The role of cAMP signalling in the symbiosis between Epichloe festucae and Lolium perenne

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

In fungal pathogenesis the cAMP signalling cascade is usually essential for virulence. Deletion of the adenylate cyclase gene, the enzyme that synthesises cAMP, often results in an attenuated or avirulent phenotype. Our aim was to identify the signalling mechanisms regulating colonisation of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) by the fungal symbiont Epichloë festucae Fl1. We have identified genes from several signalling networks, and here report on the outcomes of targeted disruption of the E. festucae Fl1 adenylate cyclase gene (acyA). A dual genome (endophyte/ ryegrass) Affymetrix GeneChip® has been synthesised and we are undertaking large scale transcript profiling of the L. perenne/ E. festucae ΔacyA symbiotum to identify target genes regulated by the endophyte cAMP signalling network.