1
|
Westrick NM, Smith DL, Kabbage M. Disarming the Host: Detoxification of Plant Defense Compounds During Fungal Necrotrophy. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:651716. [PMID: 33995447 PMCID: PMC8120277 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.651716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
While fungal biotrophs are dependent on successfully suppressing/subverting host defenses during their interaction with live cells, necrotrophs, due to their lifestyle are often confronted with a suite of toxic metabolites. These include an assortment of plant defense compounds (PDCs) which can demonstrate broad antifungal activity. These PDCs can be either constitutively present in plant tissue or induced in response to infection, but are nevertheless an important obstacle which needs to be overcome for successful pathogenesis. Fungal necrotrophs have developed a number of strategies to achieve this goal, from the direct detoxification of these compounds through enzymatic catalysis and modification, to the active transport of various PDCs to achieve toxin sequestration and efflux. Studies have shown across multiple pathogens that the efficient detoxification of host PDCs is both critical for successful infection and often a determinant factor in pathogen host range. Here, we provide a broad and comparative overview of the various mechanisms for PDC detoxification which have been identified in both fungal necrotrophs and fungal pathogens which depend on detoxification during a necrotrophic phase of infection. Furthermore, the effect that these mechanisms have on fungal host range, metabolism, and disease control will be discussed.
Collapse
|
2
|
Pigné S, Zykwinska A, Janod E, Cuenot S, Kerkoud M, Raulo R, Bataillé-Simoneau N, Marchi M, Kwasiborski A, N'Guyen G, Mabilleau G, Simoneau P, Guillemette T. A flavoprotein supports cell wall properties in the necrotrophic fungus Alternaria brassicicola. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2017; 4:1. [PMID: 28955470 PMCID: PMC5611651 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-016-0029-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Flavin-dependent monooxygenases are involved in key biological processes as they catalyze a wide variety of chemo-, regio- and enantioselective oxygenation reactions. Flavoprotein monooxygenases are frequently encountered in micro-organisms, most of which require further functional and biocatalytic assessment. Here we investigated the function of the AbMak1 gene, which encodes a group A flavin monooxygenase in the plant pathogenic fungus Alternaria brassicicola, by generating a deficient mutant and examining its phenotype. RESULTS Functional analysis indicates that the AbMak1 protein is involved in cell wall biogenesis and influences the melanization process. We documented a significant decrease in melanin content in the Δabmak1 strain compared to the wild-type and complemented strains. We investigated the cell wall morphology and physical properties in the wild-type and transformants using electron and atomic force microscopy. These approaches confirmed the aberrant morphology of the conidial wall structure in the Δabmak1 strain which had an impact on hydrophilic adhesion and conidial surface stiffness. However, there was no significant impairment in growth, conidia formation, pathogenicity or susceptibility to various environmental stresses in the Δabmak1 strain. CONCLUSION This study sheds new light on the function of a fungal flavin-dependent monooxygenase, which plays an important role in melanization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Pigné
- IRHS, Agrocampus-Ouest, INRA, Université d'Angers, SFR 4207 QuaSaV, 49071 Beaucouzé, France
| | - Agata Zykwinska
- UMR 6502, Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel, 2, Rue de la Houssinière, BP 32229, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France.,Present Address: Laboratoire Ecosystèmes Microbiens et Molécules Marines pour les Biotechnologies, IFREMER, Rue de l'île d'Yeu, BP 21105, 44311 Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Etienne Janod
- UMR 6502, Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel, 2, Rue de la Houssinière, BP 32229, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Stéphane Cuenot
- UMR 6502, Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel, 2, Rue de la Houssinière, BP 32229, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Mohammed Kerkoud
- IRHS, Agrocampus-Ouest, INRA, Université d'Angers, SFR 4207 QuaSaV, 49071 Beaucouzé, France
| | - Roxane Raulo
- IRHS, Agrocampus-Ouest, INRA, Université d'Angers, SFR 4207 QuaSaV, 49071 Beaucouzé, France
| | | | - Muriel Marchi
- IRHS, Agrocampus-Ouest, INRA, Université d'Angers, SFR 4207 QuaSaV, 49071 Beaucouzé, France
| | - Anthony Kwasiborski
- IRHS, Agrocampus-Ouest, INRA, Université d'Angers, SFR 4207 QuaSaV, 49071 Beaucouzé, France
| | - Guillaume N'Guyen
- IRHS, Agrocampus-Ouest, INRA, Université d'Angers, SFR 4207 QuaSaV, 49071 Beaucouzé, France
| | - Guillaume Mabilleau
- Plateforme SCIAM, Institut de Biologie en Santé, CHU, Université d'Angers, 4, Rue Larrey, 49933 Angers Cedex, France
| | - Philippe Simoneau
- IRHS, Agrocampus-Ouest, INRA, Université d'Angers, SFR 4207 QuaSaV, 49071 Beaucouzé, France
| | - Thomas Guillemette
- IRHS, Agrocampus-Ouest, INRA, Université d'Angers, SFR 4207 QuaSaV, 49071 Beaucouzé, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Williams AH, Sharma M, Thatcher LF, Azam S, Hane JK, Sperschneider J, Kidd BN, Anderson JP, Ghosh R, Garg G, Lichtenzveig J, Kistler HC, Shea T, Young S, Buck SAG, Kamphuis LG, Saxena R, Pande S, Ma LJ, Varshney RK, Singh KB. Comparative genomics and prediction of conditionally dispensable sequences in legume-infecting Fusarium oxysporum formae speciales facilitates identification of candidate effectors. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:191. [PMID: 26945779 PMCID: PMC4779268 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2486-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Soil-borne fungi of the Fusarium oxysporum species complex cause devastating wilt disease on many crops including legumes that supply human dietary protein needs across many parts of the globe. We present and compare draft genome assemblies for three legume-infecting formae speciales (ff. spp.): F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceris (Foc-38-1) and f. sp. pisi (Fop-37622), significant pathogens of chickpea and pea respectively, the world's second and third most important grain legumes, and lastly f. sp. medicaginis (Fom-5190a) for which we developed a model legume pathosystem utilising Medicago truncatula. RESULTS Focusing on the identification of pathogenicity gene content, we leveraged the reference genomes of Fusarium pathogens F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (tomato-infecting) and F. solani (pea-infecting) and their well-characterised core and dispensable chromosomes to predict genomic organisation in the newly sequenced legume-infecting isolates. Dispensable chromosomes are not essential for growth and in Fusarium species are known to be enriched in host-specificity and pathogenicity-associated genes. Comparative genomics of the publicly available Fusarium species revealed differential patterns of sequence conservation across F. oxysporum formae speciales, with legume-pathogenic formae speciales not exhibiting greater sequence conservation between them relative to non-legume-infecting formae speciales, possibly indicating the lack of a common ancestral source for legume pathogenicity. Combining predicted dispensable gene content with in planta expression in the model legume-infecting isolate, we identified small conserved regions and candidate effectors, four of which shared greatest similarity to proteins from another legume-infecting ff. spp. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that distinction of core and potential dispensable genomic regions of novel F. oxysporum genomes is an effective tool to facilitate effector discovery and the identification of gene content possibly linked to host specificity. While the legume-infecting isolates didn't share large genomic regions of pathogenicity-related content, smaller regions and candidate effector proteins were highly conserved, suggesting that they may play specific roles in inducing disease on legume hosts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angela H Williams
- The Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
- CSIRO Agriculture, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia.
| | - Mamta Sharma
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Greater Hyderabad, 502324, Telangana, India.
| | - Louise F Thatcher
- CSIRO Agriculture, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia.
| | - Sarwar Azam
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Greater Hyderabad, 502324, Telangana, India.
| | - James K Hane
- CSIRO Agriculture, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia.
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin Institute for Computation, and CCDM Bioinformatics, Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6102, Australia.
| | - Jana Sperschneider
- CSIRO Agriculture, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia.
| | - Brendan N Kidd
- CSIRO Agriculture, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia.
| | - Jonathan P Anderson
- The Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
- CSIRO Agriculture, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia.
| | - Raju Ghosh
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Greater Hyderabad, 502324, Telangana, India.
| | - Gagan Garg
- CSIRO Agriculture, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia.
| | - Judith Lichtenzveig
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Pulse Pathology and Genetics, Centre for Crop and Disease Management and Curtin Institute for Computation, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6102, Australia.
| | - H Corby Kistler
- USDA-ARS, Cereal Disease Laboratory, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, 55108, USA.
| | | | - Sarah Young
- The Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02141, USA.
| | - Sally-Anne G Buck
- CSIRO Agriculture, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia.
| | - Lars G Kamphuis
- The Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
- CSIRO Agriculture, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia.
| | - Rachit Saxena
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Greater Hyderabad, 502324, Telangana, India.
| | - Suresh Pande
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Greater Hyderabad, 502324, Telangana, India.
| | - Li-Jun Ma
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Rajeev K Varshney
- The Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Greater Hyderabad, 502324, Telangana, India.
| | - Karam B Singh
- The Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
- CSIRO Agriculture, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Guo L, Han L, Yang L, Zeng H, Fan D, Zhu Y, Feng Y, Wang G, Peng C, Jiang X, Zhou D, Ni P, Liang C, Liu L, Wang J, Mao C, Fang X, Peng M, Huang J. Genome and transcriptome analysis of the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense causing banana vascular wilt disease. PLoS One 2014; 9:e95543. [PMID: 24743270 PMCID: PMC3990668 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2013] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The asexual fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) causing vascular wilt disease is one of the most devastating pathogens of banana (Musa spp.). To understand the molecular underpinning of pathogenicity in Foc, the genomes and transcriptomes of two Foc isolates were sequenced. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Genome analysis revealed that the genome structures of race 1 and race 4 isolates were highly syntenic with those of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici strain Fol4287. A large number of putative virulence associated genes were identified in both Foc genomes, including genes putatively involved in root attachment, cell degradation, detoxification of toxin, transport, secondary metabolites biosynthesis and signal transductions. Importantly, relative to the Foc race 1 isolate (Foc1), the Foc race 4 isolate (Foc4) has evolved with some expanded gene families of transporters and transcription factors for transport of toxins and nutrients that may facilitate its ability to adapt to host environments and contribute to pathogenicity to banana. Transcriptome analysis disclosed a significant difference in transcriptional responses between Foc1 and Foc4 at 48 h post inoculation to the banana 'Brazil' in comparison with the vegetative growth stage. Of particular note, more virulence-associated genes were up regulated in Foc4 than in Foc1. Several signaling pathways like the mitogen-activated protein kinase Fmk1 mediated invasion growth pathway, the FGA1-mediated G protein signaling pathway and a pathogenicity associated two-component system were activated in Foc4 rather than in Foc1. Together, these differences in gene content and transcription response between Foc1 and Foc4 might account for variation in their virulence during infection of the banana variety 'Brazil'. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Foc genome sequences will facilitate us to identify pathogenicity mechanism involved in the banana vascular wilt disease development. These will thus advance us develop effective methods for managing the banana vascular wilt disease, including improvement of disease resistance in banana.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lijia Guo
- Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Control of Tropical Agricultural and Forest Invasive Alien Pests, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | | | - Laying Yang
- Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Control of Tropical Agricultural and Forest Invasive Alien Pests, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | - Huicai Zeng
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | | | | | | | - Guofen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Control of Tropical Agricultural and Forest Invasive Alien Pests, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | | | | | | | | | - Changcong Liang
- Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Control of Tropical Agricultural and Forest Invasive Alien Pests, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Control of Tropical Agricultural and Forest Invasive Alien Pests, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Control of Tropical Agricultural and Forest Invasive Alien Pests, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | - Chao Mao
- Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Control of Tropical Agricultural and Forest Invasive Alien Pests, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | | | - Ming Peng
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | - Junsheng Huang
- Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Control of Tropical Agricultural and Forest Invasive Alien Pests, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ali H, Ries MI, Nijland JG, Lankhorst PP, Hankemeier T, Bovenberg RAL, Vreeken RJ, Driessen AJM. A branched biosynthetic pathway is involved in production of roquefortine and related compounds in Penicillium chrysogenum. PLoS One 2013; 8:e65328. [PMID: 23776469 PMCID: PMC3680398 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 04/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Profiling and structural elucidation of secondary metabolites produced by the filamentous fungus Penicillium chrysogenum and derived deletion strains were used to identify the various metabolites and enzymatic steps belonging to the roquefortine/meleagrin pathway. Major abundant metabolites of this pathway were identified as histidyltryptophanyldiketopiperazine (HTD), dehydrohistidyltryptophanyldi-ketopiperazine (DHTD), roquefortine D, roquefortine C, glandicoline A, glandicoline B and meleagrin. Specific genes could be assigned to each enzymatic reaction step. The nonribosomal peptide synthetase RoqA accepts L-histidine and L-tryptophan as substrates leading to the production of the diketopiperazine HTD. DHTD, previously suggested to be a degradation product of roquefortine C, was found to be derived from HTD involving the cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase RoqR. The dimethylallyltryptophan synthetase RoqD prenylates both HTD and DHTD yielding directly the products roquefortine D and roquefortine C without the synthesis of a previously suggested intermediate and the involvement of RoqM. This leads to a branch in the otherwise linear pathway. Roquefortine C is subsequently converted into glandicoline B with glandicoline A as intermediates, involving two monooxygenases (RoqM and RoqO) which were mixed up in an earlier attempt to elucidate the biosynthetic pathway. Eventually, meleagrin is produced from glandicoline B involving a methyltransferase (RoqN). It is concluded that roquefortine C and meleagrin are derived from a branched biosynthetic pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hazrat Ali
- Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentations, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Marco I. Ries
- Division of Analytical Biosciences, Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen G. Nijland
- Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentations, Delft, The Netherlands
| | | | - Thomas Hankemeier
- Division of Analytical Biosciences, Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Metabolomics Centre, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Roel A. L. Bovenberg
- DSM Biotechnology Center, Delft, The Netherlands
- Synthetic Biology and Cell Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Rob J. Vreeken
- Division of Analytical Biosciences, Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Metabolomics Centre, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Arnold J. M. Driessen
- Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentations, Delft, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Tsuge T, Harimoto Y, Akimitsu K, Ohtani K, Kodama M, Akagi Y, Egusa M, Yamamoto M, Otani H. Host-selective toxins produced by the plant pathogenic fungusAlternaria alternata. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2013; 37:44-66. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2012.00350.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 247] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2011] [Revised: 06/14/2012] [Accepted: 07/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
|
7
|
Ellwood SR, Liu Z, Syme RA, Lai Z, Hane JK, Keiper F, Moffat CS, Oliver RP, Friesen TL. A first genome assembly of the barley fungal pathogen Pyrenophora teres f. teres. Genome Biol 2010; 11:R109. [PMID: 21067574 PMCID: PMC3156948 DOI: 10.1186/gb-2010-11-11-r109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2010] [Revised: 10/21/2010] [Accepted: 11/10/2010] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pyrenophora teres f. teres is a necrotrophic fungal pathogen and the cause of one of barley's most important diseases, net form of net blotch. Here we report the first genome assembly for this species based solely on short Solexa sequencing reads of isolate 0-1. The assembly was validated by comparison to BAC sequences, ESTs, orthologous genes and by PCR, and complemented by cytogenetic karyotyping and the first genome-wide genetic map for P. teres f. teres. Results The total assembly was 41.95 Mbp and contains 11,799 gene models of 50 amino acids or more. Comparison against two sequenced BACs showed that complex regions with a high GC content assembled effectively. Electrophoretic karyotyping showed distinct chromosomal polymorphisms between isolates 0-1 and 15A, and cytological karyotyping confirmed the presence of at least nine chromosomes. The genetic map spans 2477.7 cM and is composed of 243 markers in 25 linkage groups, and incorporates simple sequence repeat markers developed from the assembly. Among predicted genes, non-ribosomal peptide synthetases and efflux pumps in particular appear to have undergone a P. teres f. teres-specific expansion of non-orthologous gene families. Conclusions This study demonstrates that paired-end Solexa sequencing can successfully capture coding regions of a filamentous fungal genome. The assembly contains a plethora of predicted genes that have been implicated in a necrotrophic lifestyle and pathogenicity and presents a significant resource for examining the bases for P. teres f. teres pathogenicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon R Ellwood
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth, Western Australia 6102, Australia.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Horizontal chromosome transfer, a mechanism for the evolution and differentiation of a plant-pathogenic fungus. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2009; 8:1732-8. [PMID: 19749175 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00135-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The tomato pathotype of Alternaria alternata produces host-specific AAL toxin and causes Alternaria stem canker on tomato. A polyketide synthetase (PKS) gene, ALT1, which is involved in AAL toxin biosynthesis, resides on a 1.0-Mb conditionally dispensable chromosome (CDC) found only in the pathogenic and AAL toxin-producing strains. Genomic sequences of ALT1 and another PKS gene, both of which reside on the CDC in the tomato pathotype strains, were compared to those of tomato pathotype strains collected worldwide. This revealed that the sequences of both CDC genes were identical among five A. alternata tomato pathotype strains having different geographical origins. On the other hand, the sequences of other genes located on chromosomes other than the CDC are not identical in each strain, indicating that the origin of the CDC might be different from that of other chromosomes in the tomato pathotype. Telomere fingerprinting and restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of the A. alternata strains also indicated that the CDCs in the tomato pathotype strains were identical, although the genetic backgrounds of the strains differed. A hybrid strain between two different pathotypes was shown to harbor the CDCs derived from both parental strains with an expanded range of pathogenicity, indicating that CDCs can be transmitted from one strain to another and stably maintained in the new genome. We propose a hypothesis whereby the ability to produce AAL toxin and to infect a plant could potentially be distributed among A. alternata strains by horizontal transfer of an entire pathogenicity chromosome. This could provide a possible mechanism by which new pathogens arise in nature.
Collapse
|
9
|
The genome of Nectria haematococca: contribution of supernumerary chromosomes to gene expansion. PLoS Genet 2009; 5:e1000618. [PMID: 19714214 PMCID: PMC2725324 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 308] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2009] [Accepted: 07/27/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ascomycetous fungus Nectria haematococca, (asexual name Fusarium solani), is a member of a group of >50 species known as the "Fusarium solani species complex". Members of this complex have diverse biological properties including the ability to cause disease on >100 genera of plants and opportunistic infections in humans. The current research analyzed the most extensively studied member of this complex, N. haematococca mating population VI (MPVI). Several genes controlling the ability of individual isolates of this species to colonize specific habitats are located on supernumerary chromosomes. Optical mapping revealed that the sequenced isolate has 17 chromosomes ranging from 530 kb to 6.52 Mb and that the physical size of the genome, 54.43 Mb, and the number of predicted genes, 15,707, are among the largest reported for ascomycetes. Two classes of genes have contributed to gene expansion: specific genes that are not found in other fungi including its closest sequenced relative, Fusarium graminearum; and genes that commonly occur as single copies in other fungi but are present as multiple copies in N. haematococca MPVI. Some of these additional genes appear to have resulted from gene duplication events, while others may have been acquired through horizontal gene transfer. The supernumerary nature of three chromosomes, 14, 15, and 17, was confirmed by their absence in pulsed field gel electrophoresis experiments of some isolates and by demonstrating that these isolates lacked chromosome-specific sequences found on the ends of these chromosomes. These supernumerary chromosomes contain more repeat sequences, are enriched in unique and duplicated genes, and have a lower G+C content in comparison to the other chromosomes. Although the origin(s) of the extra genes and the supernumerary chromosomes is not known, the gene expansion and its large genome size are consistent with this species' diverse range of habitats. Furthermore, the presence of unique genes on supernumerary chromosomes might account for individual isolates having different environmental niches.
Collapse
|
10
|
Ha YS, Covert SF, Momany M. FsFKS1, the 1,3-beta-glucan synthase from the caspofungin-resistant fungus Fusarium solani. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2006; 5:1036-42. [PMID: 16835448 PMCID: PMC1489279 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00030-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The cell wall, a mesh of carbohydrates and proteins, shapes and protects the fungal cell. The enzyme responsible for the synthesis of one of the main components of the fungal wall, 1,3-beta-glucan synthase, is targeted by the antifungal caspofungin acetate (CFA). Clinical isolates of Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus are much more sensitive to CFA than clinical isolates of Fusarium species. To better understand CFA resistance in Fusarium species, we cloned and sequenced FsFKS1, which encodes the Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi beta(1,3)-D-glucan synthase, used RNA interference to reduce its expression and complemented deletion of the essential fks gene of the CFA-sensitive fungus A. fumigatus with FsFKS1. Reduction of the FsFKS1 message in F. solani f. sp. pisi reduced spore viability and caused lysis of spores and hyphae, consistent with cell wall defects. Compensating for the loss of A. fumigatus fks1 with FsFKS1 caused only a modest increase in the tolerance of A. fumigatus for CFA. Our results suggest that FsFKS1 is required for the proper construction of F. solani cell walls and that the resistance of F. solani to CFA is at best only partially due to resistance of the FsFKS1 enzyme to this antifungal agent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Young-sil Ha
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Liu X, Inlow M, VanEtten HD. Expression profiles of pea pathogenicity ( PEP) genes in vivo and in vitro, characterization of the flanking regions of the PEP cluster and evidence that the PEP cluster region resulted from horizontal gene transfer in the fungal pathogen Nectria haematococca. Curr Genet 2003; 44:95-103. [PMID: 12925899 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-003-0428-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2003] [Revised: 06/30/2003] [Accepted: 07/05/2003] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A cluster of pathogenicity genes ( PEP1, PEP2, PDA1, PEP5), termed the pea pathogenicity ( PEP) cluster and located on a 1.6-Mb conditionally dispensable (CD) chromosome, was identified in the fungal pathogen Nectria haematococca. Studies determined that the expression of PDA1 is induced in both infected pea tissues and in vitro by the phytoalexin pisatin. The present study reports the use of real-time quantitative RT-PCR to monitor the expression of each PEP gene and PDA1. In mycelia actively growing in culture, the mRNA levels of PEP1, PEP5 and PDA1 were very low and the PEP2 transcript was undetectable. In planta, PDA1 and PEP2 were strongly induced, while PEP1 and PEP5 were moderately induced. Starvation slightly enhanced the expression of PEP1, PDA1 and PEP5, while the expression of PEP2 remained undetectable. Exposure to pisatin in culture stimulated the expression of PDA1 and each PEP gene to a similar level as occurred in planta. In addition, all four pathogenicity genes displayed similar temporal patterns of expression in planta and in vitro, consistent with a coordinated regulation of these genes by pisatin during pea pathogenesis. In the flanking regions of the PEP cluster, six open reading frames (ORFs) were identified and all were expressed during infection of pea. Comparison of the codon preferences of these ORFs and seven additional genes from CD chromosomes with the codon preferences of 21 genes from other chromosomes revealed there is a codon bias that correlates with the source of the genes. This difference in codon bias is consistent with the hypothesis that genes on the CD chromosome have a different origin from genes of normal chromosomes, suggesting that horizontal gene transfer may have played a role in the evolution of pathogenesis in N. haematococca.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoguang Liu
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|