Plant Pathology Department
Under Pressure: Investigating the Biology of Plant Infection by Magnaporthe oryza
Document Type Article
Copyright 2009, Macmillan. Used by permission.
Abstract
The filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae causes rice blast, the most serious disease of cultivated rice. Cellular differentiation of M. oryzae forms an infection structure called the appressorium, which generates enormous cellular turgor that is sufficient to rupture the plant cuticle. Here, we show how functional genomics approaches are providing new insight into the genetic control of plant infection by M. oryzae. We also look ahead to the key questions that need to be addressed to provide a better understanding of the molecular processes that lead to plant disease and the prospects for sustainable control of rice blast.
This paper has been withdrawn.