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Comparative functional analysis of the velvet gene family reveals unique roles in fungal development and pathogenicity in Magnaporthe oryzae
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 Authours
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Hyo-Jung Kim, Joon-Hee Han, Kyoung Su Kim*, Yong-Hwan Lee* |
| Title |
Comparative functional analysis of the velvet gene family reveals unique roles in fungal development and pathogenicity in Magnaporthe oryzae |
| Journal |
FUNGAL GENET BIOL, 2014 (66) ~ |
Abstract
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The ascomycete fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is an economically important pathogen that causes rice blast
disease worldwide. Accumulating evidence indicates that the fungal velvet genes are key regulators of a
number of cellular processes, including development, pathogenicity and secondary metabolism, in many
species of fungi. In this study, we identified and functionally characterized four genes (MoVOSA, MoVELB,
MoVEA, and MoVELC) from the genome of the fungal pathogen M. oryzae. These genes were homologous to
the velvet gene family of Aspergillus nidulans. Deletions of MoVEA, MoVELB, and MoVELC resulted in a significant
decrease in conidiation, indicating their roles as positive regulators thereof. The MoVELC gene
was involved in development of conidial morphology, while MoVELB and MoVEA appeared necessary
for conidial germination, MoVEA further being indispensable for appressorial development and modulation
of reactive oxygen species in disease development. Deletion of MoVELC affected the cell wall integrity
of appressoria, resulting in failure to penetrate host cells. Unexpectedly, MoVOSA appeared dispensable
for the development and pathogenicity of M. oryzae, even though its homologs play specific roles in other
fungal species. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the velvet genes are linked to M. oryzae infection-
related development and pathogenicity, and the findings provide a framework for comparative studies
of the conserved velvet gene family across a range of fungal taxa, which may provide new insight into
fungal development and pathogenicity. |
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