The hemibiotrophic cacao pathogen Moniliophthora perniciosa depends on a mitochondrial alternative oxidase for biotrophic development.

ABSTRACT: The tropical pathogen Moniliophthora perniciosa causes witches' broom disease in cacao. As a hemibiotrophic fungus, it initially colonizes the living host tissues (biotrophic phase), and later grows over the dead plant (necrotrophic phase). Little is known about the mechanisms that promote these distinct fungal phases or mediate the transition between them. An alternative oxidase gene (Mp-aox) was identified in the M. perniciosa genome and its expression was analyzed througout the fungal life cycle. In addition, the effects of inhibitors of the cytochrome-dependent respiratory chain (CRC) and alternative oxidase (AOX) were evaluated on the in vitro development of M. perniciosa. Larger numbers of Mp-aox transcripts were observed in the biotrophic hyphae, which accordingly showed elevated se

SUBMITTER: Thomazella DPT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3415677 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature