RESEARCH SUMMARY

Our group hypothesised that cell cycle regulation would be likely to provide control points for infection development by fungal pathogens. We consider that the cell cycle has to be adjusted in response to both environmental and developmental signals, and that the integration of both classes of signals by the cell machinery will result in an outcome that define fungal fate: in the case of pathogenic fungi, whether or not they enter the virulence program.

The corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis is an excellent system in which to address these relationships between cell cycle, morphogenesis and virulence. Induction of the virulence program in this fungus implies not only strong morphological changes (bud to hypha transition) but also genetic changes (haploid to dikaryotic transition). Consequently, accurate control of the cell cycle and morphogenesis is predicted during these transitions.

To achieve the specific aims of this hypothesis, the scientific objectives have been framed in two major groups. The first group of objectives addresses how the cell cycle is modified during the pathogenic phase, whereas the second addresses the importance of morphogenetic pattern in the cell cycle responses to environmental signals transmitted by MAPK cascades.

Our research offers original opportunities to address the molecular basis of fungal virulence from a different point of view, which at the same time is complementary to previous approaches in the field more focussed on the study of signal transduction and transcriptional changes.