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SUMMARY:Investigating the biology of plant infection by the rice blast fun
 gus Magnaporthe oryzae - Professor Nicholas Talbot - University of Exeter
DTSTART:20090219T160000Z
DTEND:20090219T170000Z
UID:TALK15804@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:3901
DESCRIPTION:Magnaporthe oryzae is the causal agent of rice blast\, one of 
 the most serious economic problems affecting rice production. The availabi
 lity of genome sequences for M. oryzae and its host\, Oryza sativa\, has p
 rovide the means to investigate this fungal-plant interaction in great det
 ail and develop a system biology approach to understanding plant disease. 
 During plant infection\, M. oryzae develops a differentiated infection str
 ucture called an appressorium. This unicellular\, dome-shaped structure ge
 nerates cellular turgor\, that is translated into mechanical force to caus
 e rupture of the rice cuticle and entry into plant tissue. My research gro
 up is interested in determining the molecular basis of appressorium develo
 pment and understanding the genetic regulation of the infection process by
  the rice blast fungus. We have recently shown that development of a funct
 ional appressorium is linked to the control of cell division and autophagi
 c programmed cell death in M. oryzae. Appressorium formation also requires
  an oxidative burst that involving the action of NADPH oxidases and cellul
 ar differentiation is coupled to an alteration in fungal metabolism leadin
 g to enormous turgor generation in the infection cell. Once inside the pla
 nt\, M. oryzae has evolved mechanisms to suppress plant defences and invad
 e living plant tissue\, which involve the secretion of protein effectors. 
 Progress in these research areas will be presented.\n\nhttp://biosciences.
 exeter.ac.uk/staff/profiles/profile.php?id=nick_talbot
LOCATION:Department of Plant Sciences\, Large Lecture Theatre
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