MADRID
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas Departamento de Biotecnología/ Microbiología Biología molecular y celular de hongos Investigadora Principal: Ane Sesma ([email protected]) Resto de Miembros: Julio Rodriguez-Romero ([email protected]) Adriana Illana ([email protected] We are looking at two different aspects of M. oryzae infection biology: A) M. oryzae organ-specificity. Our results evidence the existence of organ-specific and general pathogenic mechanisms regulating M. oryzae plant colonisation. Using a forward approach, we identified 15 genes required for both leaf and root infection, and five additional genes, four of which are required exclusively to infect aerial parts and one gene (exportin 5) is required for root colonisation (Tucker et al., Plant Cell 2010). The Δexp5 mutants show no virulence on roots, suggesting an important involvement of proteins and/or RNAs transported by Exp5 during M. oryzae underground infection. Exp5 also translocates double stranded RNA-binding proteins and non-coding RNAs to the cytoplasm. Currently, we are investigating Exp5-dependent cargoes in M. oryzae. B) Post-transcriptional regulation of M. oryzae plant pathogenicity. We have recently characterized a filamentous fungus-specific RNA-binding protein Rbp35 required for full virulence and development in the rice blast fungus (Franceschetti et al., PLoS Pathogens 2011). Rbp35 interacts in vivo with Cleavage Factor I (CFI) 25 kDa, a highly conserved protein involved in polyA site recognition and cleavage of pre-mRNAs. Five pre-mRNA targets of Rbp35 have been identified including 14-3-3 pre-mRNA, an important integrator of environmental signals. Our results suggest that combined mechanisms regulate the 3’ end processing of pre-mRNAs in filamentous fungi. This explains the low number of genes affected in the ∆rbp35 mutant (159 genes out of the predicted 11,074 genes in M. oryzae genome). We conclude that Rbp35 is not essential for fungal viability but acts as a gene-specific 3’ end processing factor regulating alternative polyadenylation of specific mRNAs. Visita nuestra pagina web. |
©2013 Micelio. Red Temática Española de Hongos Filamentosos.