catA, a newAspergillus nidulans gene encoding a developmentally regulated catalane

Antioxidant-related catalase CTA1 regulates development, aflatoxin biosynthesis, and virulence in pathogenic fungus Aspergillus flavus

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) induce the synthesis of a myriad of secondary metabolites, including aflatoxins. It raises significant concern as it is a potent environmental contaminant. In Aspergillus flavus., antioxidant enzymes link ROS stress response with coordinated gene regulation of aflatoxin biosynthesis. In this study, we characterized the function of a core component of the antioxidant enzyme catalase (CTA1) of A. flavus. Firstly, we verified the presence of cta1 corresponding protein (CTA1) by Western blot analysis and mass-spectrometry based analysis. Then, the functional study revealed that the growth, sporulation and sclerotia formation significantly increased, while aflatoxins production and virulence were decreased in the cta1 deletion mutant as compared with the WT and complementary strains. Furthermore, the absence of the cta1 gene resulted in a significant rise in the intracellular ROS level, which in turn added to the oxidative stress level of cells. A further quantitative proteomics investigation hinted that in vivo, CTA1 might maintain the ROS level to facilitate the aflatoxin synthesis. All in all, the pleiotropic phenotype of A. flavus CTA1 deletion mutant revealed that the antioxidant system plays a crucial role in fungal development, aflatoxins biosynthesis and virulence.

Current challenges for shaping the sustainable and mold-free hygienic indoor environment in humid regions

Indoor mold grows ubiquitously in humid areas and can affect occupants' health. To prevent indoor mold contamination, one of the key measures suggested by the World Health Organisation and United States Environmental Protection Agency is to maintain an indoor relative humidity (RH) level below 75% or at 30-60%, respectively. However, in tropical and subtropical areas, maintaining these suggested RH levels is equivalent to operating a 24-h air-conditioner (AC) or dehumidifier, which is energy-consuming. As a large part of building expense, the operation time of ACs has been regularly proposed to be cut down because of the requirement of building sustainability. This leads to a trade-off between sustainable building performance and indoor mold hygiene. To balance this trade-off, more sustainable alternatives, such as those that target physical environments (e.g. nutrient and temperature level) or apply new surface coating technologies to inhibit mold growth, have been launched. Despite these initiatives, indoor mold contamination remains an unresolved issue, mainly because these alternative measures only exhibit limited effectiveness or require extra effort. This review aims to summarize the currently adopted mold control measures and discuss their limitations as well as the direction for the future development of sustainable mold control strategies. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: People spend most of their time indoors and hence the presence of indoor mold contamination can compromise the occupants' health. With the wake of climate change which is expected to see an increase in RH and temperature, tropical and subtropical areas are even more prone to mold contamination than they used to be. This study may help facilitate the development of sustainable and effective mold control strategies in the indoor environment.

The role of oxidative stress in the growth of the indoor mold Cladosporium cladosporioides under water dynamics

Moisture is one of the critical abiotic factors that can affect mold growth. Indoor humidity is typically fluctuating, which renders a transient water supply for mold growth. Understanding mold growth under water dynamics and its underlying mechanisms can help in the development of novel and sustainable mold prevention strategies. In this study, pre-germination and germinated spores of Cladosporium cladosporioides were exposed to daily wet-dry cycles with different combinations of wetting and drying duration. Afterward, growth delay, cellular H₂ O₂ concentration, and catalase (CAT) activity were measured and compared. We found that under daily wet-dry cycles, the longer the growth delay was observed, the higher the cellular H₂ O₂ concentration was detected, with the 12-12 wet-dry cycle (12-hour wet and 12-hour dry) showing the longest growth delay and highest cellular H₂ O₂ production. A positive correlation between cellular H₂ O₂ concentration and growth delay was suggested by Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis (P < .0001, R²  = 0.85). Furthermore, under daily wet-dry cycles, molds derived from pre-germination spores generally exhibited shorter growth delay, lower cellular H₂ O₂ concentration, and higher CAT activity than molds developed from germinated spores. These results together suggest that the growth delay of C. cladosporioides under water dynamics is associated with oxidative stress.

Regulation of catalase activity and gene expression during Phytophthora nicotianae development and infection of tobacco

Plant defence against pathogen attack typically incorporates an oxidative burst involving elevated levels of reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide. In the present study, we have used an in-gel assay to monitor the activity of the hydrogen peroxide scavenging enzyme, catalase, during asexual development of Phytophthora nicotianae and during infection of host tobacco plants. In vitro, catalase activity is highest in sporulating hyphae; in planta, catalase activity increases dramatically about 8 h after host inoculation. We have cloned and characterized three catalase genes, designated PnCat1, PnCat2 and PnCat3, from P. nicotianae and identified their homologues in P. infestans, P. sojae and P. ramorum. In all three species, Cat2 is predicted to be targeted to the peroxisome and the other catalases are likely to be cytosolic. Quantitative real-time PCR assessment of catalase transcripts during development and infection indicates that peroxisomal PnCat2 is the gene predominantly expressed, with transcript levels peaking in vitro in sporulating hyphae and in planta increasing dramatically during the first 24 h after inoculation of susceptible tobacco seedlings. Levels of tobacco catalase gene expression are significantly down-regulated in susceptible tobacco 4, 8 and 24 h post-inoculation and in resistant plants at 24 h post-inoculation. Together, our results give evidence that during infection P. nicotianae increases its own peroxisomal catalase levels while concurrently down-regulating host catalase expression. This behaviour is consistent with a role of pathogen catalase in counterdefence and protection against oxidative stress and of pathogen-orchestrated enhanced plant cell death to support necrotrophic pathogen growth and plant colonization.