Rice blast fungus (Magnaporthe grisea) forms a highly specialized infection structure for plant penetration, the appressorium, the formation and growth of which are regulated by the Mst11-Mst7-Pmk1 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. We characterized the MST50 gene that directly interacts with both MST11 and MST7. Similar to the mst11 mutant, the mst50 mutant was defective in appressorium...

The Magnaporthe grisea BUF1 gene suffers high-frequency mutation in certain genetic crosses, resulting in buff-colored progeny. Analysis of 16 buf1 mutants arising from a cross with a mutation frequency of 25% revealed that, in every case, the BUF1 gene was deleted. The deletions occurred in only one of the parental chromosomes and were due to intrachromosomal recombination. Tetrad analysis rev...

Although allelic diversity of genes has been reported to play important roles in different physiological processes, information on allelic diversity of defense-responsive genes in host-pathogen interactions is limited. Here, we report that a pair of allelic genes, OsWRKY45-1 and OsWRKY45-2, which encode proteins with a 10-amino acid difference, play opposite roles in rice (Oryza sativa) resista...

Magnaporthe grisea, the causal agent of rice blast disease, differentiates a specialized infection structure called an appressorium that is crucial for host plant penetration. Previously, it was found that cAMP regulates appressorium formation. To further understand the cellular mechanisms involved in appressorium formation, we have cloned a gene (MACl) encoding adenylate cyclase, a membrane-bo...

We have constructed a BAC library of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea consisting of 5760 clones. The insert size ranged from 35 to 175 kbp, with an average of 120 kbp. The library is about 18 genomes equivalent, therefore covering more than 99.999% of the genome. This library is the first to be constructed using a rice pathogenic wild type isolate. Improved high molecular weight DNA siz...

Outbreaks of rice blast have been a threat to the global production of rice. Members of the Magnaporthe grisea species complex cause blast disease on a wide range of gramineous hosts, including cultivated rice and other grass species. Recently, based on phylogenetic analyses and mating tests, isolates from crabgrass were separated from the species complex and named M. grisea. Then other isolate...