title: Characterization of MoLDB1 required for vegetative growth, infection-related morphogenesis, and pathogenicity in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.
abstract: An insertional mutagenesis screen in the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, identified a novel mutant, A2-12-3, which is defective in infection-related morphogenesis and pathogenicity. Analysis of the mutation confirmed an insertion into MoLDB1, which putatively encodes an 806-amino-acid protein with a predicted LIM binding domain. Targeted gene deletion mutants of MoLDB1 were unable to produce asexual or sexual spores and were significantly impaired in vegetative growth and fungal virulence. The Δmoldb1 mutants also showed reduced expression of genes coding hydrophobic proteins (e.g. MPG1 and MHP1), resulting in an easily wettable phenotype in vegetative culture. Moreover, the expression of four genes encoding LIM proteins predicted from the M. oryzae genome was significantly downregulated by deletion of MoLDB1. Analysis of an M. oryzae strain expressing a MoLbd1-green fluorescent protein gene fusion was consistent with the protein being nuclear localized. When considered together, MoLdb1 appears to be involved in regulation of cell wall proteins, including hydrophobins and LIM proteins, and is essential for conidiation, sexual development, appressorium formation, and pathogenicity in M. oryzae.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Debao
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Darren M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Soanes
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Talbot
authors.forename: Zonghua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhengyi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D020082:Magnaporthe / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009154:Mutation; D012275:Oryza / Q000382:microbiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins