OS-4 — Magnaporthe oryzae 70-15

Summary

MoOS-4 (MGG_00183) on chromosome 5 of Magnaporthe oryzae 70-15 encodes a MAP kinase kinase kinase of the Ssk2/Ssk22 family with MEKK activity and protein serine/threonine kinase activity. This gene is associated with multiple MAPK cascades, including stress-activated, JNK, p38, cell integrity, and pheromone response pathways. It is linked to asexual reproduction, conidia and spore formation, morphogenesis, host invasion, cell death, cell division, contractile ring assembly, and glycerol metabolism. The encoded protein localizes to the division septum, cell tip, cell division site, plasmalemma, cytoplasm, and cytosol. Phenotypic associations include altered osmotic stress resistance, cell cycle progression, mating efficiency, shmoo formation, cell fusion, thermotolerance, and abnormal prion inheritance. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to virulence and pathogenicity.