Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 16 May 1997:
Vol. 276. no. 5315, pp. 1116 - 1118
DOI: 10.1126/science.276.5315.1116
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Reports

Inhibition of Pathogenicity of the Rice Blast Fungus by Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha -Factor

Janna L. Beckerman, Fred Naider, Daniel J. Ebbole *

Magnaporthe grisea is a fungal pathogen with two mating types, MAT1-1 and MAT1-2, that forms a specialized cell necessary for pathogenesis, the appressorium. Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha -factor pheromone blocked appressorium formation in a mating type-specific manner and protected plants from infection by MAT1-2 strains. Experiments with alpha -factor analogs suggest that the observed activity is due to a specific interaction of alpha -factor with an M. grisea receptor. Culture filtrates of a MAT1-1 strain contained an activity that inhibited appressorium formation of mating type MAT1-2 strains. These findings provide evidence that a pheromone response pathway exists in M. grisea that can be exploited for plant protection.

J. L. Beckerman and D. J. Ebbole, Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2132, USA.
F. Naider, Department of Chemistry, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: dje0282{at}zeus.tamu.edu

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Signal Transduction Cascades Regulating Fungal Development and Virulence.
K. B. Lengeler, R. C. Davidson, C. D'souza, T. Harashima, W.-C. Shen, P. Wang, X. Pan, M. Waugh, and J. Heitman (2000)
Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 64, 746-785
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Independent Signaling Pathways Regulate Cellular Turgor during Hyperosmotic Stress and Appressorium-Mediated Plant Infection by Magnaporthe grisea.
K. P. Dixon, J.-R. Xu, N. Smirnoff, and N. J. Talbot (1999)
PLANT CELL 11, 2045-2058
   Abstract »    Full Text »
Divergent cAMP Signaling Pathways Regulate Growth and Pathogenesis in the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe grisea.
K. Adachi and J. E. Hamer (1998)
PLANT CELL 10, 1361-1374
   Abstract »    Full Text »
Signalling in the Yeasts: An Informational Cascade with Links to the Filamentous Fungi.
F. Banuett (1998)
Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 62, 249-274
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)