**Author details**

organization of the actin cytoskeleton to induce the movement of the teliospores toward the cytoagglutination points but stimulate its depolymerization for avoiding germination. Thus, after displacement as a consequence of cytoskeleton reorganization, the result is agglutinated cells without germinative capacity. Teliospore agglutination without germination triggered by sugarcane arginase becomes the

Cytoskeleton reorganization is the trigger of displacement of *Nostoc* and *Sporisorium scitamineum* cells during exohabitant/endohabitant recognition. On one hand, movement of *S. scitamineum* teliospores occurs by means of continuous episodes of polymerization and depolymerization of the actin cytoskeleton, in collaboration with myosin. Fungal cells displace toward defensive sugarcane glycopro-

teins as part of a "suicidal behavior," since displacement finally results in cytoagglutination and cell death [15]. Chemotactic movement of teliospores was strongly inhibited by phalloidin and latrunculin A, which are involved in F-actin polymerization and depolymerization cycles, and by blebbistatin, which avoids the functionality of a contractile protein similar to a myosin II, responsible for the contraction-relaxation of the cytoskeleton. Migration of smut teliospores has been

described as consistent with a jellyfish-like "swimming" mechanism.

On the other hand, interesting results presented by Díaz et al. [41] suggest a cytoskeletal-driven mode of cyanobacteria chemotaxis similar to those of eukaryotic cells responding to a chemoattractant gradient. It has been concluded that *Nostoc* chemotaxis toward arginase requires actin and myosin II-like proteins. Displacement implies a rearrangement of the cytoskeleton causing cell polarity, which is, in turn, inhibited by phalloidin and latrunculin A, as revealed by confocal

F-actin reorganization in response to extracellular chemotactic signaling has been amply studied. Migration is typically linked to the formation of external structures that promote movement. However, similar results in such different systems (lichen and plant pathogen) indicate that this mechanism of cytoskeletal reorganization, which induces cell chemotaxis in absence of lamellipodia/filopodia formation, is conserved in different organisms for recognition between species.

result of a false quorum signal that prevents teliospore infection.

**5. Conclusions**

*Parasitology and Microbiology Research*

microscopy.

**16**

Elena Sánchez-Elordi<sup>1</sup> , Eva María Díaz<sup>1</sup> , Carlos Vicente1,2\* and María Estrella Legaz<sup>1</sup>

1 Intercellular Communication in Plant Symbiosis Team, Faculty of Biology, Madrid, Spain

2 Complutense University, Madrid, Spain

\*Address all correspondence to: cvicente@bio.ucm.es

© 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
