Comparative genomics of the HOG-signalling system in fungi

Achog1 is required for the asexual sporulation, stress responses and pigmentation of Aspergillus cristatus

Aspergillus cristatus is the dominant fungus during the fermentation of Fuzhuan brick tea; hypotonic conditions only induce its sexual development to produce ascospores, while hypertonic conditions only induce its asexual development to produce conidia, indicating that osmotic stress can regulate spore production in A. cristatus. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism is unclear. In this study, the role of Achog1, which is homologous to hog1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in sporulation, different kinds of stress responses and pigment production was investigated. Deletion mutants of Achog1 were obtained by homologous recombination. Phenotypic observations showed that the time required to produce conidia was delayed, and the number of conidia produced was significantly reduced in the deletion mutants of Achog1 in hypertonic media, indicating that Achog1 plays a positive role in asexual development. Stress sensitivity tests showed that ΔAchog1 strains were sensitive to hyperosmolarity, and the order of the sensitivity of ΔAchog1 to different osmotic regulators was 3 M sucrose >3 M NaCl >3 M sorbitol. Moreover, the deletion mutants were sensitive to high oxidative stress. pH sensitivity tests indicated that Achog1 inhibited the growth of A. cristatus under alkaline stress. Additionally, pigmentation was decreased in the Achog1 deletion mutants compared with the WT. All the above developmental defects were reversed by the reintroduction of the Achog1 gene in ΔAchog1. Pull-down and LC-MS/MS analysis showed that the expression levels of proteins interacting with Achog1 were significantly different under low and high osmotic stress, and proteins related to conidial development were present only in the cultures treated with hyperosmotic stress. Transcription profiling data showed that Achog1 suppressed the expression of several genes related to asexual development, osmotic and oxidative stress resistance. On the basis of gene knockout, pull-down mass spectrometry and RNA-seq analyses, a regulatory pathway for Achog1 was roughly identified in A. cristatus.

Aspergillus fumigatus In-Host HOG Pathway Mutation for Cystic Fibrosis Lung Microenvironment Persistence

The prevalence of Aspergillus fumigatus colonization in individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) and subsequent fungal persistence in the lung is increasingly recognized. However, there is no consensus for clinical management of A. fumigatus in CF individuals, due largely to uncertainty surrounding A. fumigatus CF pathogenesis and virulence mechanisms. To address this gap in knowledge, a longitudinal series of A. fumigatus isolates from an individual with CF were collected over 4.5 years. Isolate genotypes were defined with whole-genome sequencing that revealed both transitory and persistent A. fumigatus in the lung. Persistent lineage isolates grew most readily in a low-oxygen culture environment, and conidia were more sensitive to oxidative stress-inducing conditions than those from nonpersistent isolates. Closely related persistent isolates harbored a unique allele of the high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, Pbs2 (pbs2C2). Data suggest this novel pbs2C2 allele arose in vivo and is necessary for the fungal response to osmotic stress in a low-oxygen environment through hyperactivation of the HOG (SakA) signaling pathway. Hyperactivation of the HOG pathway through pbs2C2 comes at the cost of decreased conidial stress resistance in the presence of atmospheric oxygen levels. These novel findings shed light on pathoadaptive mechanisms of A. fumigatus in CF, lay the foundation for identifying persistent A. fumigatus isolates that may require antifungal therapy, and highlight considerations for successful culture of persistent Aspergillus CF isolates. IMPORTANCE Aspergillus fumigatus infection causes a spectrum of clinical manifestations. For individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF), allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is an established complication, but there is a growing appreciation for A. fumigatus airway persistence in CF disease progression. There currently is little consensus for clinical management of A. fumigatus long-term culture positivity in CF. A better understanding of A. fumigatus pathogenesis mechanisms in CF is expected to yield insights into when antifungal therapies are warranted. Here, a 4.5-year longitudinal collection of A. fumigatus isolates from a patient with CF identified a persistent lineage that harbors a unique allele of the Pbs2 mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) necessary for unique CF-relevant stress phenotypes. Importantly for A. fumigatus CF patient diagnostics, this allele provides increased fitness under CF lung-like conditions at a cost of reduced in vitro growth under standard laboratory conditions. These data illustrate a molecular mechanism for A. fumigatus CF lung persistence with implications for diagnostics and antifungal therapy.

Potassium and Sodium Salt Stress Characterization in the Yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Rhodotorula toruloides

Biotechnology requires efficient microbial cell factories. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a vital cell factory, but more diverse cell factories are essential for the sustainable use of natural resources. Here, we benchmarked nonconventional yeasts Kluyveromyces marxianus and Rhodotorula toruloides against S. cerevisiae strains CEN.PK and W303 for their responses to potassium and sodium salt stress. We found an inverse relationship between the maximum growth rate and the median cell volume that was responsive to salt stress. The supplementation of K⁺ to CEN.PK cultures reduced Na⁺ toxicity and increased the specific growth rate 4-fold. The higher K⁺ and Na⁺ concentrations impaired ethanol and acetate metabolism in CEN.PK and acetate metabolism in W303. In R. toruloides cultures, these salt supplementations induced a trade-off between glucose utilization and cellular aggregate formation. Their combined use increased the beta-carotene yield by 60% compared with that of the reference. Neural network-based image analysis of exponential-phase cultures showed that the vacuole-to-cell volume ratio increased with increased cell volume for W303 and K. marxianus but not for CEN.PK and R. toruloides in response to salt stress. Our results provide insights into common salt stress responses in yeasts and will help design efficient bioprocesses. IMPORTANCE Characterization of microbial cell factories under industrially relevant conditions is crucial for designing efficient bioprocesses. Salt stress, typical in industrial bioprocesses, impinges upon cell volume and affects productivity. This study presents an open-source neural network-based analysis method to evaluate volumetric changes using yeast optical microscopy images. It allows quantification of cell and vacuole volumes relevant to cellular physiology. On applying salt stress in yeasts, we found that the combined use of K⁺ and Na⁺ improves the cellular fitness of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain CEN.PK and increases the beta-carotene productivity in Rhodotorula toruloides, a commercially important antioxidant and a valuable additive in foods.

Contribution of the mitogen-activated protein kinase Hog1 to the halotolerance of the marine yeast Debaryomyces hansenii

Halotolerant species are adapted to dealing continually with hyperosmotic environments, having evolved strategies that are uncommon in other organisms. The HOG pathway is the master system that regulates the cellular adaptation under these conditions; nevertheless, apart from the importance of Debaryomyces hansenii as an organism representative of the halotolerant class, its HOG1 pathway has been poorly studied, due to the difficulty of applying conventional recombinant DNA technology. Here we describe for the first time the phenotypic characterisation of a null HOG1 mutant of D. hansenii. Dhhog1Δ strain was found moderately resistant to 1 M NaCl and sensitive to higher concentrations. Under hyperosmotic shock, DhHog1 fully upregulated transcription of DhSTL1 and partially upregulated that of DhGPD1. High osmotic stress lead to long-term inner glycerol accumulation that was partially dependent on DhHog1. These observations indicated that the HOG pathway is required for survival under high external osmolarity but dispensable under low and mid-osmotic conditions. It was also found that DhHog1 can regulate response to alkali stress during hyperosmotic conditions and that it plays a role in oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Taken together, these results provide new insight into the contribution of this MAPK in halotolerance of this yeast.

Sensing and transduction of nutritional and chemical signals in filamentous fungi: Impact on cell development and secondary metabolites biosynthesis

Filamentous fungi respond to hundreds of nutritional, chemical and environmental signals that affect expression of primary metabolism and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. These signals are sensed at the membrane level by G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCRs contain usually seven transmembrane domains, an external amino terminal fragment that interacts with the ligand, and an internal carboxy terminal end interacting with the intracellular G protein. There is a great variety of GPCRs in filamentous fungi involved in sensing of sugars, amino acids, cellulose, cell-wall components, sex pheromones, oxylipins, calcium ions and other ligands. Mechanisms of signal transduction at the membrane level by GPCRs are discussed, including the internalization and compartmentalisation of these sensor proteins. We have identified and analysed the GPCRs in the genome of Penicillium chrysogenum and compared them with GPCRs of several other filamentous fungi. We have found 66 GPCRs classified into 14 classes, depending on the ligand recognized by these proteins, including most previously proposed classes of GPCRs. We have found 66 putative GPCRs, representatives of twelve of the fourteen previously proposed classes of GPCRs, depending on the ligand recognized by these proteins. A staggering fortytwo putative members of the new GPCR class XIV, the so-called Pth11 sensors of cellulosic material as reported for Neurospora crassa and some other fungi, were identified. Several GPCRs sensing sex pheromones, known in yeast and in several fungi, were also identified in P. chrysogenum, confirming the recent unravelling of the hidden sexual capacity of this species. Other sensing mechanisms do not involve GPCRs, including the two-component systems (HKRR), the HOG signalling system and the PalH mediated pH transduction sensor. GPCR sensor proteins transmit their signals by interacting with intracellular heterotrimeric G proteins, that are well known in several fungi, including P. chrysogenum. These G proteins are inactive in the GDP containing heterotrimeric state, and become active by nucleotide exchange, allowing the separation of the heterotrimeric protein in active Gα and Gβγ dimer subunits. The conversion of GTP in GDP is mediated by the endogenous GTPase activity of the G proteins. Downstream of the ligand interaction, the activated Gα protein and also the Gβ/Gγ dimer, transduce the signals through at least three different cascades: adenylate cyclase/cAMP, MAPK kinase, and phospholipase C mediated pathways.

The p38/HOG stress-activated protein kinase network couples growth to division in Candida albicans

Cell size is a complex trait that responds to developmental and environmental cues. Quantitative size analysis of mutant strain collections disrupted for protein kinases and transcriptional regulators in the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans uncovered 66 genes that altered cell size, few of which overlapped with known size genes in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A potent size regulator specific to C. albicans was the conserved p38/HOG MAPK module that mediates the osmostress response. Basal HOG activity inhibited the SBF G1/S transcription factor complex in a stress-independent fashion to delay the G1/S transition. The HOG network also governed ribosome biogenesis through the master transcriptional regulator Sfp1. Hog1 bound to the promoters and cognate transcription factors for ribosome biogenesis regulons and interacted genetically with the SBF G1/S machinery, and thereby directly linked cell growth and division. These results illuminate the evolutionary plasticity of size control and identify the HOG module as a nexus of cell cycle and growth regulation.

Visualizing fungicide action: an in vivo tool for rapid validation of fungicides with target location HOG pathway

BACKGROUND

The mitogen-activated protein kinase MoHog1p was fused with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. The MoHOG1::GFP mutant was found to be an excellent tool visualizing in vivo fungicide-dependent translocation of MoHog1p into the nucleus. Validation of pathway specificity was achieved by generating fluorescence-labelled MoHog1p in the ΔMohik1 'loss of function' mutant strain.

RESULTS

GFP-labelled MoHog1p expressed in the wildtype and in ΔMohik1 demonstrates that fludioxonil is acting on the HOG pathway and even more precisely that fungicide action is dependent on the group III histidine kinase MoHik1p. GFP-tagged MoHog1p translocated into the nucleus upon fungicide treatment in the MoHOG1::GFP mutant within seconds, but did not do so in the ΔMohik1/HOG1::GFP mutant.

CONCLUSION

Here, we developed a rapid in vivo tool for fluorescent-based validation of fungicides targeting the HOG-signaling pathway. Furthermore, using the fluorescent mutants generated in this study, we are able to visualize that fungicide action is dependent on the histidine kinase MoHik1p but operates in a different mechanism of pathway activation compared to osmotic stress. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Thigmo Responses: The Fungal Sense of Touch

The growth and development of most fungi take place on a two-dimensional surface or within a three-dimensional matrix. The fungal sense of touch is therefore critical for fungi in the interpretation of their environment and often signals the switch to a new developmental state. Contact sensing, or thigmo-based responses, include thigmo differentiation, such as the induction of invasion structures by plant pathogens in response to topography; thigmonasty, where contact with a motile prey rapidly triggers its capture; and thigmotropism, where the direction of hyphal growth is guided by physical features in the environment. Like plants and some bacteria, fungi grow as walled cells. Despite the well-demonstrated importance of thigmo responses in numerous stages of fungal growth and development, it is not known how fungal cells sense contact through the relatively rigid structure of the cell wall. However, while sensing mechanisms at the molecular level are not entirely understood, the downstream signaling pathways that are activated by contact sensing are being elucidated. In the majority of cases, the response to contact is complemented by chemical cues and both are required, either sequentially or simultaneously, to elicit normal developmental responses. The importance of a sense of touch in the lifestyles and development of diverse fungi is highlighted in this review, and the candidate molecular mechanisms that may be involved in fungal contact sensing are discussed.

Overview of Oxidative Stress Response Genes in Selected Halophilic Fungi

Exposure of microorganisms to stress, including to high concentrations of salt, can lead to increased production of reactive oxygen species in the cell. To limit the resulting damage, cells have evolved a variety of antioxidant defenses. The role of these defenses in halotolerance has been proposed before. Whole genome sequencing for some of the most halotolerant and halophilic fungal species has enabled us to investigate the possible links between oxidative and salt stress tolerance on the genomic level. We identified genes involved in oxidative stress response in the halophilic basidiomycete Wallemia ichthyophaga, and halotolerant ascomycetous black yeasts Hortaea werneckii and Aureobasidium pullulans, and compared them to genes from 16 other fungi, both asco- and basidiomycetes. According to our results, W. ichthyophaga can survive salinities detrimental to most other organisms with only a moderate number of oxidative stress response genes. In other investigated species, however, the maximum tolerated salinity correlated with the number of genes encoding three major enzymes of the cellular oxidative stress response: superoxide dismutases, catalases, and peroxiredoxins. This observation supports the hypothetical link between the antioxidant capacity of cells and their halotolerance.

Response of Ustilago maydis against the Stress Caused by Three Polycationic Chitin Derivatives

Chitosan is a stressing molecule that affects the cells walls and plasma membrane of fungi. For chitosan derivatives, the action mode is not clear. In this work, we used the yeast Ustilago maydis to study the effects of these molecules on the plasma membrane, focusing on physiologic and stress responses to chitosan (CH), oligochitosan (OCH), and glycol-chitosan (GCH). Yeasts were cultured with each of these molecules at 1 mg·mL⁻¹ in minimal medium. To compare plasma membrane damage, cells were cultivated in isosmolar medium. Membrane potential (Δψ) as well as oxidative stress were measured. Changes in the total plasma membrane phospholipid and protein profiles were analyzed using standard methods, and fluorescence-stained mitochondria were observed. High osmolarity did not protect against CH inhibition and neither affected membrane potential. The OCH did produce higher oxidative stress. The effects of these molecules were evidenced by modifications in the plasma membrane protein profile. Also, mitochondrial damage was evident for CH and OCH, while GCH resulted in thicker cells with fewer mitochondria and higher glycogen accumulation.

Phospho-mimicking Atf1 mutants bypass the transcription activating function of the MAP kinase Sty1 of fission yeast

Stress-dependent activation of signaling cascades is often mediated by phosphorylation events, but the exact nature and role of these phosphorelays are frequently poorly understood. Here, we review which are the consequences of the stress-dependent phosphorylation of a transcription factor on gene activation. In fission yeast, the MAP kinase Sty1 is activated upon several environmental hazards and promotes cell adaptation and survival, greatly through activation of a gene program mediated by the transcription factor Atf1. Although described decades ago, the role of the phosphorylation of Atf1 by Sty1 is still a matter of debate. We present here a brief review of recent data, obtained through the characterization of several phosphorylation mutant derivatives of Atf1, demonstrating that Atf1 phosphorylation does not stabilize the factor nor stimulates its binding to DNA. Rather, it provides a structural platform of interaction with the transcriptional machinery. Based on these findings, future work will establish how this phosphorylated trans-activation domain promotes the massive gene expression shift allowing cellular adaptation to stress.

The yeasts phosphorelay systems: a comparative view

Cells contain signal transduction pathways that mediate communication between the extracellular environment and the cell interior. These pathways control transcriptional programs and posttranscriptional processes that modify cell metabolism in order to maintain homeostasis. One type of these signal transduction systems are the so-called Two Component Systems (TCS), which conduct the transfer of phosphate groups between specific and conserved histidine and aspartate residues present in at least two proteins; the first protein is a sensor kinase which autophosphorylates a histidine residue in response to a stimulus, this phosphate is then transferred to an aspartic residue located in a response regulator protein. There are classical and hybrid TCS, whose difference consists in the number of proteins and functional domains involved in the phosphorelay. The TCS are widespread in bacteria where the sensor and its response regulator are mostly specific for a given stimulus. In eukaryotic organisms such as fungi, slime molds, and plants, TCS are present as hybrid multistep phosphorelays, with a variety of arrangements (Stock et al. in Annu Rev Biochem 69:183-215, 2000; Wuichet et al. in Curr Opin Microbiol 292:1039-1050, 2010). In these multistep phosphorelay systems, several phosphotransfer events take place between different histidine and aspartate residues localized in specific domains present in more than two proteins (Thomason and Kay, in J Cell Sci 113:3141-3150, 2000; Robinson et al. in Nat Struct Biol 7:626-633, 2000). This review presents a brief and succinct description of the Two-component systems of model yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Kluyveromyces lactis. We have focused on the comparison of domain organization and functions of each component present in these phosphorelay systems.

Reconstruction of the High-Osmolarity Glycerol (HOG) Signaling Pathway from the Halophilic Fungus Wallemia ichthyophaga in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The basidiomycetous fungus Wallemia ichthyophaga grows between 1.7 and 5.1 M NaCl and is the most halophilic eukaryote described to date. Like other fungi, W. ichthyophaga detects changes in environmental salinity mainly by the evolutionarily conserved high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) signaling pathway. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the HOG pathway has been extensively studied in connection to osmotic regulation, with a valuable knock-out strain collection established. In the present study, we reconstructed the architecture of the HOG pathway of W. ichthyophaga in suitable S. cerevisiae knock-out strains, through heterologous expression of the W. ichthyophaga HOG pathway proteins. Compared to S. cerevisiae, where the Pbs2 (ScPbs2) kinase of the HOG pathway is activated via the SHO1 and SLN1 branches, the interactions between the W. ichthyophaga Pbs2 (WiPbs2) kinase and the W. ichthyophaga SHO1 branch orthologs are not conserved: as well as evidence of poor interactions between the WiSho1 Src-homology 3 (SH3) domain and the WiPbs2 proline-rich motif, the absence of a considerable part of the osmosensing apparatus in the genome of W. ichthyophaga suggests that the SHO1 branch components are not involved in HOG signaling in this halophilic fungus. In contrast, the conserved activation of WiPbs2 by the S. cerevisiae ScSsk2/ScSsk22 kinase and the sensitivity of W. ichthyophaga cells to fludioxonil, emphasize the significance of two-component (SLN1-like) signaling via Group III histidine kinase. Combined with protein modeling data, our study reveals conserved and non-conserved protein interactions in the HOG signaling pathway of W. ichthyophaga and therefore significantly improves the knowledge of hyperosmotic signal processing in this halophilic fungus.

Comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses of the Fuzhuan brick tea-fermentation fungus Aspergillus cristatus

Background

Aspergillus cristatus is the dominant fungus involved in the fermentation of Chinese Fuzhuan brick tea. Aspergillus cristatus is a homothallic fungus that undergoes a sexual stage without asexual conidiation when cultured in hypotonic medium. The asexual stage is induced by a high salt concentration, which completely inhibits sexual development. The taxon is therefore appropriate for investigating the mechanisms of asexual and sexual reproduction in fungi. In this study, de novo genome sequencing and analysis of transcriptomes during culture under high- and low-osmolarity conditions were performed. These analyses facilitated investigation of the evolution of mating-type genes, which determine the mode of sexual reproduction, in A. cristatus, the response of the high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway to osmotic stimulation, and the detection of mycotoxins and evaluation of the relationship with the location of the encoding genes.

Results

The A. cristatus genome comprised 27.9 Mb and included 68 scaffolds, from which 10,136 protein-coding gene models were predicted. A phylogenetic analysis suggested a considerable phylogenetic distance between A. cristatus and A. nidulans. Comparison of the mating-type gene loci among Aspergillus species indicated that the mode in A. cristatus differs from those in other Aspergillus species. The components of the HOG pathway were conserved in the genome of A. cristatus. Differential gene expression analysis in A. cristatus using RNA-Seq demonstrated that the expression of most genes in the HOG pathway was unaffected by osmotic pressure. No gene clusters associated with the production of carcinogens were detected.

Conclusions

A model of the mating-type locus in A. cristatus is reported for the first time. Aspergillus cristatus has evolved various mechanisms to cope with high osmotic stress. As a fungus associated with Fuzhuan tea, it is considered to be safe under low- and high-osmolarity conditions.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2637-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Ineffective Phosphorylation of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Hog1p in Response to High Osmotic Stress in the Yeast Kluyveromyces lactis

When treated with a hyperosmotic stimulus, Kluyveromyces lactis cells respond by activating the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) K. lactis Hog1 (KlHog1) protein via two conserved branches, SLN1 and SHO1. Mutants affected in only one branch can cope with external hyperosmolarity by activating KlHog1p by phosphorylation, except for single ΔKlste11 and ΔKlste50 mutants, which showed high sensitivity to osmotic stress, even though the other branch (SLN1) was intact. Inactivation of both branches by deletion of KlSHO1 and KlSSK2 also produced sensitivity to high salt. Interestingly, we have observed that in ΔKlste11 and ΔKlsho1 ΔKlssk2 mutants, which exhibit sensitivity to hyperosmotic stress, and contrary to what would be expected, KlHog1p becomes phosphorylated. Additionally, in mutants lacking both MAPK kinase kinases (MAPKKKs) present in K. lactis (KlSte11p and KlSsk2p), the hyperosmotic stress induced the phosphorylation and nuclear internalization of KlHog1p, but it failed to induce the transcriptional expression of KlSTL1 and the cell was unable to grow in high-osmolarity medium. KlHog1p phosphorylation via the canonical HOG pathway or in mutants where the SHO1 and SLN1 branches have been inactivated requires not only the presence of KlPbs2p but also its kinase activity. This indicates that when the SHO1 and SLN1 branches are inactivated, high-osmotic-stress conditions activate an independent input that yields active KlPbs2p, which, in turn, renders KlHog1p phosphorylation ineffective. Finally, we found that KlSte11p can alleviate the sensitivity to hyperosmotic stress displayed by a ΔKlsho1 ΔKlssk2 mutant when it is anchored to the plasma membrane by adding the KlSho1p transmembrane segments, indicating that this chimeric protein can substitute for KlSho1p and KlSsk2p.

The transmembrane protein FgSho1 regulates fungal development and pathogenicity via the MAPK module Ste50-Ste11-Ste7 in Fusarium graminearum

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways have been characterized in Fusarium graminearum. Currently, the upstream sensors of these pathways are unknown. Biological functions of a transmembrane protein FgSho1 were investigated using a target gene deletion strategy. The relationship between FgSho1 and the MAPK cassette FgSte50-Ste11-Ste7 was analyzed in depth. The transmembrane protein FgSho1 is required for conidiation, full virulence, and deoxynivalenol (DON) biosynthesis in F. graminearum. Furthermore, FgSho1 and FgSln1 have an additive effect on virulence of F. graminearum. The yeast two-hybrid, coimmunoprecipitation, colocalization and affinity capture-mass spectrometry analyses strongly indicated that FgSho1 physically interacts with the MAPK module FgSte50-Ste11-Ste7. Similar to the FgSho1 mutant, the mutants of FgSte50, FgSte11, and FgSte7 were defective in conidiation, pathogenicity, and DON biosynthesis. In addition, FgSho1 plays a minor role in the response to osmotic stress but it is involved in the cell wall integrity pathway, which is independent of the module FgSte50-Ste11-Ste7 in F. graminearum. Collectively, results of this study strongly indicate that FgSho1 regulates fungal development and pathogenicity via the MAPK module FgSte50-Ste11-Ste7 in F. graminearum, which is different from what is known in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The unique characteristics of HOG pathway MAPKs in the extremely halotolerant Hortaea werneckii

HwHog1A/B, Hortaea werneckii homologues of the MAP kinase Hog1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are vital for the extreme halotolerance of H. werneckii. In mesophilic S. cerevisiae, Hog1 is phosphorylated already at low osmolyte concentrations, and regulates expression of a similar set of genes independent of osmolyte type. To understand how HwHog1 kinases activity is regulated in H. werneckii, we studied HwHog1A/B activation in vivo, by following phosphorylation of HwHog1A/B in H. werneckii exposed to various osmolytes, and in vitro, by measuring kinase activities of recombinant HwHog1A, HwHog1B and Hog1ΔC. To this end, highly pure and soluble recombinant Hog1 homologues were isolated from insect cells. Our results demonstrate that HwHog1A/B are, in general, transiently phosphorylated in cells shocked with ≥3 M osmolyte, yet constitutive phosphorylation is observed at extreme NaCl and KCl concentrations. Importantly, phosphorylation profiles differ depending on the osmolyte type. Additionally, phosphorylated recombinant HwHog1A/B show lower specific kinase activities compared to Hog1ΔC. In summary, HOG pathway MAPKs in the extremely halotolerant H. werneckii show unique characteristics compared to S. cerevisiae homologues. The reported findings contribute to defining the key determinants of H. werneckii osmotolerance, which is important for its potential transfer to economically relevant microorganisms and crops.

Hog1: 20 years of discovery and impact

The protein kinase Hog1 (high osmolarity glycerol 1) was discovered 20 years ago, being revealed as a central signaling mediator during osmoregulation in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Homologs of Hog1 exist in all evaluated eukaryotic organisms, and this kinase plays a central role in cellular responses to external stresses and stimuli. Here, we highlight the mechanism by which cells sense changes in extracellular osmolarity, the method by which Hog1 regulates cellular adaptation, and the impacts of the Hog1 pathway upon cellular growth and morphology. Studies that have addressed these issues reveal the influence of the Hog1 signaling pathway on diverse cellular processes.

Genome sequencing of four Aureobasidium pullulans varieties: biotechnological potential, stress tolerance, and description of new species

BACKGROUND

Aureobasidium pullulans is a black-yeast-like fungus used for production of the polysaccharide pullulan and the antimycotic aureobasidin A, and as a biocontrol agent in agriculture. It can cause opportunistic human infections, and it inhabits various extreme environments. To promote the understanding of these traits, we performed de-novo genome sequencing of the four varieties of A. pullulans.

RESULTS

The 25.43-29.62 Mb genomes of these four varieties of A. pullulans encode between 10266 and 11866 predicted proteins. Their genomes encode most of the enzyme families involved in degradation of plant material and many sugar transporters, and they have genes possibly associated with degradation of plastic and aromatic compounds. Proteins believed to be involved in the synthesis of pullulan and siderophores, but not of aureobasidin A, are predicted. Putative stress-tolerance genes include several aquaporins and aquaglyceroporins, large numbers of alkali-metal cation transporters, genes for the synthesis of compatible solutes and melanin, all of the components of the high-osmolarity glycerol pathway, and bacteriorhodopsin-like proteins. All of these genomes contain a homothallic mating-type locus.

CONCLUSIONS

The differences between these four varieties of A. pullulans are large enough to justify their redefinition as separate species: A. pullulans, A. melanogenum, A. subglaciale and A. namibiae. The redundancy observed in several gene families can be linked to the nutritional versatility of these species and their particular stress tolerance. The availability of the genome sequences of the four Aureobasidium species should improve their biotechnological exploitation and promote our understanding of their stress-tolerance mechanisms, diverse lifestyles, and pathogenic potential.

The gene cutA of Fusarium fujikuroi, encoding a protein of the haloacid dehalogenase family, is involved in osmotic stress and glycerol metabolism

Survival of micro-organisms in natural habitats depends on their ability to adapt to variations in osmotic conditions. We previously described the gene cut-1 of Neurospora crassa, encoding a protein of the haloacid dehalogenase family with an unknown function in the osmotic stress response. Here we report on the functional analysis of cutA, the orthologous gene in the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium fujikuroi. cutA mRNA levels increased transiently after exposure to 0.68 M NaCl and were reduced upon return to normal osmotic conditions; deletion of the gene resulted in a partial reduction in tolerance to osmotic stress. ΔcutA mutants contained much lower intracellular levels of glycerol than the wild-type, and did not exhibit the increase following hyper-osmotic shock expected from the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) response. cutA is linked and divergently transcribed with the putative glycerol dehydrogenase gene gldB, which showed the same regulation by osmotic shock. The intergenic cutA/gldB regulatory region contains putative stress-response elements conserved in other fungi, and both genes shared other regulatory features, such as induction by heat shock and by illumination. Photoinduction was also observed in the HOG response gene hogA, and was lost in mutants of the white collar gene wcoA. Previous data on glycerol production in Aspergillus spp. and features of the predicted CutA protein lead us to propose that F. fujikuroi produces glycerol from dihydroxyacetone, and that CutA is the enzyme involved in the synthesis of this precursor by dephosphorylation of dihydroxyacetone-3P.

The HOG signal transduction pathway in the halophilic fungus Wallemia ichthyophaga: identification and characterisation of MAP kinases WiHog1A and WiHog1B

The high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway is one of the several MAP kinase cascades in fungi. It is the main signal transduction system that is responsible for cellular stress responses, and has primarily been studied in the context of osmotic stress. In the present study, we provide the first insights into the HOG pathway of the obligatory halophilic basidiomycetous fungus Wallemia ichthyophaga, with the characterisation of its two Hog1-like kinases: WiHog1A and WiHog1B. These share high similarity to Hog1 kinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ScHog1) at the level of amino-acid sequence. While WiHog1A could not optimally complement the function of ScHog1, WiHog1B was a fully functional Hog1-like kinase and could improve the halotolerance of the yeast, compared to the wild-type or the ScHog1-expressing hog1Δ strain. In W. ichthyophaga cells, Hog1 was constitutively phosphorylated under optimal osmotic conditions and dephosphorylated when the cells were challenged with hypo-osmolar or hyperosmolar stress. This pattern of phosphorylation kinetics is opposite to that of yeast. Transcriptional analysis of these two kinases in W. ichthyophaga shows that WiHOG1B is more responsive to changes in NaCl concentrations than WiHOG1A. Our identification and characterisation of these Hog1-like kinases from W. ichthyophaga confirm the existence of the HOG signalling pathway and its role in osmosensing in this halophilic fungus.

Mutants in the Candida glabrata glycerol channels are sensitized to cell wall stress

Many fungal species use glycerol as a compatible solute with which to maintain osmotic homeostasis in response to changes in external osmolarity. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, intracellular glycerol concentrations are regulated largely by the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) response pathway, both through induction of glycerol biosynthesis and control of its flux through the plasma membrane Fps1 glycerol channel. The channel activity of Fps1 is also controlled by a pair of positive regulators, Rgc1 and Rgc2. In this study, we demonstrate that Candida glabrata, a fungal pathogen that possesses two Fps1 orthologs and two Rgc1/-2 orthologs, accumulates glycerol in response to hyperosmotic stress. We present an initial characterization of mutants with deletions in the C. glabrata FPS1 (CAGL0C03267 [www.candidagenome.org]) and FPS2 (CAGL0E03894) genes and find that a double mutant accumulates glycerol, experiences constitutive cell wall stress, and is hypersensitive to treatment by caspofungin, an antifungal agent that targets the cell wall. This mutant is cleared more efficiently in mouse infections than is wild-type C. glabrata by caspofungin treatment. Finally, we demonstrate that one of the C. glabrata RGC orthologs complements an S. cerevisiae rgc1 rgc2 null mutant, supporting the conclusion that this regulatory assembly is conserved between these species.

Response to hyperosmotic stress

An appropriate response and adaptation to hyperosmolarity, i.e., an external osmolarity that is higher than the physiological range, can be a matter of life or death for all cells. It is especially important for free-living organisms such as the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. When exposed to hyperosmotic stress, the yeast initiates a complex adaptive program that includes temporary arrest of cell-cycle progression, adjustment of transcription and translation patterns, and the synthesis and retention of the compatible osmolyte glycerol. These adaptive responses are mostly governed by the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway, which is composed of membrane-associated osmosensors, an intracellular signaling pathway whose core is the Hog1 MAP kinase (MAPK) cascade, and cytoplasmic and nuclear effector functions. The entire pathway is conserved in diverse fungal species, while the Hog1 MAPK cascade is conserved even in higher eukaryotes including humans. This conservation is illustrated by the fact that the mammalian stress-responsive p38 MAPK can rescue the osmosensitivity of hog1Δ mutations in response to hyperosmotic challenge. As the HOG pathway is one of the best-understood eukaryotic signal transduction pathways, it is useful not only as a model for analysis of osmostress responses, but also as a model for mathematical analysis of signal transduction pathways. In this review, we have summarized the current understanding of both the upstream signaling mechanism and the downstream adaptive responses to hyperosmotic stress in yeast.

The group III two-component histidine kinase AlHK1 is involved in fungicides resistance, osmosensitivity, spore production and impacts negatively pathogenicity in Alternaria longipes

Members of group III histidine kinases from different filamentous fungi were previously shown to mediate osmoregulation and resistance to dicarboximide, phenylpyrrole and, aromatic hydrocarbon fungicides. In this study, we report the disruption of the gene encoding group III histidine kinase, AlHK1, in the economically important plant pathogen Alternaria longipes. The AlHK1 gene disruption had pleiotropic effects on this fungus. Besides the expected osmosensitivity and fungicides resistance, AlHK1 participated in the spore production process. In addition, the ΔAlHK1 strains had stronger aggressive ability to infect their host plant than that of their parental strain, the wild-type strain C-00, suggested that AlHK1 was involved in the pathogenicity of A. longipes and performed in this function by a negative manner. This is the first report to our knowledge.

The genome of the xerotolerant mold Wallemia sebi reveals adaptations to osmotic stress and suggests cryptic sexual reproduction

Wallemia (Wallemiales, Wallemiomycetes) is a genus of xerophilic Fungi of uncertain phylogenetic position within Basidiomycota. Most commonly found as food contaminants, species of Wallemia have also been isolated from hypersaline environments. The ability to tolerate environments with reduced water activity is rare in Basidiomycota. We sequenced the genome of W. sebi in order to understand its adaptations for surviving in osmotically challenging environments, and we performed phylogenomic and ultrastructural analyses to address its systematic placement and reproductive biology. W. sebi has a compact genome (9.8 Mb), with few repeats and the largest fraction of genes with functional domains compared with other Basidiomycota. We applied several approaches to searching for osmotic stress-related proteins. In silico analyses identified 93 putative osmotic stress proteins; homology searches showed the HOG (High Osmolarity Glycerol) pathway to be mostly conserved. Despite the seemingly reduced genome, several gene family expansions and a high number of transporters (549) were found that also provide clues to the ability of W. sebi to colonize harsh environments. Phylogenetic analyses of a 71-protein dataset support the position of Wallemia as the earliest diverging lineage of Agaricomycotina, which is confirmed by septal pore ultrastructure that shows the septal pore apparatus as a variant of the Tremella-type. Mating type gene homologs were identified although we found no evidence of meiosis during conidiogenesis, suggesting there may be aspects of the life cycle of W. sebi that remain cryptic.

Direct transcriptional control of a p38 MAPK pathway by the circadian clock in Neurospora crassa

MAPK signal transduction pathways are important regulators of stress responses, cellular growth, and differentiation. In Neurospora, the circadian clock controls rhythms in phosphorylation of the p38-like MAPK (OS-2); however, the mechanism for this regulation is not known. We show that the WCC, a transcription factor and clock component, binds to the os-4 MAPKKK promoter in response to light and rhythmically in constant darkness, peaking in the subjective morning. Deletion of the WCC binding sites in the os-4 promoter disrupts both os-4 mRNA and OS-2 phosphorylation rhythms. The clock also indirectly regulates rhythmic expression of the histidyl-phosphotransferase gene, hpt-1, which peaks in the evening. Anti-phase expression of positive (OS-4) and negative (HPT-1) MAPK pathway regulators likely coordinate to enhance rhythmic MAPK activation to prepare cells to respond to osmotic stress during the day in the natural environment. Consistent with this idea, we show that wild type cells have a clock-dependent morning kinetic advantage in glycerol accumulation after salt stress as compared to evening treatment. Thus, circadian transcriptional control of MAPK pathway components leads to striking time-of-day-specific effects on the signaling status and physiological response of the pathway.

Identification and characterization of putative osmosensors, HwSho1A and HwSho1B, from the extremely halotolerant black yeast Hortaea werneckii

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Sho1 protein is one of two potential osmosensors that can activate the kinase cascade of the HOG pathway in response to increased extracellular osmolarity. Two novel SHO1-like genes, HwSHO1A and HwSHO1B, have been cloned from the saltern-inhabiting, extremely halotolerant black yeast Hortaea werneckii. The HwSho1 protein isoforms are 93.8% identical in their amino-acid sequences, and have a conserved SH3 domain. When the HwSHO1 genes were transferred into S. cerevisae cells lacking the SHO1 gene, both of the HwSho1 isoforms fully complemented the function of the native S. cerevisiae Sho1 protein. Through microscopic and biochemical validation, we demonstrate that in S. cerevisiae, both of the HwSho1 proteins have characteristic subcellular localizations similar to the S. cerevisiae Sho1 protein, and they can both activate the HOG pathway under conditions of osmotic stress. To a lower extent, crosstalk to the mating pathway expressing HwSho1 proteins is conserved in the PBS2 deleted S. cerevisiae strain. These data show that the HwSho1 proteins from H. werneckii are true functional homologs of the Sho1 protein of S. cerevisiae.

The evolutionary rate variation among genes of HOG-signaling pathway in yeast genomes

Background

Responses to extracellular stress are required for microbes to survive in changing environments. Although the stress response mechanisms have been characterized extensively, the evolution of stress response pathway remains poorly understood. Here, we studied the evolution of High Osmolarity Glycerol (HOG) pathway, one of the important osmotic stress response pathways, across 10 yeast species and underpinned the evolutionary forces acting on the pathway evolution.

Results

Although the HOG pathway is well conserved across the surveyed yeast species, the evolutionary rate of the genes in this pathway varied substantially among or within different lineages. The fast divergence of MSB2 gene indicates that this gene is subjected to positive selection. Moreover, transcription factors in HOG pathway tend to evolve more rapidly, but the genes in conserved MAPK cascade underwent stronger functional selection. Remarkably, the d_N/d_S values are negatively correlated with pathway position along HOG pathway from Sln1 (Sho1) to Hog1 for transmitting external signal into nuclear. The increased gradient of selective constraints from upstream to downstream genes suggested that the downstream genes are more pleiotropic, being required for a wider range of pathways. In addition, protein length, codon usage, gene expression, and protein interaction appear to be important factors to determine the evolution of genes in HOG pathway.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results suggest that functional constraints play a large role in the evolutionary rate variation in HOG pathway, but the genetic variation was influenced by quite complicated factors, such as pathway position, protein length and so on. These findings provide some insights into how HOG pathway genes evolved rapidly for responding to environmental osmotic stress changes.

Reviewers

This article was reviewed by Han Liang (nominated by Laura Landweber), Georgy Bazykin (nominated by Mikhail Gelfand) and Zhenguo Lin (nominated by John Logsdon).

The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase BOS5 is involved in regulating vegetative differentiation and virulence in Botrytis cinerea

We present a characterization of bos5 from Botrytis cinerea, a gene that encodes a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK), which is homologous to OS-5 of Neurospora crassa. The bos5 gene deletion mutant exhibited reduced vegetative growth and strongly impaired conidiation. The mutant also exhibited increased sensitivity to the dicarboximide fungicide iprodione and to osmotic stress mediated by NaCl or KCl. Western-blot analysis showed that the BcSAK1 protein, the putative downstream component of BOS5, was not phosphorylated in the mutant. Plant inoculation tests showed that the mutants were unable to infect cucumber leaves. All of these defects were restored by genetic complementation of the Deltabcos5-21 mutant with the wild-type bos5 gene. These results indicated that BOS5 is involved in the regulation of vegetative differentiation, virulence, adaptation to iprodione and ionic stress in B. cinerea.

Sho1 and Msb2-related proteins regulate appressorium development in the smut fungus Ustilago maydis

The dimorphic fungus Ustilago maydis switches from budding to hyphal growth on the plant surface. In response to hydrophobicity and hydroxy fatty acids, U. maydis develops infection structures called appressoria. Here, we report that, unlike in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other fungi where Sho1 (synthetic high osmolarity sensitive) and Msb2 (multicopy suppressor of a budding defect) regulate stress responses and pseudohyphal growth, Sho1 and Msb2-like proteins play a key role during appressorium differentiation in U. maydis. Sho1 was identified through a two-hybrid screen as an interaction partner of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase Kpp6. Epistasis analysis revealed that sho1 and msb2 act upstream of the MAP kinases kpp2 and kpp6. Furthermore, Sho1 was shown to destabilize Kpp6 through direct interaction with the unique N-terminal domain in Kpp6, indicating a role of Sho1 in fine-tuning Kpp6 activity. Morphological differentiation in response to a hydrophobic surface was strongly attenuated in sho1 msb2 mutants, while hydroxy fatty acid-induced differentiation was unaffected. These data suggest that Sho1 and the transmembrane mucin Msb2 are involved in plant surface sensing in U. maydis.

Turgor and net ion flux responses to activation of the osmotic MAP kinase cascade by fludioxonil in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa

The internal hydrostatic pressure (turgor) of the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa is regulated at about 400-500 kiloPascals, primarily by an osmotic MAP kinase cascade which activates ion uptake from the extracellular medium and glycerol synthesis. In the absence of hyperosmotic stress, the phenylpyrrole fungicide fludioxonil activates the osmotic MAP kinase cascade, resulting in cell death. Turgor, the electrical potential and net ion fluxes were measured after treatment with fludioxonil. In wildtype, fludioxonil causes a hyperpolarization of the plasma membrane and net H(+) efflux from the cell, consistent with activation of the H(+)-ATPase. At the same time, net K(+) uptake occurs, and turgor increases (about 2-fold above normal levels). None of these changes are observed in the os-2 mutant (which lacks a functional MAP kinase, the last of the three kinases in the osmotic MAP kinase cascade). Tip growth ceases as hyperpolarization, net ion flux changes, and turgor increases begin. The inappropriate turgor increase is the probable cause of eventual lysis and death. The results corroborate a multi-pathway response to hyperosmotic stress that includes activation of plasma membrane transport. The relation to cell expansion (tip growth) is not direct. Increases in turgor due to ion transport might be expected to increase growth rate, but this does not occur. Instead, there must be a complex regulatory interplay between the growth and the turgor driving force, possibly mediated by regulation of cell wall extensibility.

The Sko1 protein represses the yeast-to-hypha transition and regulates the oxidative stress response in Candida albicans

Cells respond to environmental changes triggering adaptive responses which are, in part, mediated by a transcriptional response. These responses are complex and are dependent on different transcription factors. The present work reports the implication of the Sko1 protein in several processes relevant to the physiology of Candida albicans. First, Sko1 acts as transcriptional repressor of genes involved in pathogenesis and hyphal formation, which results in increased expression of the hyphal related genes ECE1 and HWP1 without significant changes in the virulence using a mouse model of systemic infection. Second Sko1 is involved in the response to oxidative stress and sko1 mutants increase the sensitivity of hog1 to the myelomonocytic cell line HL-60. Genome-wide transcriptional analysis after hydrogen peroxide treatment revealed that sko1 mutants were able to generate an adaptive response similar to wild type strains, although important differences were detected in the magnitude of the transcriptional response. Collectively, these results implicate Sko1 as an important mediator of the oxidative stress response in C. albicans.

Role of the osmotic stress regulatory pathway in morphogenesis and secondary metabolism in filamentous fungi

Environmental stimuli trigger an adaptative cellular response to optimize the probability of survival and proliferation. In eukaryotic organisms from mammals to fungi osmotic stress, mainly through the action of the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway, leads to a response necessary for adapting and surviving hyperosmotic environments. In this review we show that the osmoadaptative response is conserved but not identical in different fungi. The osmoadaptative response system is also intimately linked to morphogenesis in filamentous fungi, including mycotoxin producers. Previous studies indicate that the response to osmotic stress is also coupled to the biosynthesis of natural products, including mycotoxins.

Role of the heat shock transcription factor, Hsf1, in a major fungal pathogen that is obligately associated with warm-blooded animals

All organisms have evolved mechanisms that protect them against environmental stress. The major fungal pathogen of humans, Candida albicans, has evolved robust stress responses that protect it against human immune defences and promote its pathogenicity. However, C. albicans is unlikely to be exposed to heat shock as it is obligatorily associated with warm-blooded animals. Therefore, we examined the role of the heat shock transcription factor (Hsf1) in this pathogen. We show that C. albicans expresses an evolutionarily conserved Hsf1 (orf19.4775) that is phosphorylated in response to heat shock, induces transcription via the heat shock element (HSE), contributes to the global transcriptional response to heat shock, and is essential for viability. Why has Hsf1 been conserved in this obligate animal saprophyte? We reasoned that Hsf1 might contribute to medically relevant stress responses. However, this is not the case, as an Hsf1-specific HSE-lacZ reporter is not activated by oxidative, osmotic, weak acid or pH stress. Rather, Hsf1 is required for the expression of essential chaperones in the absence of heat shock (e.g. Hsp104, Hsp90, Hsp70). Furthermore, Hsf1 regulates the expression of HSE-containing genes in response to growth temperature in C. albicans. Therefore, the main role of Hsf1 in this pathogen might be the homeostatic modulation of chaperone levels in response to growth temperature, rather than the activation of acute responses to sudden thermal transitions.

Ptk2 contributes to osmoadaptation in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa

Hyphal tip-growing organisms often rely upon an internal hydrostatic pressure (turgor) to drive localized expansion of the cell. Regulation of the turgor in response to osmotic shock is mediated primarily by an osmotic MAP kinase cascade which activates osmolyte synthesis and ion uptake to effect turgor recovery. We characterized a Neurospora crassa homolog (PTK2) of ser/thr kinase regulators of ion transport in yeast to determine its role in turgor regulation in a filamentous fungi. The ptk2 mutant is osmosensitive, and has lower turgor poise than wildtype. The cause appears to be lower activity of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase. Its role in osmoadaptation is unrelated to the activity of the osmotic MAP kinase cascade. Instead, it acts in an alternative pathway that, like the osmotic MAP kinase cascade, also involves ion transport mediated osmoadaptation.

Msb2 signaling mucin controls activation of Cek1 mitogen-activated protein kinase in Candida albicans

We have characterized the role that the Msb2 protein plays in the fungal pathogen Candida albicans by the use of mutants defective in the putative upstream components of the HOG pathway. Msb2, in cooperation with Sho1, controls the activation of the Cek1 mitogen-activated protein kinase under conditions that damage the cell wall, thus defining Msb2 as a signaling element of this pathway in the fungus. msb2 mutants display altered sensitivity to Congo red, caspofungin, zymolyase, or tunicamycin, indicating that this protein is involved in cell wall biogenesis. Msb2 (as well as Sho1 and Hst7) is involved in the transmission of the signal toward Cek1 mediated by the Cdc42 GTPase, as revealed by the use of activated alleles (Cdc42(G12V)) of this protein. msb2 mutants have a stronger defective invasion phenotype than sho1 mutants when tested on certain solid media that use mannitol or sucrose as a carbon source or under hypoxia. Interestingly, Msb2 contributes to growth under conditions of high osmolarity when both branches of the HOG pathway are altered, as triple ssk1 msb2 sho1 mutants (but not any single or double mutant) are osmosensitive. However, this phenomenon is independent of the presence of Hog1, as Hog1 phosphorylation, Hog1 translocation to the nucleus, and glycerol accumulation are not affected in this mutant following an osmotic shock. These results reveal essential functions in morphogenesis, invasion, cell wall biogenesis, and growth under conditions of high osmolarity for Msb2 in C. albicans and suggest the divergence and specialization of this signaling pathway in filamentous fungi.

Transient responses during hyperosmotic shock in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa

Fungal cells maintain an internal hydrostatic pressure (turgor) of about 400-500 kPa. In the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa, the initial cellular responses to hyperosmotic treatment are loss of turgor, a decrease in relative hyphal volume per unit length (within 1 min) and cell growth arrest; all recover over a period of 10-60 min due to increased net ion uptake and glycerol production. The electrical responses to hyperosmotic treatment are a transient depolarization of the potential (within 1 min), followed by a sustained hyperpolarization (after 4 min) to a potential more negative than the initial potential (a driving force for ion uptake). The nature of the transient depolarization was explored in the context of other transient responses to hyperosmotic shock, to determine whether activation of a specific ion permeability or some other rapid change in electrogenic transport was responsible. Changing the ionic composition of the extracellular medium revealed that K(+) permeability increases and H(+) permeability declines during the transient depolarization. We suggest that these changes are due to concerted inhibition of the electrogenic H(+)-ATPase, and an increase in a K(+) conductance. Knockout mutants of known K(+) (tok, trk, trm-8, hak-1) and Cl(-) (a clc-3 homologue) channels and transporters had no effect on the transient depolarization, but trk and hak-1 do play a role in osmoadaptation, as does a homologue of a serine kinase regulator of H(+)-ATPase in yeast, Ptk2.

Dynamic signaling in the Hog1 MAPK pathway relies on high basal signal transduction

Appropriate regulation of the Hog1 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is essential for cells to survive osmotic stress. Here, we show that the two sensing mechanisms upstream of Hog1 display different signaling properties. The Sho1 branch is an inducible nonbasal system, whereas the Sln1 branch shows high basal signaling that is restricted by a MAPK-mediated feedback mechanism. A two-dimensional mathematical model of the Snl1 branch, including high basal signaling and a Hog1-regulated negative feedback, shows that a system with basal signaling exhibits higher efficiency, with faster response times and higher sensitivity to variations in external signals, than would systems without basal signaling. Analysis of two other yeast MAPK pathways, the Fus3 and Kss1 signaling pathways, indicates that high intrinsic basal signaling may be a general property of MAPK pathways allowing rapid and sensitive responses to environmental changes.

Phylogenetic diversity of stress signalling pathways in fungi

Background

Microbes must sense environmental stresses, transduce these signals and mount protective responses to survive in hostile environments. In this study we have tested the hypothesis that fungal stress signalling pathways have evolved rapidly in a niche-specific fashion that is independent of phylogeny. To test this hypothesis we have compared the conservation of stress signalling molecules in diverse fungal species with their stress resistance. These fungi, which include ascomycetes, basidiomycetes and microsporidia, occupy highly divergent niches from saline environments to plant or mammalian hosts.

Results

The fungi displayed significant variation in their resistance to osmotic (NaCl and sorbitol), oxidative (H₂O₂ and menadione) and cell wall stresses (Calcofluor White and Congo Red). There was no strict correlation between fungal phylogeny and stress resistance. Rather, the human pathogens tended to be more resistant to all three types of stress, an exception being the sensitivity of Candida albicans to the cell wall stress, Calcofluor White. In contrast, the plant pathogens were relatively sensitive to oxidative stress. The degree of conservation of osmotic, oxidative and cell wall stress signalling pathways amongst the eighteen fungal species was examined. Putative orthologues of functionally defined signalling components in Saccharomyces cerevisiae were identified by performing reciprocal BLASTP searches, and the percent amino acid identities of these orthologues recorded. This revealed that in general, central components of the osmotic, oxidative and cell wall stress signalling pathways are relatively well conserved, whereas the sensors lying upstream and transcriptional regulators lying downstream of these modules have diverged significantly. There was no obvious correlation between the degree of conservation of stress signalling pathways and the resistance of a particular fungus to the corresponding stress.

Conclusion

Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that fungal stress signalling components have undergone rapid recent evolution to tune the stress responses in a niche-specific fashion.

A connection between MAPK pathways and circadian clocks

Circadian clocks and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways are fundamental features of eukaryotic cells. Both pathways provide mechanisms for cells to respond to environmental stimuli, and links between them are known. We recently reported that the circadian clock in Neurospora crassa regulates daily rhythms in accumulation of phosphorylated, and thus active, OS-2 MAPK, a relative of mammalian p38 MAPK, when cells are grown in constant conditions. In the absence of acute stress, rhythmically activated MAPK then signals to downstream effector molecules to regulate rhythmic expression of target genes of the pathway. Clock regulation of MAPK signaling pathways provides a mechanism to coordinately control major groups of genes such that they peak at the appropriate times of day to provide a growth and survival advantage to the organism by anticipating stresses. MAPK pathways are well known for their role in cell proliferation and tumor suppression. New evidence reveals that some mammalian clock components also function as tumor suppressors and rhythms in phospho-MAPK have been observed in higher eukaryotes. Thus, the role of the clock in regulation of the activity of MAPK pathways provides important clues into the function of the circadian clock as a tumor suppressor.

Pulsing cells: how fast is too fast?

Signal transduction pathways are complex coupled sets of biochemical reactions evolved to transmit and process information about the state of the immediate cell environment. Can we design experiments that would inform us about the properties and limitations of signal processing? Recent studies suggest that this indeed can be achieved by exciting a cell with carefully designed oscillatory stimuli. Although this analysis has its caveats, complex temporal stimulation of signal transduction networks can serve to rapidly advance our understanding of these information channels and ultimately create intelligent ways of controlling them.

Signal processing by the HOG MAP kinase pathway

Signaling pathways relay information about changes in the external environment so that cells can respond appropriately. How much information a pathway can carry depends on its bandwidth. We designed a microfluidic device to reliably change the environment of single cells over a range of frequencies. Using this device, we measured the bandwidth of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae signaling pathway that responds to high osmolarity. This prototypical pathway, the HOG pathway, is shown to act as a low-pass filter, integrating the signal when it changes rapidly and following it faithfully when it changes more slowly. We study the dependence of the pathway's bandwidth on its architecture. We measure previously unknown bounds on all of the in vivo reaction rates acting in this pathway. We find that the two-component Ssk1 branch of this pathway is capable of fast signal integration, whereas the kinase Ste11 branch is not. Our experimental techniques can be applied to other signaling pathways, allowing the measurement of their in vivo kinetics and the quantification of their information capacity.