Major Plant Pathogens of the Magnaporthaceae Family

The Magnaporthaceae family includes fungal species that cause devastating diseases on cereals and grasses. The causal agent of take-all disease of wheat Gaeumannomyces graminis, the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, and Magnaporthe poae which causes the grey leaf spot on turfgrasses, belong to this family. M. poae and G. graminis are considered root pathogens, whereas M. oryzae is found on aerial plant tissues. Remarkably, M. oryzae can also infect roots and distinct mechanisms control its root infection ability compared to leaf colonisation. Since G. graminis and M. poae are genetically intractable, M. oryzae underground infection process can be used to dissect genetic pathways and molecular mechanisms underlying root infection in other members of Magnaporthaceae. Interestingly, M. oryzae root infection process also shares similarities with ancient mycorrhizal associations. Here, we highlight the latest advances on the mechanisms regulating pathogenicity in these economically significant plant pathogens.