We did not observe significantly induced expression during ER stress of pit1 and pit2 orthologous genes in the related smut fungi Sporisorium reilianum and Ustilago hordei (not shown), indicating that regulation of pit1/2 by the UPR might be an adaptation specific for U. maydis. The lifestyle of S. reilianum and U. hordei is considerably different compared to U. maydis. While U. maydis-induced symptoms like tumor development can occur on all aerial parts of the plant, spore formation of S. reilianum and U. hordei is restricted to the reproductive tissue of their host plants [57]. This evidence concerns the gene SLC20A2 and neoplasm.