Antisense RNA, meiosis and phytohormones in the model fungal plant pathogen Ustilago maydis

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Fungal diseases of plants are a major contributor to the world food crisis. In Canada the loss to the wheat crop alone because of the leaf rust fungus can be $100 million annually. The rust fungi can only be grown in the plant and are very difficult to work with. In contrast, the related corn smut fungus, Ustilago maydis, can be easily grown and there are protocols for detailed investigation with this fungus. So, while this fungus causes serious damage to corn crops and therefore must be understood, it also acts as a model to understand all rust and smut diseases. In my last NSERC grant we further developed the model aspect of the smut fungus through genomic analysis. This provided better tools for investigation and the ability to transfer the knowledge we gain to other fungi. We are now in an excellent position to use these tools to investigate three areas 1) gene expression control through antisense RNA expression, 2) control of sexual reproduction and 3) plant hormone production by the fungus. Fire and Mellow received a Nobel prize in 2006 for their discovery of antisense control of gene expression. While the system they described is at work in most organisms, the corn smut fungus has a different way to control gene expression by antisense. We will be figuring out what that is with the funds applied for. Sexual reproduction by fungal pathogens shuffles virulence genes and can lead to more deadly diseases. Our goal in project 2 is to understand how sex is controlled and how interaction with the host plant leads to sexual reproduction by the smut fungus. In project 3, I am collaborating with another Professor at Trent to determine how the smut fungus modifies the corn plant during infection. We have evidence that the fungus does this using plant hormones, and we require the funds to figure out how. We have the money for equipment from other funding sources, so the funds applied for here, are to support the students doing this work in the laboratory. With the results from these three targeted areas we will provide information that can be used to develop new ways to fight fungal plant diseases. Therefore, this research will provide great training for students and important advances for sustainable food production.