Genetic and transcriptomic analysis of hyphal constriction based on a novel assay method in the rice blast fungus

An ability of fungi to undergo hyphal constriction is important for fungal ecology and diseases. In the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, hyphal constriction is required to traverse host cell junctions through pit fields. However, little is known about genetic underpinnings of hyphal constriction, except the requirement of a mitogen-activated protein kinase, Pmk1. Here we demonstrate that a simple in vitro assay based on nitrocellulose membrane allows investigation of the genetic basis for hyphal constriction. Using the assay, we found that the constriction limit of M. oryzae hypha lies between 0.22 and 0.3 m, and that a histone modification might be involved in hyphal constriction. RNA-seq experiments combining our assay and {Delta}pmk1 showed that hyphal constriction relies on transcriptional changes of genes implicated primarily in membrane and cell wall-related cellular processes in Pmk1-dependent and/or Pmk1-independent manner. Furthermore, our assays with diverse fungal species suggest correlation between hyphal constriction and fungal lifestyles. Our study reveals that hyphal constriction can be induced without host-derived cues and provides molecular and evolutionary insights into a fundamental process to infection of host plant.