Summary: The eukaryotic cell cycle, and specifically mitosis, represents a fundamentally conserved and systematic process across all eukaryotic species (with few exceptions). This unbreakable cellular program is composed of four distinct phases—G1, S, G2, and M—which collectively regulate crucial biological functions like development and morphogenesis. Despite the underlying consistency of this conserved mechanism, each organism utilizes this process within a unique morphogenetic program, ultimately leading to the formation of a variety of complex biological structures.
General objective: explore what are the fundamental molecular connections of mitosis with infection-related morphogenesis of the rice blast fungus, and specifically with spore identity, appressorium development and tissue colonization.