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REVIEW: Reactive Oxygen Species in Regulation of Fungal Development


N. N. Gessler1, A. A. Aver'yanov2, and T. A. Belozerskaya1*

1Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia; E-mail: tab@inbi.ras.ru

2Research Institute of Phytopathology, Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 143050 p/o Bol'shye Vyazemy, Odintsovsky District, Moscow Region, Russia

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received June 22, 2007; Revision received June 28, 2007
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are formed by fungi in the course of metabolic activity. ROS production increases in fungi due to various stress agents such as starvation, light, mechanical damage, and interactions with some other living organisms. Regulation of ROS level appears to be very important during development of the fungal organism. ROS sources in fungal cells, their sensors, and ROS signal transduction pathways are discussed in this review. Antioxidant defense systems in different classes of fungi are characterized in detail. Particular emphasis is placed on ROS functions in interactions of phytopathogenic fungi with plant cells.
KEY WORDS: reactive oxygen species, development of fungi, phytopathogenic fungi

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297907100070