The Devastating Rice Blast Airborne Pathogen -A Review on Genes Studied with Mutant Analysis.

is one of the most devastating pathogenic fungi that affects a wide range of cereal plants, especially rice. Rice blast disease causes substantial economic losses around the globe. The genome was first sequenced at the beginning of this century and was recently updated with improved annotation and completeness. In this review, key molecular findings on the fungal development and pathogenicity mechanisms of are summarized, focusing on fully characterized genes based on mutant analysis. These include genes involved in the various biological processes of this pathogen, such as vegetative growth, conidia development, appressoria formation and penetration, and pathogenicity. In addition, our syntheses also highlight gaps in our current understanding of development and virulence. We hope this review will serve to improve a comprehensive understanding of and assist disease control strategy designs in the future.