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Peng X, Zeng Z, Hassan S, Xue Y. The potential of marine natural Products: Recent Advances in the discovery of Anti-Tuberculosis agents. Bioorg Chem 2024; 151:107699. [PMID: 39128242 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107699] [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: 06/24/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious airborne disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Since the 1990 s, many countries have made significant progress in reducing the incidence of TB and associated mortality by improving health services and strengthening surveillance systems. Nevertheless, due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), alongside extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) and TB-HIV co-infection, TB remains one of the lead causes of death arising from infectious disease worldwide, especially in developing countries and disadvantaged populations. Marine natural products (MNPs) have received a large amount of attention in recent years as a source of pharmaceutical constituents and lead compounds, and are expected to offer significant resources and potential in the fields of drug development and biotechnology in the years to come. This review summarizes 169 marine natural products and their synthetic derivatives displaying anti-TB activity from 2013 to the present, including their structures, sources and functions. Partial synthetic information and structure-activity relationships (SARs) are also included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Peng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Ziqian Zeng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Said Hassan
- Institute of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Bacha Khan University, Charsadda 24540, Pakistan
| | - Yongbo Xue
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.
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2
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Seo HW, Wassano NS, Amir Rawa MS, Nickles GR, Damasio A, Keller NP. A Timeline of Biosynthetic Gene Cluster Discovery in Aspergillus fumigatus: From Characterization to Future Perspectives. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:266. [PMID: 38667937 PMCID: PMC11051388 DOI: 10.3390/jof10040266] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In 1999, the first biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC), synthesizing the virulence factor DHN melanin, was characterized in Aspergillus fumigatus. Since then, 19 additional BGCs have been linked to specific secondary metabolites (SMs) in this species. Here, we provide a comprehensive timeline of A. fumigatus BGC discovery and find that initial advances centered around the commonly expressed SMs where chemical structure informed rationale identification of the producing BGC (e.g., gliotoxin, fumigaclavine, fumitremorgin, pseurotin A, helvolic acid, fumiquinazoline). Further advances followed the transcriptional profiling of a ΔlaeA mutant, which aided in the identification of endocrocin, fumagillin, hexadehydroastechrome, trypacidin, and fumisoquin BGCs. These SMs and their precursors are the commonly produced metabolites in most A. fumigatus studies. Characterization of other BGC/SM pairs required additional efforts, such as induction treatments, including co-culture with bacteria (fumicycline/neosartoricin, fumigermin) or growth under copper starvation (fumivaline, fumicicolin). Finally, four BGC/SM pairs were discovered via overexpression technologies, including the use of heterologous hosts (fumicycline/neosartoricin, fumihopaside, sphingofungin, and sartorypyrone). Initial analysis of the two most studied A. fumigatus isolates, Af293 and A1160, suggested that both harbored ca. 34-36 BGCs. However, an examination of 264 available genomes of A. fumigatus shows up to 20 additional BGCs, with some strains showing considerable variations in BGC number and composition. These new BGCs present a new frontier in the future of secondary metabolism characterization in this important species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Won Seo
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (H.-W.S.); (N.S.W.); (M.S.A.R.); (G.R.N.)
| | - Natalia S. Wassano
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (H.-W.S.); (N.S.W.); (M.S.A.R.); (G.R.N.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil;
| | - Mira Syahfriena Amir Rawa
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (H.-W.S.); (N.S.W.); (M.S.A.R.); (G.R.N.)
| | - Grant R. Nickles
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (H.-W.S.); (N.S.W.); (M.S.A.R.); (G.R.N.)
| | - André Damasio
- Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil;
| | - Nancy P. Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (H.-W.S.); (N.S.W.); (M.S.A.R.); (G.R.N.)
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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3
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Son YE, Han J, Lee KT, Park HS. Pleiotropic functions of SscA on the asexual spore of the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. Mycology 2023; 15:238-254. [PMID: 38813476 PMCID: PMC11132850 DOI: 10.1080/21501203.2023.2294061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Asexual spores, called conidia, are key reproductive fungal particles that enable survival in harsh environmental conditions or host systems. The conidia can infect humans, animals, and plants to cause various fungal diseases. Transcription factors, including VosA, WetA, and SscA, have key roles in conidia formation and long-term survival in Aspergillus nidulans. Herein, we report the pleiotropic functions of SscA in the conidia of the human pathogen A. fumigatus. The deletion of sscA increased conidia formation despite decreased fungal growth. Absence of sscA impaired long-term survival and reduced spore resistance to various stresses, including heat, UV, and oxidation. Transcriptomic analyses showed that SscA involved the mRNA expression of cell wall organisation-related genes. Importantly, the sscA deletion mutant conidia contained an increased amount of β-glucan and chitin compared to wild type conidia. In addition, conidial gliotoxin production was decreased in the sscA deletion strain. Overall, SscA has pleiotropic roles in conidia formation, maturation and dormancy and mycotoxin production in A. fumigatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Eun Son
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwoo Han
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Tae Lee
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Soo Park
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Department of Integrative Biology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
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Baltussen TJ, van Rhijn N, Coolen JP, Dijksterhuis J, Verweij PE, Bromley MJ, Melchers WJ. The C 2H 2 transcription factor SltA is required for germination and hyphal development in Aspergillus fumigatus. mSphere 2023; 8:e0007623. [PMID: 37260230 PMCID: PMC10449517 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00076-23] [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: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Germination of inhaled Aspergillus fumigatus conidia is a necessary sequitur for infection. Germination of conidia starts with the breaking of dormancy, which is initiated by an increase of the cellular perimeter in a process termed isotropic growth. This swelling phase is followed by polarized growth, resulting in the formation of a germ tube. The multinucleate tubular cells exhibit tip growth from the hyphae, after which lateral branches emerge to form the mycelial network. The regulatory mechanisms governing conidial germination are not well defined. In this study, we identified a novel role for the transcription factor SltA in the orchestration of germination and hyphal development. Conidia lacking sltA fail to appropriately regulate isotropic growth and begin to swell earlier and subsequently switch to polarized growth faster. Additionally, hyphal development is distorted in a ∆sltA isolate as hyphae are hyper-branching and wider, and show branching at the apical tip. ∆sltA conidia are more tolerant to cell wall stressors on minimal medium compared to the wild-type (WT) strain. A transcriptome analysis of different stages of early growth was carried out to assess the regulatory role of SltA. Null mutants generated for three of the most dysregulated genes showed rapid germ tube emergence. Distinct from the phenotype observed for ∆sltA, conidia from these strains lacked defects in isotropic growth, but switched to polarized growth faster. Here, we characterize and describe several genes in the regulon of SltA, highlighting the complex nature of germination.IMPORTANCEAspergillus fumigatus is the main human fungal pathogen causing aspergillosis. For this fungus, azoles are the most commonly used antifungal drugs for treatment of aspergillosis. However, the prevalence of azole resistance is alarmingly increasing and linked with elevated mortality. Germination of conidia is crucial within its asexual life cycle and plays a critical role during the infection in the human host. Precluding germination could be a promising strategy considering the role of germination in Aspergillus spp. pathogenicity. Here, we identify a novel role for SltA in appropriate maintenance of dormancy, germination, and hyphal development. Three genes in the regulon of SltA were also essential for appropriate germination of conidia. With an expanding knowledge of germination and its different morphotypes, more advances can be made toward potential anti-germination targets for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim J.H. Baltussen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Norman van Rhijn
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Jordy P.M. Coolen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Dijksterhuis
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Paul E. Verweij
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Michael J. Bromley
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Willem J.G. Melchers
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Seo H, Kang S, Lee D, Yun CW. Regulation of pseurotin A biosynthesis by GliZ and zinc in Aspergillus fumigatus. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2431. [PMID: 36765124 PMCID: PMC9918513 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29753-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, we reported that zinc regulates gliotoxin biosynthesis via ZafA, which is a zinc-responsive transcriptional activator. From an HPLC analysis of culture media of Aspergillus fumigatus, we found a trend of decreasing gliotoxin production but increasing pseurotin A and fumagillin production in proportion to the zinc concentration. The expression of the genes involved in pseurotin A biosynthesis was upregulated under high zinc concentrations. Furthermore, upregulated expression of pseurotin A biosynthetic genes and higher production of pseurotin A were observed in the zafA deletion strain. Interestingly, the deletion of gliZ, a transcriptional activator of gliotoxin biosynthesis genes, resulted in upregulated expression of pseurotin A biosynthetic genes and increased production of pseurotin A. We detected upregulation of fumR expression in the gliZ and zafA deletion mutants. The overexpression of gliZ observed in the zafA deletion mutant resulted in the failure of the mutant to increase pseurotin A production, which is a phenotype of the zafA deletion mutant. These results suggest that ZafA sequentially regulates pseurotin A biosynthesis through GliZ. Finally, we found through a murine virulence test that the gliZ and fumR double-deletion mutants showed a delayed death rate compared with the single-deletion mutants of either gliZ or fumR. Taken together, these results suggested that the biosynthesis of gliotoxin and pseurotin A are regulated in opposite ways by zinc utilization and that each secondary metabolite is synthesized when the synthesis of another secondary metabolite fails to protect it against the defense system of the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyewon Seo
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Anam-Dong, Sungbuk-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Suzie Kang
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Anam-Dong, Sungbuk-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongho Lee
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheol-Won Yun
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Anam-Dong, Sungbuk-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- NeuroEsgel Co., Anam-Dong, Sungbuk-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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de Mattos-Shipley KMJ, Simpson TJ. The 'emodin family' of fungal natural products-amalgamating a century of research with recent genomics-based advances. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:174-201. [PMID: 36222427 PMCID: PMC9890505 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00040g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to 2022A very large group of biosynthetically linked fungal secondary metabolites are formed via the key intermediate emodin and its corresponding anthrone. The group includes anthraquinones such as chrysophanol and cladofulvin, the grisandienes geodin and trypacidin, the diphenyl ether pestheic acid, benzophenones such as monodictyphenone and various xanthones including the prenylated shamixanthones, the agnestins and dimeric xanthones such as the ergochromes, cryptosporioptides and neosartorin. Such compounds exhibit a wide range of bioactivities and as such have been utilised in traditional medicine for centuries, as well as garnering more recent interest from the pharmaceutical sector. Additional interest comes from industries such as textiles and cosmetics due to their use as natural colourants. A variety of biosynthetic routes and mechanisms have been proposed for this family of compounds, being altered and updated as new biosynthetic methods develop and new results emerge. After nearly 100 years of such research, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of what is currently known about the biosynthesis of this important family, amalgamating the early chemical and biosynthetic studies with the more recent genetics-based advances and comparative bioinformatics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas J Simpson
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK
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7
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Singh G, Dal Grande F, Schmitt I. Genome mining as a biotechnological tool for the discovery of novel biosynthetic genes in lichens. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2022; 3:993171. [PMID: 37746187 PMCID: PMC10512267 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2022.993171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Natural products (NPs) and their derivatives are a major contributor to modern medicine. Historically, microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi have been instrumental in generating drugs and lead compounds because of the ease of culturing and genetically manipulating them. However, the ever-increasing demand for novel drugs highlights the need to bioprospect previously unexplored taxa for their biosynthetic potential. Next-generation sequencing technologies have expanded the range of organisms that can be explored for their biosynthetic content, as these technologies can provide a glimpse of an organism's entire biosynthetic landscape, without the need for cultivation. The entirety of biosynthetic genes can be compared to the genes of known function to identify the gene clusters potentially coding for novel products. In this study, we mine the genomes of nine lichen-forming fungal species of the genus Umbilicaria for biosynthetic genes, and categorize the biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) as "associated product structurally known" or "associated product putatively novel". Although lichen-forming fungi have been suggested to be a rich source of NPs, it is not known how their biosynthetic diversity compares to that of bacteria and non-lichenized fungi. We found that 25%-30% of biosynthetic genes are divergent as compared to the global database of BGCs, which comprises 1,200,000 characterized biosynthetic genes from plants, bacteria, and fungi. Out of 217 BGCs, 43 were highly divergant suggesting that they potentially encode structurally and functionally novel NPs. Clusters encoding the putatively novel metabolic diversity comprise polyketide synthases (30), non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (12), and terpenes (1). Our study emphasizes the utility of genomic data in bioprospecting microorganisms for their biosynthetic potential and in advancing the industrial application of unexplored taxa. We highlight the untapped structural metabolic diversity encoded in the lichenized fungal genomes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first investigation identifying genes coding for NPs with potentially novel properties in lichenized fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garima Singh
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Francesco Dal Grande
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Imke Schmitt
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Diversity and Evolution, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Toopaang W, Bunnak W, Srisuksam C, Wattananukit W, Tanticharoen M, Yang YL, Amnuaykanjanasin A. Microbial polyketides and their roles in insect virulence: from genomics to biological functions. Nat Prod Rep 2022; 39:2008-2029. [PMID: 35822627 DOI: 10.1039/d1np00058f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Covering: May 1966 up to January 2022Entomopathogenic microorganisms have potential for biological control of insect pests. Their main secondary metabolites include polyketides, nonribosomal peptides, and polyketide-nonribosomal peptide (PK-NRP) hybrids. Among these secondary metabolites, polyketides have mainly been studied for structural identification, pathway engineering, and for their contributions to medicine. However, little is known about the function of polyketides in insect virulence. This review focuses on the role of bacterial and fungal polyketides, as well as PK-NRP hybrids in insect infection and killing. We also discuss gene distribution and evolutional relationships among different microbial species. Further, the role of microbial polyketides and the hybrids in modulating insect-microbial symbiosis is also explored. Understanding the mechanisms of polyketides in insect pathogenesis, how compounds moderate the host-fungus interaction, and the distribution of PKS genes across different fungi and bacteria will facilitate the discovery and development of novel polyketide-derived bio-insecticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wachiraporn Toopaang
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, 113 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Khlong Nueng, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand. .,Molecular and Biological Agricultural Sciences, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan.,Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.
| | - Warapon Bunnak
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, 113 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Khlong Nueng, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.
| | - Chettida Srisuksam
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, 113 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Khlong Nueng, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.
| | - Wilawan Wattananukit
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, 113 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Khlong Nueng, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.
| | - Morakot Tanticharoen
- School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
| | - Yu-Liang Yang
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan. .,Biotechnology Center in Southern Taiwan, Academia Sinica, Tainan 711010, Taiwan
| | - Alongkorn Amnuaykanjanasin
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, 113 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Khlong Nueng, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.
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Antagonistic activity and mode of action of trypacidin from marine-derived Aspergillus fumigatus against Vibrio parahaemolyticus. 3 Biotech 2022; 12:131. [PMID: 35607390 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-022-03194-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the antagonistic activity and mode of action of trypacidin from marine-derived Aspergillus fumigatus against Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Results indicated that the minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration of trypacidin against V. parahaemolyticus were 31.25 and 62.5 μg/mL, respectively, which was better than that of streptomycin sulfate. Trypacidin remarkably inhibited the growth of V. parahaemolyticus and had a strong destructive effect on cell wall permeability and integrity, cell membrane permeability, and morphological alterations. Its potential as an antibacterial agent for aquatic products must be further explored.
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Ninomiya A, Urayama SI, Hagiwara D. Antibacterial diphenyl ether production induced by co-culture of Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:4169-4185. [PMID: 35595930 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-11964-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Fungi are a rich source of secondary metabolites with potent biological activities. Co-culturing a fungus with another microorganism has drawn much attention as a practical method for stimulating fungal secondary metabolism. However, in most cases, the molecular mechanisms underlying the activation of secondary metabolite production in co-culture are poorly understood. To elucidate such a mechanism, in this study, we established a model fungal-fungal co-culture system, composed of Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus. In the co-culture of A. nidulans and A. fumigatus, production of antibacterial diphenyl ethers was enhanced. Transcriptome analysis by RNA-sequencing showed that the co-culture activated expression of siderophore biosynthesis genes in A. fumigatus and two polyketide biosynthetic gene clusters (the ors and cic clusters) in A. nidulans. Gene disruption experiments revealed that the ors cluster is responsible for diphenyl ether production in the co-culture. Interestingly, the ors cluster was previously reported to be upregulated by co-culture of A. nidulans with the bacterium Streptomyces rapamycinicus; orsellinic acid was the main product of the cluster in that co-culture. In other words, the main product of the ors cluster was different in fungal-fungal and bacterial-fungal co-culture. The genes responsible for biosynthesis of the bacterial- and fungal-induced polyketides were deduced using a heterologous expression system in Aspergillus oryzae. The molecular genetic mechanisms that trigger biosynthesis of two different types of compounds in A. nidulans in response to the fungus and the bacterium were demonstrated, which provides an insight into complex secondary metabolic response of fungi to microorganisms. KEY POINTS: • Co-culture of two fungal species triggered antibiotic diphenyl ether production. • The co-culture affected expression levels of several genes for secondary metabolism. • Gene cluster essential for induction of the antibiotics production was determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Ninomiya
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan.,Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Syun-Ichi Urayama
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan.,Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Daisuke Hagiwara
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan. .,Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan.
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11
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Last A, Maurer M, S. Mosig A, S. Gresnigt M, Hube B. In vitro infection models to study fungal-host interactions. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:fuab005. [PMID: 33524102 PMCID: PMC8498566 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections (mycoses) affect over a billion people per year. Approximately, two million of these infections are life-threatening, especially for patients with a compromised immune system. Fungi of the genera Aspergillus, Candida, Histoplasma and Cryptococcus are opportunistic pathogens that contribute to a substantial number of mycoses. To optimize the diagnosis and treatment of mycoses, we need to understand the complex fungal-host interplay during pathogenesis, the fungal attributes causing virulence and how the host resists infection via immunological defenses. In vitro models can be used to mimic fungal infections of various tissues and organs and the corresponding immune responses at near-physiological conditions. Furthermore, models can include fungal interactions with the host-microbiota to mimic the in vivo situation on skin and mucosal surfaces. This article reviews currently used in vitro models of fungal infections ranging from cell monolayers to microfluidic 3D organ-on-chip (OOC) platforms. We also discuss how OOC models can expand the toolbox for investigating interactions of fungi and their human hosts in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Last
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knoell Institute, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Michelle Maurer
- Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Biochemistry II, Jena University Hospital, Nonnenplan 2,07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Alexander S. Mosig
- Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Biochemistry II, Jena University Hospital, Nonnenplan 2,07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Mark S. Gresnigt
- Junior Research Group Adaptive Pathogenicity Strategies, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knoell Institute, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knoell Institute, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Neugasse 24, 07743, Jena, Germany
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12
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Anabosi D, Meir Z, Shadkchan Y, Handelman M, Abou-Kandil A, Yap A, Urlings D, Gold MS, Krappmann S, Haas H, Osherov N. Transcriptional response of Aspergillus fumigatus to copper and the role of the Cu chaperones. Virulence 2021; 12:2186-2200. [PMID: 34468270 PMCID: PMC8425704 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1958057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is the leading cause of life-threatening invasive mold infections in immunocompromised individuals. This ubiquitous saprophyte possesses several natural attributes allowing it to evade the immune system, including the ability to withstand high toxic Cu concentrations within the phagosomes of macrophages and neutrophils. We previously established that at high levels, Cu binds and activates the A. fumigatus transcription factor AceA, which upregulates the expression of the Cu exporter CrpA to expel excess Cu. Deletion of aceA or crpA result in extreme Cu sensitivity and attenuated virulence. To identify other elements participating in resistance to Cu, we performed a genome-wide analysis of the transcriptome by RNAseq to analyze the AceA-dependent response of A. fumigatus to excess Cu. We deleted key genes whose transcription was strongly upregulated by high Cu, including those encoding homologs of the three Cu chaperones cox17, atx1 and ccs1. Detailed analysis of these genes indicates that in A. fumigatus, cox17 is an essential gene with a possible role in respiration, the atxA gene product participates in reductive iron uptake and ccsA encodes the Cu chaperone activating A. fumigatus Sod1. Interestingly, although the ccsA-null strain was extremely sensitive to high Cu and oxidative stress, it was not attenuated in virulence in a mouse model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Our work provides (i) a detailed view of the genome-wide transcriptional response of A. fumigatus to excess Cu, (ii) identification of the AceA-dependent transcriptome and (iii) analysis of the roles of the three Cu chaperones cox17, atxA and ccsA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duaa Anabosi
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Zohar Meir
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Yana Shadkchan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Mariana Handelman
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Ammar Abou-Kandil
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Annie Yap
- Institute for Molecular Biology, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Daniel Urlings
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Morgan S Gold
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Sven Krappmann
- Microbiology Institute, Clinical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene University Hospital and Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Institute for Molecular Biology, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nir Osherov
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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13
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Boysen JM, Saeed N, Hillmann F. Natural products in the predatory defence of the filamentous fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Beilstein J Org Chem 2021; 17:1814-1827. [PMID: 34394757 PMCID: PMC8336654 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.17.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The kingdom of fungi comprises a large and highly diverse group of organisms that thrive in diverse natural environments. One factor to successfully confront challenges in their natural habitats is the capability to synthesize defensive secondary metabolites. The genetic potential for the production of secondary metabolites in fungi is high and numerous potential secondary metabolite gene clusters have been identified in sequenced fungal genomes. Their production may well be regulated by specific ecological conditions, such as the presence of microbial competitors, symbionts or predators. Here we exemplarily summarize our current knowledge on identified secondary metabolites of the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus and their defensive function against (microbial) predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana M Boysen
- Junior Research Group Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz-Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Nauman Saeed
- Junior Research Group Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz-Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Falk Hillmann
- Junior Research Group Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz-Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
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14
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Keizer EM, Valdes ID, Forn-Cuni G, Klijn E, Meijer AH, Hillman F, Wösten HAB, de Cock H. Variation of virulence of five Aspergillus fumigatus isolates in four different infection models. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252948. [PMID: 34242260 PMCID: PMC8270121 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Conidia of Aspergillus fumigatus are inhaled by humans on daily basis. As a consequence, these conidia can cause infections that differ in severity ranging from allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis to invasive aspergillosis. In this study we compared virulence of five A. fumigatus isolates in four different infection models to address the predictive value of different model systems. Two of the A. fumigatus strains were isolated from dogs with a non-invasive sino-nasal aspergillosis (DTO271-B5 and DTO303-F3), while three strains were isolated from human patients with invasive aspergillosis (Af293, ATCC46645 and CEA10). Infection models used encompassed cultured type II A549 lung epithelial cells, Protostelium aurantium amoeba, Galleria melonella larvae and zebrafish embryos. No major differences in virulence between these five strains were observed in the lung epithelial cell model. In contrast, strain ATCC46645 was most virulent in the amoeba and zebrafish model, whereas it was much less virulent in the Galleria infection model. DTO303-F3 was most virulent in the latter model. In general, reference strain Af293 was less virulent as compared to the other strains. Genome sequence analysis showed that this latter strain differed from the other four strains in 136 SNPs in virulence-related genes. Together, our results show that virulence of individual A. fumigatus strains show significant differences between infection models. We conclude that the predictive value of different model systems varies since the relative virulence across fungal strains does not hold up across different infection model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. M. Keizer
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - I. D. Valdes
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - G. Forn-Cuni
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - E. Klijn
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - A. H. Meijer
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - F. Hillman
- Junior Research Group Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - H. A. B. Wösten
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - H. de Cock
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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15
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Host-pathogen interactions: lessons from phagocytic predation on fungi. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 62:38-44. [PMID: 34051610 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Free living amoebae share striking similarities with innate immune cells in terms of cell morphology, motility and phagocytic processing of microbes. Their abilities to find, ingest and kill bacteria and fungi in their natural habitats have fostered the hypothesis that amoebae could have served as a training ground for environmentally acquired pathogens. What may have been more obvious for intracellular bacteria, becomes increasingly clear also for several fungal pathogens: a number of virulence determinants of human pathogenic fungi such as Cryptococcus neoformans or Aspergillus fumigatus are equally relevant to resist innate immune cells and environmental phagocytic predators. Here, we summarize the most recent experimental examples underlining the concept of amoeba models to study fungal pathogens.
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16
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Xu X, Guo S, Chen H, Zhang Z, Li X, Wang W, Guo L. Bioassay-guided isolation and characterization of antibacterial compound from Aspergillus fumigatus HX-1 associated with Clam. 3 Biotech 2021; 11:193. [PMID: 33927984 PMCID: PMC7994498 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-021-02754-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to identify a symbiotic fungus strain HX-1 with anti-Vibrio harveyi activity and isolate and identify the active compound. The HX-1 strain was identified as Aspergillus fumigatus according to the morphological characteristics and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence analysis. The compound was isolated from the fermentation product of HX-1 strain through ethyl acetate extraction, silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and semi-preparative HPLC techniques using an antibacterial-guided fractionation method. According to its physicochemical properties and spectral characteristics, the compound was identified as trypacidin having the same anti-V. harveyi activity as streptomycin sulfate, with the minimum inhibitory concentration of 31.25 µg/mL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowen Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-Industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, School of Food Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
| | - Siya Guo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-Industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, School of Food Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
| | - Hui Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-Industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, School of Food Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
| | - Zongyi Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-Industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, School of Food Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
| | - Xiangrong Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-Industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, School of Food Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
| | - Wenbin Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-Industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, School of Food Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
| | - Lei Guo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-Industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, School of Food Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005 China
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17
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Rocha MC, Fabri JHTM, Silva LP, Angolini CFF, Bertolini MC, da Cunha AF, Valiante V, Goldman GH, Fill TP, Malavazi I. Transcriptional Control of the Production of Aspergillus fumigatus Conidia-Borne Secondary Metabolite Fumiquinazoline C Important for Phagocytosis Protection. Genetics 2021; 218:6168429. [PMID: 33705521 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus produces diverse secondary metabolites whose biological functions and regulation remain to be understood. Despite the importance of the conidia for this fungus, the role of the conidia-born metabolite fumiquinazoline C (FqC) is unclear. Here, we describe a dual function of the cell-wall integrity pathway in regulating FqC biosynthesis dictated by the MAPK kinase MpkA, which phosphorylates one of the nonribosomal peptide synthetases enzymes of the cluster (FmqC), and the transcription factor RlmA, which directly regulates the expression of fmq genes. Another level of crosstalk between the FqC regulation and the cell physiology is described since the deletion of the stress-responsive transcription factor sebA provokes derepression of the fmq cluster and overproduction of FqC. Thus, we describe a mechanism by which A. fumigatus controls FqC biosynthesis orchestrated by MpkA-RlmA and SebA and hence enabling survival and adaptation to the environmental niche, given that FqC is a deterrent of ameba predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Campos Rocha
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - João Henrique Tadini Marilhano Fabri
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lilian Pereira Silva
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia, Instituto de Química de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anderson Ferreira da Cunha
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vito Valiante
- Leibniz Research Group Biobricks of Microbial Natural Product Syntheses, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Gustavo Henrique Goldman
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Taicia Pacheco Fill
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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18
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Jiang C, Lv G, Tu Y, Cheng X, Duan Y, Zeng B, He B. Applications of CRISPR/Cas9 in the Synthesis of Secondary Metabolites in Filamentous Fungi. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:638096. [PMID: 33643273 PMCID: PMC7905030 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.638096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi possess the capacity to produce a wide array of secondary metabolites with diverse biological activities and structures, such as lovastatin and swainsonine. With the advent of the post-genomic era, increasing amounts of cryptic or uncharacterized secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters are continually being discovered. However, owing to the longstanding lack of versatile, comparatively simple, and highly efficient genetic manipulation techniques, the broader exploration of industrially important secondary metabolites has been hampered thus far. With the emergence of CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing technology, this dilemma may be alleviated, as this advanced technique has revolutionized genetic research and enabled the exploitation and discovery of new bioactive compounds from filamentous fungi. In this review, we introduce the CRISPR/Cas9 system in detail and summarize the latest applications of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing in filamentous fungi. We also briefly introduce the specific applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 system and CRISPRa in the improvement of secondary metabolite contents and discovery of novel biologically active compounds in filamentous fungi, with specific examples noted. Additionally, we highlight and discuss some of the challenges and deficiencies of using the CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing technology in research on the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites as well as future application of CRISPR/Cas9 strategy in filamentous fungi are highlighted and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmiao Jiang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-Vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Gongbo Lv
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-Vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yayi Tu
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-Vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiaojie Cheng
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yitian Duan
- School of Information, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Zeng
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-Vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China.,College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bin He
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-Vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
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19
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Lim JJJ, Koh J, Moo JR, Villanueva EMF, Putri DA, Lim YS, Seetoh WS, Mulupuri S, Ng JWZ, Nguyen NLU, Reji R, Foo H, Zhao MX, Chan TL, Rodrigues EE, Kairon RS, Hee KM, Chee NC, Low AD, Chen ZHX, Lim SC, Lunardi V, Fong TC, Chua CX, Koh KTS, Julca I, Delli-Ponti R, Ng JWX, Mutwil M. Fungi.guru: Comparative genomic and transcriptomic resource for the fungi kingdom. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:3788-3795. [PMID: 33304470 PMCID: PMC7718472 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.11.019] [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: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The fungi kingdom is composed of eukaryotic heterotrophs, which are responsible for balancing the ecosystem and play a major role as decomposers. They also produce a vast diversity of secondary metabolites, which have antibiotic or pharmacological properties. However, our lack of knowledge of gene function in fungi precludes us from tailoring them to our needs and tapping into their metabolic diversity. To help remedy this, we gathered genomic and gene expression data of 19 most widely-researched fungi to build an online tool, fungi.guru, which contains tools for cross-species identification of conserved pathways, functional gene modules, and gene families. We exemplify how our tool can elucidate the molecular function, biological process and cellular component of genes involved in various biological processes, by identifying a secondary metabolite pathway producing gliotoxin in Aspergillus fumigatus, the catabolic pathway of cellulose in Coprinopsis cinerea and the conserved DNA replication pathway in Fusarium graminearum and Pyricularia oryzae. The tool is available at www.fungi.guru.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolyn Jia Jia Lim
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Jace Koh
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Jia Rong Moo
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | | | - Dhira Anindya Putri
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Yuen Shan Lim
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Wei Song Seetoh
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Sriya Mulupuri
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Janice Wan Zhen Ng
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Nhi Le Uyen Nguyen
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Rinta Reji
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Herman Foo
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Margaret Xuan Zhao
- College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, United Kingdom
| | - Tong Ling Chan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Edbert Edric Rodrigues
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Ryanjit Singh Kairon
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Ker Min Hee
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Natasha Cassandra Chee
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Ann Don Low
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Zoe Hui Xin Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Shan Chun Lim
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Vanessa Lunardi
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Tuck Choy Fong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Cherlyn Xin'Er Chua
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Kenny Ting Sween Koh
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Irene Julca
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Riccardo Delli-Ponti
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Jonathan Wei Xiong Ng
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Marek Mutwil
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
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20
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Steenwyk JL, Mead ME, Knowles SL, Raja HA, Roberts CD, Bader O, Houbraken J, Goldman GH, Oberlies NH, Rokas A. Variation Among Biosynthetic Gene Clusters, Secondary Metabolite Profiles, and Cards of Virulence Across Aspergillus Species. Genetics 2020; 216:481-497. [PMID: 32817009 PMCID: PMC7536862 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.120.303549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a major human pathogen. In contrast, Aspergillus fischeri and the recently described Aspergillus oerlinghausenensis, the two species most closely related to A. fumigatus, are not known to be pathogenic. Some of the genetic determinants of virulence (or "cards of virulence") that A. fumigatus possesses are secondary metabolites that impair the host immune system, protect from host immune cell attacks, or acquire key nutrients. To examine whether secondary metabolism-associated cards of virulence vary between these species, we conducted extensive genomic and secondary metabolite profiling analyses of multiple A. fumigatus, one A. oerlinghausenensis, and multiple A. fischeri strains. We identified two cards of virulence (gliotoxin and fumitremorgin) shared by all three species and three cards of virulence (trypacidin, pseurotin, and fumagillin) that are variable. For example, we found that all species and strains examined biosynthesized gliotoxin, which is known to contribute to virulence, consistent with the conservation of the gliotoxin biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) across genomes. For other secondary metabolites, such as fumitremorgin, a modulator of host biology, we found that all species produced the metabolite but that there was strain heterogeneity in its production within species. Finally, species differed in their biosynthesis of fumagillin and pseurotin, both contributors to host tissue damage during invasive aspergillosis. A. fumigatus biosynthesized fumagillin and pseurotin, while A. oerlinghausenensis biosynthesized fumagillin and A. fischeri biosynthesized neither. These biochemical differences were reflected in sequence divergence of the intertwined fumagillin/pseurotin BGCs across genomes. These results delineate the similarities and differences in secondary metabolism-associated cards of virulence between a major fungal pathogen and its nonpathogenic closest relatives, shedding light onto the genetic and phenotypic changes associated with the evolution of fungal pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob L Steenwyk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235
| | - Matthew E Mead
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235
| | - Sonja L Knowles
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina 27402
| | - Huzefa A Raja
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina 27402
| | - Christopher D Roberts
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina 27402
| | - Oliver Bader
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Germany
| | - Jos Houbraken
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Gustavo H Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 14040-900 Brazil
| | - Nicholas H Oberlies
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina 27402
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235
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21
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Hassan MIA, Kruse JM, Krüger T, Dahse HM, Cseresnyés Z, Blango MG, Slevogt H, Hörhold F, Ast V, König R, Figge MT, Kniemeyer O, Brakhage AA, Voigt K. Functional surface proteomic profiling reveals the host heat-shock protein A8 as a mediator of Lichtheimia corymbifera recognition by murine alveolar macrophages. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:3722-3740. [PMID: 32583550 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mucormycosis is an emergent, fatal fungal infection of humans and warm-blooded animals caused by species of the order Mucorales. Immune cells of the innate immune system serve as the first line of defence against inhaled spores. Alveolar macrophages were challenged with the mucoralean fungus Lichtheimia corymbifera and subjected to biotinylation and streptavidin enrichment procedures followed by LC-MS/MS analyses. A total of 28 host proteins enriched for binding to macrophage-L. corymbifera interaction. Among those, the HSP70-family protein Hspa8 was found to be predominantly responsive to living and heat-killed spores of a virulent and an attenuated strain of L. corymbifera. Confocal scanning laser microscopy of infected macrophages revealed colocalization of Hspa8 with phagocytosed spores of L. corymbifera. The amount of detectable Hspa8 was dependent on the multiplicity of infection. Incubation of alveolar macrophages with an anti-Hspa8 antibody prior to infection reduced their capability to phagocytose spores of L. corymbifera. In contrast, anti-Hspa8 antibodies did not abrogate the phagocytosis of Aspergillus fumigatus conidia by macrophages. These results suggest an important contribution of the heat-shock family protein Hspa8 in the recognition of spores of the mucoralean fungus L. corymbifera by host alveolar macrophages and define a potential immunomodulatory therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed I Abdelwahab Hassan
- Jena Microbial Resource Collection, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.,Pests and Plant Protection Department, National Research Centre, 33rd El Buhouth St., Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt
| | - Janis M Kruse
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Krüger
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Hans-Martin Dahse
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Zoltán Cseresnyés
- Department of Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Matthew G Blango
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Hortense Slevogt
- Host Septomics Group, Centre for Innovation Competence (ZIK) Septomics, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Franziska Hörhold
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Volker Ast
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Rainer König
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Marc Thilo Figge
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.,Department of Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.,Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Kerstin Voigt
- Jena Microbial Resource Collection, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
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22
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Cseresnyes Z, Hassan MIA, Dahse HM, Voigt K, Figge MT. Quantitative Impact of Cell Membrane Fluorescence Labeling on Phagocytosis Measurements in Confrontation Assays. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1193. [PMID: 32582113 PMCID: PMC7289966 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phagocytosis is series of steps where the pathogens and the immune cells interact during an invasion. This starts with the adhesion process between the host and pathogen cells, and is followed by the engulfment of the pathogens. Many analytical methods that are applied to characterize phagocytosis based on imaging the host-pathogen confrontation assays rely on the fluorescence labeling of cells. However, the potential effect of the membrane labeling on the quantitative results of the confrontation assays has not been studied in detail. In this study, we determine whether the fluorescence labeling processes themselves influence the results of the phagocytosis measurements. Here, alveolar macrophages, which form one of the most important compartments of the innate immune system, were used as an example of host cells, whereas Aspergillus fumigatus and Lichtheimia corymbifera that cause aspergillosis and mucormycosis, respectively, were studied as examples for pathogens. At first, our study investigated the importance of the sequence of steps of the fixation process when preparing the confrontation assay sample for microscopy studies. Here we showed that applying the fixation agent before the counter-staining causes miscalculations during the determination of the phagocytic measures. Furthermore, we also found that staining the macrophages with various concentrations of DID, as a typical membrane label, in most cases altered the capability of macrophages to phagocytose FITC-stained A. fumigatus and L. corymbifera spores in comparison with unlabeled macrophages. This effect of the DID staining showed a differential character dependent upon the labeling status and the specific type of pathogen. Moreover, labeling the spores of A. fumigatus and L. corymbifera with FITC increased the phagocytic measures during confrontation with unlabeled macrophages when compared to label-free spores. Overall, our study confirms that the staining process itself may significantly manipulate the quantitative outcome of the confrontation assay. As a result of our study, we also developed a user-friendly image analysis tool that analyses confrontation assays both with and without fluorescence labeling of the host cells and of the pathogens. Our image analysis algorithm saves experimental work effort and time, provides more precise results when calculating the phagocytic measures, and delivers a convenient analysis tool for the biologists to monitor host-pathogen interactions as they happen without the artifacts that fluorescence labeling imposes on biological interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltan Cseresnyes
- Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Mohamed I. Abdelwahab Hassan
- Jena Microbial Resource Collection, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Department of Pests and Plant Protection, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
| | - Hans-Martin Dahse
- Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Kerstin Voigt
- Jena Microbial Resource Collection, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Marc Thilo Figge
- Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
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23
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Ferling I, Dunn JD, Ferling A, Soldati T, Hillmann F. Conidial Melanin of the Human-Pathogenic Fungus Aspergillus fumigatus Disrupts Cell Autonomous Defenses in Amoebae. mBio 2020; 11:e00862-20. [PMID: 32457245 PMCID: PMC7251208 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00862-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The human-pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous saprophyte that causes fatal lung infections in immunocompromised individuals. Following inhalation, conidia are ingested by innate immune cells and can arrest phagolysosome maturation. How this virulence trait could have been selected for in natural environments is unknown. Here, we found that surface exposure of the green pigment 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene-(DHN)-melanin can protect conidia from phagocytic uptake and intracellular killing by the fungivorous amoeba Protostelium aurantium and delays its exocytosis from the nonfungivorous species Dictyostelium discoideum To elucidate the antiphagocytic properties of the surface pigment, we followed the antagonistic interactions of A. fumigatus conidia with the amoebae in real time. For both amoebae, conidia covered with DHN-melanin were internalized at far lower rates than were seen with conidia lacking the pigment, despite high rates of initial attachment to nonkilling D. discoideum When ingested by D. discoideum, the formation of nascent phagosomes was followed by transient acidification of phagolysosomes, their subsequent neutralization, and, finally, exocytosis of the conidia. While the cycle was completed in less than 1 h for unpigmented conidia, the process was significantly prolonged for conidia covered with DHN-melanin, leading to an extended intracellular residence time. At later stages of this cellular infection, pigmented conidia induced enhanced damage to phagolysosomes and infected amoebae failed to recruit the ESCRT (endosomal sorting complex required for transport) membrane repair machinery or the canonical autophagy pathway to defend against the pathogen, thus promoting prolonged intracellular persistence in the host cell and the establishment of a germination niche in this environmental phagocyte.IMPORTANCE Infections with Aspergillus fumigatus are usually acquired by an inhalation of spores from environmental sources. How spores of a saprophytic fungus have acquired abilities to withstand and escape the phagocytic attacks of innate immune cells is not understood. The fungal surface pigment dihydroxynaphtalene-melanin has been shown to be a crucial factor for the delay in phagosome maturation. Here, we show that this pigment also has a protective function against environmental phagocytes. Pigmented conidia escaped uptake and killing by the fungus-eating amoeba Protostelium aurantium When ingested by the nonfungivorous phagocyte Dictyostelium discoideum, the pigment attenuated the launch of cell autonomous defenses against the fungal invader, such as membrane repair and autophagy, leading to prolonged intracellular retention. Membrane damage and cytoplasmic leakage may result in an influx of nutrients and thus may further promote intracellular germination of the fungus, indicating that A. fumigatus has acquired some of the basic properties of intracellular pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iuliia Ferling
- Junior Research Group Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Joe Dan Dunn
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Ferling
- Heid-Tech, Technische Schule Heidenheim, Heidenheim an der Brenz, Germany
| | - Thierry Soldati
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Falk Hillmann
- Junior Research Group Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
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24
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Hassan MIA, Cseresnyes Z, Al-Zaben N, Dahse HM, Vilela de Oliveira RJ, Walther G, Voigt K, Figge MT. The geographical region of origin determines the phagocytic vulnerability of Lichtheimia strains. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:4563-4581. [PMID: 31330072 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Mucormycoses are life-threatening infections that affect patients suffering from immune deficiencies. We performed phagocytosis assays confronting various strains of Lichtheimia species with alveolar macrophages, which form the first line of defence of the innate immune system. To investigate 17 strains from four different continents in a comparative fashion, transmitted light and confocal fluorescence microscopy was applied in combination with automated image analysis. This interdisciplinary approach enabled the objective and quantitative processing of the big volume of image data. Applying machine-learning supported methods, a spontaneous clustering of the strains was revealed in the space of phagocytic measures. This clustering was not driven by measures of fungal morphology but rather by the geographical origin of the fungal strains. Our study illustrates the crucial contribution of machine-learning supported automated image analysis to the qualitative discovery and quantitative comparison of major factors affecting host-pathogen interactions. We found that the phagocytic vulnerability of Lichtheimia species depends on their geographical origin, where strains within each geographic region behaved similarly, but strongly differed amongst the regions. Based on this clustering, we were able to also classify clinical isolates with regard to their potential geographical origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed I Abdelwahab Hassan
- Jena Microbial Resource Collection, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.,Pests & Plant Protection Department, National Research Centre, 33rd El Buhouth St., 12622 Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Zoltan Cseresnyes
- Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Naim Al-Zaben
- Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.,Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Hans-Martin Dahse
- Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Rafael J Vilela de Oliveira
- Post-Graduate Course in the Biology of Fungi, Department of Mycology, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Nelson Chaves, s/n, Recife, Prince Edward Island, Brazil
| | - Grit Walther
- National Reference Center for Invasive Fungal Infections, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Kerstin Voigt
- Jena Microbial Resource Collection, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Marc Thilo Figge
- Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.,Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
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25
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Raffa N, Keller NP. A call to arms: Mustering secondary metabolites for success and survival of an opportunistic pathogen. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007606. [PMID: 30947302 PMCID: PMC6448812 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Raffa
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Nancy P. Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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26
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Radosa S, Ferling I, Sprague JL, Westermann M, Hillmann F. The different morphologies of yeast and filamentous fungi trigger distinct killing and feeding mechanisms in a fungivorous amoeba. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:1809-1820. [PMID: 30868709 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Size and diverse morphologies pose a primary challenge for phagocytes such as innate immune cells and predatory amoebae when encountering fungal prey. Although filamentous fungi can escape phagocytic killing by pure physical constraints, unicellular spores and yeasts can mask molecular surface patterns or arrest phagocytic processing. Here, we show that the fungivorous amoeba Protostelium aurantium was able to adjust its killing and feeding mechanisms to these different cell shapes. Yeast-like fungi from the major fungal groups of basidiomycetes and ascomycetes were readily internalized by phagocytosis, except for the human pathogen Candida albicans whose mannoprotein coat was essential to escape recognition by the amoeba. Dormant spores of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus also remained unrecognized, but swelling and the onset of germination induced internalization and intracellular killing by the amoeba. Mature hyphae of A. fumigatus were mostly attacked from the hyphal tip and killed by an actin-mediated invasion of fungal filaments. Our results demonstrate that predatory pressure imposed by amoebae in natural environments selects for distinct survival strategies in yeast and filamentous fungi but commonly targets the fungal cell wall as a crucial molecular pattern associated to prey and pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Radosa
- Junior Research Group Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Iuliia Ferling
- Junior Research Group Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Jakob L Sprague
- Junior Research Group Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Falk Hillmann
- Junior Research Group Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
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27
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Thewes S, Soldati T, Eichinger L. Editorial: Amoebae as Host Models to Study the Interaction With Pathogens. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:47. [PMID: 30941316 PMCID: PMC6433779 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sascha Thewes
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute for Biology - Microbiology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thierry Soldati
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Sciences II, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ludwig Eichinger
- Medical Faculty, Center for Biochemistry, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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28
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Blachowicz A, Chiang AJ, Romsdahl J, Kalkum M, Wang CCC, Venkateswaran K. Proteomic characterization of Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from air and surfaces of the International Space Station. Fungal Genet Biol 2019; 124:39-46. [PMID: 30611835 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The on-going Microbial Observatory Experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) revealed the presence of various microorganisms that may be affected by the distinct environment of the ISS. The low-nutrient environment combined with enhanced irradiation and microgravity may trigger changes in the molecular suite of microorganisms leading to increased virulence and resistance of microbes. Proteomic characterization of two Aspergillus fumigatus strains, ISSFT-021 and IF1SW-F4, isolated from HEPA filter debris and cupola surface of the ISS, respectively, is presented, along with a comparison to well-studied clinical isolates Af293 and CEA10. In-depth analysis highlights variations in the proteome of both ISS-isolated strains when compared to the clinical strains. Proteins that showed increased abundance in ISS isolates were overall involved in stress responses, and carbohydrate and secondary metabolism. Among the most abundant proteins were Pst2 and ArtA involved in oxidative stress response, PdcA and AcuE responsible for ethanol fermentation and glyoxylate cycle, respectively, TpcA, TpcF, and TpcK that are part of trypacidin biosynthetic pathway, and a toxin Asp-hemolysin. This report provides insight into possible molecular adaptation of filamentous fungi to the unique ISS environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Blachowicz
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Abby J Chiang
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Jillian Romsdahl
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Markus Kalkum
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Clay C C Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Chemistry, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Kasthuri Venkateswaran
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
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29
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Theobald S, Vesth TC, Rendsvig JK, Nielsen KF, Riley R, de Abreu LM, Salamov A, Frisvad JC, Larsen TO, Andersen MR, Hoof JB. Uncovering secondary metabolite evolution and biosynthesis using gene cluster networks and genetic dereplication. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17957. [PMID: 30560908 PMCID: PMC6298953 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36561-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The increased interest in secondary metabolites (SMs) has driven a number of genome sequencing projects to elucidate their biosynthetic pathways. As a result, studies revealed that the number of secondary metabolite gene clusters (SMGCs) greatly outnumbers detected compounds, challenging current methods to dereplicate and categorize this amount of gene clusters on a larger scale. Here, we present an automated workflow for the genetic dereplication and analysis of secondary metabolism genes in fungi. Focusing on the secondary metabolite rich genus Aspergillus, we categorize SMGCs across genomes into SMGC families using network analysis. Our method elucidates the diversity and dynamics of secondary metabolism in section Nigri, showing that SMGC diversity within the section has the same magnitude as within the genus. Using our genome analysis we were able to predict the gene cluster responsible for biosynthesis of malformin, a potentiator of anti-cancer drugs, in 18 strains. To proof the general validity of our predictions, we developed genetic engineering tools in Aspergillus brasiliensis and subsequently verified the genes for biosynthesis of malformin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Theobald
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.,The Novo Nordisk Foundation for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tammi C Vesth
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jakob Kræmmer Rendsvig
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Kristian Fog Nielsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.,Chr. Hansen Holding A/S, DK-2970, Hoersholm, Denmark
| | - Robert Riley
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, USA.,Amyris, Inc., Emeryville, CA, USA
| | | | - Asaf Salamov
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
| | - Jens Christian Frisvad
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Thomas Ostenfeld Larsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mikael Rørdam Andersen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Jakob Blæsbjerg Hoof
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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30
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Meng S, Tang GL, Pan HX. Enzymatic Formation of Oxygen-Containing Heterocycles in Natural Product Biosynthesis. Chembiochem 2018; 19:2002-2022. [PMID: 30039582 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201800225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Oxygen-containing heterocycles are widely encountered in natural products that display diverse pharmacological properties and have potential benefits to human health. The formation of O-heterocycles catalyzed by different types of enzymes in the biosynthesis of natural products not only contributes to the structural diversity of these compounds, but also enriches our understanding of nature's ability to construct complex molecules. This minireview focuses on the various modes of enzymatic O-heterocyclization identified in natural product biosynthesis and summarizes the possible mechanisms involved in ring closure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Bio-organic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Gong-Li Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Bio-organic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Hai-Xue Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Bio-organic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
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31
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Novohradská S, Ferling I, Hillmann F. Exploring Virulence Determinants of Filamentous Fungal Pathogens through Interactions with Soil Amoebae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:497. [PMID: 29259922 PMCID: PMC5723301 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections with filamentous fungi are common to all animals, but attention is rising especially due to the increasing incidence and high mortality rates observed in immunocompromised human individuals. Here, Aspergillus fumigatus and other members of its genus are the leading causative agents. Attributes like their saprophytic life-style in various ecological niches coupled with nutritional flexibility and a broad host range have fostered the hypothesis that environmental predators could have been the actual target for some of their virulence determinants. In this mini review, we have merged the recent findings focused on the potential dual-use of fungal defense strategies against innate immune cells and soil amoebae as natural phagocytes. Well-established virulence attributes like the melanized surface of fungal conidia or their capacity to produce toxic secondary metabolites have also been found to be protective against the model amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. Some of the recent advances during interaction studies with human cells have further promoted the adaptation of other amoeba infection models, including the wide-spread generalist Acanthamoeba castellanii, or less prominent representatives like Vermamoeba vermiformis. We further highlight prospects and limits of these natural phagocyte models with regard to the infection biology of filamentous fungi and in comparison to the phagocytes of the innate immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Novohradská
- Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Iuliia Ferling
- Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Falk Hillmann
- Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
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Bignell E, Cairns TC, Throckmorton K, Nierman WC, Keller NP. Secondary metabolite arsenal of an opportunistic pathogenic fungus. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2016.0023. [PMID: 28080993 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a versatile fungus able to successfully exploit diverse environments from mammalian lungs to agricultural waste products. Among its many fitness attributes are dozens of genetic loci containing biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) producing bioactive small molecules (often referred to as secondary metabolites or natural products) that provide growth advantages to the fungus dependent on environment. Here we summarize the current knowledge of these BGCs-18 of which can be named to product-their expression profiles in vivo, and which BGCs may enhance virulence of this opportunistic human pathogen. Furthermore, we find extensive evidence for the presence of many of these BGCs, or similar BGCs, in distantly related genera including the emerging pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of white-nose syndrome in bats, and suggest such BGCs may be predictive of pathogenic potential in other fungi.This article is part of the themed issue 'Tackling emerging fungal threats to animal health, food security and ecosystem resilience'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Bignell
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Institute of Inflammation and Repair, 2.24 Core Technology Facility, Grafton Street, Manchester, M13 9NT, UK
| | - Timothy C Cairns
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Berlin University of Technology, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kurt Throckmorton
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | | | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA, .,Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Hessian-based quantitative image analysis of host-pathogen confrontation assays. Cytometry A 2017; 93:346-356. [DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.23201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Manfiolli AO, de Castro PA, dos Reis TF, Dolan S, Doyle S, Jones G, Riaño Pachón DM, Ulaş M, Noble LM, Mattern DJ, Brakhage AA, Valiante V, Silva-Rocha R, Bayram O, Goldman GH. Aspergillus fumigatusprotein phosphatase PpzA is involved in iron assimilation, secondary metabolite production, and virulence. Cell Microbiol 2017; 19. [DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrícia Alves de Castro
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto; Universidade de São Paulo; Ribeirão Preto Brazil
| | - Thaila Fernanda dos Reis
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto; Universidade de São Paulo; Ribeirão Preto Brazil
| | - Stephen Dolan
- Department of Biology; Maynooth University; Maynooth Co. Kildare Ireland
| | - Sean Doyle
- Department of Biology; Maynooth University; Maynooth Co. Kildare Ireland
| | - Gary Jones
- Department of Biology; Maynooth University; Maynooth Co. Kildare Ireland
| | - Diego M. Riaño Pachón
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE); Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM); Campinas São Paulo Brazil
| | - Mevlüt Ulaş
- Department of Biology; Maynooth University; Maynooth Co. Kildare Ireland
| | | | - Derek J. Mattern
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute; Jena Germany
- University of Jena; Jena Germany
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute; Jena Germany
- University of Jena; Jena Germany
| | - Vito Valiante
- Leibniz Research Group-Biobricks of Microbial Natural Product Syntheses; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute; Jena Germany
| | - Rafael Silva-Rocha
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto; Universidade de São Paulo; Ribeirão Preto Brazil
| | - Ozgur Bayram
- Department of Biology; Maynooth University; Maynooth Co. Kildare Ireland
| | - Gustavo H. Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto; Universidade de São Paulo; Ribeirão Preto Brazil
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A Nonredundant Phosphopantetheinyl Transferase, PptA, Is a Novel Antifungal Target That Directs Secondary Metabolite, Siderophore, and Lysine Biosynthesis in Aspergillus fumigatus and Is Critical for Pathogenicity. mBio 2017; 8:mBio.01504-16. [PMID: 28720735 PMCID: PMC5516258 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01504-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Secondary metabolites are key mediators of virulence for many pathogens. Aspergillus fumigatus produces a vast array of these bioactive molecules, the biosynthesis of which is catalyzed by nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) or polyketide synthases (PKSs). Both NRPSs and PKSs harbor carrier domains that are primed for acceptance of secondary metabolic building blocks by a phosphopantetheinyl transferase (P-pant). The A. fumigatus P-pant PptA has been shown to prime the putative NRPS Pes1 in vitro and has an independent role in lysine biosynthesis; however, its role in global secondary metabolism and its impact on virulence has not been described. Here, we demonstrate that PptA has a nonredundant role in the generation of the vast majority of detectable secondary metabolites in A. fumigatus, including the immunomodulator gliotoxin, the siderophores triacetylfusarinine C (TAFC) and ferricrocin (FC), and dihydroxy naphthalene (DHN)-melanin. We show that both the lysine and iron requirements of a pptA null strain exceed those freely available in mammalian tissues and that loss of PptA renders A. fumigatus avirulent in both insect and murine infection models. Since PptA lacks similarity to its mammalian orthologue, we assert that the combined role of this enzyme in both primary and secondary metabolism, encompassing multiple virulence determinants makes it a very promising antifungal drug target candidate. We further exemplify this point with a high-throughput fluorescence polarization assay that we developed to identify chemical inhibitors of PptA function that have antifungal activity.IMPORTANCE Fungal diseases are estimated to kill between 1.5 and 2 million people each year, which exceeds the global mortality estimates for either tuberculosis or malaria. Only four classes of antifungal agents are available to treat invasive fungal infections, and all suffer pharmacological shortcomings, including toxicity, drug-drug interactions, and poor bioavailability. There is an urgent need to develop a new class of drugs that operate via a novel mechanism of action. We have identified a potential drug target, PptA, in the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus PptA is required to synthesize the immunotoxic compound gliotoxin, DHN-melanin, which A. fumigatus employs to evade detection by host cells, the amino acid lysine, and the siderophores TAFC and FC, which A. fumigatus uses to scavenge iron. We show that strains lacking the PptA enzyme are unable to establish an infection, and we present a method which we use to identify novel antifungal drugs that inactivate PptA.
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Valiante V, Mattern DJ, Schüffler A, Horn F, Walther G, Scherlach K, Petzke L, Dickhaut J, Guthke R, Hertweck C, Nett M, Thines E, Brakhage AA. Discovery of an Extended Austinoid Biosynthetic Pathway in Aspergillus calidoustus. ACS Chem Biol 2017; 12:1227-1234. [PMID: 28233494 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi produce a wide range of natural products that are commonly used in various industrial contexts (e.g., pharmaceuticals and insecticides). Meroterpenoids are natural products of interest because of their various biological activities. Among the meroterpenoids, there is a group of insecticidal compounds known as the austinoids. These compounds have also been studied because of their intriguing spiro-lactone ring formation along with various modifications. Here, we present an extension of the original austinol/dehydroaustinol biosynthesis pathway from Aspergillus nidulans in the recently identified filamentous fungus Aspergillus calidoustus. Besides the discovery and elucidation of further derivatives, genome mining led to the discovery of new putative biosynthetic genes. The genes involved in the biosynthesis of later austinoid products were characterized, and among them was a second polyketide synthase gene in the A. calidoustus cluster that was unusual because it was a noninterative polyketide synthase producing a diketide. This diketide product was then loaded onto the austinoid backbone, resulting in a new insecticidal derivative, calidodehydroaustin.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anja Schüffler
- Institute of Biotechnology and Drug Research, Erwin-Schroedinger-Strasse 56, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
- Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Institute of Biotechnology, Johann-Joachim-Becherweg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Eckhard Thines
- Institute of Biotechnology and Drug Research, Erwin-Schroedinger-Strasse 56, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
- Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Institute of Biotechnology, Johann-Joachim-Becherweg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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Hagiwara D, Sakai K, Suzuki S, Umemura M, Nogawa T, Kato N, Osada H, Watanabe A, Kawamoto S, Gonoi T, Kamei K. Temperature during conidiation affects stress tolerance, pigmentation, and trypacidin accumulation in the conidia of the airborne pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177050. [PMID: 28486558 PMCID: PMC5423626 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Asexual spores (conidia) are reproductive structures that play a crucial role in fungal distribution and survival. As fungal conidia are, in most cases, etiological agents of plant diseases and fungal lung disease, their stress resistance and interaction with their hosts have drawn increasing attention. In the present study, we investigated whether environmental temperature during conidiation affects the stress tolerance of the conidia of the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. Conidia from a 25°C culture showed a lower tolerance to heat (60°C) and oxidative (H2O2) stresses and a marked resistance to ultraviolet radiation exposure, compared with those produced at 37 and 45°C. The accumulation of trehalose was lower in the conidia from the 25°C culture. Furthermore, the conidia from the 25°C culture showed darker pigmentation and increased transcripts of dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN)-melanin biosynthesis-related genes (i.e., pksP, arp1, and arp2). An RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that the transcription level of the trypacidin (tpc) gene cluster, which contains 13 genes, was sharply and coordinately activated in the conidia from the 25°C culture. Accordingly, trypacidin was abundant in the conidia from the 25°C culture, whereas there was little trypacidin in the conidia from the 37°C culture. Taken together, these data show that the environmental temperature during conidiation affects conidial properties such as stress tolerance, pigmentation, and mycotoxin accumulation. To enhance our knowledge, we further explored the temperature-dependent production of DHN-melanin and trypacidin in clinical A. fumigatus isolates. Some of the isolates showed temperature-independent production of DHN-melanin and/or trypacidin, indicating that the conidia-associated secondary metabolisms differed among the isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Hagiwara
- Medical Mycology Research Center (MMRC), Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kanae Sakai
- Medical Mycology Research Center (MMRC), Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan
| | - Satoshi Suzuki
- National Food Research Institute (NFRI), 2-1-12 Kan-nondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Myco Umemura
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 17-2-1 Higashi-Nijo, Tsukisamu, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Nogawa
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Naoki Kato
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Osada
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Akira Watanabe
- Medical Mycology Research Center (MMRC), Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan
| | - Susumu Kawamoto
- Medical Mycology Research Center (MMRC), Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tohru Gonoi
- Medical Mycology Research Center (MMRC), Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Kamei
- Medical Mycology Research Center (MMRC), Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan
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Abstract
Oxidative cyclizations are important transformations that occur widely during natural product biosynthesis. The transformations from acyclic precursors to cyclized products can afford morphed scaffolds, structural rigidity, and biological activities. Some of the most dramatic structural alterations in natural product biosynthesis occur through oxidative cyclization. In this Review, we examine the different strategies used by nature to create new intra(inter)molecular bonds via redox chemistry. This Review will cover both oxidation- and reduction-enabled cyclization mechanisms, with an emphasis on the former. Radical cyclizations catalyzed by P450, nonheme iron, α-KG-dependent oxygenases, and radical SAM enzymes are discussed to illustrate the use of molecular oxygen and S-adenosylmethionine to forge new bonds at unactivated sites via one-electron manifolds. Nonradical cyclizations catalyzed by flavin-dependent monooxygenases and NAD(P)H-dependent reductases are covered to show the use of two-electron manifolds in initiating cyclization reactions. The oxidative installations of epoxides and halogens into acyclic scaffolds to drive subsequent cyclizations are separately discussed as examples of "disappearing" reactive handles. Last, oxidative rearrangement of rings systems, including contractions and expansions, will be covered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man-Cheng Tang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 420 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yi Zou
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 420 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kenji Watanabe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Christopher T. Walsh
- Stanford University Chemistry, Engineering, and Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University, 443 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Yi Tang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 420 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Brandes S, Dietrich S, Hünniger K, Kurzai O, Figge MT. Migration and interaction tracking for quantitative analysis of phagocyte–pathogen confrontation assays. Med Image Anal 2017; 36:172-183. [DOI: 10.1016/j.media.2016.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Weber J, Valiante V, Nødvig CS, Mattern DJ, Slotkowski RA, Mortensen UH, Brakhage AA. Functional Reconstitution of a Fungal Natural Product Gene Cluster by Advanced Genome Editing. ACS Synth Biol 2017; 6:62-68. [PMID: 27611015 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.6b00203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi produce varieties of natural products even in a strain dependent manner. However, the genetic basis of chemical speciation between strains is still widely unknown. One example is trypacidin, a natural product of the opportunistic human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, which is not produced among different isolates. Combining computational analysis with targeted gene editing, we could link a single nucleotide insertion in the polyketide synthase of the trypacidin biosynthetic pathway and reconstitute its production in a nonproducing strain. Thus, we present a CRISPR/Cas9-based tool for advanced molecular genetic studies in filamentous fungi, exploiting selectable markers separated from the edited locus.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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
of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Vito Valiante
- Leibniz
Research Group − Biobricks of Microbial Natural Product Syntheses, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Christina S. Nødvig
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Eukaryotic Biotechnology, Department
of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts
Plads, 2800 Kongens
Lyngby, Denmark
| | - 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
of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Rebecca A. Slotkowski
- Department
of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural
Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Uffe H. Mortensen
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Eukaryotic Biotechnology, Department
of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts
Plads, 2800 Kongens
Lyngby, Denmark
| | - 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
of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
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Regulation of Secondary Metabolism by the Velvet Complex Is Temperature-Responsive in Aspergillus. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2016; 6:4023-4033. [PMID: 27694115 PMCID: PMC5144971 DOI: 10.1534/g3.116.033084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Sensing and responding to environmental cues is critical to the lifestyle of filamentous fungi. How environmental variation influences fungi to produce a wide diversity of ecologically important secondary metabolites (SMs) is not well understood. To address this question, we first examined changes in global gene expression of the opportunistic human pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, after exposure to different temperature conditions. We found that 11 of the 37 SM gene clusters in A. fumigatus were expressed at higher levels at 30° than at 37°. We next investigated the role of the light-responsive Velvet complex in environment-dependent gene expression by examining temperature-dependent transcription profiles in the absence of two key members of the Velvet protein complex, VeA and LaeA. We found that the 11 temperature-regulated SM gene clusters required VeA at 37° and LaeA at both 30 and 37° for wild-type levels of expression. Interestingly, four SM gene clusters were regulated by VeA at 37° but not at 30°, and two additional ones were regulated by VeA at both temperatures but were substantially less so at 30°, indicating that the role of VeA and, more generally of the Velvet complex, in the regulation of certain SM gene clusters is temperature-dependent. Our findings support the hypothesis that fungal secondary metabolism is regulated by an intertwined network of transcriptional regulators responsive to multiple environmental factors.
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Koller B, Schramm C, Siebert S, Triebel J, Deland E, Pfefferkorn AM, Rickerts V, Thewes S. Dictyostelium discoideum as a Novel Host System to Study the Interaction between Phagocytes and Yeasts. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1665. [PMID: 27818653 PMCID: PMC5073093 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is a well-established model organism to study the interaction between bacteria and phagocytes. In contrast, research using D. discoideum as a host model for fungi is rare. We describe a comprehensive study, which uses D. discoideum as a host model system to investigate the interaction with apathogenic (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and pathogenic (Candida sp.) yeast. We show that Dictyostelium can be co-cultivated with yeasts on solid media, offering a convenient test to study the interaction between fungi and phagocytes. We demonstrate that a number of D. discoideum mutants increase (atg1-, kil1-, kil2-) or decrease (atg6-) the ability of the amoebae to predate yeast cells. On the yeast side, growth characteristics, reduced phagocytosis rate, as well as known virulence factors of C. albicans (EFG1, CPH1, HGC1, ICL1) contribute to the resistance of yeast cells against predation by the amoebae. Investigating haploid C. albicans strains, we suggest using the amoebae plate test for screening purposes after random mutagenesis. Finally, we discuss the potential of our adapted amoebae plate test to use D. discoideum for risk assessment of yeast strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Koller
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute for Biology - Microbiology, Freie Universität Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Christin Schramm
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute for Biology - Microbiology, Freie Universität BerlinBerlin, Germany; FG16, Robert Koch InstituteBerlin, Germany
| | - Susann Siebert
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute for Biology - Microbiology, Freie Universität Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - János Triebel
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute for Biology - Microbiology, Freie Universität Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Eric Deland
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute for Biology - Microbiology, Freie Universität Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna M Pfefferkorn
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute for Biology - Microbiology, Freie Universität Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Sascha Thewes
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute for Biology - Microbiology, Freie Universität Berlin Berlin, Germany
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Vermamoeba vermiformis-Aspergillus fumigatus relationships and comparison with other phagocytic cells. Parasitol Res 2016; 115:4097-4105. [PMID: 27381330 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5182-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Free living amoebae (FLA) are protists ubiquitously present in the environment. Aspergillus fumigatus is a mould responsible for severe deep-seated infections, and that can be recovered in the same habitats as the FLA. By conducting coculture experiments and fungal incubation with amoebal supernatants, we report herein that Vermamoeba vermiformis, a FLA present in hospital water systems, promotes filamentation and growth of A. fumigatus. This finding is of particular importance to institutions whose water systems might harbor FLA and could potentially be used by immunocompromised patients. Also, the relationships between V. vermiformis and A. fumigatus were compared to those between this fungus and two other phagocytic cells: Acanthamoeba castellanii, another FLA, and macrophage-like THP-1 cells. After 4 h of coincubation, the percentages of the three phagocytic cell types with adhered conidia were similar, even though the types of receptors between FLA and macrophagic cell seemed different. However, the percentage of THP-1 with internalized conidia was considerably lower (40 %) in comparison with the two other cell types (100 %). Thus, this study revealed that interactions between A. fumigatus and these three phagocytic cell types show similarities, even though it is premature to extrapolate these results to interpret relationships between A. fumigatus and macrophages.
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Geib E, Gressler M, Viediernikova I, Hillmann F, Jacobsen I, Nietzsche S, Hertweck C, Brock M. A Non-canonical Melanin Biosynthesis Pathway Protects Aspergillus terreus Conidia from Environmental Stress. Cell Chem Biol 2016; 23:587-597. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2016.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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