Elucidation of chromatin states regulating parasitism in plant pathogenic filamentous fungi.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21H02195
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 39040:Plant protection science-related
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAYASHIKI HITOSHI 神戸大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (50252804)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: いもち病菌 / エピジェネティクス / ゲノム進化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The blast fungus, Pyricularia oryzae, has both saprophytic and parasitic lifestyles as a plant pathogen. In this study, we investigated epigenetic chromatin changes in as a mechanism for switching between these "parasitic" and "saprophytic" lifestyles. Our findings reveal that the P. oryzae genome contains genes that facilitate parasitism, including potentially horizontally transferred genes that are localized to specific genomic regions that are primarily regulated by H3K27me3. In addition, genes necessary for parasitism are also found in euchromatic regions, which consist of highly conserved genes and are mainly regulated by H3K4me2/3.

Free Research Field

植物病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

いもち病菌は、コメを主食とする我が国の稲作にとって、最大の脅威となる植物病害であり、その安定的な防除法の確立は、喫緊の課題である。本研究は、腐生的に生きていくことができる本菌が、どのようにして寄生的な生活環を獲得したのか、またそれに伴う遺伝子制御とはどのようなものかを明らかにしたものであり、いもち病菌を防除するための新たな戦略や殺菌剤の開発等に有用な知見であると考えられる。