A glance at structural biology in advancing rice blast fungus research
Jongyi Yan,
Lin Li,
Jiandong Bao,
Jiaoyu Wang,
Xiaohong Liu,
Fucheng Lin,
Xueming Zhu
Affiliations
Jongyi Yan
State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiome (MARA), Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Lin Li
State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiome (MARA), Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Jiandong Bao
State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiome (MARA), Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Jiaoyu Wang
State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiome (MARA), Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Xiaohong Liu
State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiome (MARA), Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Fucheng Lin
State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiome (MARA), Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Xueming Zhu
State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiome (MARA), Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
The filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is widely recognized as a notorious plant pathogen responsible for causing rice blasts. With rapid advancements in molecular biology technologies, numerous regulatory mechanisms have been thoroughly investigated. However, most recent studies have predominantly focused on infection-related pathways or host defence mechanisms, which may be insufficient for developing novel structure-based prevention strategies. A substantial body of literature has utilized cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction to explore the relationships between functional components, shedding light on the identification of potential drug targets. Owing to the complexity of protein extraction and stochastic nature of crystallization, obtaining high-quality structures remains a significant challenge for the scientific community. Emerging computational tools such as AlphaFold for structural prediction, docking for interaction analysis, and molecular dynamics simulations to replicate in vivo conditions provide novel avenues for overcoming these challenges. In this review, we aim to consolidate the structural biological advancements in M. oryzae, drawing upon mature experimental experiences from other species such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mammals. We aim to explore the potential of protein construction to address the invasion and proliferation of M. oryzae, with the goal of identifying new drug targets and designing small-molecule compounds to manage this disease.
