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Cacciotti A, Beccaccioli M, Reverberi M. The CRZ1 transcription factor in plant fungi: regulation mechanism and impact on pathogenesis. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:647. [PMID: 38727981 PMCID: PMC11087348 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09593-4] [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: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+) is a universal signaling molecule that is tightly regulated, and a fleeting elevation in cytosolic concentration triggers a signal cascade within the cell, which is crucial for several processes such as growth, tolerance to stress conditions, and virulence in fungi. The link between calcium and calcium-dependent gene regulation in cells relies on the transcription factor Calcineurin-Responsive Zinc finger 1 (CRZ1). The direct regulation of approximately 300 genes in different stress pathways makes it a hot topic in host-pathogen interactions. Notably, CRZ1 can modulate several pathways and orchestrate cellular responses to different types of environmental insults such as osmotic stress, oxidative stress, and membrane disruptors. It is our belief that CRZ1 provides the means for tightly modulating and synchronizing several pathways allowing pathogenic fungi to install into the apoplast and eventually penetrate plant cells (i.e., ROS, antimicrobials, and quick pH variation). This review discusses the structure, function, regulation of CRZ1 in fungal physiology and its role in plant pathogen virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Cacciotti
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - M Beccaccioli
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - M Reverberi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Wang G, Liu Y, Hu Y, Pan J, Wei Z, Tai B, Yang B, Li E, Xing F. AwSclB regulates a network for Aspergillus westerdijkiae asexual sporulation and secondary metabolism independent of the fungal light control. Fungal Genet Biol 2024; 171:103865. [PMID: 38246260 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2024.103865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
As a prevalent pathogenic fungus, Aspergillus westerdijkiae poses a threat to both food safety and human health. The fungal growth, conidia production and ochratoxin A (OTA) in A. weterdijkiae are regulated by many factors especially transcription factors. In this study, a transcription factor AwSclB in A. westerdijkiae was identified and its function in asexual sporulation and OTA biosynthesis was investigated. In addition, the effect of light control on AwSclB regulation was also tested. The deletion of AwSclB gene could reduce conidia production by down-regulation of conidia genes and increase OTA biosynthesis by up-regulation of cluster genes, regardless under light or dark conditions. It is worth to note that the inhibitory effect of light on OTA biosynthesis was reversed by the knockout of AwSclB gene. The yeast one-hybrid assay indicated that AwSclB could interact with the promoters of BrlA, ConJ and OtaR1 genes. This result suggests that AwSclB in A. westerdijkiae can directly regulate asexual conidia formation by activating the central developmental pathway BrlA-AbaA-WetA through up-regulating the expression of AwBrlA, and promote the light response of the strain by activating ConJ. However, AwSclB itself is unable to respond to light regulation. This finding will deepen our understanding of the molecular regulation of A. westerdijkiae development and secondary metabolism, and provide potential targets for the development of new fungicides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Quality and Safety Control in Storage and Transport Process, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yibing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Quality and Safety Control in Storage and Transport Process, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yafan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Quality and Safety Control in Storage and Transport Process, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jiaqi Pan
- Horticulture and Landscape College, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zifan Wei
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Quality and Safety Control in Storage and Transport Process, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Bowen Tai
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Quality and Safety Control in Storage and Transport Process, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Bolei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Quality and Safety Control in Storage and Transport Process, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Erfeng Li
- Horticulture and Landscape College, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, China
| | - Fuguo Xing
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Quality and Safety Control in Storage and Transport Process, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
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de Oliveira TC, Freyria NJ, Sarmiento-Villamil JL, Porth I, Tanguay P, Bernier L. Unraveling the transcriptional features and gene expression networks of pathogenic and saprotrophic Ophiostoma species during the infection of Ulmus americana. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0369423. [PMID: 38230934 PMCID: PMC10845970 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03694-23] [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: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
American elm (Ulmus americana), highly prized for its ornamental value, has suffered two successive outbreaks of Dutch elm disease (DED) caused by ascomycete fungi belonging to the genus Ophiostoma. To identify the genes linked to the pathogenicity of different species and lineages of Ophiostoma, we inoculated 2-year-old U. americana saplings with six strains representing three species of DED fungi, and one strain of the saprotroph Ophiostoma quercus. Differential expression analyses were performed following RNA sequencing of fungal transcripts recovered at 3- and 10-days post-infection. Based on a total of 8,640 Ophiostoma genes, we observed a difference in fungal gene expression depending on the strain inoculated and the time of incubation in host tissue. Some genes overexpressed in the more virulent strains of Ophiostoma encode hydrolases that possibly act synergistically. A mutant of Ophiostoma novo-ulmi in which the gene encoding the ogf1 transcription factor had been deleted did not produce transcripts for the gene encoding the hydrophobin cerato-ulmin and was less virulent. Weighted gene correlation network analyses identified several candidate pathogenicity genes distributed among 13 modules of interconnected genes.IMPORTANCEOphiostoma is a genus of cosmopolitan fungi that belongs to the family Ophiostomataceae and includes the pathogens responsible for two devastating pandemics of Dutch elm disease (DED). As the mechanisms of action of DED agents remain unclear, we carried out the first comparative transcriptomic study including representative strains of the three Ophiostoma species causing DED, along with the phylogenetically close saprotrophic species Ophiostoma quercus. Statistical analyses of the fungal transcriptomes recovered at 3 and 10 days following infection of Ulmus americana saplings highlighted several candidate genes associated with virulence and host-pathogen interactions wherein each strain showed a distinct transcriptome. The results of this research underscore the importance of investigating the transcriptional behavior of different fungal taxa to understand their pathogenicity and virulence in relation to the timeline of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thais C. de Oliveira
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada
- Centre d’étude de la Forêt, Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nastasia J. Freyria
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, St. Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jorge Luis Sarmiento-Villamil
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada
- Centre d’étude de la Forêt, Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Málaga (IHSM-CSIC-UMA), Estación Experimental “La Mayora”, Málaga, Spain
| | - Ilga Porth
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada
- Centre d’étude de la Forêt, Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Philippe Tanguay
- Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Louis Bernier
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada
- Centre d’étude de la Forêt, Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada
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Hu T, Wang J, Chen M, Lin L, Wei W, Wei D. Construction of RNA silencing system of Penicillium brevicompactum and genetic manipulation of the regulator pbpcz in mycophenolic acid production. Fungal Genet Biol 2023; 169:103843. [PMID: 37922979 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Penicillium brevicompactum is a critical industrial strain for the production of mycophenolic acid (MPA). However, the genetic background of Penicillium brevicompactum is unclear, and there are few tools available for genetic manipulation. To investigate its gene function, we first verified the feasibility of a pair of citrate synthase promoter (Pcit) and terminator (Tcit) from P. brevicompactum by constructing a fluorescent expression cassette. Based on this, an RNAi vector was designed and constructed with reverse promoters. This study focused on the functional investigation of the pbpcz gene in P. brevicompactum, a regulator belonging to the Zn(II)2Cys6 family. RNAi was used to silence the pbpcz gene, providing a valuable tool for genetic studies in P. brevicompactum. After seven days, we observed differences in the number of spores between different phenotypes strains of pbpcz gene. Compared to the wild-type strain (WT), the spore yield of the pbpcz gene silencing mutant (M2) was only 51.4 %, while that of the pbpcz gene overexpressed mutant (SE4) was increased by 50 %. Expression levels of the three genes (brlA, abaA, and wetA) comprising conidia's central regulatory pathway were significantly reduced in the pbpcz gene silencing mutant, while fluorescence localization showed that PbPCZ protein was mainly distributed in spores. The results indicated that the pbpcz gene is critical for conidia and asexual development of P. brevicompactum. In addition, overexpressing the pbpcz gene resulted in a 30.3 % increase in MPA production compared to the wild type, with a final yield of 3.57 g/L. These results provide evidence that PbPCZ acts as a positive regulator in P. brevicompactum, controlling MPA production and regulating conidia and asexual development.
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Affiliation(s)
- TingTing Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Newworld Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Newworld Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Mianhui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Newworld Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Lin
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, People's Republic of China; Research Laboratory for Functional Nanomaterial, National Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology, Shanghai 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Newworld Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China.
| | - Dongzhi Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Newworld Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
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Dorigan AF, Moreira SI, da Silva Costa Guimarães S, Cruz-Magalhães V, Alves E. Target and non-target site mechanisms of fungicide resistance and their implications for the management of crop pathogens. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2023; 79:4731-4753. [PMID: 37592727 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Fungicides are indispensable for high-quality crops, but the rapid emergence and evolution of fungicide resistance have become the most important issues in modern agriculture. Hence, the sustainability and profitability of agricultural production have been challenged due to the limited number of fungicide chemical classes. Resistance to site-specific fungicides has principally been linked to target and non-target site mechanisms. These mechanisms change the structure or expression level, affecting fungicide efficacy and resulting in different and varying resistance levels. This review provides background information about fungicide resistance mechanisms and their implications for developing anti-resistance strategies in plant pathogens. Here, our purpose was to review changes at the target and non-target sites of quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides, methyl-benzimidazole carbamate (MBC) fungicides, demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides, and succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicides and to evaluate if they may also be associated with a fitness cost on crop pathogen populations. The current knowledge suggests that understanding fungicide resistance mechanisms can facilitate resistance monitoring and assist in developing anti-resistance strategies and new fungicide molecules to help solve this issue. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Eduardo Alves
- Department of Plant Pathology, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Brazil
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Gil-Durán C, Palma D, Marcano Y, Palacios JL, Martínez C, Rojas-Aedo JF, Levicán G, Vaca I, Chávez R. CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Disruption of the pcz1 Gene and Its Impact on Growth, Development, and Penicillin Production in Penicillium rubens. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:1010. [PMID: 37888266 PMCID: PMC10607824 DOI: 10.3390/jof9101010] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Penicillium rubens is a filamentous fungus of great biotechnological importance due to its role as an industrial producer of the antibiotic penicillin. However, despite its significance, our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms governing biological processes in this fungus is still limited. In fungi, zinc finger proteins containing a Zn(II)2Cys6 domain are particularly interesting regulators. Although the P. rubens genome harbors many genes encoding proteins with this domain, only two of them have been investigated thus far. In this study, we employed CRISPR-Cas9 technology to disrupt the pcz1 gene, which encodes a Zn(II)2Cys6 protein in P. rubens. The disruption of pcz1 resulted in a decrease in the production of penicillin in P. rubens. This decrease in penicillin production was accompanied by the downregulation of the expression of pcbAB, pcbC and penDE genes, which form the biosynthetic gene cluster responsible for penicillin production. Moreover, the disruption of pcz1 also impacts on asexual development, leading to decreased growth and conidiation, as well as enhanced conidial germination. Collectively, our results indicate that pcz1 acts as a positive regulator of penicillin production, growth, and conidiation, while functioning as a negative regulator of conidial germination in P. rubens. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report involving a gene encoding a Zn(II)2Cys6 protein in the regulation of penicillin biosynthesis in P. rubens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Gil-Durán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile; (C.G.-D.); (Y.M.); (J.F.R.-A.); (G.L.)
| | - Diego Palma
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile;
| | - Yudethzi Marcano
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile; (C.G.-D.); (Y.M.); (J.F.R.-A.); (G.L.)
| | - José-Luis Palacios
- Centro de Estudios en Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos (CECTA), Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile; (J.-L.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Claudio Martínez
- Centro de Estudios en Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos (CECTA), Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile; (J.-L.P.); (C.M.)
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad Tecnológica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile
| | - Juan F. Rojas-Aedo
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile; (C.G.-D.); (Y.M.); (J.F.R.-A.); (G.L.)
| | - Gloria Levicán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile; (C.G.-D.); (Y.M.); (J.F.R.-A.); (G.L.)
| | - Inmaculada Vaca
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile;
| | - Renato Chávez
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile; (C.G.-D.); (Y.M.); (J.F.R.-A.); (G.L.)
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Wang D, Zhang Y, Zhou S, Zhang X, Liu S, Li X, Liu Z. Gcc1 homologs regulate growth, oxidative stress, conidiation and appressorium formation in Colletotrichum siamense and Colletotrichum graminicola. Microb Pathog 2023; 182:106249. [PMID: 37437644 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
The Zn2Cys6 transcription factor is a fungal-specific zinc finger protein, which plays an important role in regulating growth, development and pathogenicity of pathogenic fungi. In this study, we characterized two Zn2Cys6 transcription factors, CsGcc1 and CgrGcc1 in Colletotrichum siamense and C. graminicola, respectively, which are homologous to Gcc1 in Magnaporthe oryzae. Both CsGcc1 and CgrGcc1 contain a typical GAL4 DNA-binding domain. Deletion of CsGCC1 or CgrGCC1 decreased the growth rate and lowered the tolerance to H2O2. In addition, disrupting CsGCC1 reduced conidial yield and lowered the germination rate and appressorium formation rate of C. siamense. Cellophane assays showed that deletion of CsGCC1 also weakened the penetration ability of appressoria. In C. graminicola, CgrGcc1 did not affect the production and germination of oval conidia, but its deletion significantly decreased the yield of the falcate conidium, and led to abnormal appressorium formation. In terms of pathogenicity, CsGcc1 slightly reduced the virulence of C. siamense, while deleting CgrGcc1 did not affect virulence of C. graminicola. In conclusion, the Zn2Cys6 transcription factors CsGcc1 and CgrGcc1 are involved in the regulation of vegetative growth, oxidative stress, conidial/falcate conidial production and appressorium formation in C. siamense and C. graminicola.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diguang Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | | | - Xingyuan Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Shayu Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Xiaoyu Li
- School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China; One Health Institute, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
| | - Zhiqiang Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China; One Health Institute, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
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Zhang Y, Zhuang X, Meng J, Zan F, Liu Z, Qin C, Hao L, Wang Z, Wang L, Li H, Li H, Ding S. A Putative Zn(II) 2Cys 6-Type Transcription Factor FpUme18 Is Required for Development, Conidiation, Cell Wall Integrity, Endocytosis and Full Virulence in Fusarium pseudograminearum. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10987. [PMID: 37446163 PMCID: PMC10341630 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310987] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Fusarium pseudograminearum is one of the major fungal pathogens that cause Fusarium crown rot (FCR) worldwide and can lead to a substantially reduced grain yield and quality. Transcription factors play an important role in regulating growth and pathogenicity in plant pathogens. In this study, we identified a putative Zn(II)2Cys6 fungal-type domain-containing transcription factor and named it FpUme18. The expression of FpUME18 was induced during the infection of wheat by F. pseudograminearum. The ΔFpume18 deletion mutant showed defects in growth, conidial production, and conidial germination. In the responses to the cell wall, salt and oxidative stresses, the ΔFpume18 mutant inhibited the rate of mycelial growth at a higher rate compared with the wild type. The staining of conidia and mycelia with lipophilic dye FM4-64 revealed a delay in endocytosis when FpUME18 was deleted. FpUME18 also positively regulated the expression of phospholipid-related synthesis genes. The deletion of FpUME18 attenuated the pathogenicity of wheat coleoptiles. FpUME18 also participated in the production of the DON toxin by regulating the expression of TRI genes. Collectively, FpUme18 is required for vegetative growth, conidiation, stress response, endocytosis, and full virulence in F. pseudograminearum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Xunyu Zhuang
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Jiaxing Meng
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Feifei Zan
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Zheran Liu
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Cancan Qin
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Lingjun Hao
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Zhifang Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Limin Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Honglian Li
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Haiyang Li
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Shengli Ding
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Zhengzhou 450046, China
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9
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Chávez R, Vaca I, García-Estrada C. Secondary Metabolites Produced by the Blue-Cheese Ripening Mold Penicillium roqueforti; Biosynthesis and Regulation Mechanisms. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040459. [PMID: 37108913 PMCID: PMC10144355 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040459] [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: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are an important source of natural products. The mold Penicillium roqueforti, which is well-known for being responsible for the characteristic texture, blue-green spots, and aroma of the so-called blue-veined cheeses (French Bleu, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Cabrales, and Valdeón, among others), is able to synthesize different secondary metabolites, including andrastins and mycophenolic acid, as well as several mycotoxins, such as Roquefortines C and D, PR-toxin and eremofortins, Isofumigaclavines A and B, festuclavine, and Annullatins D and F. This review provides a detailed description of the biosynthetic gene clusters and pathways of the main secondary metabolites produced by P. roqueforti, as well as an overview of the regulatory mechanisms controlling secondary metabolism in this filamentous fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Chávez
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile
| | - Inmaculada Vaca
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile
| | - Carlos García-Estrada
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Campus de Vegazana, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
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Mayer C, Vogt A, Uslu T, Scalzitti N, Chennen K, Poch O, Thompson JD. CeGAL: Redefining a Widespread Fungal-Specific Transcription Factor Family Using an In Silico Error-Tracking Approach. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040424. [PMID: 37108879 PMCID: PMC10141177 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In fungi, the most abundant transcription factor (TF) class contains a fungal-specific ‘GAL4-like’ Zn2C6 DNA binding domain (DBD), while the second class contains another fungal-specific domain, known as ‘fungal_trans’ or middle homology domain (MHD), whose function remains largely uncharacterized. Remarkably, almost a third of MHD-containing TFs in public sequence databases apparently lack DNA binding activity, since they are not predicted to contain a DBD. Here, we reassess the domain organization of these ‘MHD-only’ proteins using an in silico error-tracking approach. In a large-scale analysis of ~17,000 MHD-only TF sequences present in all fungal phyla except Microsporidia and Cryptomycota, we show that the vast majority (>90%) result from genome annotation errors and we are able to predict a new DBD sequence for 14,261 of them. Most of these sequences correspond to a Zn2C6 domain (82%), with a small proportion of C2H2 domains (4%) found only in Dikarya. Our results contradict previous findings that the MHD-only TF are widespread in fungi. In contrast, we show that they are exceptional cases, and that the fungal-specific Zn2C6–MHD domain pair represents the canonical domain signature defining the most predominant fungal TF family. We call this family CeGAL, after the highly characterized members: Cep3, whose 3D structure is determined, and GAL4, a eukaryotic TF archetype. We believe that this will not only improve the annotation and classification of the Zn2C6 TF but will also provide critical guidance for future fungal gene regulatory network analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudine Mayer
- Complex Systems and Translational Bioinformatics (CSTB), ICube Laboratory, UMR7357, University of Strasbourg, 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67000 Strasbourg, France
- Faculté des Sciences, Université Paris Cité, UFR Sciences du Vivant, 75013 Paris, France
- Correspondence: (C.M.); (J.D.T.)
| | - Arthur Vogt
- Complex Systems and Translational Bioinformatics (CSTB), ICube Laboratory, UMR7357, University of Strasbourg, 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Tuba Uslu
- Complex Systems and Translational Bioinformatics (CSTB), ICube Laboratory, UMR7357, University of Strasbourg, 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Nicolas Scalzitti
- Complex Systems and Translational Bioinformatics (CSTB), ICube Laboratory, UMR7357, University of Strasbourg, 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Kirsley Chennen
- Complex Systems and Translational Bioinformatics (CSTB), ICube Laboratory, UMR7357, University of Strasbourg, 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Olivier Poch
- Complex Systems and Translational Bioinformatics (CSTB), ICube Laboratory, UMR7357, University of Strasbourg, 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Julie D. Thompson
- Complex Systems and Translational Bioinformatics (CSTB), ICube Laboratory, UMR7357, University of Strasbourg, 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, 67000 Strasbourg, France
- Correspondence: (C.M.); (J.D.T.)
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11
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Chang PK, Scharfenstein LL, Mahoney N, Kong Q. Kojic Acid Gene Clusters and the Transcriptional Activation Mechanism of Aspergillus flavus KojR on Expression of Clustered Genes. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9020259. [PMID: 36836373 PMCID: PMC9961346 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020259] [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: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Kojic acid (KA) is a fungal metabolite and has a variety of applications in the cosmetics and food industries. Aspergillus oryzae is a well-known producer of KA, and its KA biosynthesis gene cluster has been identified. In this study, we showed that nearly all section Flavi aspergilli except for A. avenaceus had complete KA gene clusters, and only one Penicillium species, P. nordicum, contained a partial KA gene cluster. Phylogenetic inference based on KA gene cluster sequences consistently grouped section Flavi aspergilli into clades as prior studies. The Zn(II)2Cys6 zinc cluster regulator KojR transcriptionally activated clustered genes of kojA and kojT in Aspergillus flavus. This was evidenced by the time-course expression of both genes in kojR-overexpressing strains whose kojR expression was driven by a heterologous Aspergillus nidulans gpdA promoter or a homologous A. flavus gpiA promoter. Using sequences from the kojA and kojT promoter regions of section Flavi aspergilli for motif analyses, we identified a consensus KojR-binding motif to be an 11-bp palindromic sequence of 5'-CGRCTWAGYCG-3' (R = A/G, W = A/T, Y = C/T). A CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene-targeting technique showed that the motif sequence, 5'-CGACTTTGCCG-3', in the kojA promoter was critical for KA biosynthesis in A. flavus. Our findings may facilitate strain improvement and benefit future kojic acid production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perng-Kuang Chang
- Southern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1100 Allen Toussaint Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70124, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-504-286-4208; Fax: +1-504-286-4419
| | - Leslie L. Scharfenstein
- Southern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1100 Allen Toussaint Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70124, USA
| | - Noreen Mahoney
- Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 800 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94710, USA
| | - Qing Kong
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
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12
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Bansal S, Mallikarjuna MG, Balamurugan A, Nayaka SC, Prakash G. Composition and Codon Usage Pattern Results in Divergence of the Zinc Binuclear Cluster ( Zn(II)2Cys6) Sequences among Ascomycetes Plant Pathogenic Fungi. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:1134. [PMID: 36354901 PMCID: PMC9694491 DOI: 10.3390/jof8111134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Zinc binuclear cluster proteins (ZBC; Zn(II)2Cys6) are unique to the fungi kingdom and associated with a series of functions, viz., the utilization of macromolecules, stress tolerance, and most importantly, host-pathogen interactions by imparting virulence to the pathogen. Codon usage bias (CUB) is the phenomenon of using synonymous codons in a non-uniform fashion during the translation event, which has arisen because of interactions among evolutionary forces. The Zn(II)2Cys6 coding sequences from nine Ascomycetes plant pathogenic species and model system yeast were analysed for compositional and codon usage bias patterns. The clustering analysis diverged the Ascomycetes fungi into two clusters. The nucleotide compositional and relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) analysis indicated GC biasness toward Ascomycetes fungi compared with the model system S. cerevisiae, which tends to be AT-rich. Further, plant pathogenic Ascomycetes fungi belonging to cluster-2 showed a higher number of GC-rich high-frequency codons than cluster-1 and was exclusively AT-rich in S. cerevisiae. The current investigation also showed the mutual effect of the two evolutionary forces, viz. natural selection and compositional constraints, on the CUB of Zn(II)2Cys6 genes. The perseverance of GC-rich codons of Zn(II)2Cys6 in Ascomycetes could facilitate the invasion process. The findings of the current investigation show the role of CUB and nucleotide composition in the evolutionary divergence of Ascomycetes plant pathogens and paves the way to target specific codons and sequences to modulate host-pathogen interactions through genome editing and functional genomics tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpi Bansal
- Division of Plant Pathology, ICAR—Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
| | | | - Alexander Balamurugan
- Division of Plant Pathology, ICAR—Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - S. Chandra Nayaka
- Department of Studies in Applied Botany and Biotechnology, University of Mysore, Mysore 570005, India
| | - Ganesan Prakash
- Division of Plant Pathology, ICAR—Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
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13
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Schüller A, Studt-Reinhold L, Strauss J. How to Completely Squeeze a Fungus-Advanced Genome Mining Tools for Novel Bioactive Substances. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:1837. [PMID: 36145585 PMCID: PMC9505985 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal species have the capability of producing an overwhelming diversity of bioactive substances that can have beneficial but also detrimental effects on human health. These so-called secondary metabolites naturally serve as antimicrobial "weapon systems", signaling molecules or developmental effectors for fungi and hence are produced only under very specific environmental conditions or stages in their life cycle. However, as these complex conditions are difficult or even impossible to mimic in laboratory settings, only a small fraction of the true chemical diversity of fungi is known so far. This also implies that a large space for potentially new pharmaceuticals remains unexplored. We here present an overview on current developments in advanced methods that can be used to explore this chemical space. We focus on genetic and genomic methods, how to detect genes that harbor the blueprints for the production of these compounds (i.e., biosynthetic gene clusters, BGCs), and ways to activate these silent chromosomal regions. We provide an in-depth view of the chromatin-level regulation of BGCs and of the potential to use the CRISPR/Cas technology as an activation tool.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joseph Strauss
- Institute of Microbial Genetics, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, A-3430 Tulln/Donau, Austria
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14
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Li Y, Li S, Liang Z, Cai Q, Zhou T, Zhao C, Wu X. RNA-seq Analysis of Rhizoctonia solani AG-4HGI Strain BJ-1H Infected by a New Viral Strain of Rhizoctonia solani Partitivirus 2 Reveals a Potential Mechanism for Hypovirulence. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2022; 112:1373-1385. [PMID: 34965159 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-08-21-0349-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Rhizoctonia solani partitivirus 2 (RsPV2), in the genus Alphapartitivirus, confers hypovirulence on R. solani AG-1-IA, the causal agent of rice sheath blight. In this study, a new strain of RsPV2 obtained from R. solani AG-4HGI strain BJ-1H, the causal agent of black scurf on potato, wasidentified and designated as Rhizoctonia solani partitivirus 2 strain BJ-1H (RsPV2-BJ). An RNA sequencing analysis of strain BJ-1H and the virus RsPV2-BJ-free strain BJ-1H-VF derived from strain BJ-1H was conducted to investigate the potential molecular mechanism of hypovirulence induced by RsPV2-BJ. In total, 14,319 unigenes were obtained, and 1,341 unigenes were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 570 DEGs being down-regulated and 771 being up-regulated. Notably, several up-regulated DEGs were annotated to cell wall degrading enzymes, including β-1,3-glucanases. Strain BJ-1H exhibited increased expression of β-1,3-glucanase after RsPV2-BJ infection, suggesting that cell wall autolysis activity in R. solani AG-4HGI strain BJ-1H might be promoted by RsPV2-BJ, inducing hypovirulence in its host fungus R. solani AG-4HGI. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the potential mechanism of hypovirulence induced by a mycovirus in R. solani.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Li
- College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Siwei Li
- College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhijian Liang
- College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingnian Cai
- College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Zhou
- College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Can Zhao
- College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
- College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuehong Wu
- College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
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15
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Zhao Y, Lee MK, Lim J, Moon H, Park HS, Zheng W, Yu JH. The velvet-activated putative C6 transcription factor VadZ regulates development and sterigmatocystin production in Aspergillus nidulans. Fungal Biol 2022; 126:421-428. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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16
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Abstract
Aspergillus flavusaflR, a gene encoding a Zn(II)2Cys6 DNA-binding domain, is an important transcriptional regulator of the aflatoxin biosynthesis gene cluster. Our previous results of Gene ontology (GO) analysis for the binding sites of AflR in A. flavus suggest that AflR may play an integrative regulatory role. In this study the ΔaflR and overexpression (OE) strains based on the well-established double-crossover recombinational technique were constructed to investigate the integrative function of the aflR gene in A. flavus. The disruption of aflR severely affected the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway, resulting in a significant decrease in aflatoxin production. The aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) of the ΔaflR strain was 180 ng/mL and aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) was 2.95 ng/mL on YES medium for 5 days, which was 1/1,000 of that produced by the wild-type strain (WT). In addition, the ΔaflR strain produced relatively sparse conidia and a very small number of sclerotia. On the seventh day, the sclerotia yield on each plate of the WT and OE strains exceeded 1,000, while the sclerotial formation of the ΔaflR strain was not detected until 14 days. However, the biosynthesis of cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) was not affected by aflR gene disruption. Transcriptomic analysis of the ΔaflR strain grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates at 0 h, 24 h, and 72 h showed that expression of clustering genes involved in the biosynthesis of aflatoxin was significantly downregulated. Meanwhile, the ΔaflR strain compared with the WT strain showed significant expression differences in genes involved in spore germination, sclerotial development, and carbohydrate metabolism compared to the WT. The results demonstrated that the A. flavusaflR gene also played a positive role in the fungal growth and development in addition to aflatoxin biosynthesis. IMPORTANCE Past studies of the A. flavusaflR gene and its orthologues in related Aspergillus species were solely focused on their roles in secondary metabolism. In this study, we used the ΔaflR and OE strains to demonstrate the role of aflR in growth and development of A. flavus. For the first time, we confirmed that the ΔaflR strain also was defective in production of conidia and sclerotia, asexual propagules of A. flavus. Our transcriptomic analysis further showed that genes involved in spore germination, sclerotial development, aflatoxin biosynssssthesis, and carbohydrate metabolism exhibited significant differences in the ΔaflR strain compared with the WT strain. Our study indicates that AflR not only plays an important role in regulating aflatoxin synthesis but also in playing a positive role in the conidial formation and sclerotial development in A. flavus. This study reveals the critical and positive role of the aflR gene in fungal growth and development, and provides a theoretical basis for the genetic studies of other aspergilli.
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17
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Lilly M, Rheeder J, Proctor R, Gelderblom W. FUM gene expression and variation in fumonisin production of clonal isolates of Fusarium verticillioides MRC 826. WORLD MYCOTOXIN J 2021. [DOI: 10.3920/wmj2020.2626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
B-series fumonisins (FBs) are a family of carcinogenic mycotoxins that commonly occur in maize. These mycotoxins cause multiple diseases in animals and are epidemiologically associated with several human diseases in populations for which maize is a dietary staple. FBs are produced by multiple genera of the fungi Aspergillus, Fusarium and Tolypocladium, but the plant pathogen Fusarium verticillioides is considered the primary cause of FB contamination in maize. One F. verticillioides strain, MRC 826, is reported to produce high levels of FBs. However, in the current study, 18 isolates derived from strain MRC 826 exhibited highly variable levels of FB, which negatively correlated (r=-0.333; P<0.008) with fungal growth. Microsatellite analysis confirmed that all MRC 826 derived isolates examined were clonal, and 100% DNA sequence identity was observed across the FUM gene clusters of two high FB producing and two low FB producing isolates. At the gene expression level, qRT-PCR at each time point (7, 14, 21 and 28 days of incubation) showed differential upregulation of selected FUM genes in the high compared to the low FB isolates. Variation in FB production appears due to differences in FUM gene expression, most likely caused by sequence differences at unexamined loci not part of the FUM cluster or from epigenetic influences. Clarification of the genetic/epigenetic basis for quantitative differences in fumonisin production among strains and isolates of F. verticillioides has potential to reveal targets for reducing FB contamination in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Lilly
- Applied Microbial and Health Biotechnology Institute, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 1906, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - J.P. Rheeder
- Applied Microbial and Health Biotechnology Institute, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 1906, Bellville 7535, South Africa
- Department of Biotechnology and Consumer Science, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 1906, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - R.H. Proctor
- US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, IL 61604, USA
| | - W.C.A. Gelderblom
- Applied Microbial and Health Biotechnology Institute, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 1906, Bellville 7535, South Africa
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X9, 7602 Matieland, South Africa
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18
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Zhang J, Hao H, Liu H, Wang Q, Chen M, Feng Z, Chen H. Genetic and functional analysis of the Zn(II) 2Cys 6 transcription factor HADA-1 in Hypsizygus marmoreus. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:2815-2829. [PMID: 33675375 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11175-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Zn(II)2Cys6 transcription factors are critical for the reproductive growth and sexual development of fungi, but their roles in Basidiomycota remain unclear. In this study, the Hypsizygus marmoreus gene hada-1 was shown to encode a Zn(II)2Cys6 transcription factor, the growth rate of mycelia was decreased, hyphae were angulated, and fruiting body development was hindered in the hada-1-silenced strains. In addition, mitochondrial stability was lost, and the mitochondria morphologies changed from oval shaped to dumbbell or linear shaped in the silenced strains. Regarding mitochondrial instability, the mitochondrial complex II, III, and V activities and adenosine triphosphate content were significantly decreased. At the same time, the activities of the carbohydrate metabolism-related enzymes glucose-6-plosphatase, glucose dehydrogenase, and laccase were significantly decreased, which might have resulted in the reduction of carbon metabolism. Furthermore, hada-1 was shown to regulate the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level; compared with the wild-type (WT) strain, the silenced mycelia exhibited higher ROS contents and were more sensitive to oxidative stress. Taken together, these results indicate that, as a global regulator, hada-1 plays crucial roles in mycelial growth, fruiting body development, carbon metabolism, mitochondrial stability, and oxidative stress in the basidiomycete H. marmoreus. KEY POINTS: • Zn(II)2Cys6 transcription factor, mitochondrial stability, fruiting body development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjing Zhang
- National Research Center for Edible Fungi Biotechnology and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Applied Mycological Resources and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1000, Jinqi Road, Shanghai, 201403, China
| | - Haibo Hao
- National Research Center for Edible Fungi Biotechnology and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Applied Mycological Resources and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1000, Jinqi Road, Shanghai, 201403, China
| | - Hong Liu
- National Research Center for Edible Fungi Biotechnology and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Applied Mycological Resources and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1000, Jinqi Road, Shanghai, 201403, China
| | - Qian Wang
- National Research Center for Edible Fungi Biotechnology and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Applied Mycological Resources and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1000, Jinqi Road, Shanghai, 201403, China
| | - Mingjie Chen
- National Research Center for Edible Fungi Biotechnology and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Applied Mycological Resources and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1000, Jinqi Road, Shanghai, 201403, China
| | - Zhiyong Feng
- National Research Center for Edible Fungi Biotechnology and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Applied Mycological Resources and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1000, Jinqi Road, Shanghai, 201403, China.,College of Life Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1, Weigang Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Hui Chen
- National Research Center for Edible Fungi Biotechnology and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Applied Mycological Resources and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1000, Jinqi Road, Shanghai, 201403, China.
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19
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Involvement of BbTpc1, an important Zn(II) 2Cys 6 transcriptional regulator, in chitin biosynthesis, fungal development and virulence of an insect mycopathogen. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 166:1162-1172. [PMID: 33159944 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.10.271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Chitin is one of the major components of the fungal cell wall and contributes to the mechanical strength and shape of the fungal cell. Zn(II)2Cys6 transcription factors are unique to the fungal kingdom and have a variety of functions in some fungi. However, the mechanisms by which Zn(II)2Cys6 proteins affect entomopathogenic fungi are largely unknown. Here, we characterized the Zn(II)2Cys6 transcription factor BbTpc1 in the insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. Disruption of BbTpc1 resulted in a distinct changes in vegetative growth and septation patterns, and a significant decrease in conidia and blastospore yield. The ΔBbTpc1 mutant displayed impaired resistance to chemical stresses and heat shock and attenuated virulence in topical and intrahemocoel injection assays. Importantly, the ΔBbTpc1 mutant had an abnormal cell wall with altered wall thickness and chitin synthesis, which were accompanied by transcriptional repression of the chitin synthetase family genes. In addition, comparative transcriptomics revealed that deletion of BbTpc1 altered fungal asexual reproduction via different genetic pathways. These data revealed that BbTpc1 regulates fungal development, chitin synthesis and biological control potential in B. bassiana.
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20
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Aspergillus flavus Exploits Maize Kernels Using an "Orphan" Secondary Metabolite Cluster. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21218213. [PMID: 33153018 PMCID: PMC7663156 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus flavus is a saprophytic cosmopolitan fungus, capable of infecting crops both pre- and post-harvest and exploiting different secondary metabolites, including aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are known carcinogens to animals and humans, but display no clear effect in host plants such as maize. In a previous study, we mined the genome of A. flavus to identify secondary metabolite clusters putatively involving the pathogenesis process in maize. We now focus on cluster 32, encoding for fungal effectors such as salicylate hydroxylase (SalOH), and necrosis- and ethylene-inducing proteins (npp1 domain protein) whose expression is triggered upon kernel contact. In order to understand the role of this genetic cluster in maize kernel infection, mutants of A. flavus, impaired or enhanced in specific functions (e.g., cluster 32 overexpression), were studied for their ability to cause disease. Within this frame, we conducted histological and histochemical experiments to verify the expression of specific genes within the cluster (e.g., SalOH, npp1), the production of salicylate, and the presence of its dehydroxylated form. Results suggest that the initial phase of fungal infection (2 days) of the living tissues of maize kernels (e.g., aleuron) coincides with a significant increase of fungal effectors such as SalOH and Npp1 that appear to be instrumental in eluding host defences and colonising the starch-enriched tissues, and therefore suggest a role of cluster 32 to the onset of infection.
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21
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Hou Z, Chen Q, Zhao M, Huang C, Wu X. Genome-wide characterization of the Zn(II) 2Cys 6 zinc cluster-encoding gene family in Pleurotus ostreatus and expression analyses of this family during developmental stages and under heat stress. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9336. [PMID: 32566411 PMCID: PMC7295025 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pleurotus ostreatus is one of the most widely cultivated mushrooms in China. The regulatory mechanisms of fruiting body formation and the response to heat stress in P. ostreatus are main research focuses. The Zn(II)2Cys6 family is one of the largest families of transcriptional factors and plays important roles in multiple biological processes in fungi. In this study, we identified 66 zinc cluster proteins in P. ostreatus (PoZCPs) through a genome-wide search. The PoZCPs were classified into 15 types according to their zinc cluster domain. Physical and chemical property analyses showed a huge diversity among the PoZCPs. Phylogenetic analysis of PoZCPs classified these proteins into six groups and conserved motif combinations and similar gene structures were observed in each group. The expression profiles of these PoZCP genes during different developmental stages and under heat stress were further investigated by RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), revealing diverse expression patterns. A total of 13 PoZCPs that may participate in development or the heat stress response were selected for validation of their expression levels through real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis, and some developmental stage-specific and heat stress-responsive candidates were identified. The findings contribute to our understanding of the roles and regulatory mechanisms of ZCPs in P. ostreatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Hou
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Chen
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
| | - Mengran Zhao
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
| | - Chenyang Huang
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangli Wu
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
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22
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Deng X, Du B, Zhu F, Gao Y, Li J. Proteomic analysis of Aspergillus niger 3.316 under heat stress. Microbiologyopen 2020; 9:e1012. [PMID: 32107876 PMCID: PMC7221434 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
β‐Glucosidase production by Aspergillus niger is accompanied by an inevitable temperature increase in the industrial fermentation environment. Hence, the synthetic process of β‐glucosidase is negatively affected. However, our understanding of the heat stress response (HSR) mechanism in A. niger is still incomplete. The current study explored the intracellular proteome profile of A. niger 3.316 in group T (50°C stress) and group C (30°C control) using two proteomic approaches (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation [iTRAQ] and label‐free) and examined the expression of four proteins using a parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) approach. Based on the result of the iTRAQ proteomic analysis, 1,025 proteins were differentially expressed in group T compared to group C. Using the label‐free approach, we only focused on 77 proteins with significant changes in their protein expression levels. In addition, we performed bioinformatics analysis on all these proteins and obtained detailed gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway results. Under heat stress conditions, the relative expression levels of proteins with protection and repair functions were upregulated in A. niger 3.316. These proteins were involved in metabolic pathways, oxidative phosphorylation, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and the citrate cycle (TCA cycle). The insights obtained from the presented proteomics and bioinformatics analyses can be used to further explore the HSR mechanism of A. niger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Deng
- Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, College of Food Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Bin Du
- Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, College of Food Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Fengmei Zhu
- Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, College of Food Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Yanan Gao
- Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, College of Food Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Jun Li
- Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, College of Food Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao, China
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Tafer H, Poyntner C, Lopandic K, Sterflinger K, Piñar G. Back to the Salt Mines: Genome and Transcriptome Comparisons of the Halophilic Fungus Aspergillus salisburgensis and Its Halotolerant Relative Aspergillus sclerotialis. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10050381. [PMID: 31137536 PMCID: PMC6563132 DOI: 10.3390/genes10050381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Salt mines are among the most extreme environments as they combine darkness, low nutrient availability, and hypersaline conditions. Based on comparative genomics and transcriptomics, we describe in this work the adaptive strategies of the true halophilic fungus Aspergillus salisburgensis, found in a salt mine in Austria, and compare this strain to the ex-type halotolerant fungal strain Aspergillus sclerotialis. On a genomic level, A. salisburgensis exhibits a reduced genome size compared to A. sclerotialis, as well as a contraction of genes involved in transport processes. The proteome of A. sclerotialis exhibits an increased proportion of alanine, glycine, and proline compared to the proteome of non-halophilic species. Transcriptome analyses of both strains growing at 5% and 20% NaCl show that A. salisburgensis regulates three-times fewer genes than A. sclerotialis in order to adapt to the higher salt concentration. In A. sclerotialis, the increased osmotic stress impacted processes related to translation, transcription, transport, and energy. In contrast, membrane-related and lignolytic proteins were significantly affected in A. salisburgensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakim Tafer
- VIBT EQ Extremophile Center, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Caroline Poyntner
- VIBT EQ Extremophile Center, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Ksenija Lopandic
- VIBT EQ Extremophile Center, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Katja Sterflinger
- VIBT EQ Extremophile Center, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Guadalupe Piñar
- VIBT EQ Extremophile Center, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
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24
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Zhang C, Huang H, Deng W, Li T. Genome-Wide Analysis of the Zn(II)₂Cys₆ Zinc Cluster-Encoding Gene Family in Tolypocladium guangdongense and Its Light-Induced Expression. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10030179. [PMID: 30813610 PMCID: PMC6471507 DOI: 10.3390/genes10030179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The Zn(II)2Cys6 zinc cluster gene family is a subclass of zinc-finger proteins, which are transcriptional regulators involved in a wide variety of biological processes in fungi. We performed genome-wide identification and characterization of Zn(II)2Cys6 zinc-cluster gene (C6 zinc gene) family in Tolypocladiumguangdongense, Cordycepsmilitaris and Ophiocordycepssinensis. Based on the structures of the C6 zinc domains, these proteins were observed to be evolutionarily conserved in ascomycete fungi. We focused on T.guangdongense, a medicinal fungus, and identified 139 C6 zinc genes which could be divided into three groups. Among them, 49.6% belonged to the fungal specific transcriptional factors, and 16% had a DUF3468 domain. Homologous and phylogenetic analysis indicated that 29 C6 zinc genes were possibly involved in the metabolic process, while five C6 zinc genes were supposed to be involved in asexual or sexual development. Gene expression analysis revealed that 54 C6 zinc genes were differentially expressed under light, including two genes that possibly influenced the development, and seven genes that possibly influenced the metabolic processes. This indicated that light may affect the development and metabolic processes, at least partially, through the regulation of C6 zinc genes in T.guangdongense. Our results provide comprehensive data for further analyzing the functions of the C6 zinc genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenghua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Hong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou 510070, China.
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Wangqiu Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Taihui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou 510070, China.
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25
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A unique Zn(II) 2-Cys 6-type protein, KpeA, is involved in secondary metabolism and conidiation in Aspergillus oryzae. Fungal Genet Biol 2019; 127:35-44. [PMID: 30790620 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Aspergillus oryzae is an important microorganism in the bio- and food industries; therefore, understanding the mechanism underlying its secondary metabolism regulation is important for ensuring its safe use. Here, we screened a novel Zn(II)2-Cys6-type protein-encoding gene, AO090003001186, designated as kpeA (kojic acid production enhancement A), from an A. oryzae disruption mutant library of transcriptional regulators. kpeA is highly conserved among filamentous fungi and encodes a protein with Zn(II)2-Cys6 motif located in the middle of the sequence. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that KpeA was classified into a distal group compared to other fungal Zn(II)2-Cys6-type transcriptional regulators. A Cys to Ala substitution mutant of KpeA showed identical phenotype to the kpeA disruption strain, confirming that KpeA is novel type Zn(II)2-Cys6 binding protein. Colonies of the kpeA disruption strain (ΔkpeA) had longer aerial hyphae and showed decreased conidia production. Microscopic analysis suggested that the reduced vesicle size and conidial head formation in ΔkpeA strain account for the decreased conidia production. Transcriptional levels of brlA and downstream abaA and wetA were decreased in ΔkpeA strain. Moreover, ΔkpeA strain produced 6-fold more kojic acid than the control strains, and the expression of kojR and kojA was increased in ΔkpeA strain. Therefore, KpeA is a novel Zn(II)2-Cys6-type protein likely involved in conidiation and kojic acid production at the transcriptional level.
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26
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Grau MF, Entwistle R, Chiang YM, Ahuja M, Oakley CE, Akashi T, Wang CCC, Todd RB, Oakley BR. Hybrid Transcription Factor Engineering Activates the Silent Secondary Metabolite Gene Cluster for (+)-Asperlin in Aspergillus nidulans. ACS Chem Biol 2018; 13:3193-3205. [PMID: 30339758 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Fungi are a major source of valuable bioactive secondary metabolites (SMs). These compounds are synthesized by enzymes encoded by genes that are clustered in the genome. The vast majority of SM biosynthetic gene clusters are not expressed under normal growth conditions, and their products are unknown. Developing methods for activation of these silent gene clusters offers the potential for discovering many valuable new fungal SMs. While a number of useful approaches have been developed, they each have limitations, and additional tools are needed. One approach, upregulation of SM gene cluster-specific transcription factors that are associated with many SM gene clusters, has worked extremely well in some cases, but it has failed more often than it has succeeded. Taking advantage of transcription factor domain modularity, we developed a new approach. We fused the DNA-binding domain of a transcription factor associated with a silent SM gene cluster with the activation domain of a robust SM transcription factor, AfoA. Expression of this hybrid transcription factor activated transcription of the genes in the target cluster and production of the antibiotic (+)-asperlin. Deletion of cluster genes confirmed that the cluster is responsible for (+)-asperlin production, and we designate it the aln cluster. Separately, coinduction of expression of two aln cluster genes revealed the pathway intermediate (2 Z,4 Z,6 E)-octa-2,4,6-trienoic acid, a compound with photoprotectant properties. Our findings demonstrate the potential of our novel synthetic hybrid transcription factor strategy to discover the products of other silent fungal SM gene clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle F. Grau
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Ruth Entwistle
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
| | - Yi-Ming Chiang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
- Department of Pharmacy, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan City 71710, Taiwan
| | - Manmeet Ahuja
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
| | - C. Elizabeth Oakley
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
| | - Tomohiro Akashi
- Division of OMICS Analysis, Center for Neurological Diseases and Cancer, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Clay C. C. Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Richard B. Todd
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, 4024 Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, United States
| | - Berl R. Oakley
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
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27
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Costa DAL, Filho EXF. Microbial β-mannosidases and their industrial applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 103:535-547. [PMID: 30426153 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9500-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Heteropolymers of mannan are polysaccharide components of the plant cell wall of gymnosperms and some angiosperms, including palm trees (Arecales and Monocot). Degradation of the complex structure of these polysaccharides requires the synergistic action of enzymes that disrupt the internal carbon skeleton of mannan and accessory enzymes that remove side chain substituents. However, complete degradation of these polysaccharides is carried out by an exo-hydrolase termed β-mannosidase. Microbial β-mannosidases belong to families 1, 2, and 5 of glycosyl hydrolases, and catalyze the hydrolysis of non-reducing ends of mannose oligomers. Besides, these enzymes are also involved in transglycosylation reactions. Because of their activity at different temperatures and pH values, these enzymes are used in a variety of industrial applications and the pharmaceutical, food, and biofuel industries.
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28
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Wang ZQ, Meng FZ, Zhang MM, Yin LF, Yin WX, Lin Y, Hsiang T, Peng YL, Wang ZH, Luo CX. A Putative Zn 2Cys 6 Transcription Factor Is Associated With Isoprothiolane Resistance in Magnaporthe oryzae. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2608. [PMID: 30429837 PMCID: PMC6220061 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Isoprothiolane (IPT), a systemic fungicide, has been applied to control rice blast since the 1970s. Although resistance to IPT has been observed, the mechanism of resistance still has not been fully elucidated. In this study, nucleotide polymorphisms were detected between two IPT-resistant mutants generated in the lab, and their parental wild type isolates using a whole-genome sequencing approach. In the genomes of the two resistant mutants, single point mutations were identified in a gene encoding a Zn2Cys6 transcription factor-like protein. Notably, either knocking out the gene or replacing the wild type allele with the mutant allele (R343W) in a wild type isolate resulted in resistance to IPT, indicating that the gene is associated with IPT resistance, and thus was designated as MoIRR (Magnaporthe oryzae isoprothiolane resistance related). Along with point mutations R343W in mutant 1a_mut, and R345C in 1c_mut, a 16 bp insertion in 6c_mut was also located in the Fungal_TF_MHR domain of MoIRR, revealing that this domain may be the core element for IPT resistance. In addition, IPT-resistant mutants and transformants showed cross-resistance with iprobenfos (IBP), which was consistent with previous observations. These results indicated that MoIRR is strongly connected to resistance to choline biosynthesis inhibitor (CBI), and further work should focus on investigating downstream effects of MoIRR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuo-Qian Wang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fan-Zhu Meng
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ming-Ming Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Liang-Fen Yin
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- The Key Lab of Crop Disease Monitoring & Safety Control in Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei-Xiao Yin
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- The Key Lab of Crop Disease Monitoring & Safety Control in Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang Lin
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- The Key Lab of Crop Disease Monitoring & Safety Control in Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Tom Hsiang
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - You-Liang Peng
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zong-Hua Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Chao-Xi Luo
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- The Key Lab of Crop Disease Monitoring & Safety Control in Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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29
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Alazi E, Ram AFJ. Modulating Transcriptional Regulation of Plant Biomass Degrading Enzyme Networks for Rational Design of Industrial Fungal Strains. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2018; 6:133. [PMID: 30320082 PMCID: PMC6167437 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2018.00133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are the most important microorganisms for the industrial production of plant polysaccharide degrading enzymes due to their unique ability to secrete these proteins efficiently. These carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) are utilized industrially for the hydrolysis of plant biomass for the subsequent production of biofuels and high-value biochemicals. The expression of the genes encoding plant biomass degrading enzymes is tightly controlled. Naturally, large amounts of CAZymes are produced and secreted only in the presence of the plant polysaccharide they specifically act on. The signal to produce is conveyed via so-called inducer molecules which are di- or mono-saccharides (or derivatives thereof) released from the specific plant polysaccharides. The presence of the inducer results in the activation of a substrate-specific transcription factor (TF), which is required not only for the controlled expression of the genes encoding the CAZymes, but often also for the regulation of the expression of the genes encoding sugar transporters and catabolic pathway enzymes needed to utilize the released monosaccharide. Over the years, several substrate-specific TFs involved in the degradation of cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, starch and inulin have been identified in several fungal species and systems biology approaches have made it possible to uncover the enzyme networks controlled by these TFs. The requirement for specific inducers for TF activation and subsequently the expression of particular enzyme networks determines the choice of feedstock to produce enzyme cocktails for industrial use. It also results in batch-to-batch variation in the composition and amounts of enzymes due to variations in sugar composition and polysaccharide decorations of the feedstock which hampers the use of cheap feedstocks for constant quality of enzyme cocktails. It is therefore of industrial interest to produce specific enzyme cocktails constitutively and independently of inducers. In this review, we focus on the methods to modulate TF activities for inducer-independent production of CAZymes and highlight various approaches that are used to construct strains displaying constitutive expression of plant biomass degrading enzyme networks. These approaches and combinations thereof are also used to construct strains displaying increased expression of CAZymes under inducing conditions, and make it possible to design strains in which different enzyme mixtures are simultaneously produced independently of the carbon source.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arthur F. J. Ram
- Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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Velvet domain protein VosA represses the zinc cluster transcription factor SclB regulatory network for Aspergillus nidulans asexual development, oxidative stress response and secondary metabolism. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007511. [PMID: 30044771 PMCID: PMC6078315 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The NF-κB-like velvet domain protein VosA (viability of spores) binds to more than 1,500 promoter sequences in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. VosA inhibits premature induction of the developmental activator gene brlA, which promotes asexual spore formation in response to environmental cues as light. VosA represses a novel genetic network controlled by the sclB gene. SclB function is antagonistic to VosA, because it induces the expression of early activator genes of asexual differentiation as flbC and flbD as well as brlA. The SclB controlled network promotes asexual development and spore viability, but is independent of the fungal light control. SclB interactions with the RcoA transcriptional repressor subunit suggest additional inhibitory functions on transcription. SclB links asexual spore formation to the synthesis of secondary metabolites including emericellamides, austinol as well as dehydroaustinol and activates the oxidative stress response of the fungus. The fungal VosA-SclB regulatory system of transcription includes a VosA control of the sclB promoter, common and opposite VosA and SclB control functions of fungal development and several additional regulatory genes. The relationship between VosA and SclB illustrates the presence of a convoluted surveillance apparatus of transcriptional control, which is required for accurate fungal development and the linkage to the appropriate secondary metabolism. Velvet domain proteins of filamentous fungi are structurally similar to Rel-homology domains of mammalian NF-κB proteins. Velvet and NF-κB proteins control regulatory circuits of downstream transcriptional networks for cellular differentiation, survival and stress responses. Velvet proteins interconnect developmental programs with secondary metabolism in fungi. The velvet protein VosA binds to more than ten percent of the Aspergillus nidulans promoters and is important for the spatial and temporal control of asexual spore formation from conidiophores. A novel VosA-dependent genetic network has been identified and is controlled by the zinc cluster protein SclB. Although zinc cluster proteins constitute one of the most abundant classes of transcription factors in fungi, only a small amount is characterized. SclB is a repression target of VosA and both transcription factors are part of a mutual control in the timely adjusted choreography of asexual sporulation in A. nidulans. SclB acts at the interphase of asexual development and secondary metabolism and interconnects both programs with an adequate oxidative stress response. This study underlines the complexity of different hierarchical levels of the fungal velvet protein transcriptional network for developmental programs and interconnected secondary metabolism.
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31
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Transcription Factors Controlling Primary and Secondary Metabolism in Filamentous Fungi: The β-Lactam Paradigm. FERMENTATION-BASEL 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/fermentation4020047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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32
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Guo Z, Hao T, Wang Y, Pan Y, Ren F, Liu X, Che Y, Liu G. VerZ, a Zn(II) 2Cys 6 DNA-binding protein, regulates the biosynthesis of verticillin in Clonostachys rogersoniana. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2017; 163:1654-1663. [PMID: 29058652 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Verticillins are the dimeric epipolythiodioxopiperazines (ETPs) produced by the fungus Clonostachys rogersoniana. Despite their profound biological effects, they are commonly produced in rice medium as complex mixtures that are difficult to separate, limiting further study and evaluation for this class of metabolites. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand the regulation of verticillin biosynthesis. Recently, we cloned the biosynthetic gene cluster of verticillin (ver), and identified the only regulatory gene verZ in this cluster. The deduced product of verZ contains a basic Zn(II)2Cys6 DNA-binding domain. Disruption of verZ significantly reduced the production of 11'-deoxyverticillin A (C42) and decreased the transcriptional level of the verticillin biosynthetic genes. To further reveal its function, a recombinant gene encoding the DNA-binding domain of VerZ was expressed in E. coli and the His6-tagged VerZbd was purified to homogeneity by Ni-NTA chromatography. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) showed that VerZbd bound specifically to the promoter regions of the verticillin biosynthetic genes. Bioinformatic analysis of the VerZbd-binding regions revealed a conserved palindromic sequence of (T/C)(C/A)(G/T)GN3CC(G/T)(A/G)(G/C). Base substitution of the conserved sequence completely abolished the binding activity of VerZbd to its targets. These results suggested that VerZ controls verticillin production through directly activating transcription of the biosynthetic genes in C. rogersoniana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Tianchao Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Yuanyuan Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Fengxia Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, PR China
| | - Xingzhong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Yongsheng Che
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, PR China
| | - Gang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
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33
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Hillman ET, Readnour LR, Solomon KV. Exploiting the natural product potential of fungi with integrated -omics and synthetic biology approaches. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coisb.2017.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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34
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Identification and characterization of genes involved in kojic acid biosynthesis in Aspergillus flavus. ANN MICROBIOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13213-017-1297-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
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35
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Abstract
Regulation of gene expression by DNA-binding transcription factors is essential for proper control of growth and development in all organisms. In this study, we annotate and characterize growth and developmental phenotypes for transcription factor genes in the model filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. We identified 312 transcription factor genes, corresponding to 3.2% of the protein coding genes in the genome. The largest class was the fungal-specific Zn2Cys6 (C6) binuclear cluster, with 135 members, followed by the highly conserved C2H2 zinc finger group, with 61 genes. Viable knockout mutants were produced for 273 genes, and complete growth and developmental phenotypic data are available for 242 strains, with 64% possessing at least one defect. The most prominent defect observed was in growth of basal hyphae (43% of mutants analyzed), followed by asexual sporulation (38%), and the various stages of sexual development (19%). Two growth or developmental defects were observed for 21% of the mutants, while 8% were defective in all three major phenotypes tested. Analysis of available mRNA expression data for a time course of sexual development revealed mutants with sexual phenotypes that correlate with transcription factor transcript abundance in wild type. Inspection of this data also implicated cryptic roles in sexual development for several cotranscribed transcription factor genes that do not produce a phenotype when mutated.
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Chang PK, Scharfenstein LL, Li RW, Arroyo-Manzanares N, De Saeger S, Diana Di Mavungu J. Aspergillus flavus aswA, a gene homolog of Aspergillus nidulans oefC, regulates sclerotial development and biosynthesis of sclerotium-associated secondary metabolites. Fungal Genet Biol 2017; 104:29-37. [PMID: 28442441 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2017.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Aspergillus flavus aswA (AFLA_085170) is a gene encoding a Zn(II)2Cys6 DNA-binding domain and a transcriptional activation domain, DUF3468. Disruption of aswA yielded strains that made a truncated gene transcript and generated a fungus that produced a greatly increased number of sclerotia. These sclerotia were odd-shaped and non-pigmented (white) and different from oval and pigmented (dark brown to black) mature sclerotia. Transcriptomic analysis of the ΔaswA strain grown on potato dextrose agar plates and Wickerham agar plates showed that expression of clustering genes involved in the biosynthesis of three sclerotium-associated secondary metabolites was down-regulated. These included gene clusters of asparasone, aflatrem, and aflavarin. In contrast, those of aflatoxin, cyclopiazonic acid and kojic acid were not affected. Metabolite analyses confirmed that the non-pigmented sclerotia contained aflatoxin and cyclopiazonic acid but not other aforementioned metabolites, three asparasone analogs and dihydroxyaflavinine commonly present in mature sclerotia. Impairment in aswA gene function stalls normal sclerotial development, which in turn prevents biosynthesis and accumulation of sclerotium-specific metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perng-Kuang Chang
- Southern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1100 Robert E. Lee Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70124, United States.
| | - Leslie L Scharfenstein
- Southern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1100 Robert E. Lee Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70124, United States
| | - Robert W Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705, United States
| | - Natalia Arroyo-Manzanares
- Laboratory of Food Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sarah De Saeger
- Laboratory of Food Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - José Diana Di Mavungu
- Laboratory of Food Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Luo X, Mao H, Wei Y, Cai J, Xie C, Sui A, Yang X, Dong J. The fungal-specific transcription factor Vdpf influences conidia production, melanized microsclerotia formation and pathogenicity in Verticillium dahliae. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2016; 17:1364-1381. [PMID: 26857810 PMCID: PMC6638448 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Revised: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Verticillium dahliae is a soil-borne, hemibiotrophic phytopathogenic fungus that causes wilting in crop plants. Here, we constructed a random insertional mutant library using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation to study the pathogenicity and regulatory mechanisms of V. dahliae. The fungal-specific transcription factor-encoding gene Vdpf was shown to be associated with vegetative growth and virulence, with the highest transcript expression occurring during conidia formation in the V991 strain. The deletion mutants (ΔVdpf) and insertion mutants (IMΔVdpf) produced fewer conidia than did the wild-type (WT) fungi, which contributed to the reduced virulence. Unlike the WT, the complemented strains and IMΔVdpf, ΔVdpf formed swollen, thick-walled and hyaline mycelium rather than melanized microsclerotia. The ΔVdpf mutants were melanin deficient, with undetectable expression of melanin biosynthesis-related genes (Brn1, Brn2 and Scd1). The melanin deficiency was related to cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and the G-protein-coupled signalling pathways in this study. Similar to the WT and complemented strains, the ΔVdpf and IMΔVdpf mutants could also successfully penetrate into cotton and tobacco roots, but displayed reduced virulence because of lower biomass in the plant roots and significantly reduced expression of pathogenicity-related genes in V. dahliae. In conclusion, these results provide insights into the role of Vdpf in melanized microsclerotia formation, conidia production and pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiumei Luo
- The School of Life ScienceSouthwest UniversityChongqing400715China
- The Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Plant Environmental Adaptations and the College of Life ScienceChongqing Normal UniversityChongqing401331China
| | - Hongqiang Mao
- The School of Life ScienceSouthwest UniversityChongqing400715China
| | - Yunming Wei
- The Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Plant Environmental Adaptations and the College of Life ScienceChongqing Normal UniversityChongqing401331China
| | - Jie Cai
- The Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Plant Environmental Adaptations and the College of Life ScienceChongqing Normal UniversityChongqing401331China
| | - Chengjian Xie
- The Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Plant Environmental Adaptations and the College of Life ScienceChongqing Normal UniversityChongqing401331China
| | - Anping Sui
- The School of Life ScienceSouthwest UniversityChongqing400715China
| | - Xingyong Yang
- The Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Plant Environmental Adaptations and the College of Life ScienceChongqing Normal UniversityChongqing401331China
| | - Jinyan Dong
- The School of Life ScienceSouthwest UniversityChongqing400715China
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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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Lan H, Sun R, Fan K, Yang K, Zhang F, Nie XY, Wang X, Zhuang Z, Wang S. The Aspergillus flavus Histone Acetyltransferase AflGcnE Regulates Morphogenesis, Aflatoxin Biosynthesis, and Pathogenicity. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1324. [PMID: 27625637 PMCID: PMC5003836 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone acetyltransferases (HATs) help regulate fungal development and the production of secondary metabolites. In this study, we determined that the HAT AflGcnE influenced morphogenesis and aflatoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus flavus. We observed that AflGcnE localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm during the conidial production and germination stages, while it was located mainly in the nucleus during the hyphal development stage. Deletion of AflgcnE inhibited the growth of A. flavus and decreased the hydrophobicity of the cell surface. The ΔAflgcnE mutant exhibited a lack of asexual sporulation and was unable to generate sclerotia. Additionally, AflgcnE was required to maintain cell wall integrity and genotoxic stress responses. Importantly, the ΔAflgcnE mutant did not produce aflatoxins, which was consistent with a significant down-regulation of aflatoxin gene expression levels. Furthermore, our data revealed that AflgcnE is a pathogenicity factor required for colonizing maize seeds. In summary, we revealed that A. flavus AflGcnE is crucial for morphological development, aflatoxin biosynthesis, stress responses, and pathogenicity. Our findings help clarify the functional divergence of GcnE orthologs, and may provide a possible target for controlling A. flavus infections of agriculturally important crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huahui Lan
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China
| | - Ruilin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China
| | - Kun Fan
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China
| | - Kunlong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China
| | - Xin Y Nie
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiunai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhenhong Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China
| | - Shihua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, and School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China
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40
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Alazi E, Niu J, Kowalczyk JE, Peng M, Aguilar Pontes MV, van Kan JAL, Visser J, de Vries RP, Ram AFJ. The transcriptional activator GaaR of Aspergillus niger is required for release and utilization of d-galacturonic acid from pectin. FEBS Lett 2016; 590:1804-15. [PMID: 27174630 PMCID: PMC5111758 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
We identified the d-galacturonic acid (GA)-responsive transcriptional activator GaaR of the saprotrophic fungus, Aspergillus niger, which was found to be essential for growth on GA and polygalacturonic acid (PGA). Growth of the ΔgaaR strain was reduced on complex pectins. Genome-wide expression analysis showed that GaaR is required for the expression of genes necessary to release GA from PGA and more complex pectins, to transport GA into the cell, and to induce the GA catabolic pathway. Residual growth of ΔgaaR on complex pectins is likely due to the expression of pectinases acting on rhamnogalacturonan and subsequent metabolism of the monosaccharides other than GA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebru Alazi
- Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Jing Niu
- Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Joanna E Kowalczyk
- Fungal Physiology, CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Mao Peng
- Fungal Physiology, CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Victoria Aguilar Pontes
- Fungal Physiology, CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Jan A L van Kan
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap Visser
- Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands.,Fungal Physiology, CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald P de Vries
- Fungal Physiology, CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Arthur F J Ram
- Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands
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42
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Gil-Durán C, Rojas-Aedo JF, Medina E, Vaca I, García-Rico RO, Villagrán S, Levicán G, Chávez R. The pcz1 gene, which encodes a Zn(II)2Cys6 protein, is involved in the control of growth, conidiation, and conidial germination in the filamentous fungus Penicillium roqueforti. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0120740. [PMID: 25811807 PMCID: PMC4374774 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins containing Zn(II)(2)Cys(6) domains are exclusively found in fungi and yeasts. Genes encoding this class of proteins are broadly distributed in fungi, but few of them have been functionally characterized. In this work, we have characterized a gene from the filamentous fungus Penicillium roqueforti that encodes a Zn(II)(2)Cys(6) protein, whose function to date remains unknown. We have named this gene pcz1. We showed that the expression of pcz1 is negatively regulated in a P. roqueforti strain containing a dominant active Gαi protein, suggesting that pcz1 encodes a downstream effector that is negatively controlled by Gαi. More interestingly, the silencing of pcz1 in P. roqueforti using RNAi-silencing technology resulted in decreased apical growth, the promotion of conidial germination (even in the absence of a carbon source), and the strong repression of conidiation, concomitant with the downregulation of the genes of the central conidiation pathway brlA, abaA and wetA. A model for the participation of pcz1 in these physiological processes in P. roqueforti is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Gil-Durán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan F. Rojas-Aedo
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Exequiel Medina
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Inmaculada Vaca
- Departmento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ramón O. García-Rico
- GIMBIO Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Universidad de Pamplona, Pamplona, Colombia
| | - Sebastián Villagrán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gloria Levicán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Renato Chávez
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- * E-mail: (RC)
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Chang PK, Scharfenstein LL, Mack B, Yu J, Ehrlich KC. Transcriptomic profiles of Aspergillus flavus CA42, a strain that produces small sclerotia, by decanal treatment and after recovery. Fungal Genet Biol 2014; 68:39-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2014.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2014] [Revised: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Ehrlich KC, Mack BM. Comparison of expression of secondary metabolite biosynthesis cluster genes in Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus, and A. oryzae. Toxins (Basel) 2014; 6:1916-28. [PMID: 24960201 PMCID: PMC4073137 DOI: 10.3390/toxins6061916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2014] [Revised: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Fifty six secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters are predicted to be in the Aspergillus flavus genome. In spite of this, the biosyntheses of only seven metabolites, including the aflatoxins, kojic acid, cyclopiazonic acid and aflatrem, have been assigned to a particular gene cluster. We used RNA-seq to compare expression of secondary metabolite genes in gene clusters for the closely related fungi A. parasiticus, A. oryzae, and A. flavus S and L sclerotial morphotypes. The data help to refine the identification of probable functional gene clusters within these species. Our results suggest that A. flavus, a prevalent contaminant of maize, cottonseed, peanuts and tree nuts, is capable of producing metabolites which, besides aflatoxin, could be an underappreciated contributor to its toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth C Ehrlich
- Southern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, New Orleans, LA 70124, USA.
| | - Brian M Mack
- Southern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, New Orleans, LA 70124, USA.
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45
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Molecular mechanisms of Aspergillus flavus secondary metabolism and development. Fungal Genet Biol 2014; 66:11-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2014.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2014] [Revised: 02/21/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Strategies for mining fungal natural products. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2013; 41:301-13. [PMID: 24146366 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-013-1366-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/05/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Fungi are well known for their ability to produce a multitude of natural products. On the one hand their potential to provide beneficial antibiotics and immunosuppressants has been maximized by the pharmaceutical industry to service the market with cost-efficient drugs. On the other hand identification of trace amounts of known mycotoxins in food and feed samples is of major importance to ensure consumer health and safety. Although several fungal natural products, their biosynthesis and regulation are known today, recent genome sequences of hundreds of fungal species illustrate that the secondary metabolite potential of fungi has been substantially underestimated. Since expression of genes and subsequent production of the encoded metabolites are frequently cryptic or silent under standard laboratory conditions, strategies for activating these hidden new compounds are essential. This review will cover the latest advances in fungal genome mining undertaken to unlock novel products.
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47
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Abstract
The hallmark trait of fungal secondary-metabolite gene clusters is well established, consisting of contiguous enzymatic and often regulatory gene(s) devoted to the production of a metabolite of a specific chemical class. Unexpectedly, we have found a deviation from this motif in a subtelomeric region of Aspergillus fumigatus. This region, under the control of the master regulator of secondary metabolism, LaeA, contains, in its entirety, the genetic machinery for three natural products (fumitremorgin, fumagillin, and pseurotin), where genes for fumagillin and pseurotin are physically intertwined in a single supercluster. Deletions of 29 adjoining genes revealed that fumagillin and pseurotin are coregulated by the supercluster-embedded regulatory gene with biosynthetic genes belonging to one of the two metabolic pathways in a noncontiguous manner. Comparative genomics indicates the fumagillin/pseurotin supercluster is maintained in a rapidly evolving region of diverse fungal genomes. This blended design confounds predictions from established secondary-metabolite cluster search algorithms and provides an expanded view of natural product evolution.
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48
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Chang PK, Scharfenstein LL, Li P, Ehrlich KC. Aspergillus flavus VelB acts distinctly from VeA in conidiation and may coordinate with FluG to modulate sclerotial production. Fungal Genet Biol 2013; 58-59:71-9. [PMID: 23994319 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2013.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Revised: 08/15/2013] [Accepted: 08/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The proteins VeA, VelB and LaeA of Aspergillus nidulans form a heterotrimeric complex (the velvet complex) in the dark to coordinate sexual development and production of some secondary metabolites. VeA and VelB of A. nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus also are repressors of conidiation, but VeA of Aspergillus flavus in studied strains acts positively on conidiation. In the present study, we show via yeast-two hybrid assays that interactions among A. flavus VeA, VelB, and LaeA are conserved as in the A. nidulans velvet complex. We found that FluG, which is required for conidiophore formation in A. nidulans but whose deletion in A. flavus delays onset of conidiation, was probably an interacting partner of VelB. Deletion of velB in A. flavus CA14 severely impaired conidiation in the dark although to a lesser extent than deletion of veA. In both mutants fluG deletion resulted in further decreased conidiation even in the light. Deletion of fluG in the ΔlaeA strain, however, did not affect conidiation. All mutant types were unable to produce aflatoxin and sclerotia. Cross-complementation of the ΔvelB strain with gpdA::veA restored conidiation but not aflatoxin production although aflR, the aflatoxin pathway regulatory gene, was expressed at a normal level. Cross-complementation of the ΔveA strain with gpdA::velB failed to restore conidiation and aflatoxin production. The ΔvelB strain complemented with or a wild type transformed by gpdA::velB had elevated sclerotial production as the ΔfluG strain. Concerted interactions of A. flavus VeA and VelB with LaeA are critical for conidiation and aflatoxin biosynthesis. VelB may have a dual role and likely coordinates with FluG to modulate sclerotial production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perng-Kuang Chang
- Southern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1100 Robert E. Lee Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70124, United States.
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