophore) in Magnaporthe oryzae, which is the causal agent of rice blast disease. Our data revealed a complex nature of light regulation in the asexual developments of M. oryzae. Asexual development of M. oryzae is suppressed by blue light in a light/dark cycling environment and asexual spore release is controlled by both blue and red light. We demonstrated that even very dim light, about 10 micromol m(-2), is sufficient to suppress spore-release behavior in M. oryzae. We also generated knockout strains of a blue light receptor, mgwc-1, the M. oryzae homolog of white collar-1 in Neurospora crassa, and demonstrated blue-light-specific regulation in the asexual development and spore release in M. oryzae. Our findings in this agriculturally important pathogen, M. oryzae, broaden our understanding of the roles of light in fungal development.     

稻瘟菌突变体T-DNA插入位点的精细定位和插入模式的研究

随机挑取已构建的37个稻瘟菌T-DNA突变株,利用TAIL-PCR技术扩增出T-DNA插入位点的侧翼序列,测序并进行比对分析。结果显示:成功获得扩增产物并测序的序列共有39条,T-DNA边界序列为稻瘟菌序列的有19条,其余20条为载体主干序列。在这有效扩增为稻瘟菌序列的19条中,有10条是T-DNA右侧翼序列与稻瘟菌序列,9条为左侧翼序列加稻瘟菌序列。分析T-DNA剪切位点,10条右侧翼序列中有9条的剪切位点相同,这与农杆菌介导T-DNA转化植物一样。而左边界的剪切位点就没有这种规律性。研究也精细确定了17个不同突变株的T-DNA插入位置,为后续的基因功能研究奠定基础。