Ca(2+) shuttling in vesicles during tip growth in Neurospora crassa

Activation of a TRP-like channel and intracellular Ca2+ dynamics during phospholipase-C-mediated cell death

The model organism Neurospora crassa undergoes programmed cell death when exposed to staurosporine. Here, we show that staurosporine causes defined changes in cytosolic free Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]_c) dynamics and a distinct Ca²⁺ signature that involves Ca²⁺ influx from the external medium and internal Ca²⁺ stores. We investigated the molecular basis of this Ca²⁺ response by using [Ca²⁺]_c measurements combined with pharmacological and genetic approaches. Phospholipase C was identified as a pivotal player during cell death, because modulation of the phospholipase C signaling pathway and deletion of PLC-2, which we show to be involved in hyphal development, results in an inability to trigger the characteristic staurosporine-induced Ca²⁺ signature. Using Δcch-1, Δfig-1 and Δyvc-1 mutants and a range of inhibitors, we show that extracellular Ca²⁺ entry does not occur through the hitherto described high- and low-affinity Ca²⁺ uptake systems, but through the opening of plasma membrane channels with properties resembling the transient receptor potential (TRP) family. Partial blockage of the response to staurosporine after inhibition of a putative inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP₃) receptor suggests that Ca²⁺ release from internal stores following IP₃ formation combines with the extracellular Ca²⁺ influx.

Clues for regulatory processes in fungal uptake and transfer of minerals to the basidiospore

Several fungal species are notorious for the preferential acquisition of toxicants such as AsCdHgPbU in their wild-grown basidiomes, but it is not known how, or whether at all, mineral uptake is regulated. In this study, basidiomes of Kuehneromyces mutabilis, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Hypholoma fasciculare were grown on Fagus sylvatica logs embedded in sand, uranium-overburden soil, and garden soil (SIO) at a lab scale to raise the accessible mineral resources 30 to >1,000 times over those available in the timber alone. Non-embedded logs and a field culture established on SIO served as controls. Concentrations of 22 minerals were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry from microwave-digested samples of timber, soils, whole and dissected mushrooms, and basidiospores. It was the goal to determine whether mineral uptake rates vary simply with their concentration in the substrate or undergo selections which indicate the ability of metal sensing and optimizing/delimiting the quantity of (essential) elements on their passage from a substrate via basidiome to the basidiospores. It is shown that an underrepresented substrate mineral is up-concentrated to a more or less regulated and physiologically compatible mean, whereas a rising external mineral supply leads to uptake blockage by downregulation of the bioconcentration rate in the vicinity of an apparent mycelial saturation point. The resulting concentrations in whole K. mutabilis basidiomes of the essential metals, CaCoCuFeMgMn(Sr)Zn corresponded surprisingly with those in wheat grains which share the main metabolic pathways with fungi and whose metallome is believed to be out-regulated for an optimum and stress-free development. Concentrations of nonessential metals, too, fitted the range of those common crops, whereas KP reached the higher typical level of fungi. Minerals entering the lower stipe of the K. mutabilis basidiome were specifically enriched/diluted on a passage to the gills and once more abruptly up/down-concentrated at the basidium/sterigma/spore interface. Mineral concentrations of spores corresponded then again with those in wheat grains, with the metalloenzyme-linked CdCoCuFeMnNa(Ni) appearing moderately higher. It is concluded that the substrate/fungal interface may be the major site of metal sensing/selecting and uptake regulation. Concentration shifts obtained during the mineral transfer through the basidiome are then subject to ultimate corrections at the gill/spore interface.

Species-dependent chromium accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and glutathione levels in germinating kiwifruit pollen under Cr(III) and Cr(VI) stress

The accumulation of chromium by germinating kiwifruit pollen appears to be significantly affected by Cr species, Cr concentration and calcium availability. Cr(III) accumulation always occurred in a linear manner while Cr(VI) uptake followed a logarithmic model. In the absence of exogenous calcium, Cr(III) accumulation was much higher than that of Cr(VI). It was observed that, as the Cr(III) concentration increased, there was a significant decrease in the endogenous calcium content of pollen, ultimately leading to complete calcium depletion after 90 min of incubation at 150 microM Cr(III). This loss of calcium could be responsible for the strong inhibition of tube emergence and growth following exposure of pollen to Cr(III). Indeed, when exogenous calcium was added to the kiwifruit pollen culture medium, significant growth recovery and reduced Cr(III) uptake occurred; the opposite was true in Cr(VI)-treatments. A significant rise in lipid peroxide production occurs in the presence of both Cr species; the effect was more pronounced following Cr(VI) exposure. Finally, glutathione pool dynamics appears to be differentially affected by chromium species and concentrations. In conclusion, results of the present study have provided important information regarding the different activity profiles of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in relation to kiwifruit pollen performance, and have also demonstrated differences in some biochemical responses of pollen to metal stress.

Dissecting colony development of Neurospora crassa using mRNA profiling and comparative genomics approaches

Colony development, which includes hyphal extension, branching, anastomosis, and asexual sporulation, is a fundamental aspect of the life cycle of filamentous fungi; genetic mechanisms underlying these phenomena are poorly understood. We conducted transcriptional profiling during colony development of the model filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa, using 70-mer oligonucleotide microarrays. Relative mRNA expression levels were determined for six sections of defined age excised from a 27-h-old N. crassa colony. Functional category analysis showed that the expression of genes involved in cell membrane biosynthesis, polar growth, and cellular signaling was enriched at the periphery of the colony. The relative expression of genes involved in protein synthesis and energy production was enriched in the middle section of the colony, while sections of the colony undergoing asexual development (conidiogenesis) were enriched in expression of genes involved in protein/peptide degradation and unclassified proteins. A cross-examination of the N. crassa data set with a published data set of Aspergillus niger revealed shared patterns in the spatiotemporal regulation of gene orthologs during colony development. At present, less than 50% of genes in N. crassa have functional annotation, which imposes the chief limitation on data analysis. Using an evolutionary approach, we observed that the expression of phylogenetically conserved groups of genes was enriched in the middle section of an N. crassa colony whereas expression of genes unique to euascomycete species and of N. crassa orphan genes was enriched at the colony periphery and in the older, conidiating sections of a fungal colony.

Polarized growth in fungi--interplay between the cytoskeleton, positional markers and membrane domains

One kind of the most extremely polarized cells in nature are the indefinitely growing hyphae of filamentous fungi. A continuous flow of secretion vesicles from the hyphal cell body to the growing hyphal tip is essential for cell wall and membrane extension. Because microtubules (MT) and actin, together with their corresponding motor proteins, are involved in the process, the arrangement of the cytoskeleton is a crucial step to establish and maintain polarity. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, actin-mediated vesicle transportation is sufficient for polar cell extension, but in S. pombe, MTs are in addition required for the establishment of polarity. The MT cytoskeleton delivers the so-called cell-end marker proteins to the cell pole, which in turn polarize the actin cytoskeleton. Latest results suggest that this scenario may principally be conserved from S. pombe to filamentous fungi. In addition, in filamentous fungi, MTs could provide the tracks for long-distance vesicle movement. In this review, we will compare the interaction of the MT and the actin cytoskeleton and their relation to the cortex between yeasts and filamentous fungi. In addition, we will discuss the role of sterol-rich membrane domains in combination with cell-end marker proteins for polarity establishment.

The role of tip-localized mitochondria in hyphal growth

Hyphal tip-growing organisms have a high density of tip-localized mitochondria which maintain a membrane potential based on Rhodamine 123 fluorescence, but do not produce ATP based on the absence of significant oxygen consumption. Two possible roles of these mitochondria in tip growth were examined: Calcium sequestration and biogenesis, because tip-high cytoplasmic calcium gradients are a common feature of tip-growing organisms, and the volume expansion as the tip extends would require a continuous supply of additional mitochondria. Co-localization of calcium-sensitive fluorescent dye and mitochondria-specific fluorescent dyes showed that the tip-localized mitochondria do contain calcium, and therefore, may function in calcium clearance from the cytoplasm. Short-term inhibition of DNA synthesis or mitochondrial protein synthesis did not affect either tip growth, or mitochondrial shape or distribution. Therefore, mitochondrial biogenesis may not occur from the tip-localized mitochondria in hyphal organisms.

The Spitzenkörper: a molecular perspective

The Spitzenkörper is a dynamic structure present at the tips of hyphal cells with a single highly polarized growth site. It is closely connected with cell morphogenesis and polar growth, and is only present at actively growing sites. Morphogenesis of such highly polarized cells is complex, and requires the coordinated action of multiple protein complexes. We discuss the relevance of these complexes for the structure and function of the Spitzenkörper.

Oxygen flux magnitude and location along growing hyphae ofNeurospora crassa

Oxygen fluxes were mapped at the growing apices and along mycelial hyphal segments of the ascomycete Neurospora crassa. High spatial resolution was obtained using micro-oxygen probes (2-3 microm tip diameters) and the self-referencing technique to maximize the sensitivity of oxygen flux measurements. As expected, oxygen influx was inhibited by cyanide, although oxygen influx (and hyphal growth) resumed with the induction of an alternate oxidase activity. Along hyphal segments, variations in oxygen influx were not correlated with location, near or far from septa, and varied over time along the same hyphal segment. Growing hyphae had a region of maximal oxygen influx greater than 10 microm behind the hyphal tip, the oxygen influx was correlated with hyphal growth rate. The region of maximal oxygen influx did not correspond with mitochondrial density, which is maximal (about 30% of hyphal volume) 5-10 microm behind the tip. Therefore, tip-localized mitochondria do not contribute to the respiratory requirements of the growing hypha. The tip-localized mitochondria may function in clearing calcium from the cytoplasm, although a decline in chlortetracycline fluorescence after cyanide inhibition could also be due to ATP-depletion due to inhibition of actively respiring mitochondria. Alternatively, the growing tip may be the site of mitochondrial biogenesis.

Calcium gradient dependence of Neurospora crassa hyphal growth

A tip-high cytoplasmic calcium gradient has been identified as a requirement for hyphal growth in the fungus Neurospora crassa. The Ca2+ gradient is less steep compared to wall vesicle, wall incorporation and vesicular Ca2+ gradients, but this can be explained by Ca2+ diffusion. Analysis of the relation between the rate of hyphal growth and the spatial distribution of tip-localized calcium indicates that hyphal growth rates depend upon the tip-localized calcium concentration. It is not the steepness of the calcium gradient, but tip-localized calcium and the difference in tip-localized calcium versus subapical calcium concentration which correlate closely with hyphal growth rate. A minimal concentration difference between the apex and subapical region of 30 nM is required for growth to occur. The calcium concentration dependence of growth may relate directly to biochemical functions of calcium in hyphal extension, such as vesicle fusion and enzyme activation during cellular expansion. Initiation of tip growth may rely upon random Ca2+ motions causing localized regions of elevated calcium. Continued hyphal expansion may activate a stretch-activated phospholipase C which would increase tip-localized inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). Hyphal expansion, induced by mild hypoosmotic treatment, does increase diacylglycerol, the other product of phospholipase C activity. This is consistent with evidence that IP3-activated Ca2+ channels generate and maintain the tip-high calcium gradient.

An IP3-activated Ca2+ channel regulates fungal tip growth

Hyphal extension in fungi requires a tip-high Ca(2+) gradient, which is generated and maintained internally by inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate (IP(3))-induced Ca(2+) release from tip-localized vesicles and subapical Ca(2+) sequestration. Using the planar bilayer method we demonstrated the presence of two types of IP(3)-activated Ca(2+) channels in Neurospora crassa membranes with different conductances: one low (13 picosiemens), the other high (77 picosiemens). On sucrose density gradients the low conductance channel co-localized with endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane, and the high conductance channel co-localized with vacuolar membranes. We correlated the effect of inhibitors on channel activity with their effect on hyphal growth and Ca(2+) gradients. The inhibitor of IP(3)-induced Ca(2+) release, 2-aminoethoxidiphenylborate (2-APB), inhibits both channels, while heparin, 8-(N,N-diethylamino)-octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate, hydrochloride (TMB-8) and dantrolene inhibit only the large conductance channel. Because 2-APB inhibits hyphal growth and dissipates the tip-high cytosolic [Ca(2+)] gradient, whereas heparin microinjection, TMB-8 and dantrolene treatments do not affect growth, we suggest that the small conductance channel generates the obligatory tip-high Ca(2+) gradient during hyphal growth. Since IP(3) production must be catalyzed by tip-localized phospholipase C, we show that a number of phospholipase C inhibitors [neomycin, 1-[6-((17beta-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl)amino)hexyl]- 1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (U-73122) (but not the inactive pyrrolidine U-73343), 3-nitrocoumarin] inhibit hyphal growth and affect, similarly to 2-APB, the location of vesicular Ca(2+) imaged by chlortetracycline staining.

Reef coral fluorescent proteins for visualizing fungal pathogens

The fluorescent proteins AmCyan, ZsGreen, ZsYellow, and AsRed, modified versions of proteins identified recently from several Anthozoa species of reef corals, were expressed for the first time in a heterologous system and used for imaging two different fungal plant pathogens. When driven by strong constitutive fungal promotors, expression of these reef coral fluorescent proteins yielded bright cytoplasmic fluorescence in Fusarium verticillioides and Magnaporthe grisea, and had no detectable effect on either growth rate or the ability to cause disease. Differential intracellular localization of the fluorescent proteins resulted in the discrimination of many subcellular organelles by confocal and multi-photon microscopy, and facilitated monitoring of such details as organelle dynamics and changes in the permeability of the nuclear envelope. AmCyan and ZsGreen were sufficiently excited at 855 and 880 nm, respectively, to allow for time-resolved in planta imaging by two-photon microscopy.

Force and compliance: rethinking morphogenesis in walled cells

In the turgid cells of plants, protists, fungi, and bacteria, walls resist swelling; they also confer shape on the cell. These two functions are not unrelated: cell physiologists have generally agreed that morphogenesis turns on the deformation of existing wall and the deposition of new wall, while turgor pressure produces the work of expansion. In 1990, I summed up consensus in a phrase: "localized compliance with the global force of turgor pressure." My purpose here is to survey the impact of recent discoveries on the traditional conceptual framework. Topics include the recognition of a cytoskeleton in bacteria; the tide of information and insight about budding in yeast; the role of the Spitzenkörper in hyphal extension; calcium ions and actin dynamics in shaping a tip; and the interplay of protons, expansins and cellulose fibrils in cells of higher plants.

Predicting the distribution, conservation, and functions of SNAREs and related proteins in fungi

Hyphal tip growth, the hallmark of the fungi, requires highly polarized and localized exocytosis, but how this requirement is met is unknown. Members of conserved protein families called SNAREs and Rabs mediate vesicle trafficking and fusion at virtually every step of the intracellular pathway in all examined eukaryotes. We have searched the available nearly complete fungal genomes, established the presence or absence of members of the SNARE and Rab families in these genomes, and predicted their evolutionary relationships to one another. Comparisons with the extensively studied Saccharomyces cerevisiae indicate that, in general, most of the members of these families (including those involved in mediating exocytosis) are conserved. The presence of exceptional SNAREs and Rabs in some fungi that are not conserved in S. cerevisiae may be indicative of specialized steps that occur in these fungi. The implications of these findings for current tip growth models are discussed.