title: The role of the Tra1p transcription factor of Magnaporthe oryzae in spore adhesion and pathogenic development.
abstract: Transcription factors play a critical regulatory role in development by binding DNA and initiating alterations in gene transcription. The transcript of the putative Magnaporthe oryzae transcription factor-encoding gene TRA1 accumulates during germination and this accumulation was previously found to depend on the transcription factor Con7p. In the current work tra1⁻ mutants were generated and these strains were found to exhibit a reduced attachment, germination, appressorium formation and virulence. Adhesion to artificial and plant surfaces was affected, and FITC-labelled concanavalin A, a lectin which inhibits attachment of Magnaporthe spores, showed a reduced affinity for mutant spore tip where it normally preferentially binds. We used microarray analysis to identify Tra1p-dependent genes from two different sources: aerial structures and conidia. Mutation of 11 Tra1p-dependent genes showed that the predicted transcription factor encoding gene TDG2 is required for normal adhesion and virulence, that the genes TDG7 and TDG4 are required for normal sporulation and that TDG6 is required for wild-type levels of spore adhesion.
authors.affiliation: IBWF e.V., Institute for Biotechnology and Drug Research, Erwin-Schrödinger-Str. 56, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Breth
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Odenbach
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yemelin
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schlinck
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bode
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Antelo
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Andresen
authors.forename: Eckhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thines
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D020082:Magnaporthe / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009154:Mutation; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D013170:Spores / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins
keywords: Adhesion; Appressoria; Magnaporthe; Transcription