Autophagic Fungal Cell Death Is Necessary for Infection by the Rice Blast Fungus

DOI Web Site 11 Citations
  • Claire Veneault-Fourrey
    School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Washington Singer Laboratories, Perry Road, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK.
  • Madhumita Barooah
    School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Washington Singer Laboratories, Perry Road, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK.
  • Martin Egan
    School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Washington Singer Laboratories, Perry Road, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK.
  • Gavin Wakley
    School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Washington Singer Laboratories, Perry Road, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK.
  • Nicholas J. Talbot
    School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Washington Singer Laboratories, Perry Road, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK.

Bibliographic Information

Published
2006-04-28
DOI
  • 10.1126/science.1124550
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

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Description

<jats:p> Rice blast is caused by the fungus <jats:italic>Magnaporthe grisea</jats:italic> , which elaborates specialized infection cells called appressoria to penetrate the tough outer cuticle of the rice plant <jats:italic>Oryza sativa</jats:italic> . We found that the formation of an appressorium required, sequentially, the completion of mitosis, nuclear migration, and death of the conidium (fungal spore) from which the infection originated. Genetic intervention during mitosis prevented both appressorium development and conidium death. Impairment of autophagy, by the targeted mutation of the <jats:italic>MgATG8</jats:italic> gene, arrested conidial cell death but rendered the fungus nonpathogenic. Thus, the initiation of rice blast requires autophagic cell death of the conidium. </jats:p>

Journal

  • Science

    Science 312 (5773), 580-583, 2006-04-28

    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

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