GREEN FLUORESCENT PROTEIN (GFP) AS A NEW VITAL MARKER IN THE PHYTOPATHOGENIC FUNGUS USTILAGO-MAYDIS

Pathogenic development of Ustilago maydis, the causative agent of corn smut disease, is a multistep process. Compatible yeast-like cells fus e and this generates the infectious dikaryon which grows filamentously . Having entered the plant the dikaryon induces tumors in its host in which massive proliferation of fungal material, karyogamy and spore fo rmation occur. In order to follow fungal development from the initial steps to the final stage we have expressed the green fluorescent prote in (GFP) from Aequorea victoria as a vital marker in U. maydis and dem onstrate that GFP-tagged strains can be used to study host-pathogen in teractions in vivo.