Mutations at the smo genetic locus affect the shape of diverse cell types in the rice blast fungus.

摘要: Teflon film surfaces are highly conducive to the formation of infection structures (appressoria) in plant pathogenic fungus, Magnaporthe grisea. We have utilized films screen and select for mutants M. grisea that defective appressorium formation. This approach several others yielded a group 14 with similar phenotype. All mutant strains make abnormally shaped conidia appressoria. When two crossed, asci formed. Ascus shape is normal when strain crossed wild-type strain. Despite dramatic alterations cell these otherwise grow, form conidia, undergo meiosis, infect plants normally. phenotype, which we termed Smo(-), abnormal spore morphology, segregates simple Mendelian fashion crosses strains. Some ascospore lethality associated smo mutations. In genetic between mutants, mutations fail recombine do not demonstrate complementation ascus conclude alleles single locus recessive regard defect. Mutations at SMO also permit germinating differentiate appressoria on normally structure A number spontaneous been recovered. The frequent occurrence this mutation suggests may be mutable.