Effector proteins from the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae provide novel insight into plant-pathogen interactions

Microbiology Seminar Series

  • Date: May 15, 2017
  • Time: 01:15 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Dr. Thomas Kroj
  • INRA, Biology and Genetics of Plant-Pathogen Interactions Laboratory, Montpellier, France
  • Location: MPI for Terrestrial Microbiology
  • Room: Lecture hall
  • Host: Prof. Dr. Regine Kahmann
  • Contact: kahmann@mpi-marburg.mpg.de

Blast disease caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is among the most threatening crop diseases. We study the molecular bases of the virulence of the blast fungus and its relation to the immunity of its host plants. A major focus is on effector proteins that the fungus secretes into the plant tissue to target host cellular pathways and that are major components of fungal virulence but also crucial for host resistance because they can trigger plant immunity. I will present recent results from structure-function analysis of M. oryzae effectors that uncovered novel features of effector diversification and their recognition by plant immune receptors.

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