title: The MET13 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene is essential for infection-related morphogenesis in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.
abstract: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductases (MTHFRs) play a key role in the biosynthesis of methionine in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. In this study, we report the identification of a novel T-DNA-tagged mutant WH672 in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, which was defective in vegetative growth, conidiation and pathogenicity. Analysis of the mutation confirmed a single T-DNA insertion upstream of MET13, which encodes a 626-amino-acid protein encoding a MTHFR. Targeted gene deletion of MET13 resulted in mutants that were non-pathogenic and significantly impaired in aerial growth and melanin pigmentation. All phenotypes associated with Δmet13 mutants could be overcome by addition of exogenous methionine. The M. oryzae genome contains a second predicted MTHFR-encoding gene, MET12. The deduced amino acid sequences of Met13 and Met12 share 32% identity. Interestingly, Δmet12 mutants produced significantly less conidia compared with the isogenic wild-type strain and grew very poorly in the absence of methionine, but were fully pathogenic. Deletion of both genes resulted in Δmet13Δmet12 mutants that showed similar phenotypes to single Δmet13 mutants. Taken together, we conclude that the MTHFR gene, MET13, is essential for infection-related morphogenesis by the rice blast fungus M. oryzae.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, Biotechnology Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Yawei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Que
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Congcong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Zhonghua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Talbot
authors.forename: Zhengyi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D020043:Genes, Essential / Q000235:genetics*; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020082:Magnaporthe / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008715:Methionine / Q000494:pharmacology; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D025282:Mycelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D012275:Oryza / Q000382:microbiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008715:Methionine; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)