Molecular Plant Pathology (2006) 7, 269-278

Arnaud Cousin, Rahim Mehrabi, Morgane Guilleroux, Marie Dufresne, Theo Van Der Lee, Cees Waalwijk, Thierry Langin and Gert H.J. Kema (2006)
The MAP kinase-encoding gene MgFus3 of the non-appressorium phytopathogen Mycosphaerella graminicola is required for penetration and in vitro pycnidia form
Molecular Plant Pathology 7 (4), 269-278
Abstract: In eukaryotes, a family of serine/threonine protein kinases known as mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) is involved in the transduction of a variety of extracellular signals and in the regulation of growth and development. We identified a MAPK-encoding gene in Mycosphaerella graminicola strain IPO323 with high homology to the orthologous Fus3 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and designated it MgFus3. Early colony development of the MgFus3 mutants during in vitro growth was similar to those of the wild-type and ectopic controls, but at the later stages of growth MgFus3 mutants did not become melanized, showed altered polarized growth and were unable to produce aerial mycelia. The MgFus3 mutants were non-pathogenic, and detailed microscopic analyses revealed that they failed to colonize the mesophyll tissue owing to the inability to penetrate stomata. Unlike the wild-type strain, MgFus3 mutants were unable to differentiate pycnidia on plant-derived media. Thus, in addition to the crucial role of MgFus3 in the regulation of penetration, it may also be involved in regulating asexual fructification. Hence, MgFus3 can be regarded as a multifunctional pathogenicity factor of M. graminicola.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Gert H.J. Kema, Cees Waalwijk

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Zymoseptoria tritici