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Eukaryotic Cell, January 2005, p. 121-133, Vol. 4, No. 1
1535-9778/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/EC.4.1.121-133.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Role for RNA-Binding Proteins Implicated in Pathogenic Development of Ustilago maydis

Philip Becht, Evelyn Vollmeister, and Michael Feldbrügge^*

Department for Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany

Received 26 August 2004/ Accepted 26 October 2004

Ustilago maydis causes smut disease on corn. Successful infection depends on a number of morphological transitions, such as pheromone-dependent formation of conjugation tubes and the switch to filamentous dikaryotic growth, as well as different types of mycelial structures during growth within the host plant. In order to address the involvement of RNA-binding proteins during this developmental program, we identified 27 open reading frames from the genome sequence encoding potential RNA-binding proteins. They exhibit similarities to RNA-binding proteins with Pumilio homology domains (PUM), the K homology domain (KHD), the double-stranded RNA binding motif (DSRM), and the RNA recognition motif (RRM). For 18 of these genes, we generated replacement mutants in compatible haploid strains. Through analysis of growth behavior, morphology, cyclic AMP response, mating, and pathogenicity, we identified three candidates with aberrant phenotypes. Loss of Khd1, a K homology protein containing three KHDs, resulted in a cold-sensitive growth phenotype. Deletion of khd4 encoding a protein with five KHDs led to abnormal cell morphology, reduced mating, and virulence. rrm4 strains were affected in filamentous growth and pathogenicity. Rrm4 is an RRM protein with a so far unique domain organization consisting of three N-terminal RRMs as well as a domain found in the C terminus of poly(A)-binding proteins. These results indicate a role for RNA-binding proteins in regulation of morphology as well as in pathogenic development in U. maydis.

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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany. Phone: 49-6421-178602. Fax: 49-6421-178609. E-mail: feldbrue{at}staff.uni-marburg.de.

Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://ec.asm.org/.

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Eukaryotic Cell, January 2005, p. 121-133, Vol. 4, No. 1
1535-9778/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/EC.4.1.121-133.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

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