CEK1 — Magnaporthe oryzae 70-15

Summary

MoCEK1 (MGG_09565) on chromosome 3 of Magnaporthe oryzae 70-15 encodes a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase with serine/threonine kinase activity (EC 2.7.11.24), belonging to the ERK1 family and containing a conserved MAP kinase domain. The gene is associated with appressorium formation and its positive regulation, invasive hyphae formation, asexual reproduction and sporulation, septin ring assembly, cell wall modification and biogenesis, autolysis, pheromone response and parasexual conjugation, mitotic cell cycle G1 arrest in response to pheromone, disruption of host phagocytosis, virus-induced PTGS, and the MAPK cascade. It is linked to rice blast disease and leaf spot on barley and Pseudostellaria heterophylla. The encoded protein localises to the cytoplasm and nucleus. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to loss of pathogenicity and oxidative stress response.