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Liu F, Zeng M, Zhou X, Huang F, Song Z. Aspergillus fumigatus escape mechanisms from its harsh survival environments. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:53. [PMID: 38175242 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12952-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous pathogenic mold and causes several diseases, including mycotoxicosis, allergic reactions, and systemic diseases (invasive aspergillosis), with high mortality rates. In its ecological niche, the fungus has evolved and mastered many reply strategies to resist and survive against negative threats, including harsh environmental stress and deficiency of essential nutrients from natural environments, immunity responses and drug treatments in host, and competition from symbiotic microorganisms. Hence, treating A. fumigatus infection is a growing challenge. In this review, we summarized A. fumigatus reply strategies and escape mechanisms and clarified the main competitive or symbiotic relationships between A. fumigatus, viruses, bacteria, or fungi in host microecology. Additionally, we discussed the contemporary drug repertoire used to treat A. fumigatus and the latest evidence of potential resistance mechanisms. This review provides valuable knowledge which will stimulate further investigations and clinical applications for treating and preventing A. fumigatus infections. KEY POINTS: • Harsh living environment was a great challenge for A. fumigatus survival. • A. fumigatus has evolved multiple strategies to escape host immune responses. • A. fumigatus withstands antifungal drugs via intrinsic escape mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyan Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng Zeng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 402160, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Zhou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
| | - Fujiao Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhangyong Song
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
- Molecular Biotechnology Platform, Public Center of Experimental Technology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
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Li G, Cao X, Tumukunde E, Zeng Q, Wang S. The target of rapamycin signaling pathway regulates vegetative development, aflatoxin biosynthesis, and pathogenicity in Aspergillus flavus. eLife 2024; 12:RP89478. [PMID: 38990939 PMCID: PMC11239180 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway is highly conserved and plays a crucial role in diverse biological processes in eukaryotes. Despite its significance, the underlying mechanism of the TOR pathway in Aspergillus flavus remains elusive. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the TOR signaling pathway in A. flavus by identifying and characterizing nine genes that encode distinct components of this pathway. The FK506-binding protein Fkbp3 and its lysine succinylation are important for aflatoxin production and rapamycin resistance. The TorA kinase plays a pivotal role in the regulation of growth, spore production, aflatoxin biosynthesis, and responses to rapamycin and cell membrane stress. As a significant downstream effector molecule of the TorA kinase, the Sch9 kinase regulates aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) synthesis, osmotic and calcium stress response in A. flavus, and this regulation is mediated through its S_TKc, S_TK_X domains, and the ATP-binding site at K340. We also showed that the Sch9 kinase may have a regulatory impact on the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) signaling pathway. TapA and TipA, the other downstream components of the TorA kinase, play a significant role in regulating cell wall stress response in A. flavus. Moreover, the members of the TapA-phosphatase complexes, SitA and Ppg1, are important for various biological processes in A. flavus, including vegetative growth, sclerotia formation, AFB1 biosynthesis, and pathogenicity. We also demonstrated that SitA and Ppg1 are involved in regulating lipid droplets (LDs) biogenesis and cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling pathways. In addition, another phosphatase complex, Nem1/Spo7, plays critical roles in hyphal development, conidiation, aflatoxin production, and LDs biogenesis. Collectively, our study has provided important insight into the regulatory network of the TOR signaling pathway and has elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms of aflatoxin biosynthesis in A. flavus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Pathogenic, Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Xiaohong Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Pathogenic, Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Elisabeth Tumukunde
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Pathogenic, Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Qianhua Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Pathogenic, Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Shihua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Pathogenic, Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
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Santos AS, Costa VAF, Freitas VAQ, Dos Anjos LRB, de Almeida Santos ES, Arantes TD, Costa CR, de Sene Amâncio Zara AL, do Rosário Rodrigues Silva M, Neves BJ. Drug to genome to drug: a computational large-scale chemogenomics screening for novel drug candidates against sporotrichosis. Braz J Microbiol 2024:10.1007/s42770-024-01406-x. [PMID: 38888692 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-024-01406-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Sporotrichosis is recognized as the predominant subcutaneous mycosis in South America, attributed to pathogenic species within the Sporothrix genus. Notably, in Brazil, Sporothrix brasiliensis emerges as the principal species, exhibiting significant sapronotic, zoonotic and enzootic epidemic potential. Consequently, the discovery of novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of sporotrichosis is imperative. The present study is dedicated to the repositioning of pharmaceuticals for sporotrichosis therapy. To achieve this goal, we designed a pipeline with the following steps: (a) compilation and preparation of Sporothrix genome data; (b) identification of orthologous proteins among the species; (c) identification of homologous proteins in publicly available drug-target databases; (d) selection of Sporothrix essential targets using validated genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae; (e) molecular modeling studies; and (f) experimental validation of selected candidates. Based on this approach, we were able to prioritize eight drugs for in vitro experimental validation. Among the evaluated compounds, everolimus and bifonazole demonstrated minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 0.5 µg/mL and 4.0 µg/mL, respectively. Subsequently, molecular docking studies suggest that bifonazole and everolimus may target specific proteins within S. brasiliensis- namely, sterol 14-α-demethylase and serine/threonine-protein kinase TOR, respectively. These findings shed light on the potential binding affinities and binding modes of bifonazole and everolimus with their probable targets, providing a preliminary understanding of the antifungal mechanism of action of these compounds. In conclusion, our research advances the understanding of the therapeutic potential of bifonazole and everolimus, supporting their further investigation as antifungal agents for sporotrichosis in prospective hit-to-lead and preclinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andressa Santana Santos
- Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
- Laboratory of Cheminformatics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | | | | | - Laura Raniere Borges Dos Anjos
- Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
- Laboratory of Cheminformatics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | | | - Thales Domingos Arantes
- Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Carolina Rodrigues Costa
- Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Ana Laura de Sene Amâncio Zara
- Postgraduate Program in Health Technology Assistance and Assessment (PPG-AAS), Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | | | - Bruno Junior Neves
- Laboratory of Cheminformatics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
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van Rhijn N, Zhao C, Al-Furaji N, Storer ISR, Valero C, Gago S, Chown H, Baldin C, Grant RF, Bin Shuraym H, Ivanova L, Kniemeyer O, Krüger T, Bignell E, Goldman GH, Amich J, Delneri D, Bowyer P, Brakhage AA, Haas H, Bromley MJ. Functional analysis of the Aspergillus fumigatus kinome identifies a druggable DYRK kinase that regulates septal plugging. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4984. [PMID: 38862481 PMCID: PMC11166925 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48592-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
More than 10 million people suffer from lung diseases caused by the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. Azole antifungals represent first-line therapeutics for most of these infections but resistance is rising, therefore the identification of antifungal targets whose inhibition synergises with the azoles could improve therapeutic outcomes. Here, we generate a library of 111 genetically barcoded null mutants of Aspergillus fumigatus in genes encoding protein kinases, and show that loss of function of kinase YakA results in hypersensitivity to the azoles and reduced pathogenicity. YakA is an orthologue of Candida albicans Yak1, a TOR signalling pathway kinase involved in modulation of stress responsive transcriptional regulators. We show that YakA has been repurposed in A. fumigatus to regulate blocking of the septal pore upon exposure to stress. Loss of YakA function reduces the ability of A. fumigatus to penetrate solid media and to grow in mouse lung tissue. We also show that 1-ethoxycarbonyl-beta-carboline (1-ECBC), a compound previously shown to inhibit C. albicans Yak1, prevents stress-mediated septal spore blocking and synergises with the azoles to inhibit A. fumigatus growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman van Rhijn
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Can Zhao
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Narjes Al-Furaji
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Kerbala, Kerbala, Iraq
| | - Isabelle S R Storer
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Clara Valero
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Sara Gago
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Harry Chown
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Clara Baldin
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Rachael-Fortune Grant
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Hajer Bin Shuraym
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, 11481, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lia Ivanova
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Krüger
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Elaine Bignell
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Gustavo H Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jorge Amich
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Mycology Reference Laboratory (Laboratorio de Referencia e Investigación en Micología [LRIM]), National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniela Delneri
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Paul Bowyer
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, 11481, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michael J Bromley
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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Scott J, Amich J. The role of methionine synthases in fungal metabolism and virulence. Essays Biochem 2023; 67:853-863. [PMID: 37449444 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20230007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Methionine synthases (MetH) catalyse the methylation of homocysteine (Hcy) with 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate (5, methyl-THF) acting as methyl donor, to form methionine (Met) and tetrahydrofolate (THF). This function is performed by two unrelated classes of enzymes that differ significantly in both their structures and mechanisms of action. The genomes of plants and many fungi exclusively encode cobalamin-independent enzymes (EC.2.1.1.14), while some fungi also possess proteins from the cobalamin-dependent (EC.2.1.1.13) family utilised by humans. Methionine synthase's function connects the methionine and folate cycles, making it a crucial node in primary metabolism, with impacts on important cellular processes such as anabolism, growth and synthesis of proteins, polyamines, nucleotides and lipids. As a result, MetHs are vital for the viability or virulence of numerous prominent human and plant pathogenic fungi and have been proposed as promising broad-spectrum antifungal drug targets. This review provides a summary of the relevance of methionine synthases to fungal metabolism, their potential as antifungal drug targets and insights into the structures of both classes of MetH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Scott
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jorge Amich
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Mycology Reference Laboratory (Laboratorio de Referencia e Investigación en Micología [LRIM]), National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
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So LH, Jirakkakul J, Salaipeth L, Toopaang W, Amnuaykanjanasin A. TOR Signaling Tightly Regulated Vegetative Growth, Conidiation, Oxidative Stress Tolerance and Entomopathogenicity in the Fungus Beauveria bassiana. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2129. [PMID: 37763973 PMCID: PMC10537155 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11092129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Beauveria bassiana degenerates after repeated subcultures, demonstrating declined conidiation and insect virulence. The target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase conserved among eukaryotes is the master regulator of cellular physiology and is likely involved in culture degeneration. Indeed, the levels of TOR-associated proteins increase over successive subcultures. Here, CRISPR/Cas9 locus engineering introduced the inducible Tet-On promoter upstream of the TOR kinase 2 gene tor2 in B. bassiana. The mutant PTet-Ontor2 'T41' was verified for the Tet-On integration via PCR analyses and provided a model for evaluating the fungal phenotypes according to the tor2 expression levels, induced by doxycycline (Dox) concentrations. At 0 µg·mL-1 of Dox, T41 had 68% of the wild type's (WT) tor2 expression level, hampered radial growth and relatively lower levels of oxidative stress tolerance, conidiation and virulence against Spodoptera exigua, compared to those under the presence of Dox. A low dose of Dox at 0.1-1 µg·mL-1 induced tor2 upregulation in T41 by up to 91% compared to 0 µg·mL-1 of Dox, resulting in significant increases in radial growth by 8-10% and conidiation by 8-27%. At 20 µg·mL-1 of Dox, which is 132% higher than T41's tor2 expression level at 0 µg·mL-1 of Dox, T41 showed an increased oxidative stress tolerance and a decrease in growth inhibition under iron replete by 62%, but its conidiation significantly dropped by 47% compared to 0 µg·mL-1 of Dox. T41 at 20 µg·mL-1 of Dox had a strikingly increased virulence (1.2 day lower LT50) against S. exigua. The results reflect the crucial roles of TOR kinase in the vegetative growth, conidiation, pathogenicity and oxidative stress tolerance in B. bassiana. Since TOR upregulation is correlated with culture degeneration in multiple subcultures, our data suggest that TOR signaling at relatively low levels plays an important role in growth and development, but at moderate to high levels could contribute to some degenerated phenotypes, e.g., those found in successive subcultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai-Hong So
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Rd., Tambon Khlong Nueng, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand (W.T.)
- School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand; (J.J.); (L.S.)
| | - Jiraporn Jirakkakul
- School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand; (J.J.); (L.S.)
| | - Lakha Salaipeth
- School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand; (J.J.); (L.S.)
| | - Wachiraporn Toopaang
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Rd., Tambon Khlong Nueng, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand (W.T.)
| | - Alongkorn Amnuaykanjanasin
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Rd., Tambon Khlong Nueng, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand (W.T.)
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Fabri JHTM, Rocha MC, Fernandes CM, Campanella JEM, da Cunha AF, Del Poeta M, Malavazi I. The Heat Shock Transcription Factor HsfA Plays a Role in Membrane Lipids Biosynthesis Connecting Thermotolerance and Unsaturated Fatty Acid Metabolism in Aspergillus fumigatus. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0162723. [PMID: 37195179 PMCID: PMC10269545 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01627-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Thermotolerance is a remarkable virulence attribute of Aspergillus fumigatus, but the consequences of heat shock (HS) to the cell membrane of this fungus are unknown, although this structure is one of the first to detect changes in ambient temperature that imposes on the cell a prompt adaptative response. Under high-temperature stress, fungi trigger the HS response controlled by heat shock transcription factors, such as HsfA, which regulates the expression of heat shock proteins. In yeast, smaller amounts of phospholipids with unsaturated fatty acid (FA) chains are synthesized in response to HS, directly affecting plasma membrane composition. The addition of double bonds in saturated FA is catalyzed by Δ9-fatty acid desaturases, whose expression is temperature-modulated. However, the relationship between HS and saturated/unsaturated FA balance in membrane lipids of A. fumigatus in response to HS has not been investigated. Here, we found that HsfA responds to plasma membrane stress and has a role in sphingolipid and phospholipid unsaturated biosynthesis. In addition, we studied the A. fumigatus Δ9-fatty acid desaturase sdeA and discovered that this gene is essential and required for unsaturated FA biosynthesis, although it did not directly affect the total levels of phospholipids and sphingolipids. sdeA depletion significantly sensitizes mature A. fumigatus biofilms to caspofungin. Also, we demonstrate that hsfA controls sdeA expression, while SdeA and Hsp90 physically interact. Our results suggest that HsfA is required for the adaptation of the fungal plasma membrane to HS and point out a sharp relationship between thermotolerance and FA metabolism in A. fumigatus. IMPORTANCE Aspergillus fumigatus causes invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, a life-threatening infection accounting for high mortality rates in immunocompromised patients. The ability of this organism to grow at elevated temperatures is long recognized as an essential attribute for this mold to cause disease. A. fumigatus responds to heat stress by activating heat shock transcription factors and chaperones to orchestrate cellular responses that protect the fungus against damage caused by heat. Concomitantly, the cell membrane must adapt to heat and maintain physical and chemical properties such as the balance between saturated/unsaturated fatty acids. However, how A. fumigatus connects these two physiological responses is unclear. Here, we explain that HsfA affects the synthesis of complex membrane lipids such as phospholipids and sphingolipids and controls the enzyme SdeA, which produces monounsaturated fatty acids, raw material for membrane lipids. These findings suggest that forced dysregulation of saturated/unsaturated fatty acid balance might represent novel strategies for antifungal therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Henrique Tadini Marilhano Fabri
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marina Campos Rocha
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caroline Mota Fernandes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Jonatas Erick Maimoni Campanella
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anderson Ferreira da Cunha
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maurizio Del Poeta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Veterans Administration Medical Center, Northport, New York, USA
| | - Iran Malavazi
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
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8
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van Rhijn N, Zhao C, Al-Furaji N, Storer I, Valero C, Gago S, Chown H, Baldin C, Fortune-Grant R, Shuraym HB, Ivanova L, Kniemeyer O, Krüger T, Bignell E, Goldman G, Amich J, Delneri D, Bowyer P, Brakhage A, Haas H, Bromley M. Functional analysis of the Aspergillus fumigatus kinome reveals a DYRK kinase involved in septal plugging is a novel antifungal drug target. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2960526. [PMID: 37398159 PMCID: PMC10312919 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2960526/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
More than 10 million people suffer from lung diseases caused by the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. The azole class of antifungals represent first line therapeutics for most of these infections however resistance is rising. Identification of novel antifungal targets that, when inhibited, synergise with the azoles will aid the development of agents that can improve therapeutic outcomes and supress the emergence of resistance. As part of the A. fumigatus genome-wide knockout program (COFUN), we have completed the generation of a library that consists of 120 genetically barcoded null mutants in genes that encode the protein kinase cohort of A. fumigatus. We have employed a competitive fitness profiling approach (Bar-Seq), to identify targets which when deleted result in hypersensitivity to the azoles and fitness defects in a murine host. The most promising candidate from our screen is a previously uncharacterised DYRK kinase orthologous to Yak1 of Candida albicans, a TOR signalling pathway kinase involved in modulation of stress responsive transcriptional regulators. Here we show that the orthologue YakA has been repurposed in A. fumigatus to regulate blocking of the septal pore upon exposure to stress via phosphorylation of the Woronin body tethering protein Lah. Loss of YakA function reduces the ability of A. fumigatus to penetrate solid media and impacts growth in murine lung tissue. We also show that 1-ethoxycarbonyl-beta-carboline (1-ECBC), a compound previously shown to inhibit Yak1 in C. albicans prevents stress mediated septal spore blocking and synergises with the azoles to inhibit A. fumigatus growth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Can Zhao
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lia Ivanova
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology
| | - Thomas Krüger
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology
| | | | - Gustavo Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Bloco Q, Universidade de São Paulo
| | | | | | | | - Axel Brakhage
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - University of Jena
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Institute of Molecular Biology/Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University
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9
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TORC1 Signaling in Fungi: From Yeasts to Filamentous Fungi. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11010218. [PMID: 36677510 PMCID: PMC9864104 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11010218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) is an important regulator of various signaling pathways. It can control cell growth and development by integrating multiple signals from amino acids, glucose, phosphate, growth factors, pressure, oxidation, and so on. In recent years, it has been reported that TORC1 is of great significance in regulating cytotoxicity, morphology, protein synthesis and degradation, nutrient absorption, and metabolism. In this review, we mainly discuss the upstream and downstream signaling pathways of TORC1 to reveal its role in fungi.
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Baldin C, Kühbacher A, Merschak P, Wagener J, Gsaller F. Modular Inducible Multigene Expression System for Filamentous Fungi. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0367022. [PMID: 36350143 PMCID: PMC9769661 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03670-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Inducible promoters are indispensable elements when considering the possibility to modulate gene expression on demand. Desirable traits of conditional expression systems include their capacity for tight downregulation, high overexpression, and in some instances for fine-tuning, to achieve a desired product's stoichiometry. Although the number of inducible systems is slowly increasing, suitable promoters comprising these features are rare. To date, the concomitant use of multiple regulatable promoter platforms for controlled multigene expression has been poorly explored. This work provides pioneer work in the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, wherein we investigated different inducible systems, elucidated three candidate promoters, and proved for the first time that up to three systems can be used simultaneously without interfering with each other. Proof of concept was obtained by conditionally expressing three antifungal drug targets within the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway under the control of the xylose-inducible PxylP system, the tetracycline-dependent Tet-On system, and the thiamine-repressible PthiA system. IMPORTANCE In recent years, inducible promoters have gained increasing interest for industrial or laboratory use and have become key instruments for protein expression, synthetic biology, and metabolic engineering. Constitutive, high-expressing promoters can be used to achieve high expression yields; however, the continuous overexpression of specific proteins can lead to an unpredictable metabolic burden. To prevent undesirable effects on the expression host's metabolism, the utilization of tunable systems that allow expression of a gene product on demand is indispensable. Here, we elucidated several excellent tunable promoter systems and verified that each can be independently induced in a single strain to ultimately develop a unique conditional multigene expression system. This highly efficient, modular toolbox has the potential to significantly advance applications in fundamental as well as applied research in which regulatable expression of several genes is a key requirement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Baldin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Alexander Kühbacher
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Petra Merschak
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Johannes Wagener
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Fabio Gsaller
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Yap A, Glarcher I, Misslinger M, Haas H. Characterization and engineering of the xylose-inducible xylP promoter for use in mold fungal species. Metab Eng Commun 2022; 15:e00214. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2022.e00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Jiang H, Xiong J, Tan L, Jin P, Sun Y, Yang L, Tan J. In Vitro Interactions of Antifungal Agents and Everolimus Against Aspergillus Species. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:936814. [PMID: 35865820 PMCID: PMC9294350 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.936814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple cellular activities, including protein and lipid synthesis, ribosome biogenesis, and metabolic processes, are regulated by the target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway. Recent research suggests that the TOR might play an important role in various physiological functions of pathogenic fungi, such as nutrient sensing, stress response, and cell cycle progression. Given their robust immunosuppressant and antitumor activities, TOR inhibitors are widely used in clinical settings. In the present study, a microdilution checkerboard-based approach was employed to assess the interactions between the oral mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor everolimus (EVL) and antifungal agents in the treatment of Aspergillus species derived from 35 clinical isolates in vitro. The results revealed that EVL exhibited promising inhibitory synergy with itraconazole (ITC), posaconazole (POS), and amphotericin B (AMB) for 85.7%, 74.2%, and 71.4%, respectively. In contrast, EVL exhibited minimal synergistic inhibitory activity (14.3%) when applied in combination with voriconazole (VRC). Antagonistic interactions were not observed. In vivo experiments conducted in Galleria mellonella revealed that EVL in combination with antifungal agents improved the larva survival rates in the ITC, VRC, POS, and AMB groups by 18.3%, 13.3%, 26.7%, and 13.3%, respectively. These data suggest that the combination treatment with antifungal agents and antifungal agents holds promise as a means of alleviating clinical aspergillosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiping Jiang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jingzhou Central Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | - Jianqun Xiong
- Department of Pharmacy, Jingzhou Central Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | - Lihua Tan
- Department of Dermatology, Jingzhou Central Hospital, Candidate Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Skin and Immune Diseases, The Second Clinical Medical College, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | - Ping Jin
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jingzhou Central Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Department of Dermatology, Jingzhou Central Hospital, Candidate Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Skin and Immune Diseases, The Second Clinical Medical College, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | - Lianjuan Yang
- Department of Medical Mycology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingwen Tan
- Department of Medical Mycology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Jingwen Tan,
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Abstract
In the present study, in vitro and in vivo interactions of TOR inhibitor AZD8055 and azoles, including itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole and fluconazole, against a variety of pathogenic fungi were investigated. A total of 69 isolates were studied via broth microdilution checkerboard technique, including 23 isolates of Aspergillus spp., 20 isolates of Candida spp., 9 isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans complex, and 17 isolates of Exophiala dermatitidis. The results revealed that AZD8055 individually did not exert any significant antifungal activity. However, synergistic effects between AZD8055 and itraconazole, voriconazole or posaconazole were observed in 23 (33%), 13 (19%) and 57 (83%) isolates, respectively, including azole-resistant A. fumigatus strains and Candida spp., potentiating the efficacy of azoles. The combination effect of AZD8055 and fluconazole was investigated against non-auris Candida spp. and C. neoformans complex. Synergism between AZD8055 and fluconazole was observed in six strains (60%) of Candida spp., resulting in reversion of fluconazole resistance. Synergistic combinations resulted in 4-fold to 256-fold reduction of effective MICs of AZD8055 and azoles. No antagonism was observed. In vivo effects of AZD8055-azole combinations were evaluated by survival assay in Galleria mellonella model infected with A. fumigatus strain AF002, E. dermatitidis strain BMU00038, C. auris strain 383, C. albicans strain R15, and C. neoformans complex strain Z2. AZD8055 acted synergistically with azoles and significantly increased larvae survival (P < 0.05). In summary, the results suggested that AZD8055 combined with azoles may help to enhance the antifungal susceptibilities of azoles against pathogenic fungi and had the potential to overcome azole resistance issues. IMPORTANCE Limited options of antifungals and the emergence of drug resistance in fungal pathogens has been a multifaceted clinical challenge. Combination therapy represents a valuable alternative to antifungal monotherapy. The target of rapamycin (TOR), a conserved serine/threonine kinase from yeast to humans, participates in a signaling pathway that governs cell growth and proliferation in response to nutrient availability, growth factors, and environmental stimuli. AZD8055 is an orally bioavailable, potent, and selective TOR kinase inhibitor that binds to the ATP binding cleft of TOR kinase and inhibits both TORC1 and TORC2. Synergism between AZD8055 and azoles suggested that the concomitant application of AZD8055 and azoles may help to enhance azole therapeutic efficacy and impede azole resistance. TOR inhibitor with fungal specific target is promising to be served as combination regimen with azoles.
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Segreto R, Bazafkan H, Millinger J, Schenk M, Atanasova L, Doppler M, Büschl C, Boeckstaens M, Soto Diaz S, Schreiner U, Sillo F, Balestrini R, Schuhmacher R, Zeilinger S. The TOR kinase pathway is relevant for nitrogen signaling and antagonism of the mycoparasite Trichoderma atroviride. PLoS One 2022; 16:e0262180. [PMID: 34972198 PMCID: PMC8719763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Trichoderma atroviride (Ascomycota, Sordariomycetes) is a well-known mycoparasite applied for protecting plants against fungal pathogens. Its mycoparasitic activity involves processes shared with plant and human pathogenic fungi such as the production of cell wall degrading enzymes and secondary metabolites and is tightly regulated by environmental cues. In eukaryotes, the conserved Target of Rapamycin (TOR) kinase serves as a central regulator of cellular growth in response to nutrient availability. Here we describe how alteration of the activity of TOR1, the single and essential TOR kinase of T. atroviride, by treatment with chemical TOR inhibitors or by genetic manipulation of selected TOR pathway components affected various cellular functions. Loss of TSC1 and TSC2, that are negative regulators of TOR complex 1 (TORC1) in mammalian cells, resulted in altered nitrogen source-dependent growth of T. atroviride, reduced mycoparasitic overgrowth and, in the case of Δtsc1, a diminished production of numerous secondary metabolites. Deletion of the gene encoding the GTPase RHE2, whose mammalian orthologue activates mTORC1, led to rapamycin hypersensitivity and altered secondary metabolism, but had an only minor effect on vegetative growth and mycoparasitic overgrowth. The latter also applied to mutants missing the npr1-1 gene that encodes a fungus-specific kinase known as TOR target in yeast. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis confirmed TOR1 as a regulatory hub that governs T. atroviride metabolism and processes associated to ribosome biogenesis, gene expression and translation. In addition, mycoparasitism-relevant genes encoding terpenoid and polyketide synthases, peptidases, glycoside hydrolases, small secreted cysteine-rich proteins, and G protein coupled receptors emerged as TOR1 targets. Our results provide the first in-depth insights into TOR signaling in a fungal mycoparasite and emphasize its importance in the regulation of processes that critically contribute to the antagonistic activity of T. atroviride.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossana Segreto
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hoda Bazafkan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Julia Millinger
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Martina Schenk
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lea Atanasova
- Institute of Food Technology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Doppler
- Department of Agrobiotechnology IFA-Tulln, Center for Analytical Chemistry, University of Natural, Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Tulln, Austria
| | - Christoph Büschl
- Department of Agrobiotechnology IFA-Tulln, Center for Analytical Chemistry, University of Natural, Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Tulln, Austria
| | - Mélanie Boeckstaens
- Département de Biologie Moléculaire, Laboratory of Biology of Membrane Transport, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Silvia Soto Diaz
- Département de Biologie Moléculaire, Laboratory of Biology of Membrane Transport, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Ulrike Schreiner
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | | | - Rainer Schuhmacher
- Department of Agrobiotechnology IFA-Tulln, Center for Analytical Chemistry, University of Natural, Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Tulln, Austria
| | - Susanne Zeilinger
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- * E-mail:
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Nitrogen, Iron and Zinc Acquisition: Key Nutrients to Aspergillus fumigatus Virulence. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7070518. [PMID: 34203370 PMCID: PMC8303583 DOI: 10.3390/jof7070518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous soil decomposer and an opportunistic pathogen that is characterized by its large metabolic machinery for acquiring nutrients from media. Lately, an ever-increasing number of genes involved in fungal nutrition has been associated with its virulence. Of these, nitrogen, iron, and zinc metabolism-related genes are particularly noteworthy, since 78% of them have a direct implication in virulence. In this review, we describe the sensing, uptake and regulation process of the acquisition of these nutrients, the connections between pathways and the virulence-implicated genes. Nevertheless, only 40% of the genes mentioned in this review have been assayed for roles in virulence, leaving a wide field of knowledge that remains uncertain and might offer new therapeutic and diagnostic targets.
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Baldin C, Kühbacher A, Merschak P, Sastré-Velásquez LE, Abt B, Dietl AM, Haas H, Gsaller F. Inducible Selectable Marker Genes to Improve Aspergillus fumigatus Genetic Manipulation. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:506. [PMID: 34202756 PMCID: PMC8305790 DOI: 10.3390/jof7070506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene from Escherichia coli and the pyrithiamine resistance gene from Aspergillus oryzae are two dominant selectable marker genes widely used to genetically manipulate several fungal species. Despite the recent development of CRISPR/Cas9 and marker-free systems, in vitro molecular tools to study Aspergillus fumigatus, which is a saprophytic fungus causing life-threatening diseases in immunocompromised hosts, still rely extensively on the use of dominant selectable markers. The limited number of drug selectable markers is already a critical aspect, but the possibility that their introduction into a microorganism could induce enhanced virulence or undesired effects on metabolic behavior constitutes another problem. In this context, here, we demonstrate that the use of ptrA in A. fumigatus leads to the secretion of a compound that allows the recovery of thiamine auxotrophy. In this study, we developed a simple modification of the two commonly used dominant markers in which the development of resistance can be controlled by the xylose-inducible promoter PxylP from Penicillium chrysogenum. This strategy provides an easy solution to avoid undesired side effects, since the marker expression can be readily silenced when not required.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Hubertus Haas
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (C.B.); (A.K.); (P.M.); (L.E.S.-V.); (B.A.); (A.-M.D.)
| | - Fabio Gsaller
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (C.B.); (A.K.); (P.M.); (L.E.S.-V.); (B.A.); (A.-M.D.)
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17
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Fabri JHTM, Rocha MC, Fernandes CM, Persinoti GF, Ries LNA, da Cunha AF, Goldman GH, Del Poeta M, Malavazi I. The Heat Shock Transcription Factor HsfA Is Essential for Thermotolerance and Regulates Cell Wall Integrity in Aspergillus fumigatus. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:656548. [PMID: 33897671 PMCID: PMC8062887 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.656548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The deleterious effects of human-induced climate change have long been predicted. However, the imminent emergence and spread of new diseases, including fungal infections through the rise of thermotolerant strains, is still neglected, despite being a potential consequence of global warming. Thermotolerance is a remarkable virulence attribute of the mold Aspergillus fumigatus. Under high-temperature stress, opportunistic fungal pathogens deploy an adaptive mechanism known as heat shock (HS) response controlled by heat shock transcription factors (HSFs). In eukaryotes, HSFs regulate the expression of several heat shock proteins (HSPs), such as the chaperone Hsp90, which is part of the cellular program for heat adaptation and a direct target of HSFs. We recently observed that the perturbation in cell wall integrity (CWI) causes concomitant susceptibility to elevated temperatures in A. fumigatus, although the mechanisms underpinning the HS response and CWI cross talking are not elucidated. Here, we aim at further deciphering the interplay between HS and CWI. Our results show that cell wall ultrastructure is severely modified when A. fumigatus is exposed to HS. We identify the transcription factor HsfA as essential for A. fumigatus viability, thermotolerance, and CWI. Indeed, HS and cell wall stress trigger the coordinated expression of both hsfA and hsp90. Furthermore, the CWI signaling pathway components PkcA and MpkA were shown to be important for HsfA and Hsp90 expression in the A. fumigatus biofilms. Lastly, RNA-sequencing confirmed that hsfA regulates the expression of genes related to the HS response, cell wall biosynthesis and remodeling, and lipid homeostasis. Our studies collectively demonstrate the connection between the HS and the CWI pathway, with HsfA playing a crucial role in this cross-pathway regulation, reinforcing the importance of the cell wall in A. fumigatus thermophily.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marina Campos Rocha
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Caroline Mota Fernandes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Gabriela Felix Persinoti
- Laboratório Nacional de Biorrenováveis (LNBR), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Anderson Ferreira da Cunha
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Henrique Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maurizio Del Poeta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- Veterans Administration Medical Center, Northport, NY, United States
| | - Iran Malavazi
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
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Vellanki S, Garcia AE, Lee SC. Interactions of FK506 and Rapamycin With FK506 Binding Protein 12 in Opportunistic Human Fungal Pathogens. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:588913. [PMID: 33195437 PMCID: PMC7596385 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.588913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades advances in modern medicine have resulted in a global increase in the prevalence of fungal infections. Particularly people undergoing organ transplants or cancer treatments with a compromised immune system are at an elevated risk for lethal fungal infections such as invasive candidiasis, aspergillosis, cryptococcosis, etc. The emergence of drug resistance in fungal pathogens poses a serious threat to mankind and it is critical to identify new targets for the development of antifungals. Calcineurin and TOR proteins are conserved across eukaryotes including pathogenic fungi. Two small molecules FK506 and rapamycin bind to FKBP12 immunophilin and the resulting complexes (FK506-FKBP12 and rapamycin-FKBP12) target calcineurin and TOR, respectively in both humans and fungi. However, due to their immunosuppressive nature these drugs in the current form cannot be used as an antifungal. To overcome this, it is important to identify key differences between human and fungal FKBP12, calcineurin, and TOR proteins which will facilitate the development of new small molecules with higher affinity toward fungal components. The current review highlights FK506/rapamycin-FKBP12 interactions with calcineurin/TOR kinase in human and fungi, and development of non-immunosuppressive analogs of FK506, rapamycin, and novel small molecules in inhibition of fungal calcineurin and TOR kinase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Vellanki
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Alexis E Garcia
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Soo Chan Lee
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
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Targeting Methionine Synthase in a Fungal Pathogen Causes a Metabolic Imbalance That Impacts Cell Energetics, Growth, and Virulence. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.01985-20. [PMID: 33051366 PMCID: PMC7554668 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01985-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal pathogens are responsible for millions of life-threatening infections on an annual basis worldwide. The current repertoire of antifungal drugs is very limited and, worryingly, resistance has emerged and already become a serious threat to our capacity to treat fungal diseases. The first step to develop new drugs is often to identify molecular targets in the pathogen whose inhibition during infection can prevent its growth. However, the current models are not suitable to validate targets in established infections. Here, we have characterized the promising antifungal target methionine synthase in great detail, using the prominent fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus as a model. We have uncovered the underlying reason for its essentiality and confirmed its druggability. Furthermore, we have optimized the use of a genetic system to show a beneficial effect of targeting methionine synthase in established infections. Therefore, we believe that antifungal drugs to target methionine synthase should be pursued and additionally, we provide a model that permits gaining information about the validity of antifungal targets in established infections. There is an urgent need to develop novel antifungals to tackle the threat fungal pathogens pose to human health. Here, we have performed a comprehensive characterization and validation of the promising target methionine synthase (MetH). We show that in Aspergillus fumigatus the absence of this enzymatic activity triggers a metabolic imbalance that causes a reduction in intracellular ATP, which prevents fungal growth even in the presence of methionine. Interestingly, growth can be recovered in the presence of certain metabolites, which shows that metH is a conditionally essential gene and consequently should be targeted in established infections for a more comprehensive validation. Accordingly, we have validated the use of the tetOFF genetic model in fungal research and improved its performance in vivo to achieve initial validation of targets in models of established infection. We show that repression of metH in growing hyphae halts growth in vitro, which translates into a beneficial effect when targeting established infections using this model in vivo. Finally, a structure-based virtual screening of methionine synthases reveals key differences between the human and fungal structures and unravels features in the fungal enzyme that can guide the design of novel specific inhibitors. Therefore, methionine synthase is a valuable target for the development of new antifungals.
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Víglaš J, Olejníková P. Signalling mechanisms involved in stress response to antifungal drugs. Res Microbiol 2020; 172:103786. [PMID: 33038529 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2020.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of antifungal resistance is a serious threat in the treatment of mycoses. The primary susceptible fungal cells may evolve a resistance after longer exposure to antifungal agents. The exposure itself causes stress condition, to which the fungus needs to adapt. This review provides detailed description of evolutionary conserved molecular mechanisms contributing to the adaptation response to stress caused by antifungal agents as well as their interconnection. The knowledge may help us to find new ways to delay the emergence of drug resistance as the same mechanisms are used regardless of what antifungal compound causes stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ján Víglaš
- Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, 81237, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Petra Olejníková
- Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, 81237, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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21
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Martínez-Pastor MT, Puig S. Adaptation to iron deficiency in human pathogenic fungi. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2020; 1867:118797. [PMID: 32663505 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2020.118797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Iron is an essential micronutrient for virtually all eukaryotic organisms and plays a central role during microbial infections. Invasive fungal diseases are associated with strikingly high rates of mortality, but their impact on human health is usually underestimated. Upon a fungal infection, hosts restrict iron availability in order to limit the growth and virulence of the pathogen. Here, we use two model yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, to delve into the response to iron deficiency of human fungal pathogens, such as Candida glabrata, Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus and Cryptococcus neoformans. Fungi possess common and species-specific mechanisms to acquire iron and to control the response to iron limitation. Upon iron scarcity, fungi activate a wide range of elegant strategies to capture and import exogenous iron, mobilize iron from intracellular stores, and modulate their metabolism to economize and prioritize iron utilization. Hence, iron homeostasis genes represent remarkable virulence factors that can be used as targets for the development of novel antifungal treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sergi Puig
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
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Abstract
Polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMNs) are indispensable for controlling life-threatening fungal infections. In addition to various effector mechanisms, PMNs also produce extracellular vesicles (EVs). Their contribution to antifungal defense has remained unexplored. We reveal that the clinically important human-pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus triggers PMNs to release a distinct set of antifungal EVs (afEVs). Proteome analyses indicated that afEVs are enriched in antimicrobial proteins. The cargo and the release kinetics of EVs are modulated by the fungal strain confronted. Tracking of afEVs indicated that they associated with fungal cells and even entered fungal hyphae, resulting in alterations in the morphology of the fungal cell wall and dose-dependent antifungal effects. To assess as a proof of concept whether the antimicrobial proteins found in afEVs might contribute to growth inhibition of hyphae when present in the fungal cytoplasm, two human proteins enriched in afEVs, cathepsin G and azurocidin, were heterologously expressed in fungal hyphae. This led to reduced fungal growth relative to that of a control strain producing the human retinol binding protein 7. In conclusion, extracellular vesicles produced by neutrophils in response to A. fumigatus infection are able to associate with the fungus, limit growth, and elicit cell damage by delivering antifungal cargo. This finding offers an intriguing, previously overlooked mechanism of antifungal defense against A. fumigatus IMPORTANCE Invasive fungal infections caused by the mold Aspergillus fumigatus are a growing concern in the clinic due to the increasing use of immunosuppressive therapies and increasing antifungal drug resistance. These infections result in high rates of mortality, as treatment and diagnostic options remain limited. In healthy individuals, neutrophilic granulocytes are critical for elimination of A. fumigatus from the host; however, the exact extracellular mechanism of neutrophil-mediated antifungal activity remains unresolved. Here, we present a mode of antifungal defense employed by human neutrophils against A. fumigatus not previously described. We found that extracellular vesicles produced by neutrophils in response to A. fumigatus infection are able to associate with the fungus, limit growth, and elicit cell damage by delivering antifungal cargo. In the end, antifungal extracellular vesicle biology provides a significant step forward in our understanding of A. fumigatus host pathogenesis and opens up novel diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities.
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Stroe MC, Netzker T, Scherlach K, Krüger T, Hertweck C, Valiante V, Brakhage AA. Targeted induction of a silent fungal gene cluster encoding the bacteria-specific germination inhibitor fumigermin. eLife 2020; 9:52541. [PMID: 32083553 PMCID: PMC7034978 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms produce numerous secondary metabolites (SMs) with various biological activities. Many of their encoding gene clusters are silent under standard laboratory conditions because for their activation they need the ecological context, such as the presence of other microorganisms. The true ecological function of most SMs remains obscure, but understanding of both the activation of silent gene clusters and the ecological function of the produced compounds is of importance to reveal functional interactions in microbiomes. Here, we report the identification of an as-yet uncharacterized silent gene cluster of the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, which is activated by the bacterium Streptomyces rapamycinicus during the bacterial-fungal interaction. The resulting natural product is the novel fungal metabolite fumigermin, the biosynthesis of which requires the polyketide synthase FgnA. Fumigermin inhibits germination of spores of the inducing S. rapamycinicus, and thus helps the fungus to defend resources in the shared habitat against a bacterial competitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Stroe
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Tina Netzker
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Krüger
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Hertweck
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.,Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, HKI, Jena, Germany
| | - Vito Valiante
- Leibniz Research Group - Biobricks of Microbial Natural Product Syntheses, HKI, Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
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24
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Identification of PARP-1, Histone H1 and SIRT-1 as New Regulators of Breast Cancer-Related Aromatase Promoter I.3/II. Cells 2020; 9:cells9020427. [PMID: 32059481 PMCID: PMC7072628 DOI: 10.3390/cells9020427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Paracrine interactions between malignant estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer cells and breast adipose fibroblasts (BAFs) stimulate estrogen biosynthesis by aromatase in BAFs. In breast cancer, mainly the cAMP-responsive promoter I.3/II-region mediates excessive aromatase expression. A rare single nucleotide variant (SNV) in this promoter region, which caused 70% reduction in promoter activity, was utilized for the identification of novel regulators of aromatase expression. To this end, normal and mutant promoter activities were measured in luciferase reporter gene assays. DNA-binding proteins were captured by DNA-affinity and identified by mass spectrometry. The DNA binding of proteins was analyzed using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, immunoprecipitation-based in vitro binding assays and by chromatin immunoprecipitation in BAFs in vivo. Protein expression and parylation were analyzed by western blotting. Aromatase activities and RNA-expression were measured in BAFs. Functional consequences of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) knock-out, rescue or overexpression, respectively, were analyzed in murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and the 3T3-L1 cell model. In summary, PARP-1 and histone H1 (H1) were identified as critical regulators of aromatase expression. PARP-1-binding to the SNV-region was crucial for aromatase promoter activation. PARP-1 parylated H1 and competed with H1 for DNA-binding, thereby inhibiting its gene silencing action. In MEFs (PARP-1 knock-out and wild-type) and BAFs, PARP-1-mediated induction of the aromatase promoter showed bi-phasic dose responses in overexpression and inhibitor experiments, respectively. The HDAC-inhibitors butyrate, panobinostat and selisistat enhanced promoter I.3/II-mediated gene expression dependent on PARP-1-activity. Forskolin stimulation of BAFs increased promoter I.3/II-occupancy by PARP-1, whereas SIRT-1 competed with PARP-1 for DNA binding but independently activated the promoter I.3/II. Consistently, the inhibition of both PARP-1 and SIRT-1 increased the NAD+/NADH-ratio in BAFs. This suggests that cellular NAD+/NADH ratios control the complex interactions of PARP-1, H1 and SIRT-1 and regulate the interplay of parylation and acetylation/de-acetylation events with low NAD+/NADH ratios (reverse Warburg effect), promoting PARP-1 activation and estrogen synthesis in BAFs. Therefore, PARP-1 inhibitors could be useful in the treatment of estrogen-dependent breast cancers.
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25
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Kang J, Dong Z, Hao Q, Wang J, Chen G, Liu D. The regulation of rapamycin in planarian Dugesia japonica Ichikawa & Kawakatsu, 1964 regeneration according to TOR signaling pathway. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 185:109680. [PMID: 31546204 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.109680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The freshwater planarian mostly lives in the upper reaches of springs and rivers. Generally, it is realized as a suitable warning indicator of environmental toxicants. The freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica has a powerful regenerative capability and can regenerate a new individual including a complete central nervous system in one week. Rapamycin is an inhibitor of mammalian TORC1 (target of rapamycin complex-1) and used in the treatment of some diseases like cancer, cardiovascular and neurological diseases. However, the roles of rapamycin in the regulation of planarian regeneration remain to be elucidated. In present study, freshwater planarians D. japonica were firstly treated with 1 μM rapamycin for 18 h exposures and the expression patterns of Djtor was analyzed by the whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH). Our results indicated rapamycin could strongly inhibit Djtor expression in planarian D. japonica and cause asymmetric blastemas and neuronal defects in planarians. Furthermore, knockdown of Djtor gene in planarians using RNA interference resulted in the suppression of downstream autophagy genes. These findings suggested that rapamycin might regulate freshwater planarian regeneration via Djtor signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Kang
- College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China; College of Life Science, Xingxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.
| | - Zimei Dong
- College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Qin Hao
- College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Jing Wang
- College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Guangwen Chen
- College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China.
| | - Dezeng Liu
- College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China
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26
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Bauer I, Misslinger M, Shadkchan Y, Dietl AM, Petzer V, Orasch T, Abt B, Graessle S, Osherov N, Haas H. The Lysine Deacetylase RpdA Is Essential for Virulence in Aspergillus fumigatus. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2773. [PMID: 31866965 PMCID: PMC6905131 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Current suboptimal treatment options of invasive fungal infections and emerging resistance of the corresponding pathogens urge the need for alternative therapy strategies and require the identification of novel antifungal targets. Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common airborne opportunistic mold pathogen causing invasive and often fatal disease. Establishing a novel in vivo conditional gene expression system, we demonstrate that downregulation of the class 1 lysine deacetylase (KDAC) RpdA leads to avirulence of A. fumigatus in a murine model for pulmonary aspergillosis. The xylP promoter used has previously been shown to allow xylose-induced gene expression in different molds. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that this promoter also allows in vivo tuning of A. fumigatus gene activity by supplying xylose in the drinking water of mice. In the absence of xylose, an A. fumigatus strain expressing rpdA under control of the xylP promoter, rpdAxylP, was avirulent and lung histology showed significantly less fungal growth. With xylose, however, rpdAxylP displayed full virulence demonstrating that xylose was taken up by the mouse, transported to the site of fungal infection and caused rpdA induction in vivo. These results demonstrate that (i) RpdA is a promising target for novel antifungal therapies and (ii) the xylP expression system is a powerful new tool for in vivo gene silencing in A. fumigatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo Bauer
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Matthias Misslinger
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Yana Shadkchan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Aspergillus and Antifungal Research Laboratory, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
| | - Anna-Maria Dietl
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Verena Petzer
- Department of Internal Medicine II (Infectious Diseases, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pneumology), Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas Orasch
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Beate Abt
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Stefan Graessle
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nir Osherov
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Aspergillus and Antifungal Research Laboratory, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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27
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Li B, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Tian W, Chong K, Jang JC, Wang L. PRR5, 7 and 9 positively modulate TOR signaling-mediated root cell proliferation by repressing TANDEM ZINC FINGER 1 in Arabidopsis. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:5001-5015. [PMID: 30892623 PMCID: PMC6547441 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian clock coordinates numerous plant growth and developmental processes including cell elongation in the hypocotyl, whether or not it modulates cell proliferation is largely unknown. Here we have found that Pseudo Response Regulators (PRRs), essential components of circadian core oscillators, affect root meristem cell proliferation mediated by Target Of Rapamycin (TOR) signaling. The null mutants of PRRs display much reduced sensitivities to sugar-activated TOR signaling. We have subsequently identified Tandem Zinc Finger 1, encoding a processing body localized RNA-binding protein, as a direct target repressed by PRRs in mediating TOR signaling. Multiple lines of biochemical and genetic evidence have demonstrated that TZF1 acts downstream of PRRs to attenuate TOR signaling. Furthermore, TZF1 could directly bind TOR mRNA via its tandem zinc finger motif to affect TOR mRNA stability. Our findings support a notion that PRR-TZF1-TOR molecular axis modulates root meristem cell proliferation by integrating both transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10093, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10093, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10093, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenwen Tian
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10093, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
| | - Kang Chong
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10093, People's Republic of China
| | - Jyan-Chyun Jang
- Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.,Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Lei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10093, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
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28
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Romero AM, Ramos-Alonso L, Montellá-Manuel S, García-Martínez J, de la Torre-Ruiz MÁ, Pérez-Ortín JE, Martínez-Pastor MT, Puig S. A genome-wide transcriptional study reveals that iron deficiency inhibits the yeast TORC1 pathway. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2019; 1862:194414. [PMID: 31394264 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2019.194414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Iron is an essential micronutrient that participates as a cofactor in a broad range of metabolic processes including mitochondrial respiration, DNA replication, protein translation and lipid biosynthesis. Adaptation to iron deficiency requires the global reorganization of cellular metabolism directed to optimize iron utilization. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been widely used to characterize the responses of eukaryotic microorganisms to iron depletion. In this report, we used a genomic approach to investigate the contribution of transcription rates to the modulation of mRNA levels during adaptation of yeast cells to iron starvation. We reveal that a decrease in the activity of all RNA polymerases contributes to the down-regulation of many mRNAs, tRNAs and rRNAs. Opposite to the general expression pattern, many genes including components of the iron deficiency response, the mitochondrial retrograde pathway and the general stress response display a remarkable increase in both transcription rates and mRNA levels upon iron limitation, whereas genes encoding ribosomal proteins or implicated in ribosome biogenesis exhibit a pronounced fall. This expression profile is consistent with an activation of the environmental stress response. The phosphorylation stage of multiple regulatory factors strongly suggests that the conserved nutrient signaling pathway TORC1 is inhibited during the progress of iron deficiency. These results suggest an intricate crosstalk between iron metabolism and the TORC1 pathway that should be considered in many disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia María Romero
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Lucía Ramos-Alonso
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Sandra Montellá-Manuel
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, IRB-Lleida, University of Lleida, E-25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - José García-Martínez
- Departamento de Genética, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain; ERI Biotecmed, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - José Enrique Pérez-Ortín
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain; ERI Biotecmed, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Sergi Puig
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
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29
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Role of Amino Acid Metabolism in the Virulence of Human Pathogenic Fungi. CURRENT CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40588-019-00124-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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30
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Chen M, Talarovicova A, Zheng Y, Storey KB, Elphick MR. Neuropeptide precursors and neuropeptides in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus: a genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic analysis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8829. [PMID: 31222106 PMCID: PMC6586643 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45271-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus is a foodstuff with very high economic value in China, Japan and other countries in south-east Asia. It is at the heart of a multibillion-dollar industry and to meet demand for this product, aquaculture methods and facilities have been established. However, there are challenges associated with optimization of reproduction, feeding and growth in non-natural environments. Therefore, we need to learn more about the biology of A. japonicus, including processes such as aestivation, evisceration, regeneration and albinism. One of the major classes of molecules that regulate physiology and behaviour in animals are neuropeptides, and a few bioactive peptides have already been identified in A. japonicus. To facilitate more comprehensive investigations of neuropeptide function in A. japonicus, here we have analysed genomic and transcriptomic sequence data and proteomic data to identify neuropeptide precursors and neuropeptides in this species. We identified 44 transcripts encoding neuropeptide precursors or putative neuropeptide precursors, and in some instances neuropeptides derived from these precursors were confirmed by mass spectrometry. Furthermore, analysis of genomic sequence data enabled identification of the location of neuropeptide precursor genes on genomic scaffolds and linkage groups (chromosomes) and determination of gene structure. Many of the precursors identified contain homologs of neuropeptides that have been identified in other bilaterian animals. Precursors of neuropeptides that have thus far only been identified in echinoderms were identified, including L- and F-type SALMFamides, AN peptides and others. Precursors of several peptides that act as modulators of neuromuscular activity in A. japonicus were also identified. The discovery of a large repertoire of neuropeptide precursors and neuropeptides provides a basis for experimental studies that investigate the physiological roles of neuropeptide signaling systems in A. japonicus. Looking ahead, some of these neuropeptides may have effects that could be harnessed to enable improvements in the aquaculture of this economically important species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muyan Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, PR, China.
| | - Alzbeta Talarovicova
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Yingqiu Zheng
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, PR, China
| | - Kenneth B Storey
- Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Maurice R Elphick
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK.
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31
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Ries LNA, Steenwyk JL, de Castro PA, de Lima PBA, Almeida F, de Assis LJ, Manfiolli AO, Takahashi-Nakaguchi A, Kusuya Y, Hagiwara D, Takahashi H, Wang X, Obar JJ, Rokas A, Goldman GH. Nutritional Heterogeneity Among Aspergillus fumigatus Strains Has Consequences for Virulence in a Strain- and Host-Dependent Manner. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:854. [PMID: 31105662 PMCID: PMC6492530 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Acquisition and subsequent metabolism of different carbon and nitrogen sources have been shown to play an important role in virulence attributes of the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, such as the secretion of host tissue-damaging proteases and fungal cell wall integrity. We examined the relationship between the metabolic processes of carbon catabolite repression (CCR), nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR) and virulence in a variety of A. fumigatus clinical isolates. A considerable amount of heterogeneity with respect to the degree of CCR and NCR was observed and a positive correlation between NCR and virulence in a neutropenic mouse model of pulmonary aspergillosis (PA) was found. Isolate Afs35 was selected for further analysis and compared to the reference strain A1163, with both strains presenting the same degree of virulence in a neutropenic mouse model of PA. Afs35 metabolome analysis in physiological-relevant carbon sources indicated an accumulation of intracellular sugars that also serve as cell wall polysaccharide precursors. Genome analysis showed an accumulation of missense substitutions in the regulator of protease secretion and in genes encoding enzymes required for cell wall sugar metabolism. Based on these results, the virulence of strains Afs35 and A1163 was assessed in a triamcinolone murine model of PA and found to be significantly different, confirming the known importance of using different mouse models to assess strain-specific pathogenicity. These results highlight the importance of nitrogen metabolism for virulence and provide a detailed example of the heterogeneity that exists between A. fumigatus isolates with consequences for virulence in a strain-specific and host-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacob L. Steenwyk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Patrícia Alves de Castro
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Fausto Almeida
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leandro José de Assis
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Yoko Kusuya
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Daisuke Hagiwara
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiroki Takahashi
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Xi Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Lebanon, NH, United States
| | - Joshua J. Obar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Lebanon, NH, United States
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Gustavo H. Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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32
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Bohnert S, Neumann H, Thines E, Jacob S. Visualizing fungicide action: an in vivo tool for rapid validation of fungicides with target location HOG pathway. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2019; 75:772-778. [PMID: 30123985 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mitogen-activated protein kinase MoHog1p was fused with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. The MoHOG1::GFP mutant was found to be an excellent tool visualizing in vivo fungicide-dependent translocation of MoHog1p into the nucleus. Validation of pathway specificity was achieved by generating fluorescence-labelled MoHog1p in the ΔMohik1 'loss of function' mutant strain. RESULTS GFP-labelled MoHog1p expressed in the wildtype and in ΔMohik1 demonstrates that fludioxonil is acting on the HOG pathway and even more precisely that fungicide action is dependent on the group III histidine kinase MoHik1p. GFP-tagged MoHog1p translocated into the nucleus upon fungicide treatment in the MoHOG1::GFP mutant within seconds, but did not do so in the ΔMohik1/HOG1::GFP mutant. CONCLUSION Here, we developed a rapid in vivo tool for fluorescent-based validation of fungicides targeting the HOG-signaling pathway. Furthermore, using the fluorescent mutants generated in this study, we are able to visualize that fungicide action is dependent on the histidine kinase MoHik1p but operates in a different mechanism of pathway activation compared to osmotic stress. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Bohnert
- Institut für Biotechnologie und Wirkstoff-Forschung gGmbH (IBWF), Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Hendrik Neumann
- Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mikrobiologie und Weinforschung am Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Mainz, Germany
| | - Eckhard Thines
- Institut für Biotechnologie und Wirkstoff-Forschung gGmbH (IBWF), Kaiserslautern, Germany
- Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mikrobiologie und Weinforschung am Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Mainz, Germany
| | - Stefan Jacob
- Institut für Biotechnologie und Wirkstoff-Forschung gGmbH (IBWF), Kaiserslautern, Germany
- Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mikrobiologie und Weinforschung am Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Mainz, Germany
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33
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Di Mambro T, Guerriero I, Aurisicchio L, Magnani M, Marra E. The Yin and Yang of Current Antifungal Therapeutic Strategies: How Can We Harness Our Natural Defenses? Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:80. [PMID: 30804788 PMCID: PMC6370704 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections have aroused much interest over the last years because of their involvement in several human diseases. Immunocompromission due to transplant-related therapies and malignant cancer treatments are risk factors for invasive fungal infections, but also aggressive surgery, broad-spectrum antibiotics and prosthetic devices are frequently associated with infectious diseases. Current therapy is based on the administration of antifungal drugs, but the occurrence of resistant strains to the most common molecules has become a serious health-care problem. New antifungal agents are urgently needed and it is essential to identify fungal molecular targets that could offer alternatives for development of treatments. The fungal cell wall and plasma membrane are the most important structures that offer putative new targets which can be modulated in order to fight microbial infections. The development of monoclonal antibodies against new targets is a valid therapeutic strategy, both to solve resistance problems and to support the immune response, especially in immunocompromised hosts. In this review, we summarize currently used antifungal agents and propose novel therapeutic approaches, including new fungal molecular targets to be considered for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Di Mambro
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy.,Diatheva s.r.l., Cartoceto, Italy
| | - Ilaria Guerriero
- Takis s.r.l., Rome, Italy.,Veterinary Immunotherapy and Translational Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Aurisicchio
- Takis s.r.l., Rome, Italy.,Veterinary Immunotherapy and Translational Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Magnani
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy.,Diatheva s.r.l., Cartoceto, Italy
| | - Emanuele Marra
- Takis s.r.l., Rome, Italy.,Veterinary Immunotherapy and Translational Research, Rome, Italy
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Fabri JHTM, Godoy NL, Rocha MC, Munshi M, Cocio TA, von Zeska Kress MR, Fill TP, da Cunha AF, Del Poeta M, Malavazi I. The AGC Kinase YpkA Regulates Sphingolipids Biosynthesis and Physically Interacts With SakA MAP Kinase in Aspergillus fumigatus. Front Microbiol 2019; 9:3347. [PMID: 30692984 PMCID: PMC6339957 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids (SL) are complex lipids and components of the plasma membrane which are involved in numerous cellular processes, as well as important for virulence of different fungal pathogens. In yeast, SL biosynthesis is regulated by the "AGC kinases" Ypk1 and Ypk2, which also seem to connect the SL biosynthesis with the cell wall integrity (CWI) and the High Osmolarity Glycerol (HOG) pathways. Here, we investigate the role of ypkA Y PK1 in SL biosynthesis and its relationship with the CWI and the HOG pathways in the opportunistic human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. We found that ypkA is important for fungal viability, since the ΔypkA strain presented a drastically sick phenotype and complete absence of conidiation. We observed that under repressive condition, the conditional mutant niiA::ypkA exhibited vegetative growth defects, impaired germination and thermosensitivity. In addition, the ypkA loss of function caused a decrease in glycosphingolipid (GSL) levels, especially the metabolic intermediates belonging to the neutral GSL branch including dihydroceramide (DHC), ceramide (Cer), and glucosylceramide (GlcCer), but interestingly a small increase in ergosterol content. Genetic analyzes showed that ypkA genetically interacts with the MAP kinases of CWI and HOG pathways, mpkA and sakA, respectively, while only SakA physically interacts with YpkA. Our results suggest that YpkA is important for fungal survival through the regulation of GSL biosynthesis and cross talks with A. fumigatus MAP kinase pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Naiane Lima Godoy
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Marina Campos Rocha
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Mansa Munshi
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Tiago Alexandre Cocio
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Marcia Regina von Zeska Kress
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Anderson Ferreira da Cunha
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Maurizio Del Poeta
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States.,Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States.,Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States.,Veterans Administration Medical Center, Northport, NY, United States
| | - Iran Malavazi
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
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Conrad T, Kniemeyer O, Henkel SG, Krüger T, Mattern DJ, Valiante V, Guthke R, Jacobsen ID, Brakhage AA, Vlaic S, Linde J. Module-detection approaches for the integration of multilevel omics data highlight the comprehensive response of Aspergillus fumigatus to caspofungin. BMC SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2018; 12:88. [PMID: 30342519 PMCID: PMC6195963 DOI: 10.1186/s12918-018-0620-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Background Omics data provide deep insights into overall biological processes of organisms. However, integration of data from different molecular levels such as transcriptomics and proteomics, still remains challenging. Analyzing lists of differentially abundant molecules from diverse molecular levels often results in a small overlap mainly due to different regulatory mechanisms, temporal scales, and/or inherent properties of measurement methods. Module-detecting algorithms identifying sets of closely related proteins from protein-protein interaction networks (PPINs) are promising approaches for a better data integration. Results Here, we made use of transcriptome, proteome and secretome data from the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus challenged with the antifungal drug caspofungin. Caspofungin targets the fungal cell wall which leads to a compensatory stress response. We analyzed the omics data using two different approaches: First, we applied a simple, classical approach by comparing lists of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), differentially synthesized proteins (DSyPs) and differentially secreted proteins (DSePs); second, we used a recently published module-detecting approach, ModuleDiscoverer, to identify regulatory modules from PPINs in conjunction with the experimental data. Our results demonstrate that regulatory modules show a notably higher overlap between the different molecular levels and time points than the classical approach. The additional structural information provided by regulatory modules allows for topological analyses. As a result, we detected a significant association of omics data with distinct biological processes such as regulation of kinase activity, transport mechanisms or amino acid metabolism. We also found a previously unreported increased production of the secondary metabolite fumagillin by A. fumigatus upon exposure to caspofungin. Furthermore, a topology-based analysis of potential key factors contributing to drug-caused side effects identified the highly conserved protein polyubiquitin as a central regulator. Interestingly, polyubiquitin UbiD neither belonged to the groups of DEGs, DSyPs nor DSePs but most likely strongly influenced their levels. Conclusion Module-detecting approaches support the effective integration of multilevel omics data and provide a deep insight into complex biological relationships connecting these levels. They facilitate the identification of potential key players in the organism’s stress response which cannot be detected by commonly used approaches comparing lists of differentially abundant molecules. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12918-018-0620-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Conrad
- Systems Biology/Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany.
| | - O Kniemeyer
- Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | | | - T Krüger
- Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - D J Mattern
- Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany.,Present address: PerkinElmer Inc., Rodgau, Germany
| | - V Valiante
- Biobricks of Microbial Natural Product Syntheses, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - R Guthke
- Systems Biology/Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - I D Jacobsen
- Microbial Immunology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany.,Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - A A Brakhage
- Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany.,Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - S Vlaic
- Systems Biology/Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - J Linde
- Research Group PiDOMICs, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany.,Institute for Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health - Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Jena, Germany
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Kinome Expansion in the Fusarium oxysporum Species Complex Driven by Accessory Chromosomes. mSphere 2018; 3:3/3/e00231-18. [PMID: 29898984 PMCID: PMC6001611 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00231-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Isolates of Fusarium oxysporum are adapted to survive a wide range of host and nonhost conditions. In addition, F. oxysporum was recently recognized as the top emerging opportunistic fungal pathogen infecting immunocompromised humans. The sensory and response networks of these fungi undoubtedly play a fundamental role in establishing the adaptability of this group. We have examined the kinomes of 12 F. oxysporum isolates and highlighted kinase families that distinguish F. oxysporum from other fungi, as well as different isolates from one another. The amplification of kinases involved in environmental signal relay and regulating downstream cellular responses clearly sets Fusarium apart from other Ascomycetes. Although the functions of many of these kinases are still unclear, their specific proliferation highlights them as a result of the evolutionary forces that have shaped this species complex and clearly marks them as targets for exploitation in order to combat disease. The Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC) is a group of soilborne pathogens causing severe disease in more than 100 plant hosts, while individual strains exhibit strong host specificity. Both chromosome transfer and comparative genomics experiments have demonstrated that lineage-specific (LS) chromosomes contribute to the host-specific pathogenicity. However, little is known about the functional importance of genes encoded in these LS chromosomes. Focusing on signaling transduction, this study compared the kinomes of 12 F. oxysporum isolates, including both plant and human pathogens and 1 nonpathogenic biocontrol strain, with 7 additional publicly available ascomycete genomes. Overall, F. oxysporum kinomes are the largest, facilitated in part by the acquisitions of the LS chromosomes. The comparative study identified 99 kinases that are present in almost all examined fungal genomes, forming the core signaling network of ascomycete fungi. Compared to the conserved ascomycete kinome, the expansion of the F. oxysporum kinome occurs in several kinase families such as histidine kinases that are involved in environmental signal sensing and target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase that mediates cellular responses. Comparative kinome analysis suggests a convergent evolution that shapes individual F. oxysporum isolates with an enhanced and unique capacity for environmental perception and associated downstream responses. IMPORTANCE Isolates of Fusarium oxysporum are adapted to survive a wide range of host and nonhost conditions. In addition, F. oxysporum was recently recognized as the top emerging opportunistic fungal pathogen infecting immunocompromised humans. The sensory and response networks of these fungi undoubtedly play a fundamental role in establishing the adaptability of this group. We have examined the kinomes of 12 F. oxysporum isolates and highlighted kinase families that distinguish F. oxysporum from other fungi, as well as different isolates from one another. The amplification of kinases involved in environmental signal relay and regulating downstream cellular responses clearly sets Fusarium apart from other Ascomycetes. Although the functions of many of these kinases are still unclear, their specific proliferation highlights them as a result of the evolutionary forces that have shaped this species complex and clearly marks them as targets for exploitation in order to combat disease.
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Kurucz V, Krüger T, Antal K, Dietl AM, Haas H, Pócsi I, Kniemeyer O, Emri T. Additional oxidative stress reroutes the global response of Aspergillus fumigatus to iron depletion. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:357. [PMID: 29747589 PMCID: PMC5946477 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4730-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aspergillus fumigatus has to cope with a combination of several stress types while colonizing the human body. A functional interplay between these different stress responses can increase the chances of survival for this opportunistic human pathogen during the invasion of its host. In this study, we shed light on how the H2O2-induced oxidative stress response depends on the iron available to this filamentous fungus, using transcriptomic analysis, proteomic profiles, and growth assays. RESULTS The applied H2O2 treatment, which induced only a negligible stress response in iron-replete cultures, deleteriously affected the fungus under iron deprivation. The majority of stress-induced changes in gene and protein expression was not predictable from data coming from individual stress exposure and was only characteristic for the combination of oxidative stress plus iron deprivation. Our experimental data suggest that the physiological effects of combined stresses and the survival of the fungus highly depend on fragile balances between economization of iron and production of essential iron-containing proteins. One observed strategy was the overproduction of iron-independent antioxidant proteins to combat oxidative stress during iron deprivation, e.g. the upregulation of superoxide dismutase Sod1, the thioredoxin reductase Trr1, and the thioredoxin orthologue Afu5g11320. On the other hand, oxidative stress induction overruled iron deprivation-mediated repression of several genes. In agreement with the gene expression data, growth studies underlined that in A. fumigatus iron deprivation aggravates oxidative stress susceptibility. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that studying stress responses under separate single stress conditions is not sufficient to understand how A. fumigatus adapts in a complex and hostile habitat like the human body. The combinatorial stress of iron depletion and hydrogen peroxide caused clear non-additive effects upon the stress response of A. fumigatus. Our data further supported the view that the ability of A. fumigatus to cause diseases in humans strongly depends on its fitness attributes and less on specific virulence factors. In summary, A. fumigatus is able to mount and coordinate complex and efficient responses to combined stresses like iron deprivation plus H2O2-induced oxidative stress, which are exploited by immune cells to kill fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivien Kurucz
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen, H-4032 Hungary
| | - Thomas Krüger
- Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Károly Antal
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Eszterházy Károly University, Eszterházy tér 1, Eger, H-3300 Hungary
| | - Anna-Maria Dietl
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, A6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, A6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - István Pócsi
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen, H-4032 Hungary
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Tamás Emri
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen, H-4032 Hungary
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Helminth eggs as parasitic indicators of fecal contamination in agricultural irrigation water, biosolids, soils and pastures. BIOMEDICA : REVISTA DEL INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE SALUD 2018; 38:42-53. [PMID: 29668133 DOI: 10.7705/biomedica.v38i0.3352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A very common practice in agriculture is the disposal of wastewater and biosolids from water treatment systems due to their high nutrient content, which substantially improves crop yields. However, the presence of pathogens of fecal origin creates a sanitary risk to farmers and consumers. OBJECTIVE To determine the presence and concentration of helminth eggs in irrigation waters, biosolids, agricultural soils, and pastures. MATERIALS AND METHODS Water, biosolids, soil, and pasture samples were collected and analyzed for helminth egg detection, total eggs and viable eggs counts. The behavior of helminth eggs was evaluated in irrigation waters and dairy cattle grassland, where biosolids had been used as an organic amendment. RESULTS Concentrations between 0.1-3 total helminth eggs/L, and 0.1-1 viable helminth eggs/L were found in water. In biosolids and soil, we found 3-22 total helminth eggs/4 g of dry weight, and 2-12 viable helminth eggs/4 g of dry weight, and in grass, we found <2-9 total helminth eggs/g of fresh weight, and <1-3 viable helminth eggs/g of fresh weight. The presence of helminth eggs in each matrix varied from days to months, which may represent a sanitary risk to farmers as well as to consumers. CONCLUSIONS The presence of helminth eggs in the assessed matrixes confirms the sanitary risk of such practices. Therefore, it is important to control and incorporate regulations related to the use of wastewater and biosolids in agriculture.
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Ries LNA, Beattie S, Cramer RA, Goldman GH. Overview of carbon and nitrogen catabolite metabolism in the virulence of human pathogenic fungi. Mol Microbiol 2017; 107:277-297. [PMID: 29197127 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
It is estimated that fungal infections, caused most commonly by Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus and Cryptococcus neoformans, result in more deaths annually than malaria or tuberculosis. It has long been hypothesized the fungal metabolism plays a critical role in virulence though specific nutrient sources utilized by human pathogenic fungi in vivo has remained enigmatic. However, the metabolic utilisation of preferred carbon and nitrogen sources, encountered in a host niche-dependent manner, is known as carbon catabolite and nitrogen catabolite repression (CCR, NCR), and has been shown to be important for virulence. Several sensory and uptake systems exist, including carbon and nitrogen source-specific sensors and transporters, that allow scavenging of preferred nutrient sources. Subsequent metabolic utilisation is governed by transcription factors, whose functions and essentiality differ between fungal species. Furthermore, additional factors exist that contribute to the implementation of CCR and NCR. The role of the CCR and NCR-related factors in virulence varies greatly between fungal species and a substantial gap in knowledge exists regarding specific pathways. Further elucidation of carbon and nitrogen metabolism mechanisms is therefore required in a fungal species- and animal model-specific manner in order to screen for targets that are potential candidates for anti-fungal drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Nicolas Annick Ries
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 3900, CEP 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Sarah Beattie
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 74 College Street Remsen 213, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Robert A Cramer
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 74 College Street Remsen 213, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Gustavo H Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café s/n°, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, CEP 14040903, Brazil
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Blatzer M, Latgé JP. Metal-homeostasis in the pathobiology of the opportunistic human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Curr Opin Microbiol 2017; 40:152-159. [PMID: 29179120 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2017.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In contrast to obligate pathogens opportunistic pathogens such as Aspergillus fumigatus do not need a specific host to propagate or survive. However several characteristics of the saprophytic life-style and the selective pressure encountered in the primary ecological niche contribute to the virulence of A. fumigatus. All fungi depend on metals for growth and proliferation, like iron, copper, zinc, manganese or calcium. In the recent past several studies explored the manifold impact of metals modulating virulence of pathogens. Components which might be scarce in the natural environment but also in the host due to nutritional immunity. This review recapitulates molecular constituents of metal ion uptake systems in A. fumigatus, their regulation and their significance at the host-pathogen battlefield.
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Boral H, Metin B, Döğen A, Seyedmousavi S, Ilkit M. Overview of selected virulence attributes in Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Trichophyton rubrum, and Exophiala dermatitidis. Fungal Genet Biol 2017; 111:92-107. [PMID: 29102684 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2017.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The incidence of fungal diseases has been increasing since 1980, and is associated with excessive morbidity and mortality, particularly among immunosuppressed patients. Of the known 625 pathogenic fungal species, infections caused by the genera Aspergillus, Candida, Cryptococcus, and Trichophyton are responsible for more than 300 million estimated episodes of acute or chronic infections worldwide. In addition, a rather neglected group of opportunistic fungi known as black yeasts and their filamentous relatives cause a wide variety of recalcitrant infections in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed hosts. This article provides an overview of selected virulence factors that are known to suppress host immunity and enhance the infectivity of these fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazal Boral
- Division of Mycology, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Çukurova, Adana, Turkey
| | - Banu Metin
- Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Aylin Döğen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Mersin, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Seyedmojtaba Seyedmousavi
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Invasive Fungi Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Center of Excellence for Infection Biology and Antimicrobial Pharmacology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Macit Ilkit
- Division of Mycology, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Çukurova, Adana, Turkey.
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Abstract
All organisms can respond to the availability of nutrients by regulating their metabolism, growth, and cell division. Central to the regulation of growth in response to nutrient availability is the target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling that is composed of two structurally distinct complexes: TOR complex 1 (TORC1) and TOR complex 2 (TORC2). The TOR genes were first identified in yeast as target of rapamycin, a natural product of a soil bacterium, which proved beneficial as an immunosuppressive and anticancer drug and is currently being tested for a handful of other pathological conditions including diabetes, neurodegeneration, and age-related diseases. Studies of the TOR pathway unraveled a complex growth-regulating network. TOR regulates nutrient uptake, transcription, protein synthesis and degradation, as well as metabolic pathways, in a coordinated manner that ensures that cells grow or cease growth in response to nutrient availability. The identification of specific signals and mechanisms that stimulate TOR signaling is an active and exciting field of research that has already identified nitrogen and amino acids as key regulators of TORC1 activity. The signals, as well as the cellular functions of TORC2, are far less well understood. Additional open questions in the field concern the relationships between TORC1 and TORC2, as well as the links with other nutrient-responsive pathways. Here I review the main features of TORC1 and TORC2, with a particular focus on yeasts as model organisms.
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Manfiolli AO, de Castro PA, dos Reis TF, Dolan S, Doyle S, Jones G, Riaño Pachón DM, Ulaş M, Noble LM, Mattern DJ, Brakhage AA, Valiante V, Silva-Rocha R, Bayram O, Goldman GH. Aspergillus fumigatusprotein phosphatase PpzA is involved in iron assimilation, secondary metabolite production, and virulence. Cell Microbiol 2017; 19. [DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrícia Alves de Castro
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto; Universidade de São Paulo; Ribeirão Preto Brazil
| | - Thaila Fernanda dos Reis
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto; Universidade de São Paulo; Ribeirão Preto Brazil
| | - Stephen Dolan
- Department of Biology; Maynooth University; Maynooth Co. Kildare Ireland
| | - Sean Doyle
- Department of Biology; Maynooth University; Maynooth Co. Kildare Ireland
| | - Gary Jones
- Department of Biology; Maynooth University; Maynooth Co. Kildare Ireland
| | - Diego M. Riaño Pachón
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE); Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM); Campinas São Paulo Brazil
| | - Mevlüt Ulaş
- Department of Biology; Maynooth University; Maynooth Co. Kildare Ireland
| | | | - Derek J. Mattern
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute; Jena Germany
- University of Jena; Jena Germany
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute; Jena Germany
- University of Jena; Jena Germany
| | - Vito Valiante
- Leibniz Research Group-Biobricks of Microbial Natural Product Syntheses; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute; Jena Germany
| | - Rafael Silva-Rocha
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto; Universidade de São Paulo; Ribeirão Preto Brazil
| | - Ozgur Bayram
- Department of Biology; Maynooth University; Maynooth Co. Kildare Ireland
| | - Gustavo H. Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto; Universidade de São Paulo; Ribeirão Preto Brazil
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44
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Tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomics analyses reveal the response of Bacillus licheniformis to high growth temperatures. ANN MICROBIOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13213-017-1279-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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Di Venere M, Viglio S, Sassera D, Fumagalli M, Bardoni A, Salvini R, Cagnone M, Iadarola P. Do the complementarities of electrokinetic and chromatographic procedures represent the "Swiss knife" in proteomic investigation? An overview of the literature in the past decade. Electrophoresis 2017; 38:1538-1550. [PMID: 28130906 DOI: 10.1002/elps.201600504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Revised: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This report reviews the literature of the past decade dealing with the combination of electrokinetic and chromatographic strategies in the proteomic field. Aim of this article is to highlight how the application of complementary techniques may contribute to substantially improve protein identification. Several studies here considered demonstrate that exploring the combination of these approaches can be a strategy to enrich the extent of proteomic information achieved from a sample. The coupling of "top-down" and "bottom-up" proteomics may result in the generation of a hybrid analytical tool, very efficient not only for large-scale profiling of complex proteomes but also for studying specific subproteomes. The range of applications described, while evidencing a continuous boost in the imagination of researchers for developing new combinations of methods for protein separation, also underlines the adaptability of these techniques to a wide variety of samples. This report points out the general usefulness of combining different procedures for proteomic analysis, an approach that allows researchers to go deeper in the proteome of samples under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Di Venere
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Italy
| | - Simona Viglio
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Italy
| | - Davide Sassera
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "L. Spallanzani,", Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Italy
| | - Marco Fumagalli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "L. Spallanzani,", Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Italy
| | - Anna Bardoni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Italy
| | - Roberta Salvini
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Italy
| | - Maddalena Cagnone
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Italy
| | - Paolo Iadarola
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "L. Spallanzani,", Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Italy
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Macheleidt J, Mattern DJ, Fischer J, Netzker T, Weber J, Schroeckh V, Valiante V, Brakhage AA. Regulation and Role of Fungal Secondary Metabolites. Annu Rev Genet 2016; 50:371-392. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-120215-035203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Macheleidt
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; , , , , , ,
| | - Derek J. Mattern
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; , , , , , ,
- Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07737 Jena, Germany
| | - Juliane Fischer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; , , , , , ,
- Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07737 Jena, Germany
| | - Tina Netzker
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; , , , , , ,
- Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07737 Jena, Germany
| | - Jakob Weber
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; , , , , , ,
- Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07737 Jena, Germany
| | - Volker Schroeckh
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; , , , , , ,
| | - Vito Valiante
- Research Group Biobricks of Microbial Natural Product Syntheses, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany;
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; , , , , , ,
- Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07737 Jena, Germany
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Alves de Castro P, dos Reis TF, Dolan SK, Manfiolli AO, Brown NA, Jones GW, Doyle S, Riaño-Pachón DM, Squina FM, Caldana C, Singh A, Del Poeta M, Hagiwara D, Silva-Rocha R, Goldman GH. The Aspergillus fumigatus SchA SCH9 kinase modulates SakA HOG1 MAP kinase activity and it is essential for virulence. Mol Microbiol 2016; 102:642-671. [PMID: 27538790 PMCID: PMC5207228 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The serine-threonine kinase TOR, the Target of Rapamycin, is an important regulator of nutrient, energy and stress signaling in eukaryotes. Sch9, a Ser/Thr kinase of AGC family (the cAMP-dependent PKA, cGMP- dependent protein kinase G and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C family), is a substrate of TOR. Here, we characterized the fungal opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus Sch9 homologue (SchA). The schA null mutant was sensitive to rapamycin, high concentrations of calcium, hyperosmotic stress and SchA was involved in iron metabolism. The ΔschA null mutant showed increased phosphorylation of SakA, the A. fumigatus Hog1 homologue. The schA null mutant has increased and decreased trehalose and glycerol accumulation, respectively, suggesting SchA performs different roles for glycerol and trehalose accumulation during osmotic stress. The schA was transcriptionally regulated by osmotic stress and this response was dependent on SakA and MpkC. The double ΔschA ΔsakA and ΔschA ΔmpkC mutants were more sensitive to osmotic stress than the corresponding parental strains. Transcriptomics and proteomics identified direct and indirect targets of SchA post-exposure to hyperosmotic stress. Finally, ΔschA was avirulent in a low dose murine infection model. Our results suggest there is a complex network of interactions amongst the A. fumigatus TOR, SakA and SchA pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Alves de Castro
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Thaila Fernanda dos Reis
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Stephen K. Dolan
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Adriana Oliveira Manfiolli
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Neil Andrew Brown
- Plant Biology and Crop Science, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Gary W. Jones
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Sean Doyle
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Diego M. Riaño-Pachón
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Caixa Postal 6192, Campinas, São Paulo, CEP 13083-970, Brasil
| | - Fábio Márcio Squina
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Caixa Postal 6192, Campinas, São Paulo, CEP 13083-970, Brasil
| | - Camila Caldana
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Caixa Postal 6192, Campinas, São Paulo, CEP 13083-970, Brasil
- Max Planck Partner Group at Brazilian Bioethanol Science and Technology Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ashutosh Singh
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Maurizio Del Poeta
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Daisuke Hagiwara
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Rafael Silva-Rocha
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Gustavo H. Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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Chen M, Li X, Zhu A, Storey KB, Sun L, Gao T, Wang T. Understanding mechanism of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus aestivation: Insights from TMT-based proteomic study. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2016; 19:78-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Valiante V, Baldin C, Hortschansky P, Jain R, Thywißen A, Straßburger M, Shelest E, Heinekamp T, Brakhage AA. TheAspergillus fumigatusconidial melanin production is regulated by the bifunctional bHLH DevR and MADS-box RlmA transcription factors. Mol Microbiol 2016; 102:321-335. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Vito Valiante
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI); Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23 Jena 07745 Germany
- Leibniz Research Group - Biobricks of Microbial Natural Product Syntheses, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI); Jena Germany
| | - Clara Baldin
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI); Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23 Jena 07745 Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology; Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23 Jena 07745 Germany
| | - Peter Hortschansky
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI); Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23 Jena 07745 Germany
| | - Radhika Jain
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI); Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23 Jena 07745 Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology; Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23 Jena 07745 Germany
| | - Andreas Thywißen
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI); Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23 Jena 07745 Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology; Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23 Jena 07745 Germany
| | - Maria Straßburger
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI); Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23 Jena 07745 Germany
- Transfer Group Anti-Infectives, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI); Jena Germany
| | - Ekaterina Shelest
- Research Group Bioinformatics/Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI); Jena Germany
| | - Thorsten Heinekamp
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI); Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23 Jena 07745 Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology; Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23 Jena 07745 Germany
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI); Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23 Jena 07745 Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology; Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23 Jena 07745 Germany
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50
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The Zinc Finger Protein Mig1 Regulates Mitochondrial Function and Azole Drug Susceptibility in the Pathogenic Fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. mSphere 2016; 1:mSphere00080-15. [PMID: 27303693 PMCID: PMC4863601 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00080-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal pathogens of humans are difficult to treat, and there is a pressing need to identify new targets for antifungal drugs and to obtain a detailed understanding of fungal proliferation in vertebrate hosts. In this study, we examined the roles of the regulatory proteins Mig1 and HapX in mitochondrial function and antifungal drug susceptibility in the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. This pathogen is a particular threat to the large population of individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Our analysis revealed regulatory interactions between Mig1 and HapX, and a role for Mig1 in mitochondrial functions, including respiration, tolerance for reactive oxygen species, and expression of genes for iron consumption and iron acquisition functions. Importantly, loss of Mig1 increased susceptibility to the antifungal drug fluconazole, which is commonly used to treat cryptococcal disease. These studies highlight an association between mitochondrial dysfunction and drug susceptibility that may provide new targets for the development of antifungal drugs. The opportunistic pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans causes fungal meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised individuals. In previous studies, we found that the Hap complex in this pathogen represses genes encoding mitochondrial respiratory functions and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle components under low-iron conditions. The orthologous Hap2/3/4/5 complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae exerts a regulatory influence on mitochondrial functions, and Hap4 is subject to glucose repression via the carbon catabolite repressor Mig1. In this study, we explored the regulatory link between a candidate ortholog of the Mig1 protein and the HapX component of the Hap complex in C. neoformans. This analysis revealed repression of MIG1 by HapX and activation of HAPX by Mig1 under low-iron conditions and Mig1 regulation of mitochondrial functions, including respiration, tolerance for reactive oxygen species, and expression of genes for iron consumption and iron acquisition functions. Consistently with these regulatory functions, a mig1Δ mutant had impaired growth on inhibitors of mitochondrial respiration and inducers of ROS. Furthermore, deletion of MIG1 provoked a dysregulation in nutrient sensing via the TOR pathway and impacted the pathway for cell wall remodeling. Importantly, loss of Mig1 increased susceptibility to fluconazole, thus further establishing a link between azole antifungal drugs and mitochondrial function. Mig1 and HapX were also required together for survival in macrophages, but Mig1 alone had a minimal impact on virulence in mice. Overall, these studies provide novel insights into a HapX/Mig1 regulatory network and reinforce an association between mitochondrial dysfunction and drug susceptibility that may provide new targets for the development of antifungal drugs. IMPORTANCE Fungal pathogens of humans are difficult to treat, and there is a pressing need to identify new targets for antifungal drugs and to obtain a detailed understanding of fungal proliferation in vertebrate hosts. In this study, we examined the roles of the regulatory proteins Mig1 and HapX in mitochondrial function and antifungal drug susceptibility in the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. This pathogen is a particular threat to the large population of individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Our analysis revealed regulatory interactions between Mig1 and HapX, and a role for Mig1 in mitochondrial functions, including respiration, tolerance for reactive oxygen species, and expression of genes for iron consumption and iron acquisition functions. Importantly, loss of Mig1 increased susceptibility to the antifungal drug fluconazole, which is commonly used to treat cryptococcal disease. These studies highlight an association between mitochondrial dysfunction and drug susceptibility that may provide new targets for the development of antifungal drugs.
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