Phospholipase C-mediated calcium signalling is required for fungal development and pathogenicity in Magnaporthe oryzae |
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Authors: | HEE-SOOL RHO JUNHYUN JEON YONG-HWAN LEE |
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Institution: | Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, and Center for Fungal Genetic Resources, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea |
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Abstract: | Calcium signalling has profound implications in the fungal infection of plants and animals, during which a series of physiological and morphological transitions are required. In this article, using a model fungal pathogen, Magnaporthe oryzae , we demonstrate that the regulation of the intracellular calcium concentration (Ca2+]int) is essential for fungal development and pathogenesis. Imaging of Ca2+]int showed that infection-specific morphogenesis is highly correlated with the spatiotemporal regulation of calcium flux. Deletion of the fungal phospholipase C gene ( M. oryzae phospholipase C 1, MoPLC1 ) suppressed calcium flux, resulting in a fungus defective in developmental steps, including appressorium formation and pathogenicity. Surprisingly, the PLC-δ1 gene of mouse was able to functionally substitute for MoPLC1 by restoring the calcium flux, suggesting the evolutionary conservation of the phospholipase C-mediated regulation of calcium flux. Our results reveal that MoPLC1 is a conserved modulator of calcium flux that is essential for the regulation of key steps in fungal development and pathogenesis. |
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