Calcium/calmodulin-dependent signaling for prepenetration development in Cochliobolus miyabeanus infecting rice

Cochliobolus miyabeanus forms a specialized infection structure, an appressorium, to infect rice. Contacting a hard surface induces appressorium formation in C. miyabeanus, while the hydrophobicity of the substratum does not affect this morphogenic infection event. To determine whether the calcium/calmodulin-dependent signaling system is involved in prepenetration morphogenesis in C. miyabeanus, the effects of a calcium chelator (ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid; EGTA), phospholipase C inhibitor (neomycin), intracellular calcium channel blocker (TMB-8), calmodulin antagonists (chlorpromazine, phenoxybenzamine, and W-7), and calcineurin inhibitor (cyclosporin A) on morphogenesis and infection were examined. Addition of Ca²⁺ and the calcium ionophore A23187 did not affect conidial germination, while the number of appressoria decreased with higher concentrations. EGTA inhibited conidial germination and appressorium formation. The calcium channel blocker did not affect appressorium formation at any concentration; however, calmodulin antagonists and the calcineurin inhibitor specifically reduced appressorium formation at the micromolar level. One of the calmodulin antagonists, W-7, also inhibited accumulation of mRNA of the calmodulin gene within germinating conidia and/or appressorium-forming germ tubes. Thus, biochemical processes controlled by the calcium/calmodulin signaling system seem to be involved in the induction of prepenetration morphogenesis on rice.