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PLoS Genet

Title:		The Rheb GTPase promotes pheromone blindness via a TORC1-independent pathway in the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis
Author(s):		de la Torre A; Perez-Martin J;
Address:		"Instituto de Biologia Funcional y Genomica (CSIC), Salamanca, Spain. Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (CSIC), Valencia, Spain. Instituto de Biologia Molecular y Celular de Plantas (CSIC-UPV), Valencia, Spain"
Journal Title:		PLoS Genet
Year:		2022
Volume:		20221114
Issue:		11
Page Number:		e1010483 -
DOI:		10.1371/journal.pgen.1010483
ISSN/ISBN:		1553-7404 (Electronic) 1553-7390 (Print) 1553-7390 (Linking)
Abstract:		"The target of the rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway plays a negative role in controlling virulence in phytopathogenic fungi. However, the actual targets involved in virulence are currently unknown. Using the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis, we tried to address the effects of the ectopic activation of TOR on virulence. We obtained gain-of-function mutations in the Rheb GTPase, one of the conserved TOR kinase regulators. We have found that unscheduled activation of Rheb resulted in the alteration of the proper localization of the pheromone receptor, Pra1, and thereby pheromone insensitivity. Since pheromone signaling triggers virulence in Ustilaginales, we believe that the Rheb-induced pheromone blindness was responsible for the associated lack of virulence. Strikingly, although these effects required the concourse of the Rsp5 ubiquitin ligase and the Art3 alpha-arrestin, the TOR kinase was not involved. Several eukaryotic organisms have shown that Rheb transmits environmental information through TOR-dependent and -independent pathways. Therefore, our results expand the range of signaling manners at which environmental conditions could impinge on the virulence of phytopathogenic fungi"
Keywords:		*Ustilago/genetics Pheromones/metabolism Ras Homolog Enriched in Brain Protein/genetics/metabolism Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1/metabolism Zea mays/metabolism Fungi/metabolism Blindness Fungal Proteins/genetics/metabolism;
Notes:		"Medlinede la Torre, Antonio Perez-Martin, Jose eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2022/11/15 PLoS Genet. 2022 Nov 14; 18(11):e1010483. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010483. eCollection 2022 Nov"