Kimberly Green

Citation

Thesis Title
A conserved signalling network regulates Epichloe festucae cell-cell fusion and mutualistic symbiotic interaction betwee E.festucae and Lolium perenne

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Epichloë festucae is a filamentous fungus that forms a mutually beneficial symbiotic association with Lolium perenne. The NADPH oxidase complex components noxA, noxR and racA, the transcription factor proA, and the cell wall integrity MAP kinases, mkkA and mpkA, are required for mutualistic E. festucae-L. perenne associations and cell-cell fusion. Homologues of these genes in Neurospora crassa, Sordaria macrospora and Podospora anserina are required for cell-cell fusion and sexual fruiting body maturation, thereby establishing a link between self signaling and hyphal network formation in the E. festucae-L. perenne symbiosis. Ms Green investigated three proteins that are required for cell-cell fusion. She identified that SymB and SymC are membrane bound proteins that are likely to act downstream of the transcription factor ProA. Furthermore, she showed that SymB, SymC and MobC are key signaling components of a conserved signaling network that contributes to E. festucae cell-cell fusion and mutualism.

Supervisors
Professor Barry Scott
Dr Yvonne Becker
Dr Helen Fitzsimons