title: Inhibition of pathogenicity of the rice blast fungus by Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha-factor.
abstract: Magnaporthe grisea is a fungal pathogen with two mating types, MAT1-1 and MAT1-2, that forms a specialized cell necessary for pathogenesis, the appressorium. Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha-factor pheromone blocked appressorium formation in a mating type-specific manner and protected plants from infection by MAT1-2 strains. Experiments with alpha-factor analogs suggest that the observed activity is due to a specific interaction of alpha-factor with an M. grisea receptor. Culture filtrates of a MAT1-1 strain contained an activity that inhibited appressorium formation of mating type MAT1-2 strains. These findings provide evidence that a pheromone response pathway exists in M. grisea that can be exploited for plant protection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2132, USA.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Beckerman
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Naider
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ebbole
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000166:cytology / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D001467:Hordeum / Q000382:microbiology; D000072235:Mating Factor; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012275:Oryza / Q000382:microbiology; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010675:Pheromones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D051964:Receptors, Mating Factor; D018000:Receptors, Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000737:chemistry*; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D010675:Pheromones; D051964:Receptors, Mating Factor; D018000:Receptors, Peptide; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000072235:Mating Factor; D000242:Cyclic AMP