Open AccessPhospholipase C‐mediated calcium signalling is required for fungal development and pathogenicity in Magnaporthe oryzae
Author(s) -
RHO HEESOOL,
JEON JUNHYUN,
LEE YONGHWAN
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
molecular plant pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.945
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1364-3703
pISSN - 1464-6722
DOI - 10.1111/j.1364-3703.2009.00536.x
Subject(s) - biology , pathogenicity , calcium , phospholipase , calcium signaling , microbiology and biotechnology , signal transduction , enzyme , biochemistry , chemistry , organic chemistry
SUMMARY Calcium signalling has profound implications in the fungal infection of plants and animals, during which a series of physiological and morphological transitions are required. In this article, using a model fungal pathogen, Magnaporthe oryzae , we demonstrate that the regulation of the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca 2+ ] int ) is essential for fungal development and pathogenesis. Imaging of [Ca 2+ ] int showed that infection‐specific morphogenesis is highly correlated with the spatiotemporal regulation of calcium flux. Deletion of the fungal phospholipase C gene ( M. oryzae phospholipase C 1, MoPLC1 ) suppressed calcium flux, resulting in a fungus defective in developmental steps, including appressorium formation and pathogenicity. Surprisingly, the PLC‐δ1 gene of mouse was able to functionally substitute for MoPLC1 by restoring the calcium flux, suggesting the evolutionary conservation of the phospholipase C‐mediated regulation of calcium flux. Our results reveal that MoPLC1 is a conserved modulator of calcium flux that is essential for the regulation of key steps in fungal development and pathogenesis.