Comparative genomics of MAP kinase and calcium-calcineurin signalling components in plant and human pathogenic fungi.
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades and the calcium-calcineurin pathway control fundamental aspects of fungal growth, development and reproduction. Core elements of these signalling pathways are required for virulence in a wide array of fungal pathogens of plants and mammals. In this review, we have used the available genome databases to explore the structural conservation of three MAPK cascades and the calcium-calcineurin pathway in ten different fungal species, including model organisms, plant pathogens and human pathogens. While most known pathway components from the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae appear to be widely conserved among taxonomically and biologically diverse fungi, some of them were found to be restricted to the Saccharomycotina. The presence of multiple paralogues in certain species such as the zygomycete Rhizopus oryzae and the incorporation of new functional domains that are lacking in S. cerevisiae signalling proteins, most likely reflect functional diversification or adaptation as filamentous fungi have evolved to occupy distinct ecological niches.
Rispail
Nicolas
N
Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.
Soanes
Darren M
DM
Ant
Cemile
C
Czajkowski
Robert
R
Grünler
Anke
A
Huguet
Romain
R
Perez-Nadales
Elena
E
Poli
Anna
A
Sartorel
Elodie
E
Valiante
Vito
V
Yang
Meng
M
Beffa
Roland
R
Brakhage
Axel A
AA
Gow
Neil A R
NA
Kahmann
Regine
R
Lebrun
Marc-Henri
MH
Lenasi
Helena
H
Perez-Martin
José
J
Talbot
Nicholas J
NJ
Wendland
Jürgen
J
Di Pietro
Antonio
A
D019703:Calcineurin / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005658:Fungi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D009181:Mycoses / Q000382:microbiology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D010944:Plants; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction
D005656:Fungal Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; D019703:Calcineurin; D002118:Calcium