Nucleoside Derivatives Target Magnaporthe oryzae Appressoria Function and Nucleotide Metabolism for Fungal Disease Control.

Abstract

Novel fungicides are crucial for managing plant diseases. Magnaporthe oryzae, a major threat to global rice production, serves as a model plant pathogen. Nucleoside compounds, known for their low toxicity and unique mechanisms, show potential for controlling plant pathogenic fungi but remain underexplored. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal effects of nucleoside-derived compounds on M. oryzae, focusing on their impact on appressorium formation, turgor pressure, and pathogenicity. These compounds significantly reduced M. oryzae virulence by inhibiting appressorium function and affecting glycogen and lipid metabolism. They also altered cAMP levels and disrupted cell cycle progression, autophagy, and peroxisome division, impacting nucleotide metabolism with APT1 and XPT1 as potential targets. Additionally, these inhibitors demonstrated broad-spectrum antifungal activity and synergistic effects with isoprothiolane. Our findings suggest that nucleoside-derived compounds are effective antifungal agents with broad application prospects in plant disease control.