Exploiting Rice Blast Fungus Enzymes for Practical Applications in Plant Disease Control and Biomass Conversion

The filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is the main causal agent of rice blast disease that accounts for 10-30% yield losses per year globally. This pathogen uses a large number of carbohydrate-active and cell wall degrading enzymes to initiate the invasion in all parts of the rice plant. These enzymes are potential targets for inhibitors or molecules with antimicrobial activity. In addition, they could hold the keys to efficiently converting rice straw, the main byproduct of rice production, to fermentable sugar. Of our particular interests are polysaccharide monooxygenases (PMOs) that degrade polysaccharides in an unprecedented oxidative mechanism and can significantly boost the activity of canonical cellulases. Understanding the mechanisms and biological functions of PMOs and related polysaccharide degrading enzymes will provide the basis for developing practical applications in rice blast disease control and biomass conversion to commodity chemicals.