MoTea4-mediated polarized growth is essential for proper asexual development and pathogenesis in Magnaporthe oryzae.

ABSTRACT: Polarized growth is essential for cellular development and function and requires coordinated organization of the cytoskeletal elements. Tea4, an important polarity determinant, regulates localized F-actin assembly and bipolar growth in fission yeast and directional mycelial growth in Aspergillus. Here, we characterize Tea4 in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae (MoTea4). Similar to its orthologs, MoTea4-green fluorescent protein (MoTea4-GFP) showed punctate distribution confined to growth zones, particularly in the mycelial tips, aerial hyphae, conidiophores, conidia, and infection structures (appressoria) in Magnaporthe. MoTea4 was dispensable for vegetative growth in Magnaporthe. However, loss of MoTea4 led to a zigzag morphology in the aerial hyphae and a huge reduction in conidiat

SUBMITTER: Patkar RN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2901665 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature