Distinct role of HAMP and HAMP-like linker domains in regulating the activity of Hik1p, a hybrid histidine kinase 3 from Magnaporthe oryzae

Overexpression of CBK1 or deletion of SSD1 confers fludioxonil resistance in yeast by suppressing Hog1 activation

Group III hybrid histidine kinases (HHK3) are known molecular targets of the widely used fungicidal agent fludioxonil which indirectly converts these kinases to a phosphatase form that causes constitutive activation of Hog1 MAPK. To better understand the fungicidal effect of fludioxonil we have screened S. cerevisiae haploid deletion collection for fludioxonil resistant mutant and identified Ssd1 as a critical factor for this. Deletion of SSD1 not only promoted resistance to fludioxonil but also abrogated Hog1 activation and other cellular damages caused by fludioxonil. Our results showed that fludioxonil perturbed the localization of Cbk1 kinase, an essential protein in yeast, at the bud neck triggering the accumulation of Ssd1 in P-bodies. As a result, localized synthesis of Ssd1 bound mRNA encoding cell wall proteins at the polarized growth site was impaired which created a sustained cell wall stress causing constitutive activation of Hog1. Our data, for the first time, clearly indicated the role of Cbk1 upstream of Hog1 and provided a novel paradigm in the mechanism of action of fludioxonil.

New Roles for HAMP Domains: the Tri-HAMP Region of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Aer2 Controls Receptor Signaling and Cellular Localization

The Aer2 chemoreceptor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an O₂ sensor involved in stress responses, virulence, and tuning the behavior of the chemotaxis (Che) system. Aer2 is the sole receptor of the Che2 system. It is soluble, but membrane associated, and forms complexes at the cell pole during stationary phase. The domain arrangement of Aer2 is unusual, with a PAS sensing domain sandwiched between five HAMP domains, followed by a C-terminal kinase-control output domain. The first three HAMP domains form a poly-HAMP chain N-terminal to the PAS sensing domain. HAMP domains are often located between signal input and output domains, where they transduce signals. Given that HAMP1 to 3 reside N-terminal to the input-output pathway, we undertook a systematic examination of their function in Aer2. We found that HAMP1 to 3 influence PAS signaling over a considerable distance, as the majority of HAMP1, 2 and 3 mutations, and deletions of helical phase stutters, led to nonresponsive signal-off or off-biased receptors. PAS signal-on lesions that mimic activated Aer2 also failed to override N-terminal HAMP signal-off replacements. This indicates that HAMP1 to 3 are critical coupling partners for PAS signaling and likely function as a cohesive unit and moveable scaffold to correctly orient and poise PAS dimers for O₂-mediated signaling in Aer2. HAMP1 additionally controlled the clustering and polar localization of Aer2 in P. aeruginosa. Localization was not driven by HAMP1 charge, and HAMP1 signal-off mutants still localized. Employing HAMP as a clustering and localization determinant, as well as a facilitator of PAS signaling, are newly recognized roles for HAMP domains. IMPORTANCE P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that interprets environmental stimuli via 26 chemoreceptors that signal through 4 distinct chemosensory systems. The second chemosensory system, Che2, contains a receptor named Aer2 that senses O₂ and mediates stress responses and virulence and tunes chemotactic behavior. Aer2 is membrane associated, but soluble, and has three N-terminal HAMP domains (HAMP1 to 3) that reside outside the signal input-output pathway of Aer2. In this study, we determined that HAMP1 to 3 facilitate O₂-dependent signaling from the PAS sensing domain and that HAMP1 controls the formation of Aer2-containing polar foci in P. aeruginosa. Both of these are newly recognized roles for HAMP domains that may be applicable to other non-signal-transducing HAMP domains and poly-HAMP chains.

The high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway in fungi†

While fungi are widely occupying nature, many species are responsible for devastating mycosis in humans. Such niche diversity explains how quick fungal adaptation is necessary to endow the capacity of withstanding fluctuating environments and to cope with host-imposed conditions. Among all the molecular mechanisms evolved by fungi, the most studied one is the activation of the phosphorelay signalling pathways, of which the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway constitutes one of the key molecular apparatus underpinning fungal adaptation and virulence. In this review, we summarize the seminal knowledge of the HOG pathway with its more recent developments. We specifically described the HOG-mediated stress adaptation, with a particular focus on osmotic and oxidative stress, and point out some lags in our understanding of its involvement in the virulence of pathogenic species including, the medically important fungi Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus fumigatus, compared to the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Finally, we also highlighted some possible applications of the HOG pathway modifications to improve the fungal-based production of natural products in the industry.