title: Systematic characterization of the peroxidase gene family provides new insights into fungal pathogenicity in Magnaporthe oryzae.
abstract: Fungal pathogens have evolved antioxidant defense against reactive oxygen species produced as a part of host innate immunity. Recent studies proposed peroxidases as components of antioxidant defense system. However, the role of fungal peroxidases during interaction with host plants has not been explored at the genomic level. Here, we systematically identified peroxidase genes and analyzed their impact on fungal pathogenesis in a model plant pathogenic fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae. Phylogeny reconstruction placed 27 putative peroxidase genes into 15 clades. Expression profiles showed that majority of them are responsive to in planta condition and in vitro H2O2. Our analysis of individual deletion mutants for seven selected genes including MoPRX1 revealed that these genes contribute to fungal development and/or pathogenesis. We identified significant and positive correlations among sensitivity to H2O2, peroxidase activity and fungal pathogenicity. In-depth analysis of MoPRX1 demonstrated that it is a functional ortholog of thioredoxin peroxidase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is required for detoxification of the oxidative burst within host cells. Transcriptional profiling of other peroxidases in ΔMoprx1 suggested interwoven nature of the peroxidase-mediated antioxidant defense system. The results from this study provide insight into the infection strategy built on evolutionarily conserved peroxidases in the rice blast fungus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Fungal Bioinformatics Laboratory, Center for Fungal Genetic Resources, and Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea.
authors.forename: Albely Afifa
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mir
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Fungal Bioinformatics Laboratory, Center for Fungal Genetic Resources, and Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea.
authors.forename: Sook-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Fungal Bioinformatics Laboratory, Center for Fungal Genetic Resources, and Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea.
authors.forename: Md
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abu Sadat
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Fungal Bioinformatics Laboratory, Center for Fungal Genetic Resources, and Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea.
authors.forename: Seongbeom
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Fungal Bioinformatics Laboratory, Center for Fungal Genetic Resources, and Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea.
authors.forename: Jaeyoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Fungal Bioinformatics Laboratory, Center for Fungal Genetic Resources, and Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea.
authors.forename: Junhyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Fungal Bioinformatics Laboratory, Center for Fungal Genetic Resources, and Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Hwan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D020082:Magnaporthe / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D025282:Mycelium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D012275:Oryza / Q000382:microbiology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D009195:Peroxidase