GAS1 — Magnaporthe oryzae 70-15

Summary

MGG_11861 (MoGAS1) on chromosome 1 of Magnaporthe oryzae 70-15 encodes a glucanosyltransferase with 1,3-beta-glucanosyltransferase activity, belonging to the glycoside hydrolase superfamily and containing an X8 domain. The gene is associated with appressorium formation and maturation, host invasion, adhesion of symbiont to host, and development of symbiont in host. It is linked to fungal-type cell wall assembly and 1,3-beta-glucan metabolism, as well as cellular responses to pH, calcium ions, and the MAPK cascade. Associations with blast disease in rice and barley are observed. The encoded product localizes to sites of polarized growth, the cell septum, vesicles, and the external side of the plasma membrane. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to reduced virulence and leaf necrosis.