<b><i>A</i></b><b><i>ntifungal mechanism of citral via inhibition MoCHS5 and MoCHS7 expression leading to the disruption of cell wall integrity in Magnaporthe oryzae</i></b>

In this study, we investigated the antifungal mechanism of citral on <i>Magnaporthe oryzae</i> by focusing on the key chitin synthase genes <i>MoCHS5</i> and <i>MoCHS7</i>. Through a series of experiments with knockout, overexpression, and complementary strains, we demonstrated that citral inhibits the expression of <i>MoCHS5</i> and <i>MoCHS7</i>, leading to disrupted cell wall integrity in the fungus