FUNGAL JASMONATE AS A NOVEL DEVELOPMENTAL SIGNAL FOR PATHOGENESIS IN RICE BLAST

Abstract

Based on the mutant analyses, chemical complementation, and cell biology, we propose that JA/Opr1 signaling participates in the morphogenesis of infection structures via a regulatory interaction with the cyclic AMP cascade in M. oryzae. Apart from CpkA, the other direct downstream effectors regulated by JA/Opr1 during appressorium formation remain elusive, but our preliminary results implicate fungal JA as a critical regulator of the transition from vegetative to pathogenic growth in the rice blast fungus.