Septins from the Phytopathogenic Fungus Ustilago maydis Are Required for Proper Morphogenesis but Dispensable for Virulence 英文参考文献.docVIP

SeptinsfromthePhytopathogenicFungusUstilago maydisAreRequiredforProperMorphogenesisbut DispensableforVirulence IsabelAlvarez-Tabare′s,Jose′ Pe′rez-Mart?′n* DepartamentodeBiotecnolog?′aMicrobiana,CentroNacionaldeBiotecnolog?′aCSIC,Madrid,Spain Abstract Background:SeptinsareahighlyconservedfamilyofGTP-bindingproteinsinvolvedinmultiplecellularfunctions,including cell division and morphogenesis. Studies of septins in fungal cells underpin a clear correlation between septin-based structures and fungal morphology, providing clues to understand the molecular frame behind the varied morphologies foundinfungalworld. Methodology/Principal Findings: Ustilago maydis genome has the ability to encode four septins. Here, using loss-of- functionaswellasGFP-taggedallelesoftheseseptingenes,weinvestigatedtherolesofseptinsinthemorphogenesisof thisbasidiomycetefungus.WedescribedthatseptinsinU.maydiscouldassembleintoatleastthreedifferentstructures coexistinginthesamecell:budneckcollars,band-likestructuresatthegrowingtip,andlongseptinfibersthatrunfrom poletopolenearthecellcortex.Wealsofoundthatintheabsenceofseptins,U.maydiscellslosttheirelongatedshape, became wider at the central region and ended up losing their polarity, pointing to an important role of septins in the morphogenesis of this fungus. These morphological defects were alleviated in the presence of an osmotic stabilizer suggesting that absence of septins affected the proper formation of the cell wall, which was coherent with a higher sensitivity of septin defective cells to drugs that affect cell wall construction as well as exocytosis. As U. maydis is a phytopathogen,weanalyzedtheroleofseptinsinvirulenceandfoundthatinspiteofthedescribedmorphologicaldefects, septinmutantswerevirulentincornplants. Conclusions/Significance:OurresultsindicatedamajorroleofseptinsinmorphogenesisinU.maydis.However,incontrast tostudiesinotherfungalpathogens,inwhichseptinswerereportedtobenecessaryduringtheinfectionprocess,wefound aminorroleofseptinsd