QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

First published online August 17, 2004
doi: 10.1242/10.1242/jcs.01304

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Castillo-Lluva, S. Articles by Pérez-Martín, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Castillo-Lluva, S. Articles by Pérez-Martín, J. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

A member of the Fizzy-related family of APC activators is regulated by cAMP and is required at different stages of plant infection by Ustilago maydis

Sonia Castillo-Lluva^*, Tatiana García-Muse^* and José Pérez-Martín

Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología CSIC, Campus de Cantoblanco-UAM, 28049 Madrid, Spain

Author for correspondence (e-mail: jperez{at}cnb.uam.es)

Accepted 5 May 2004

Here, we identified a new member of the Fizzy-related family of APC activators, Cru1, which is required for virulence in the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis. We show that Cru1 promotes the degradation of B-type cyclins in U. maydis. Cells deficient in the Cru1 protein show defects in cell size, adaptation to nutritional conditions and cell separation. We propose that the phenotypes observed are a consequence of the inability of cru1 cells to keep under control the levels of mitotic cyclins during G1. The levels of cru1 mRNA are controlled by nutritional conditions and cAMP levels, implicating the cAMP/protein kinase A pathway in the transmission of environmental conditions to the cell cycle. Cells deficient in Cru1 function are severely impaired in their ability to infect corn plants. This low rate of plant infection is caused by several defects. First, a low level of expression of the pheromone-encoding gene, mfa1, resulted in a low frequency of dikaryotic infective filament formation. Second, proliferation of fungal cells inside the plant is also affected, resulting in the inability to induce tumors in plants. Finally, the formation and germination of teliospores is also impaired. Our results support the hypothesis that virulence and cell cycle are connected in U. maydis. We propose that along the infection process, Cru1 is required to keep the appropriate G1 length necessary for the adaptation of fungal cells to host environment through the different stages of the plant infection.

Key words: Ustilago maydis, Cell cycle, APC, Fizzy-related, Fungal virulence

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. Flor-Parra, S. Castillo-Lluva, and J. Perez-Martin Polar Growth in the Infectious Hyphae of the Phytopathogen Ustilago maydis Depends on a Virulence-Specific Cyclin PLANT CELL, October 1, 2007; 19(10): 3280 - 3296. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. S. Gladfelter, N. Sustreanu, A. K. Hungerbuehler, S. Voegeli, V. Galati, and P. Philippsen The Anaphase-Promoting Complex/Cyclosome Is Required for Anaphase Progression in Multinucleated Ashbya gossypii Cells Eukaryot. Cell, February 1, 2007; 6(2): 182 - 197. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Flor-Parra, M. Vranes, J. Kamper, and J. Perez-Martin Biz1, a Zinc Finger Protein Required for Plant Invasion by Ustilago maydis, Regulates the Levels of a Mitotic Cyclin PLANT CELL, September 1, 2006; 18(9): 2369 - 2387. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Castillo-Lluva and J. Perez-Martin The Induction of the Mating Program in the Phytopathogen Ustilago maydis Is Controlled by a G1 Cyclin PLANT CELL, December 1, 2005; 17(12): 3544 - 3560. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Sgarlata and J. Perez-Martin Inhibitory phosphorylation of a mitotic cyclin-dependent kinase regulates the morphogenesis, cell size and virulence of the smut fungus Ustilago maydis J. Cell Sci., August 15, 2005; 118(16): 3607 - 3622. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]