The social network: deciphering fungal language

Effects of Three Volatile Oxylipins on Colony Development in Two Species of Fungi and on Drosophila Larval Metamorphosis

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of three volatile oxylipins on colony development in two fungi and on Drosophila larval metamorphosis. Using an airborne exposure technique, three common and volatile oxylipins (1-octen-3-ol, (E)-2-hexenal, and 1-hexanol) were compared for their effects on spore germination and colony growth in Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum, as well as for their effects on the morphogenesis of larvae of Drosophila melanogaster. Conidia of both A. niger and P. chrysogenum plated in the presence of low concentrations (50 ppm) of these three volatile organic compounds (VOCs) formed fewer colony-forming units (CFUs) and exhibited reduced radial growth of colonies as compared to controls. When A. niger and P. chrysogenum spores were germinated in the presence of the enantiomers of 1-octen-3-ol, (R)-(-)-1-octen-3-ol had the greatest impact on colony morphology (decreased sporulation and colony diameter), while (S)-(+)-1-octen-3-ol and the racemic form yielded similar morphological changes but to a lesser extent. In addition, Drosophila larvae exposed to vapors of these oxylipins exhibited serious delays in metamorphosis and toxic effects on pupae and adult stages. Low concentration of these three VOCs can significantly inhibit the formation of CFUs and the growth of fungi. (R)-(-)-1-octen-3-ol imposed the greatest impact on fungal morphology compared to (S)-(+)-1-octen-3-ol and the racemic form. The three volatile oxylipins could also delay the metamorphosis of Drosophila and impose toxic effects on its pupae and adult stages.

The AngFus3 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Controls Hyphal Differentiation and Secondary Metabolism in Aspergillus niger

Adaptation to a changing environment is essential for the survival and propagation of sessile organisms, such as plants or fungi. Filamentous fungi commonly respond to a worsening of their growth conditions by differentiation of asexually or sexually produced spores. The formation of these specialized cell types is, however, also triggered as part of the general life cycle by hyphal age or density. Spores typically serve for dispersal and, therefore, translocation but can also act as resting states to endure times of scarcity. Eukaryotic differentiation in response to environmental and self-derived signals is commonly mediated by three-tiered mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling cascades. Here, we report that the MAP kinase Fus3 of the black mold Aspergillus niger (AngFus3) and its upstream kinase AngSte7 control vegetative spore formation and secondary metabolism. Mutants lacking these kinases are defective in conidium induction in response to hyphal density but are fully competent in starvation-induced sporulation, indicating that conidiation in A. niger is triggered by various independent signals. In addition, the mutants exhibit an altered profile of volatile metabolites and secrete dark pigments into the growth medium, suggesting a dysregulation of the secondary metabolism. By assigning the AngFus3 MAP kinase pathway to the transduction of a potentially self-derived trigger, this work contributes to the unraveling of the intricate signaling networks controlling fungal differentiation. Moreover, our data further support earlier observations that differentiation and secondary metabolism are tightly linked in filamentous fungi.

Mating type-dependent partner sensing as mediated by VEL1 in Trichoderma reesei

Sexual development in the filamentous model ascomycete Trichoderma reesei (syn. Hypocrea jecorina) was described only a few years ago. In this study, we show a novel role for VELVET in fungi, which links light response, development and secondary metabolism. Vel1 is required for mating in darkness, normal growth and conidiation. In light, vel1 was dispensable for male fertility but essential for female fertility in both mating types. VEL1 impacted regulation of the pheromone system (hpr1, hpr2, hpp1, ppg1) in a mating type‐dependent manner and depending on the mating partner of a given strain. These partner effects only occurred for hpp1 and hpr2, the pheromone precursor and receptor genes associated with the MAT1‐2 mating type and for the mating type gene mat1‐2‐1. Analysis of secondary metabolite patterns secreted by wild type and mutants under asexual and sexual conditions revealed that even in the wild type, the patterns change upon encounter of a mating partner, with again distinct differences for wild type and vel1 mutants. Hence, T. reesei applies a language of pheromones and secondary metabolites to communicate with mating partners and that this communication is at least in part mediated by VEL1.

Chaetosemins A–E, new chromones isolated from an Ascomycete Chaetomium seminudum and their biological activities

Fifteen polyketide chromones, including four new ones, chaetosemins B–E (2–5), with 4 bearing a new skeleton, and two new natural products, chaetosemin A (1) and (+)-(S)-chaetoquadrin J (14), were isolated from cultures of Chaetomium seminudum.

HAM-5 functions as a MAP kinase scaffold during cell fusion in Neurospora crassa

Cell fusion in genetically identical Neurospora crassa germlings and in hyphae is a highly regulated process involving the activation of a conserved MAP kinase cascade that includes NRC-1, MEK-2 and MAK-2. During chemotrophic growth in germlings, the MAP kinase cascade members localize to conidial anastomosis tube (CAT) tips every ∼8 minutes, perfectly out of phase with another protein that is recruited to the tip: SOFT, a recently identified scaffold for the MAK-1 MAP kinase pathway in Sordaria macrospora. How the MAK-2 oscillation process is initiated, maintained and what proteins regulate the MAP kinase cascade is currently unclear. A global phosphoproteomics approach using an allele of mak-2 (mak-2^Q100G) that can be specifically inhibited by the ATP analog 1NM-PP1 was utilized to identify MAK-2 kinase targets in germlings that were potentially involved in this process. One such putative target was HAM-5, a protein of unknown biochemical function. Previously, Δham-5 mutants were shown to be deficient for hyphal fusion. Here we show that HAM-5-GFP co-localized with NRC-1, MEK-2 and MAK-2 and oscillated with identical dynamics from the cytoplasm to CAT tips during chemotropic interactions. In the Δmak-2 strain, HAM-5-GFP localized to punctate complexes that did not oscillate, but still localized to the germling tip, suggesting that MAK-2 activity influences HAM-5 function/localization. However, MAK-2-GFP showed cytoplasmic and nuclear localization in a Δham-5 strain and did not localize to puncta. Via co-immunoprecipitation experiments, HAM-5 was shown to physically interact with NRC-1, MEK-2 and MAK-2, suggesting that it functions as a scaffold/transport hub for the MAP kinase cascade members for oscillation and chemotropic interactions during germling and hyphal fusion in N. crassa. The identification of HAM-5 as a scaffold-like protein will help to link the activation of MAK-2 cascade to upstream factors and proteins involved in this intriguing process of fungal communication.

Cell fusion between genetically identical cells of the fungus Neurospora crassa occurs when germinating asexual cells (conidia) sense each other's proximity and redirect their growth. Chemotropic growth is dependent upon the assembly of a MAPK cascade (NRC-1/MEK-2/MAK-2) at the cell cortex (conidial anastomosis tubes; CATs), followed by disassembly over an ∼8 min cycle. A second protein required for fusion, SO, also assembles and disassembles at CAT tips during chemotropic growth, but with perfectly opposite dynamics to the MAK-2 complex. This process of germling chemotropism, oscillation and cell fusion is regulated by many genes and is poorly understood. Via a phosphoproteomics approach, we identify HAM-5, which functions as a scaffold for the MAK-2 signal transduction complex. HAM-5 is required for assembly/disassembly and oscillation of the MAK-2 complex during chemotropic growth. Our data supports a model whereby regulated modification of HAM-5 controls the disassembly of the MAK-2 MAPK complex and is essential for modulating the tempo of oscillation during chemotropic interactions.

Fungal communication requires the MAK-2 pathway elements STE-20 and RAS-2, the NRC-1 adapter STE-50 and the MAP kinase scaffold HAM-5

Intercellular communication is critical for the survival of unicellular organisms as well as for the development and function of multicellular tissues. Cell-to-cell signaling is also required to develop the interconnected mycelial network characteristic of filamentous fungi and is a prerequisite for symbiotic and pathogenic host colonization achieved by molds. Somatic cell–cell communication and subsequent cell fusion is governed by the MAK-2 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade in the filamentous ascomycete model Neurospora crassa, yet the composition and mode of regulation of the MAK-2 pathway are currently unclear. In order to identify additional components involved in MAK-2 signaling we performed affinity purification experiments coupled to mass spectrometry with strains expressing functional GFP-fusion proteins of the MAPK cascade. This approach identified STE-50 as a regulatory subunit of the Ste11p homolog NRC-1 and HAM-5 as cell-communication-specific scaffold protein of the MAPK cascade. Moreover, we defined a network of proteins consisting of two Ste20-related kinases, the small GTPase RAS-2 and the adenylate cyclase capping protein CAP-1 that function upstream of the MAK-2 pathway and whose signals converge on the NRC-1/STE-50 MAP3K complex and the HAM-5 scaffold. Finally, our data suggest an involvement of the striatin interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) complex, the casein kinase 2 heterodimer, the phospholipid flippase modulators YPK-1 and NRC-2 and motor protein-dependent vesicle trafficking in the regulation of MAK-2 pathway activity and function. Taken together, these data will have significant implications for our mechanistic understanding of MAPK signaling and for homotypic cell–cell communication in fungi and higher eukaryotes.

Appropriate cellular responses to external stimuli depend on the highly orchestrated activity of interconnected signaling cascades. One crucial level of control arises from the formation of discrete complexes through scaffold proteins that bind multiple components of a given pathway. Central for our understanding of these signaling platforms is the archetypical MAP kinase scaffold Ste5p, a protein that is restricted to budding yeast and close relatives. We identified HAM-5, a protein highly conserved in filamentous ascomycete fungi, as cell–cell communication-specific scaffold protein of the Neurospora crassa MAK-2 cascade (homologous to the budding yeast pheromone pathway). We also describe a network of upstream acting proteins, consisting of two Ste20-related kinases, the small G-protein RAS-2 and the adenylate cyclase capping protein CAP-1, whose signals converge on HAM-5. Our work has implications for the mechanistic understanding of MAP kinase scaffold proteins and their function during intercellular communication in eukaryotic microbes as well as higher eukaryotes.

The Aspergillus nidulans signalling mucin MsbA regulates starvation responses, adhesion and affects cellulase secretion in response to environmental cues

In the heterogeneous semi-solid environment naturally occupied by lignocellulolytic fungi the majority of nutrients are locked away as insoluble plant biomass. Hence, lignocellulolytic fungi must actively search for, and attach to, a desirable source of nutrients. During growth on lignocellulose a period of carbon deprivation provokes carbon catabolite derepression and scavenging hydrolase secretion. Subsequently, starvation and/or contact sensing was hypothesized to play a role in lignocellulose attachment and degradation. In Aspergillus nidulans the extracellular signalling mucin, MsbA, influences growth under nutrient-poor conditions including lignocellulose. Cellulase secretion and activity was affected by MsbA via a mechanism that was independent of cellulase transcription. MsbA modulated both the cell wall integrity and filamentous growth MAPK pathways influencing adhesion, biofilm formation and secretion. The constitutive activation of MsbA subsequently enhanced cellulase activity by increasing the secretion of the cellobiohydrolase, CbhA, while improved substrate attachment and may contribute to an enhanced starvation response. Starvation and/or contact sensing therefore represents a new dimension to the already multifaceted regulation of cellulase activity.

The Mycelium Blueprint: insights into the cues that shape the filamentous fungal colony

The mycelium is an organised cellular network that develops according to a functionally coherent plan. As it expands, the mycelium is capable of modulating the relative abundance of different cell types to suit the prevailing environmental conditions. This versatile pattern of multicellular development involves sophisticated environmental sensing and intercellular communication systems that have barely been recognised. This review describes an insight into our current understanding of the signalling molecules and mechanisms that take part in the ordered and timely emergence of various cell types and their biological significance. The prospects that this emerging knowledge may offer for the sustainable control of fungal colonisation or dispersal will also be considered.

HAM-2 and HAM-3 are central for the assembly of the Neurospora STRIPAK complex at the nuclear envelope and regulate nuclear accumulation of the MAP kinase MAK-1 in a MAK-2-dependent manner

Intercellular communication and somatic cell fusion are important for fungal colony establishment, multicellular differentiation and have been associated with host colonization and virulence of pathogenic species. By a combination of genetic, biochemical and live cell imaging techniques, we characterized the Neurospora crassa STRIPAK complex that is essential for self-signalling and consists of the six proteins HAM-2/STRIP, HAM-3/striatin, HAM-4/SLMAP, MOB-3/phocein, PPG-1/PP2A-C and PP2A-A. We describe that the core STRIPAK components HAM-2 and HAM-3 are central for the assembly of the complex at the nuclear envelope, while the phosphatase PPG-1 only transiently associates with this central subcomplex. Our data connect the STRIPAK complex with two MAP kinase pathways: (i) nuclear accumulation of the cell wall integrity MAP kinase MAK-1 depends on the functional integrity of the STRIPAK complex at the nuclear envelope, and (ii) phosphorylation of MOB-3 by the MAP kinase MAK-2 impacts the nuclear accumulation of MAK-1. In summary, these data support a model, in which MAK-2-dependent phosphorylation of MOB-3 is part of a MAK-1 import mechanism. Although self-communication remained intact in the absence of nuclear MAK-1 accumulation, supporting the presence of multiple mechanisms that co-ordinate robust intercellular communication, proper fruiting body morphology was dependent on the MAK-2-phosphorylated N-terminus of MOB-3.

Reproductive competence: a recurrent logic module in eukaryotic development

Developmental competence is the ability to differentiate in response to an appropriate stimulus, as first elaborated by Waddington in relation to organs and tissues. Competence thresholds operate at all levels of biological systems from the molecular (e.g. the cell cycle) to the ontological (e.g. metamorphosis and reproduction). Reproductive competence, an organismal process, is well studied in mammals (sexual maturity) and plants (vegetative phase change), though far less than later stages of terminal differentiation. The phenomenon has also been documented in multiple species of multicellular fungi, mostly in early, disparate literature, providing a clear example of physiological differentiation in the absence of morphological change. This review brings together data on reproductive competence in Ascomycete fungi, particularly the model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, contrasting mechanisms within Unikonts and plants. We posit reproductive competence is an elementary logic module necessary for coordinated development of multicellular organisms or functional units. This includes unitary multicellular life as well as colonial species both unicellular and multicellular (e.g. social insects such as ants). We discuss adaptive hypotheses for developmental and reproductive competence systems and suggest experimental work to address the evolutionary origins, generality and genetic basis of competence in the fungal kingdom.

Chaetochromones A and B, two new polyketides from the fungus Chaetomium indicum (CBS.860.68)

Chaetochromones A (1) and B (2), two novel polyketides, were isolated from the crude extract of fungus Chaetomium indicum (CBS.860.68) together with three known analogues PI-3(3), PI-4 (4) and SB236050 (5). The structures of these compounds were determined by HRESI-MS and NMR experiments. Chaetochromones A (1) and B (2) are a member of the polyketides family, which might originate from a similar biogenetic pathway as the known compounds PI-3 (3), PI-4 (4) and SB236050 (5). The biological activities of these secondary metabolites were evaluated against eight plant pathogens, including Alternaria alternata, Ilyonectria radicicola, Trichoderma viride pers, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium verticillioide, Irpex lacteus (Fr.), Poria placenta (Fr.) Cooke and Coriolus versicolor (L.) Quél. Compound 1 displayed moderate inhibitory rate (>60%) against the brown rot fungus Poria placenta (Fr.) Cooke, which causes significant wood decay. In addition, the cytotoxic activities against three cancer cell lines A549, MDA-MB-231, PANC-1 were also tested, without any inhibitory activities being detected.

Sniffing on microbes: diverse roles of microbial volatile organic compounds in plant health

Secreted proteins and metabolites play diverse and critical roles in organismal and organism-environment interactions. Volatile organic compounds (VOC) can travel far from the point of production through the atmosphere, porous soils, and liquid, making them ideal info-chemicals for mediating both short- and long-distance intercellular and organismal interactions. Critical ecological roles for animal- and plant-derived VOC in directing animal behaviors and for VOC as a language for plant-to-plant communication and regulators of various physiological processes have been well documented. Similarly, microbial VOC appear to be involved in antagonism, mutualism, intra- and interspecies regulation of cellular and developmental processes, and modification of their surrounding environments. However, the available knowledge of how microbial VOC affect other organisms is very limited. Evidence supporting diverse roles of microbial VOC with the focus on their impact on plant health is reviewed here. Given the vast diversity of microbes in nature and the critical importance of microbial communities associated with plants for their ecology and fitness, systematic exploration of microbial VOC and characterization of their biological functions and ecological roles will likely uncover novel mechanisms for controlling diverse biological processes critical to plant health and will also offer tangible practical benefits in addressing agricultural and environmental problems.

Roussoellols A and B, tetracyclic fusicoccanes from Roussoella hysterioides

The structures of the tetracyclic fusicoccanes roussoellols A (1) and B (2) from Roussoella hysterioides KT1651 are described. NMR spectroscopic analyses involving NOESY experiments revealed that these molecules possessed unique bent structures that were supported by chemical derivatizations as well as chemical shift comparisons with theoretical shifts based on the density functional theory (DFT) at the EDF2/6-31G* level. Absolute configurations were established by the ECD couplet of positive chirality in both 1 and 2 at vacuum UV (VUV) region, which were further confirmed by successful reproduction of VUVCD spectra using theoretical calculations.

The transcriptional response to nonself in the fungus Podospora anserina

In fungi, heterokaryon incompatibility is a nonself recognition process occurring when filaments of different isolates of the same species fuse. Compatibility is controlled by so-called het loci and fusion of strains of unlike het genotype triggers a complex incompatibility reaction that leads to the death of the fusion cell. Herein, we analyze the transcriptional changes during the incompatibility reaction in Podospora anserina. The incompatibility response was found to be associated with a massive transcriptional reprogramming: 2231 genes were up-regulated by a factor 2 or more during incompatibility. In turn, 2441 genes were down-regulated. HET, NACHT, and HeLo domains previously found to be involved in the control of heterokaryon incompatibility were enriched in the up-regulated gene set. In addition, incompatibility was characterized by an up-regulation of proteolytic and other hydrolytic activities, of secondary metabolism clusters and toxins and effector-like proteins. The up-regulated set was found to be enriched for proteins lacking orthologs in other species and chromosomal distribution of the up-regulated genes was uneven with up-regulated genes residing preferentially in genomic islands and on chromosomes IV and V. There was a significant overlap between regulated genes during incompatibility in P. anserina and Neurospora crassa, indicating similarities in the incompatibility responses in these two species. Globally, this study illustrates that the expression changes occurring during cell fusion incompatibility in P. anserina are in several aspects reminiscent of those described in host-pathogen or symbiotic interactions in other fungal species.

Volatile profiles of fungi--chemotyping of species and ecological functions

Fungi emit a large spectrum of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In the present study, we characterized and compared the odor profiles of ectomycorrhizal (EM), pathogenic and saprophytic fungal species with the aim to use these patterns as a chemotyping tool. Volatiles were collected from the headspace of eight fungal species including nine strains (four EM, three pathogens and two saprophytes) using the stir bar sorptive extraction method and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). After removal of VOCs released from the growth system, 54 VOCs were detected including 15 novel compounds not reported in fungi before. Principle component and cluster analyses revealed that fungal species differ in their odor profiles, particularly in the pattern of sesquiterpenes. The functional groups and species could be chemotyped by using their specific emission patterns. The different ecological groups could be predicted with probabilities of 90-99%, whereas for the individual species the probabilities varied between 55% and 83%. This study strongly supports the concept that the profiling of volatile compounds can be used for non-invasive identification of different functional fungal groups.

Carot-4-en-9,10-diol, a conidiation-inducing sesquiterpene diol produced by Trichoderma virens PS1-7 upon exposure to chemical stress from highly active iron chelators

To screen biocontrol agents against Burkholderia plantarii, the causative agent of rice seedling blight, we employed catechol, an analog of the virulence factor tropolone, to obtain chemical stress-resistant microorganisms. The fungal isolate PS1-7, identified as a strain of Trichoderma virens, showed the highest resistance to catechol (20 mM) and exhibited efficacy as a biocontrol agent for rice seedling blight. During investigation of metabolic traits of T. virens PS1-7 exposed to catechol, we found a secondary metabolite that was released extracellularly and uniquely accumulated in the culture. The compound induced by chemical stress due to catechol was subsequently isolated and identified as a sesquiterpene diol, carot-4-en-9,10-diol, based on spectroscopic analyses. T. virens PS1-7 produced carot-4-en-9,10-diol as a metabolic response to tropolone at concentrations from 0.05 to 0.2 mM, and the response was enhanced in a dose-dependent manner, similar to its response to catechol at concentrations from 0.1 to 1 mM. Some iron chelators, such as pyrogallol, gallic acid, salicylic acid, and citric acid, at 0.5 mM also showed activation of T. virens PS1-7 production of carot-4-en-9,10-diol. This sesquiterpene diol, formed in response to chemical stress, promoted conidiation of T. virens PS1-7, suggesting that it is involved in an autoregulatory signaling system. In a bioassay of the metabolic and morphological responses of T. virens PS1-7, conidiation in hyphae grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates was either promoted or induced by carot-4-en-9,10-diol. Carot-4-en-9,10-diol can thus be regarded as an autoregulatory signal in T. virens, and our findings demonstrate that intrinsic intracellular signaling regulates conidiation of T. virens.

Transcriptional changes in the transition from vegetative cells to asexual development in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans

Morphogenesis encompasses programmed changes in gene expression that lead to the development of specialized cell types. In the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans, asexual development involves the formation of characteristic cell types, collectively known as the conidiophore. With the aim of determining the transcriptional changes that occur upon induction of asexual development, we have applied massive mRNA sequencing to compare the expression pattern of 19-h-old submerged vegetative cells (hyphae) with that of similar hyphae after exposure to the air for 5 h. We found that the expression of 2,222 (20.3%) of the predicted 10,943 A. nidulans transcripts was significantly modified after air exposure, 2,035 being downregulated and 187 upregulated. The activation during this transition of genes that belong specifically to the asexual developmental pathway was confirmed. Another remarkable quantitative change occurred in the expression of genes involved in carbon or nitrogen primary metabolism. Genes participating in polar growth or sexual development were transcriptionally repressed, as were those belonging to the HogA/SakA stress response mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway. We also identified significant expression changes in several genes purportedly involved in redox balance, transmembrane transport, secondary metabolite production, or transcriptional regulation, mainly binuclear-zinc cluster transcription factors. Genes coding for these four activities were usually grouped in metabolic clusters, which may bring regulatory implications for the induction of asexual development. These results provide a blueprint for further stage-specific gene expression studies during conidiophore development.

Physiological significance of network organization in fungi

The evolution of multicellularity has occurred in diverse lineages and in multiple ways among eukaryotic species. For plants and fungi, multicellular forms are derived from ancestors that failed to separate following cell division, thus retaining cytoplasmic continuity between the daughter cells. In networked organisms, such as filamentous fungi, cytoplasmic continuity facilitates the long-distance transport of resources without the elaboration of a separate vascular system. Nutrient translocation in fungi is essential for nutrient cycling in ecosystems, mycorrhizal symbioses, virulence, and substrate utilization. It has been proposed that an interconnected mycelial network influences resource translocation, but the theory has not been empirically tested. Here we show, by using mutants that disrupt network formation in Neurospora crassa (Δso mutant, no fusion; ΔPrm-1 mutant, ∼50% fusion), that the translocation of labeled nutrients is adversely affected in homogeneous environments and is even more severely impacted in heterogeneous environments. We also show that the ability to share resources and genetic exchange between colonies (via hyphal fusion) is very limited in mature colonies, in contrast to in young colonies and germlings that readily share nutrients and genetic resources. The differences in genetic/resource sharing between young and mature colonies were associated with variations in colony architecture (hyphal differentiation/diameters, branching patterns, and angles). Thus, the ability to share resources and genetic material between colonies is developmentally regulated and is a function of the age of a colony. This study highlights the necessity of hyphal fusion for efficient nutrient translocation within an N. crassa colony but also shows that established N. crassa colonies do not share resources in a significant manner.

Cellular cooperation: insights from microbes

Cooperation between cells is a widespread phenomenon in nature, found across diverse systems ranging from microbial populations to multicellular organisms. For cooperation to evolve and be maintained within a population of cells, costs due to competition have to be outweighed by the benefits gained through cooperative actions. Because cooperation generally confers a cost to the cooperating cells, defector cells that do not cooperate but reap the benefits of cooperation can thrive and eventually drive the cooperating phenotypes to extinction. Here we summarize recent advances made in understanding how cooperation and multicellularity can evolve in microbial populations in the face of such conflicts and discuss parallels with cell populations within multicellular organisms.

WSC-1 and HAM-7 are MAK-1 MAP kinase pathway sensors required for cell wall integrity and hyphal fusion in Neurospora crassa

A large number of cell wall proteins are encoded in the Neurospora crassa genome. Strains carrying gene deletions of 65 predicted cell wall proteins were characterized. Deletion mutations in two of these genes (wsc-1 and ham-7) have easily identified morphological and inhibitor-based defects. Their phenotypic characterization indicates that HAM-7 and WSC-1 function during cell-to-cell hyphal fusion and in cell wall integrity maintenance, respectively. wsc-1 encodes a transmembrane protein with extensive homology to the yeast Wsc family of sensor proteins. In N. crassa, WSC-1 (and its homolog WSC-2) activates the cell wall integrity MAK-1 MAP kinase pathway. The GPI-anchored cell wall protein HAM-7 is required for cell-to-cell fusion and the sexual stages of the N. crassa life cycle. Like WSC-1, HAM-7 is required for activating MAK-1. A Δwsc-1;Δham-7 double mutant fully phenocopies mutants lacking components of the MAK-1 MAP kinase cascade. The data identify WSC-1 and HAM-7 as the major cell wall sensors that regulate two distinct MAK-1-dependent cellular activities, cell wall integrity and hyphal anastomosis, respectively.

The role of pheromone receptors for communication and mating in Hypocrea jecorina (Trichoderma reesei)

Discovery of sexual development in the ascomycete Trichoderma reesei (Hypocrea jecorina) as well as detection of a novel class of peptide pheromone precursors in this fungus indicates promising insights into its physiology and lifestyle. Here we investigated the role of the two pheromone receptors HPR1 and HPR2 in the H. jecorina pheromone-system.

We found that these pheromone receptors show an unexpectedly high genetic variability among H. jecorina strains. HPR1 and HPR2 confer female fertility in their cognate mating types (MAT1-1 or MAT1-2, respectively) and mediate induction of fruiting body development. One compatible pheromone precursor–pheromone receptor pair (hpr1–hpp1 or hpr2–ppg1) in mating partners was sufficient for sexual development. Additionally, pheromone receptors were essential for ascospore development, hence indicating their involvement in post-fertilisation events.

Neither pheromone precursor genes nor pheromone receptor genes of H. jecorina were transcribed in a strictly mating type dependent manner, but showed enhanced expression levels in the cognate mating type. In the presence of a mating partner under conditions favoring sexual development, transcript levels of pheromone precursors were significantly increased, while those of pheromone receptor genes do not show this trend. In the female sterile T. reesei strain QM6a, transcriptional responses of pheromone precursor and pheromone receptor genes to a mating partner were clearly altered compared to the female fertile wild-type strain CBS999.97. Consequently, a delayed and inappropriate response to the mating partner may be one aspect causing female sterility in QM6a.

Systematic deletion of homeobox genes in Podospora anserina uncovers their roles in shaping the fruiting body

Higher fungi, which comprise ascomycetes and basidiomycetes, play major roles in the biosphere. Their evolutionary success may be due to the extended dikaryotic stage of their life cycle, which is the basis for their scientific name: the Dikarya. Dikaryosis is maintained by similar structures, the clamp in basidiomycetes and the crozier in ascomycetes. Homeodomain transcription factors are required for clamp formation in all basidiomycetes studied. We identified all the homeobox genes in the filamentous ascomycete fungus Podospora anserina and constructed deletion mutants for each of these genes and for a number of gene combinations. Croziers developed normally in these mutants, including those with up to six deleted homeogenes. However, some mutants had defects in maturation of the fruiting body, an effect that could be rescued by providing wild-type maternal hyphae. Analysis of mutants deficient in multiple homeogenes revealed interactions between the genes, suggesting that they operate as a complex network. Similar to their role in animals and plants, homeodomain transcription factors in ascomycetes are involved in shaping multicellular structures.

Signaling the induction of sporulation involves the interaction of two secondary metabolites in Aspergillus nidulans

When growing Aspergillus nidulans hyphae encounter the atmosphere, they initiate a morphogenetic program leading to the production of spores. Mutants that are defective in the fluG gene fail to undergo sporulation because they lack an endogenous diffusible factor that purportedly accumulates on aerial hyphae, thus signaling the initiation of development. In this study, the defect could be reversed by adding culture extracts from a wild-type strain onto a mutant colony. Moreover, a bioassay-guided purification of the active culture extract resulted in the identification of the active agent as dehydroaustinol. However, this meroterpenoid was active only when administered in conjunction with the orsellinic acid derivative diorcinol. These two compounds formed an adduct that was detected by HRMS in an LC-MS experiment. The diorcinol-dehydroaustinol adduct prevented crystal formation of the signal on the surface of aerial hyphae and on an artificially prepared aqueous film and also increased the signal lipophilicity.

Excitable behavior can explain the "ping-pong" mode of communication between cells using the same chemoattractant

Here we elucidate a paradox: how a single chemoattractant-receptor system in two individuals is used for communication despite the seeming inevitability of self-excitation. In the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa, genetically identical cells that produce the same chemoattractant fuse via the homing of individual cell protrusions toward each other. This is achieved via a recently described "ping-pong" pulsatile communication. Using a generic activator-inhibitor model of excitable behavior, we demonstrate that the pulse exchange can be fully understood in terms of two excitable systems locked into a stable oscillatory pattern of mutual excitation. The most puzzling properties of this communication are the sudden onset of oscillations with final amplitude, and the absence of seemingly inevitable self-excitation. We show that these properties result directly from both the excitability threshold and refractory period characteristic of excitable systems. Our model suggests possible molecular mechanisms for the ping-pong communication.

Nuclear and genome dynamics in multinucleate ascomycete fungi

Genetic variation between individuals is essential to evolution and adaptation. However, intra-organismic genetic variation also shapes the life histories of many organisms, including filamentous fungi. A single fungal syncytium can harbor thousands or millions of mobile and potentially genotypically different nuclei, each having the capacity to regenerate a new organism. Because the dispersal of asexual or sexual spores propagates individual nuclei in many of these species, selection acting at the level of nuclei creates the potential for competitive and cooperative genome dynamics. Recent work in Neurospora crassa and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum has illuminated how nuclear populations are coordinated for fungal growth and other behaviors and has revealed both molecular and physical mechanisms for preventing and policing inter-genomic conflict. Recent results from population-level genomic studies in a variety of filamentous fungi suggest that nuclear exchange between mycelia and recombination between heterospecific nuclei may be of more importance to fungal evolution, diversity and the emergence of newly virulent strains than has previously been recognized.