septins from the phytopathogenic fungus ustilago maydis are required for proper morphogenesis but dispensable for virulence从植物病原真菌黑粉菌属septins maydis所需合适的形态发生但可有可无的毒性.pdfVIP

Septins from the Phytopathogenic Fungus Ustilago maydis Are Required for Proper Morphogenesis but Dispensable for Virulence ´ ´ ´ ´ Isabel Alvarez-Tabares, Jose Perez-Martın* ´ ´ Departamento de Biotecnologıa Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnologıa CSIC, Madrid, Spain Abstract Background: Septins are a highly conserved family of GTP-binding proteins involved in multiple cellular functions, 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 found in fungal world. Methodology/Principal Findings: Ustilago maydis genome has the ability to encode four septins. Here, using loss-of- function as well as GFP-tagged alleles of these septin genes, we investigated the roles of septins in the morphogenesis of this basidiomycete fungus. We described that septins in U. maydis could assemble into at least three different structures coexisting in the same cell: bud neck collars, band-like structures at the growing tip, and long septin fibers that run from pole to pole near the cell cortex. We also found that in the absence of septins, U. maydis cells lost their elongated shape, 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