ATG20 — Magnaporthe oryzae 70-15

Summary

MoATG20 (MGG_12832) on chromosome 4 of Magnaporthe oryzae 70-15 encodes a protein containing a PX domain (PX_Snx41/Atg20 family) that binds phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate and phosphoinositides. The gene is associated with autophagy, including macroautophagy, mitophagy, ER-phagy, pexophagy, and the cytoplasm-to-vacuole targeting pathway, as well as retrograde transport from endosome to Golgi, protein transport, invasive growth, conidia formation, and glutathione anabolism. The protein localizes to the pre-autophagosomal structure, endosome membrane, and cytosol. Phenotypic associations include delayed or absent autophagy, mitophagy, and pexophagy, abnormal sporulation, decreased colony size, altered cell death, and defective peroxisomal transport and morphology. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to reduced virulence.