MIF-like domain containing protein orchestrates cellular differentiation and virulence in the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae
Matteo Galli,
Stefan Jacob,
Ying Zheng,
Parviz Ghezellou,
Martin Gand,
Wendell Albuquerque,
Jafargholi Imani,
Valérie Allasia,
Christine Coustau,
Bernhard Spengler,
Harald Keller,
Eckhard Thines,
Karl-Heinz Kogel
Affiliations
Matteo Galli
Institute of Phytopathology, Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392 Giessen, Germany
Stefan Jacob
Institute of Biotechnology and Drug Research GmbH, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 17, 55128 Mainz, Germany
Ying Zheng
Institute of Phytopathology, Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392 Giessen, Germany
Parviz Ghezellou
Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 17, 35392, Giessen, Germany
Martin Gand
Institute of Food Chemistry and Food Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 17, 35392, Giessen, Germany
Wendell Albuquerque
Institute of Food Chemistry and Food Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 17, 35392, Giessen, Germany
Jafargholi Imani
Institute of Phytopathology, Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392 Giessen, Germany
Valérie Allasia
Université Côte d'Azur, INRAE, CNRS, UMR1355-7254, ISA, 06903 Sophia Antipolis, France
Christine Coustau
Université Côte d'Azur, INRAE, CNRS, UMR1355-7254, ISA, 06903 Sophia Antipolis, France
Bernhard Spengler
Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 17, 35392, Giessen, Germany
Harald Keller
Université Côte d'Azur, INRAE, CNRS, UMR1355-7254, ISA, 06903 Sophia Antipolis, France
Eckhard Thines
Institute of Biotechnology and Drug Research GmbH, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 17, 55128 Mainz, Germany; Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Microbiology and Biotechnology at the Institute of Molecular Physiology, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 17, 55128 Mainz, Germany
Karl-Heinz Kogel
Institute of Phytopathology, Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392 Giessen, Germany; Corresponding author
Summary: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pleiotropic protein with chemotactic, pro-inflammatory, and growth-promoting activities first discovered in mammals. In parasites, MIF homologs are involved in immune evasion and pathogenesis. Here, we present the first comprehensive analysis of an MIF protein from the devastating plant pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae (Mo). The fungal genome encodes a single MIF protein (MoMIF1) that, unlike the human homolog, harbors multiple low-complexity regions (LCRs) and is unique to Ascomycota. Following infection, MoMIF1 is expressed in the biotrophic phase of the fungus, and is strongly down-regulated during subsequent necrotrophic growth in leaves and roots. We show that MoMIF1 is secreted during plant infection, affects the production of the mycotoxin tenuazonic acid and inhibits plant cell death. Our results suggest that MoMIF1 is a novel key regulator of fungal virulence that maintains the balance between biotrophy and necrotrophy during the different phases of fungal infection.
