| Title: | "Three regulators of G protein signaling differentially affect mating, morphology and virulence in the smut fungus Ustilago maydis" |
| Author(s): | Moretti M; Wang L; Grognet P; Lanver D; Link H; Kahmann R; |
| Address: | "Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 10, Marburg, D-35043, Germany. Dynamic Control of Metabolic Networks, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 16, Marburg, D-35043, Germany" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1365-2958 (Electronic) 0950-382X (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins modulate heterotrimeric G protein signaling negatively. To broaden an understanding of the roles of RGS proteins in fungal pathogens, we functionally characterized the three RGS protein-encoding genes (rgs1, rgs2 and rgs3) in the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis. It was found that RGS proteins played distinct roles in the regulation of development and virulence. rgs1 had a minor role in virulence when deleted in a solopathogenic strain. In crosses, rgs1 was dispensable for mating and filamentation, but was required for teliospore production. Haploid rgs2 mutants were affected in cell morphology, growth, mating and were unable to cause disease symptoms in crosses. However, virulence was unaffected when rgs2 was deleted in a solopathogenic strain, suggesting an exclusive involvement in pre-fusion events. These rgs2 phenotypes are likely connected to elevated intracellular cAMP levels. rgs3 mutants were severely attenuated in mating, in their response to pheromone, virulence and formation of mature teliospores. The mating defect could be traced back to reduced expression of the transcription factor rop1. It was speculated that the distinct roles of the three U. maydis RGS proteins were achieved by direct modulation of the Galpha subunit-activated signaling pathways as well as through Galpha-independent functions" |
| Keywords: | "Fungal Proteins/metabolism GTP-Binding Protein Regulators GTP-Binding Proteins/genetics Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal/genetics Genes, Mating Type, Fungal/genetics Pheromones/metabolism Plant Diseases/microbiology RGS Proteins/*genetics/*metabolism Si;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineMoretti, Marino Wang, Lei Grognet, Pierre Lanver, Daniel Link, Hannes Kahmann, Regine eng England 2017/07/08 Mol Microbiol. 2017 Sep; 105(6):901-921. doi: 10.1111/mmi.13745. Epub 2017 Jul 21" |
