A cytoplasmic protein MoJMJD3 can reduce early appressorium formation and fungal virulence in Magnaporthe oryzae

Abstract

AbstractMagnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae) is a devastating pathogenic fungal disease that has a serious threat to the global rice security. Recently, an in‐depth study of the pathogenic mechanism and developmental process of M. oryzae became a primary model in the study of host–fungal pathogen interactions. Here, we have identified a gene MoJMJD3 (MGG_02032, accession XM_003708733) encoding the JumonjiC (JmjC) domain through bioinformatics analysis in M. oryzae. The ΔMojmjd3 deletion mutants showed defects in early appressorium formation and fungal virulence during pathogenesis. At 4 h after inoculation, the early appressorium formation of ΔMojmjd3 was decreased when compared with that of the wild‐type P131. Analysis of intracellular localization of MoJMJD3 with RFP fluorescence observation showed that MoJMJD3 was mainly localized in the cytoplasm of the conidia, appressoria, hyphae, and infective hyphae. Furthermore, by spray inoculation analysis, the ΔMojmjd3deletion mutants reduced virulence on the leaves of rice. These data suggest that MoJMJD3 plays important roles in fungal virulence during pathogenesis in M. oryzae.