title: Functional analysis of MCNA, a gene encoding a catalytic subunit of calcineurin, in the rice blast fungus magnaporthe oryzae.
abstract: Magnaporthe oryzae, the causal agent of rice blast, forms a specialized infection structure, called an appressorium, which is crucial for penetration and infection of the host plant. Pharmacological data suggest that calcium/calmodulin-dependent signaling is involved in appressorium formation in this fungus. To understand the role of the calcium/ calmodulin-activated protein phosphatase on appressorium formation at the molecular level, MCNA, a gene encoding the catalytic subunit of calcineurin, was functionally characterized in M. oryzae. Transformants expressing sense/antisense RNA of MCNA exhibited significant reductions in mycelial growth, conidiation, appressorium formation, and pathogenicity. cDNA of MCNA functionally complemented a calcineurin disruptant strain (cmp1::LEU2 cmp2::HIS3) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These data suggest that calcineurin A plays important roles in signal transduction pathways involved in the infection-related morphogenesis and pathogenicity of M. oryzae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Center for Agricultural Biomaterials, and Center for Fungal Genetic Resources, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yangseon
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yong-Hwan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D019703:Calcineurin / Q000235:genetics*; D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005800:Genes, Fungal / Q000502:physiology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D020082:Magnaporthe / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012275:Oryza / Q000382:microbiology; D034622:RNA Interference; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D016572:Cyclosporine; D019703:Calcineurin