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The cyclin dependent kinase subunit Cks1 is required for infection‐associated development of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae
Author(s) -
Yue Xiaofeng,
Que Yawei,
Deng Shuzhen,
Xu Lin,
OsesRuiz Miriam,
Talbot Nicholas J.,
Peng Youliang,
Wang Zhengyi
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/1462-2920.13796
Subject(s) - biology , magnaporthe , cyclin dependent kinase , appressorium , cyclin dependent kinase 1 , microbiology and biotechnology , cyclin , kinase , protein kinase a , mutant , protein subunit , cell cycle , hypha , magnaporthe grisea , biochemistry , cell , oryza sativa , gene
Summary Cell cycle regulation is pivotal for proper cell division and cellular differentiation in eukaryotic cells. The central regulators that govern eukaryotic cell cycle progression are cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs) and their partners. Here, we report that Magnaporthe oryzae CKS1 encodes a cyclin‐dependent kinase subunit, which plays a significant role in regulation of plant infection. We demonstrate that CKS1 is a functional homolog of CKS1 / SUC1 and can physically interact with the CDK protein Cdc28, and Som1, a downstream regulator of the cyclic AMP‐dependent Protein Kinase A pathway. CKS1 deletion mutants are severely impaired in hyphal growth, sexual reproduction, melanin pigmentation and conidiogenesis. Cks1 mutants are able to form appressoria from hyphal tips, but these are unable to re‐polarize, and rice infection is impaired. CKS1 also affects chitin and glucan synthase activity during cell wall differentiation and fungal hydrophobin function. CKS1 , therefore, encodes a conserved CDK‐binding partner, essential for appressorium‐mediated plant infection by the rice blast fungus.