Characterization of a Ustilago maydis gene specifically induced during the biotrophic phase: evidence for negative as well as positive regulation.

ABSTRACT: The phytopathogenic basidiomycete Ustilago maydis requires its host plant, maize, for completion of its sexual cycle. To investigate the molecular events during infection, we used differential display to identify plant-induced U. maydis genes. We describe the U. maydis gene mig1 (for "maize-induced gene"), which is not expressed during yeast-like growth of the fungus, is weakly expressed during filamentous growth in axenic culture, but is extensively upregulated during plant infection. mig1 encodes a small, highly charged protein of unknown function which contains a functional N-terminal secretion sequence and is not essential for pathogenic development. Adjacent to mig1 is a second gene (mdu1) related to mig1, which appears to result from a gene duplication. mig1 gene expression during th

SUBMITTER: Basse CW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC85088 | biostudies-literature | 2000 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature