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Molecular Signaling Pathways Involved in Appressorium Development by Magnaporthe Grisea

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Major Fungal Diseases of Rice

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Abstract

The infection process of phytopathogenetic fungi involves a series of continuous interactions between the pathogenic agents and their hosts. Plants are equipped with a variety of physical and chemical strategies to restrain fungal invasion, including a waxy cuticle layer, preformed antimicrobial compounds, induction of the hypersensitive reaction, pathogenesis-related proteins (PR proteins) and phytoalexin biosynthesis, as well as the establishment of systemic acquired resistance (SAR). To establish a successful infection, pathogenic fungi must first be able to penetrate the epidermis, which is coated with a waxy cuticle and thick cell wall. Some biotrophic fungi such as rusts and powdery mildews bypass the plant physical barrier by entering through stomata. However, many fungal pathogens produce appressoria as the primary weapon of direct penetration. Prior to the development of the appressorium, a variety of biological events occur, including secretion of certain adhesive compounds, hydrophobins or other proteins which assist in attaching the germ tubes to the host plant surface (Hamer et al., 1988; Talbot et al., 1993; Beckerman and Ebbole, 1996; Nicholson, 1996). Hydrolytic enzymes may be also secreted to soften and change the surface of the cuticle layer facilitating attachment and penetration (Deising et al., 1992; Pascholati et al., 1993). An infection peg emerges beneath the appressorium and, often driven by hydrostatic pressure, penetrates the epidermal cell. After entering, the infection hyphae continues to develop and ramifies through the plant tissue.

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  1. Department of Plant Pathology and Physiology, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, 29634, USA

    G. C. Fang & R. A. Dean

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© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Fang, G.C., Dean, R.A. (2001). Molecular Signaling Pathways Involved in Appressorium Development by Magnaporthe Grisea . In: Major Fungal Diseases of Rice. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2157-8_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2157-8_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5835-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-2157-8

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