Peroxisomal fission is induced during appressorium formation and is required for full virulence of the rice blast fungus. (9th June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Xiao‐Lin; Shen, Mi; Yang, Jun; Xing, Yunfei; Chen, Deng; Li, Zhigang; Zhao, Wensheng; Zhang, Yan
• Is Part Of: Molecular plant pathology. Volume 18:Number 2(2017)
• Page Start: 222
• Page End: 237
• Publication Date: 2016-06-09
• Subjects: appressorium -- fatty acid -- Magnaporthe oryzae -- β‐oxidation -- peroxisomal proliferation; Plant diseases -- Molecular aspects -- Periodicals; Plant-pathogen relationships -- Molecular aspects -- Periodicals; 571.936
• DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12395
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1464-6722

Abstract

Summary: Peroxisomes are involved in various metabolic processes and are important for virulence in different pathogenic fungi. How peroxisomes rapidly emerge in the appressorium during fungal infection is poorly understood. Here, we describe a gene, PEF1, which can regulate peroxisome formation in the appressorium by controlling peroxisomal fission, and is required for plant infection in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae . Targeted deletion of PEF1 resulted in a reduction in virulence and a delay in penetration and invasive growth in host cells. PEF1 was particularly expressed during appressorial development, and its encoding protein was co‐localized with peroxisomes during appressorial development. Compared with the massive vesicle‐shaped peroxisomes formed in the wild‐type appressorium, the Δ pef1 mutant could only form stringy linked immature peroxisomes, suggesting that PEF1 was involved in peroxisomal fission during appressorium formation. We also found that the Δ pef1 mutant could not utilize fatty acids efficiently, which can improve significantly the expression level of PEF1 and induce peroxisomal fission. As expected, the Δ pef1 mutant showed reduced intracellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during appressorium formation and induced ROS accumulation in host cells during infection. Taken together, PEF1 ‐mediated peroxisomal fission is important for fungal infection by controlling the number of peroxisomes in the appressorium.