Germination and infectivity of microconidia in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

Huili Zhang, Zhongshou Wu, Chenfang Wang, Yang Li and Jin-Rong Xu ()
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Huili Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University
Zhongshou Wu: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University
Chenfang Wang: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University
Yang Li: Purdue University
Jin-Rong Xu: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is a model for studying fungal–plant interactions. Although it produces two types of spores (microconidia and macroconidia), previous infection studies have exclusively dealt with macroconidia. Germination of microconidia has not been reported, and their role in plant infection is not defined. Here we show that approximately 10% of microconidia germinate on plant surfaces, and that colonies derived from germinated microconidia are normal in growth and pathogenesis. In infection assays with rice and barley seedlings, microconidia fail to infect intact plants, but they can colonize and develop necrotic lesions on wounded leaves and stems. Microconidia also cause disease symptoms on inoculated spikelets in infection assays with barley and Brachypodium heads. Furthermore, microconidia are detected inside rice plants that developed blast lesions under laboratory or field conditions. Therefore, microconidia can germinate and are infectious, and may be an important factor in the rice blast cycle.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5518

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