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Lindahl PA. Iron Homeostatic Regulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Introduction to a Computational Modeling Method. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2839:3-29. [PMID: 39008245 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4043-2_1] [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] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Over the past 30 years, much has been learned regarding iron homeostatic regulation in budding yeast, S. cerevisiae, including the identity of many of the proteins and molecular-level regulatory mechanisms involved. Most advances have involved inferring such mechanisms based on the analysis of iron-dysregulation phenotypes arising in various genetic mutant strains. Still lacking is a cellular- or system-level understanding of iron homeostasis. These experimental advances are summarized in this review, and a method for developing cellular-level regulatory mechanisms in yeast is presented. The method employs the results of Mössbauer spectroscopy of whole cells and organelles, iron quantification of the same, and ordinary differential equation-based mathematical models. Current models are simplistic when compared to the complexity of iron homeostasis in real cells, yet they hold promise as a useful, perhaps even required, complement to the popular genetics-based approach. The fundamental problem in comprehending cellular regulatory mechanisms is that, given the complexities involved, different molecular-level mechanisms can often give rise to virtually indistinguishable cellular phenotypes. Mathematical models cannot eliminate this problem, but they can minimize it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Lindahl
- Departments of Chemistry and of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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2
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Pijuan J, Moreno DF, Yahya G, Moisa M, Ul Haq I, Krukiewicz K, Mosbah R, Metwally K, Cavalu S. Regulatory and pathogenic mechanisms in response to iron deficiency and excess in fungi. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:2053-2071. [PMID: 37804207 PMCID: PMC10616654 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron is an essential element for all eukaryote organisms because of its redox properties, which are important for many biological processes such as DNA synthesis, mitochondrial respiration, oxygen transport, lipid, and carbon metabolism. For this reason, living organisms have developed different strategies and mechanisms to optimally regulate iron acquisition, transport, storage, and uptake in different environmental responses. Moreover, iron plays an essential role during microbial infections. Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been of key importance for decrypting iron homeostasis and regulation mechanisms in eukaryotes. Specifically, the transcription factors Aft1/Aft2 and Yap5 regulate the expression of genes to control iron metabolism in response to its deficiency or excess, adapting to the cell's iron requirements and its availability in the environment. We also review which iron-related virulence factors have the most common fungal human pathogens (Aspergillus fumigatus, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Candida albicans). These factors are essential for adaptation in different host niches during pathogenesis, including different fungal-specific iron-uptake mechanisms. While being necessary for virulence, they provide hope for developing novel antifungal treatments, which are currently scarce and usually toxic for patients. In this review, we provide a compilation of the current knowledge about the metabolic response to iron deficiency and excess in fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Pijuan
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Molecular MedicineInstitut de Recerca Sant Joan de DéuBarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIIIMadridSpain
| | - David F. Moreno
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental BiologyYale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Systems Biology InstituteYale UniversityWest HavenConnecticutUSA
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et CellulaireIllkirchFrance
| | - Galal Yahya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of PharmacyZagazig UniversityAl SharqiaEgypt
| | - Mihaela Moisa
- Faculty of Medicine and PharmacyUniversity of OradeaOradeaRomania
| | - Ihtisham Ul Haq
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Polymers TechnologySilesian University of TechnologyGliwicePoland
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Inovação TecnológicaUniversidade Federal de Minas GeraisBelo HorizonteBrazil
| | - Katarzyna Krukiewicz
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Polymers TechnologySilesian University of TechnologyGliwicePoland
- Centre for Organic and Nanohybrid ElectronicsSilesian University of TechnologyGliwicePoland
| | - Rasha Mosbah
- Infection Control UnitHospitals of Zagazig UniversityZagazigEgypt
| | - Kamel Metwally
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of PharmacyUniversity of TabukTabukSaudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of PharmacyZagazig UniversityZagazigEgypt
| | - Simona Cavalu
- Faculty of Medicine and PharmacyUniversity of OradeaOradeaRomania
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Jordá T, Rozès N, Martínez-Pastor MT, Puig S. The yeast mRNA-binding protein Cth2 post-transcriptionally modulates ergosterol biosynthesis in response to iron deficiency. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2023; 1866:194959. [PMID: 37453649 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2023.194959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Sterol synthesis is an iron-dependent metabolic pathway in eukaryotes. Consequently, fungal ergosterol biosynthesis (ERG) is down-regulated in response to iron deficiency. In this report, we show that, upon iron limitation or overexpression of the iron-regulated mRNA-binding protein Cth2, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae down-regulates the three initial enzymatic steps of ergosterol synthesis (ERG1, ERG7 and ERG11). Mechanistically, we show that Cth2 protein limits the translation and promotes the decrease in the mRNA levels of these specific ERG genes, which contain consensus Cth2-binding sites defined as AU-rich elements (AREs). Thus, expression of CTH2 leads to the accumulation of initial sterol intermediates, such as squalene, and to the drop of ergosterol levels. Changes in CTH2 expression levels disturb the response of yeast cells to stresses related to membrane integrity such as high ethanol and sorbitol concentrations. Therefore, CTH2 should be considered as a critical regulatory factor of ergosterol biosynthesis during iron deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Jordá
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Nicolas Rozès
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Facultat d'Enologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | - María Teresa Martínez-Pastor
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain; Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Ciències Biològiques, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - Sergi Puig
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
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Deficiency of the RNA-binding protein Cth2 extends yeast replicative lifespan by alleviating its repressive effects on mitochondrial function. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111113. [PMID: 35858543 PMCID: PMC9382658 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron dyshomeostasis contributes to aging, but little information is available about the molecular mechanisms. Here, we provide evidence that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, aging is associated with altered expression of genes involved in iron homeostasis. We further demonstrate that defects in the conserved mRNA-binding protein Cth2, which controls stability and translation of mRNAs encoding iron-containing proteins, increase lifespan by alleviating its repressive effects on mitochondrial function. Mutation of the conserved cysteine residue in Cth2 that inhibits its RNA-binding activity is sufficient to confer longevity, whereas Cth2 gain of function shortens replicative lifespan. Consistent with its function in RNA degradation, Cth2 deficiency relieves Cth2-mediated post-transcriptional repression of nuclear-encoded components of the electron transport chain. Our findings uncover a major role of the RNA-binding protein Cth2 in the regulation of lifespan and suggest that modulation of iron starvation signaling can serve as a target for potential aging interventions. Dysregulation of iron homeostasis contributes to aging, but little information is available about the molecular mechanisms. Here, Patnaik et al. show that the mRNA-binding protein Cth2, which is involved in regulation of iron-dependent genes, is induced during aging and links impaired iron homeostasis with an age-related decline of mitochondrial function.
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Romero AM, García-Martínez J, Pérez-Ortín JE, Martínez-Pastor MT, Puig S. Changes in mRNA stability play an important role in the adaptation of yeast cells to iron deprivation. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2022; 1865:194800. [PMID: 35218933 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2022.194800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells rely on iron as an indispensable cofactor for multiple biological functions including mitochondrial respiration and protein synthesis. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae utilizes both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms to couple mRNA levels to the requirements of iron deprivation. Thus, in response to iron deficiency, transcription factors Aft1 and Aft2 activate the expression of genes implicated in iron acquisition and mobilization, whereas two mRNA-binding proteins, Cth1 and Cth2, posttranscriptionally control iron metabolism. By using a genome-wide approach, we describe here a global stabilization of mRNAs, including transcripts encoding ribosomal proteins (RPs), when iron bioavailability diminishes. mRNA decay assays indicate that the mRNA-binding protein Pub1 contributes to RP transcript stabilization during adaptation to iron limitation. In fact, Pub1 becomes critical for growth and translational repression in low-iron conditions. Remarkably, we observe that pub1Δ cells also exhibit an increase in the transcription of RP genes that evidences the crosstalk between transcription and degradation mechanisms to maintain the appropriate mRNA balance under iron deficiency conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia María Romero
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Agustín Escardino 7, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
| | - José García-Martínez
- Departamento de Genética, Universitat de València, Ave. Doctor Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain; Instituto de Biotecnología y Biomedicina (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Ave. Doctor Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - José Enrique Pérez-Ortín
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biomedicina (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Ave. Doctor Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain; Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universitat de València, Ave. Doctor Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - María Teresa Martínez-Pastor
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universitat de València, Ave. Doctor Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - Sergi Puig
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Agustín Escardino 7, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
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Ramos-Alonso L, Romero AM, Martínez-Pastor MT, Puig S. Iron Regulatory Mechanisms in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:582830. [PMID: 33013818 PMCID: PMC7509046 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.582830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron is an essential micronutrient for all eukaryotic organisms because it participates as a redox cofactor in many cellular processes. However, excess iron can damage cells since it promotes the generation of reactive oxygen species. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used as a model organism to study the adaptation of eukaryotic cells to changes in iron availability. Upon iron deficiency, yeast utilizes two transcription factors, Aft1 and Aft2, to activate the expression of a set of genes known as the iron regulon, which are implicated in iron uptake, recycling and mobilization. Moreover, Aft1 and Aft2 activate the expression of Cth2, an mRNA-binding protein that limits the expression of genes encoding for iron-containing proteins or that participate in iron-using processes. Cth2 contributes to prioritize iron utilization in particular pathways over other highly iron-consuming and non-essential processes including mitochondrial respiration. Recent studies have revealed that iron deficiency also alters many other metabolic routes including amino acid and lipid synthesis, the mitochondrial retrograde response, transcription, translation and deoxyribonucleotide synthesis; and activates the DNA damage and general stress responses. At high iron levels, the yeast Yap5, Msn2, and Msn4 transcription factors activate the expression of a vacuolar iron importer called Ccc1, which is the most important high-iron protecting factor devoted to detoxify excess cytosolic iron that is stored into the vacuole for its mobilization upon scarcity. The complete sequencing and annotation of many yeast genomes is starting to unveil the diversity and evolution of the iron homeostasis network in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Ramos-Alonso
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Antonia María Romero
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Sergi Puig
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valencia, Spain
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Martínez-Pastor MT, Puig S. Adaptation to iron deficiency in human pathogenic fungi. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2020; 1867:118797. [PMID: 32663505 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2020.118797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Iron is an essential micronutrient for virtually all eukaryotic organisms and plays a central role during microbial infections. Invasive fungal diseases are associated with strikingly high rates of mortality, but their impact on human health is usually underestimated. Upon a fungal infection, hosts restrict iron availability in order to limit the growth and virulence of the pathogen. Here, we use two model yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, to delve into the response to iron deficiency of human fungal pathogens, such as Candida glabrata, Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus and Cryptococcus neoformans. Fungi possess common and species-specific mechanisms to acquire iron and to control the response to iron limitation. Upon iron scarcity, fungi activate a wide range of elegant strategies to capture and import exogenous iron, mobilize iron from intracellular stores, and modulate their metabolism to economize and prioritize iron utilization. Hence, iron homeostasis genes represent remarkable virulence factors that can be used as targets for the development of novel antifungal treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sergi Puig
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
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Perea-García A, Miró P, Jiménez-Lorenzo R, Martínez-Pastor MT, Puig S. Sequential recruitment of the mRNA decay machinery to the iron-regulated protein Cth2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2020; 1863:194595. [PMID: 32565401 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2020.194595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Post-transcriptional factors importantly contribute to the rapid and coordinated expression of the multiple genes required for the adaptation of living organisms to environmental stresses. In the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a conserved mRNA-binding protein, known as Cth2, modulates the metabolic response to iron deficiency. Cth2 is a tandem zinc-finger (TZF)-containing protein that co-transcriptionally binds to adenine/uracil-rich elements (ARE) present in the 3'-untranslated region of iron-related mRNAs to promote their turnover. The nuclear binding of Cth2 to mRNAs via its TZFs is indispensable for its export to the cytoplasm. Although Cth2 nucleocytoplasmic transport is essential for its regulatory function, little is known about the recruitment of the mRNA degradation machinery. Here, we investigate the sequential assembly of mRNA decay factors during Cth2 shuttling. By using an enzymatic in vivo proximity assay called M-track, we show that Cth2 associates to the RNA helicase Dhh1 and the deadenylase Pop2/Caf1 before binding to its target mRNAs. The recruitment of Dhh1 to Cth2 requires the integrity of the Ccr4-Pop2 deadenylase complex, whereas the interaction between Cth2 and Pop2 needs Ccr4 but not Dhh1. M-track assays also show that Cth2-binding to ARE-containing mRNAs is necessary for the interaction between Cth2 and the exonuclease Xrn1. The importance of these interactions is highlighted by the specific growth defect in iron-deficient conditions displayed by cells lacking Dhh1, Pop2, Ccr4 or Xrn1. These results exemplify the stepwise process of assembly of different mRNA decay factors onto an mRNA-binding protein during the mechanism of post-transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Perea-García
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna (Valencia), Spain
| | - Pilar Miró
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna (Valencia), Spain
| | - Rafael Jiménez-Lorenzo
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna (Valencia), Spain
| | | | - Sergi Puig
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna (Valencia), Spain.
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Saaoud F, Wang J, Iwanowycz S, Wang Y, Altomare D, Shao Y, Liu J, Blackshear PJ, Lessner SM, Murphy EA, Wang H, Yang X, Fan D. Bone marrow deficiency of mRNA decaying protein Tristetraprolin increases inflammation and mitochondrial ROS but reduces hepatic lipoprotein production in LDLR knockout mice. Redox Biol 2020; 37:101609. [PMID: 32591281 PMCID: PMC7767740 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tristetraprolin (TTP), an mRNA binding and decaying protein, plays a significant role in controlling inflammation by decaying mRNAs encoding inflammatory cytokines such as TNFalpha. We aimed to test a hypothesis that TTP in bone marrow (BM) cells regulates atherogenesis by modulating inflammation and lipid metabolism through the modulation of oxidative stress pathways by TTP target genes. In a BM transplantation study, lethally irradiated atherogenic LDLR-/- mice were reconstituted with BM cells from either wild type (TTP+/+) or TTP knockout (TTP-/-) mice, and fed a Western diet for 12 weeks. We made the following observations: (1) TTP-/- BM recipients display a significantly higher systemic and multi-organ inflammation than TTP+/+ BM recipients; (2) BM TTP deficiency modulates hepatic expression of genes, detected by microarray, involved in lipid metabolism, inflammatory responses, and oxidative stress; (3) TTP-/- BM derived macrophages increase production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS); (4) BM-TTP-/- mice display a significant reduction in serum VLDL/LDL levels, and attenuated hepatic steatosis compared to controls; and (5) Reduction of serum VLDL/LDL levels offsets the increased inflammation, resulting in no changes in atherosclerosis. These findings provide a novel mechanistic insight into the roles of TTP-mediated mRNA decay in bone marrow-derived cells in regulating systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and liver VLDL/LDL biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma Saaoud
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, 29209, USA; Centers for Inflammation, Translational & Clinical Lung Research, Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and Pharmacology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 14190, USA
| | - Junfeng Wang
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, 29209, USA
| | - Stephen Iwanowycz
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, 29209, USA
| | - Yuzhen Wang
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, 29209, USA
| | - Diego Altomare
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Ying Shao
- Centers for Inflammation, Translational & Clinical Lung Research, Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and Pharmacology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 14190, USA
| | - Jianguo Liu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63104, USA
| | - Perry J Blackshear
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Susan M Lessner
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, 29209, USA
| | - E Angela Murphy
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, 29209, USA
| | - Hong Wang
- Metabolic Disease Research, Cardiovascular Research, and Thrombosis Research, Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, and Pharmacology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 14190, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Yang
- Centers for Inflammation, Translational & Clinical Lung Research, Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and Pharmacology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 14190, USA; Metabolic Disease Research, Cardiovascular Research, and Thrombosis Research, Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, and Pharmacology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 14190, USA.
| | - Daping Fan
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, 29209, USA.
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Gupta M, Outten CE. Iron-sulfur cluster signaling: The common thread in fungal iron regulation. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2020; 55:189-201. [PMID: 32234663 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Iron homeostasis in fungi involves balancing iron uptake and storage with iron utilization to achieve adequate, nontoxic levels of this essential nutrient. Extensive work in the nonpathogenic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe has uncovered unique iron regulation networks for each organism that control iron metabolism via distinct molecular mechanisms. However, common themes have emerged from these studies. The activities of all fungal iron-sensing transcription factors characterized to date are regulated via iron-sulfur cluster signaling. Furthermore, glutaredoxins often play a key role in relaying the intracellular iron status to these DNA-binding proteins. Recent work with fungal pathogens, including Candida and Aspergillus species and Cryptococcus neoformans, has revealed novel iron regulation mechanisms, yet similar roles for iron-sulfur clusters and glutaredoxins in iron signaling have been confirmed. This review will focus on these recent discoveries regarding iron regulation pathways in both pathogenic and nonpathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malini Gupta
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA 29208
| | - Caryn E Outten
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA 29208.
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Machinery for fungal heme acquisition. Curr Genet 2020; 66:703-711. [PMID: 32185489 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-020-01067-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Iron is essential for nearly all aerobic organisms. One source of iron in nature is in the form of heme. Due to its critical physiological importance as a cofactor for several enzymes, organisms have evolved various means to secure heme for their needs. In the case of heme prototrophs, these organisms possess a highly conserved eight-step biosynthetic pathway. Another means used by many organisms is to acquire heme from external sources. As opposed to the knowledge of enzymes responsible for heme biosynthesis, the nature of the players and mechanisms involved in the acquisition of exogenous heme is limited. This review focuses on a description of newly discovered proteins that have novel functions in heme assimilation in the model organism Schizosaccharomyces pombe. This tractable model allows the use of the power of genetics to selectively block heme biosynthesis, setting conditions to investigate the mechanisms by which external heme is taken up by the cells. Studies have revealed that S. pombe possesses two independent heme uptake systems that require Shu1 and Str3, respectively. Heme-bound iron is captured by Shu1 at the cell surface, triggering its internalization to the vacuole with the aid of ubiquitinated proteins and the ESCRT machinery. In the case of the plasma membrane transporter Str3, it promotes cellular heme import in cells lacking Shu1. The discovery of these two pathways may contribute to gain novel insights into the mechanisms whereby fungi assimilate heme, which is an essentially biological process for their ability to invade and colonize new niches.
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