Translation initiation factor eIF4E generally mediates the recognition of the 5'cap structure of mRNA during the recruitment of the ribosomes to capped mRNA. Although the eIF4E has been shown to regulate stress response in  Schizosaccharomyces pombe  positively, there is no direct experimental evidence for the contributions of eIF4E to both physiological and pathogenic development of filamentous fungi. We generated  Magnaporthe oryzae eIF4E  ( MoeIF4E3 ) gene deletion strains using homologous recombination strategies. Phenotypic and biochemical analyses of  MoeIF4E3  defective strains showed that the deletion of  MoeIF4E3  triggered a significant reduction in growth and conidiogenesis. We also showed that disruption of  MoeIF4E3  partially impaired conidia germination, appressorium integrity and attenuated the pathogenicity of Δ Moeif4e3  strains. In summary, this study provides experimental insights into the contributions of the eIF4E3 to the development of filamentous fungi. Additionally, these observations underscored the need for a comprehensive evaluation of the translational regulatory machinery in phytopathogenic fungi during pathogen-host interaction progression.