Zheng, H. K.Chen, S. M.Chen, X. F.Liu, S. Y.Dang, X.Yang, C. D.Giraldo, M. C.Oliveira-Garcia, E.Zhou, J.Wang, Z. H.Valent, Barbara2017-11-302017-11-302016-06-03http://hdl.handle.net/2097/38412Citation: Zheng, H. K., Chen, S. M., Chen, X. F., Liu, S. Y., Dang, X., Yang, C. D., . . . Valent, B. (2016). The Small GTPase MoSec4 Is Involved in Vegetative Development and Pathogenicity by Regulating the Extracellular Protein Secretion in Magnaporthe oryzae. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.01458Article: Version of RecordThe Rab GTPase proteins play important roles in the membrane trafficking, and consequently protein secretion and development of eukaryotic organisms. However, little is known about the function of Rab GTPases in Magnaporthe oryzae. To further explore the function of Rab GTPases, we deleted the ortholog of the yeast Sec4p protein in M. oryzae, namely MoSEC4. The Delta Mosec4 mutant is defective in polarized growth and conidiation, and it displays decreased appressorium turgor pressure and attenuated pathogenicity. Notably, the biotrophic invasive hyphae produced in rice cells are more bulbous and compressed in the Delta Mosec4 mutant. Further studies showed that deletion of the MoSEC4 gene resulted in decreased secretion of extracellular enzymes and mislocalization of the cytoplasmic effector PWL2-mCherry-NLS. In accordance with a role in secretion, the GFP-MoSec4 fusion protein mainly accumulates at tips of growing vegetative hyphae. Our results suggest that the MoSec4 protein plays important roles in the secretion of extracellular proteins and consequently hyphal development and pathogenicity in the rice blast fungus.Copyright © 2016 Dwivedi, Upadhyaya, Chung, De Vita, García-Lara, GuajardoFlores, Gutiérrez-Uribe, Serna-Saldívar, Rajakumar, Sahrawat, Kumar and Ortiz. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.Rab GtpaseExocyst ComplexMosec4Effector SecretionPyriculariaOryzaeText