Signal transfduction pathways for infection structure formation in the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea

Magnaporthe grisea (Hebert) Barr (anamorph: Pyricularia grisea) is a typical heterothallic Ascomycete and the causal agent of rice blast, one of the most destructive diseases on rice (Oryza sativa L.) worldwide. The interactions between cells of the pathogen and those of the host involve a complex of biological influences which can lead to blast disease. The early stages of infection process in particular may be viewed as a sequence of discrete and critical events. These include conidial attachment, gemination, and the formation of an appressorium, a dome-shaped and melanized infection structure. Disruption of this process at any point will result in failure of the pathogen to colonize host tissues. This may offer a new avenue for developing innovative crop protection strategies. To recognize and capture such opportunities, understanding the very bases of the pathogenesis at the cellular and molecular level is prerequisite. Much has been learned about environmental cues and endogenous signaling systems for the early infection-related morphogenesis in M. grisea during last several years. The study of signal transduction system in phytopathogenic filamentous fungi offers distinct advantages over traditional mammalian systems. Mammalian systems often contain multiple copies of important genes active in the same tissue under the same physiological processes. Functional redundancy, alternate gene splicing, and specilized isoforms make defining the role of any single gene difficult. Fungi and animals are closely related kingdoms [3], so inferences between these organisms are often justified. For many genes, fungi frequently possess only a single copy, thus phenotype can be attributed directly to the mutation or deletion of any particular gene of interest.