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Yang L, Li X, Ma Y, Zhu M, Zhang KQ, Yang J. The Arf-GAPs, AoAge1 and AoAge2, regulate diverse cellular processes, conidiation, trap formation, and secondary metabolism in Arthrobotrys oligospora. Microbiol Res 2024; 285:127779. [PMID: 38810485 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins of the ADP ribosylation factor (Arf) family and their activating proteins (Arf-GAPs) are essential for diverse biological processes. Here, two homologous Arf-GAPs, Age1 (AoAge1) and Age2 (AoAge2), were identified in the widespread nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. Our results demonstrated that AoAge1, especially AoAge2, played crucial roles in mycelial growth, sporulation, trap production, stress response, mitochondrial activity, DNA damage, endocytosis, reactive oxygen species production, and autophagy. Notably, transcriptome data revealed that approximately 62.7% of the genes were directly or indirectly regulated by AoAge2, and dysregulated genes in Aoage2 deletion were enriched in metabolism, ribosome biogenesis, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and autophagy. Furthermore, Aoage2 inactivation caused a substantial reduction in several compounds compared to the wild-type strain. Based on these results, a regulatory network for AoAge1 and AoAge2 was proposed and verified using a yeast two-hybrid assay. Based on our findings, AoAge1 and AoAge2 are essential for vegetative growth and mycelial development. Specifically, AoAge2 is required for sporulation and trapping morphogenesis. Our results demonstrated the critical functions of AoAge1 and AoAge2 in mycelial growth, diverse cellular processes, and pathogenicity, offering deep insights into the functions and regulatory mechanisms of Arf-GAPs in nematode-trapping fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, PR China; Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Development and Utilization of Biomass Energy, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, PR China
| | - Xuemei Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, PR China
| | - Yuxin Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, PR China
| | - Meichen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, PR China
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, PR China
| | - Jinkui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, PR China.
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Li J, Wang BX, Zhang J, Han N, Liu ST, Geng WJ, Jia SR, Li YR, Gan Q, Han PP. A newly discovered glycosyltransferase gene UGT88A1 affects growth and polysaccharide synthesis of Grifola frondosa. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:246. [PMID: 38421403 PMCID: PMC10904514 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13062-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Grifola frodosa polysaccharides, especially β-D-glucans, possess significant anti-tumor, antioxidant and immunostimulatory activities. However, the synthesis mechanism remains to be elucidated. A newly discovered glycosyltransferase UGT88A1 was found to extend glucan chains in vitro. However, the role of UGT88A1 in the growth and polysaccharide synthesis of G. frondosa in vivo remains unclear. In this study, the overexpression of UGT88A1 improved mycelial growth, increased polysaccharide production, and decreased cell wall pressure sensitivity. Biomass and polysaccharide production decreased in the silenced strain, and the pressure sensitivity of the cell wall increased. Overexpression and silencing of UGT88A1 both affected the monosaccharide composition and surface morphology of G. frondosa polysaccharides and influenced the antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from different strains. The messenger RNA expression of glucan synthase (GLS), UTP-glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase (UGP), and UDP-xylose-4-epimerase (UXE) related to polysaccharide synthesis, and genes related to cell wall integrity increased in the overexpression strain. Overall, our study indicates that UGT88A1 plays an important role in the growth, stress, and polysaccharide synthesis of G. frondosa, providing a reference for exploring the pathway of polysaccharide synthesis and metabolic regulation. KEY POINTS: •UGT88A1 plays an important role in the growth, stress response, and polysaccharide synthesis in G. frondosa. •UGT88A1 affected the monosaccharide composition, surface morphology and antioxidant activity of G. frondosa polysaccharides. •UGT88A1 regulated the mRNA expression of genes related to polysaccharide synthesis and cell wall integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, People's Republic of China
| | - Bao-Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Han
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, People's Republic of China
| | - Shu-Ting Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Ji Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, People's Republic of China
| | - Shi-Ru Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan-Ru Li
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, People's Republic of China
| | - Quan Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, People's Republic of China
| | - Pei-Pei Han
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, People's Republic of China.
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3
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Lin HC, de Ulzurrun GVD, Chen SA, Yang CT, Tay RJ, Iizuka T, Huang TY, Kuo CY, Gonçalves AP, Lin SY, Chang YC, Stajich JE, Schwarz EM, Hsueh YP. Key processes required for the different stages of fungal carnivory by a nematode-trapping fungus. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002400. [PMID: 37988381 PMCID: PMC10662756 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Nutritional deprivation triggers a switch from a saprotrophic to predatory lifestyle in soil-dwelling nematode-trapping fungi (NTF). In particular, the NTF Arthrobotrys oligospora secretes food and sex cues to lure nematodes to its mycelium and is triggered to develop specialized trapping devices. Captured nematodes are then invaded and digested by the fungus, thus serving as a food source. In this study, we examined the transcriptomic response of A. oligospora across the stages of sensing, trap development, and digestion upon exposure to the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. A. oligospora enacts a dynamic transcriptomic response, especially of protein secretion-related genes, in the presence of prey. Two-thirds of the predicted secretome of A. oligospora was up-regulated in the presence of C. elegans at all time points examined, and among these secreted proteins, 38.5% are predicted to be effector proteins. Furthermore, functional studies disrupting the t-SNARE protein Sso2 resulted in impaired ability to capture nematodes. Additionally, genes of the DUF3129 family, which are expanded in the genomes of several NTF, were highly up-regulated upon nematode exposure. We observed the accumulation of highly expressed DUF3129 proteins in trap cells, leading us to name members of this gene family as Trap Enriched Proteins (TEPs). Gene deletion of the most highly expressed TEP gene, TEP1, impairs the function of traps and prevents the fungus from capturing prey efficiently. In late stages of predation, we observed up-regulation of a variety of proteases, including metalloproteases. Following penetration of nematodes, these metalloproteases facilitate hyphal growth required for colonization of prey. These findings provide insights into the biology of the predatory lifestyle switch in a carnivorous fungus and provide frameworks for other fungal-nematode predator-prey systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Che Lin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Sheng-An Chen
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Ting Yang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Rebecca J. Tay
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tomoyo Iizuka
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Yu Huang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan
- Molecular and Cell Biology, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yen Kuo
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan
- Molecular and Cell Biology, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - A. Pedro Gonçalves
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Siou-Ying Lin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chu Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jason E. Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Erich M. Schwarz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Yen-Ping Hsueh
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan
- Molecular and Cell Biology, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
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Bai N, Xie M, Liu Q, Zhu Y, Yang X, Zhang KQ, Yang J. AoMedA has a complex regulatory relationship with AoBrlA, AoAbaA, and AoWetA in conidiation, trap formation, and secondary metabolism in the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0098323. [PMID: 37655869 PMCID: PMC10537773 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00983-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The asexual sporulation of filamentous fungi is an important mechanism for their reproduction, survival, and pathogenicity. In Aspergillus and several filamentous fungi, BrlA, AbaA, and WetA are the key elements of a central regulatory pathway controlling conidiation, and MedA is a developmental modifier that regulates temporal expression of central regulatory genes; however, their roles are largely unknown in nematode-trapping (NT) fungi. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a representative NT fungus, which can capture nematodes by producing adhesive networks (traps). Here, we characterized the function of AoMedA and three central developmental regulators (AoBrlA, AoAbaA, and AoWetA) in A. oligospora by gene disruption, phenotypic comparison, and multi-omics analyses, as these regulators are required for conidiation and play divergent roles in mycelial development, trap formation, lipid droplet accumulation, vacuole assembly, and secondary metabolism. A combined analysis of phenotypic traits and transcriptome showed that AoMedA and AoWetA are involved in the regulation of peroxisome, endocytosis, and autophagy. Moreover, yeast one-hybrid analysis showed that AoBrlA can regulate AoMedA, AoAbaA, and AoWetA, whereas AoMedA and AoAbaA can regulate AoWetA. Our results highlight the important roles of AoMedA, AoBrlA, AoAbaA, and AoWetA in conidiation, mycelia development, trap formation, and pathogenicity of A. oligospora and provide a basis for elucidating the relationship between conidiation and trap formation of NT fungi. IMPORTANCE Conidiation is the most common reproductive mode for many filamentous fungi and plays an essential role in the pathogenicity of fungal pathogens. Nematode-trapping (NT) fungi are a special group of filamentous fungi owing to their innate abilities to capture and digest nematodes by producing traps (trapping devices). Sporulation plays an important role in the growth and reproduction of NT fungi, and conidia are the basic components of biocontrol reagents for controlling diseases caused by plant-parasitic nematodes. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a well-known NT fungus and is a routinely used model fungus for probing the interaction between fungi and nematodes. In this study, the functions of four key regulators (AoMedA, AoBrlA, AoAbaA, and AoWetA) involved in conidiation were characterized in A. oligospora. A complex interaction between AoMedA and three central regulators was noted; these regulators are required for conidiation and trap formation and play a pleiotropic role in multiple intracellular activities. Our study first revealed the role of AoMedA and three central regulators in conidiation, trap formation, and pathogenicity of A. oligospora, which contributed to elucidating the regulatory mechanism of conidiation in NT fungi and helped in developing effective reagents for biocontrol of nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Meihua Xie
- School of Resource, Environment and Chemistry, Chuxiong Normal University, Chuxiong, China
| | - Qianqian Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yingmei Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Xuewei Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Jinkui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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5
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Xie M, Bai N, Yang X, Liu Y, Zhang KQ, Yang J. Fus3 regulates asexual development and trap morphogenesis in the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. iScience 2023; 26:107404. [PMID: 37609635 PMCID: PMC10440713 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) Fus3 is an essential regulator of cell differentiation and virulence in fungal pathogens of plants and animals. However, the function and regulatory mechanism of MAPK signaling in nematode-trapping (NT) fungi remain largely unknown. NT fungi can specialize in the formation of "traps", an important indicator of transition from a saprophytic to a predatory lifestyle. Here, we characterized an orthologous Fus3 in a typical NT fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora using multi-phenotypic analysis and multi-omics approaches. Our results showed that Fus3 plays an important role in asexual growth and development, conidiation, stress response, DNA damage, autophagy, and secondary metabolism. Importantly, Fus3 plays an indispensable role in hyphal fusion, trap morphogenesis, and nematode predation. Moreover, we constructed the regulatory networks of Fus3 by means of transcriptomic and yeast two-hybrid techniques. This study provides insights into the mechanism of MAPK signaling in asexual development and pathogenicity of NT fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meihua Xie
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P.R. China
- School of Resource, Environment and Chemistry, Chuxiong Normal University, Chuxiong 675000, P.R. China
| | - Na Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P.R. China
| | - Xuewei Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P.R. China
| | - Yankun Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P.R. China
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P.R. China
| | - Jinkui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P.R. China
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Liu Y, Yang X, Zhu M, Bai N, Wang W, Yang J. Involvement of AoMdr1 in the Regulation of the Fluconazole Resistance, Mycelial Fusion, Conidiation, and Trap Formation of Arthrobotrys oligospora. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1612. [PMID: 37375114 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Multidrug resistance (Mdr) proteins are critical proteins for maintenance of drug resistance in fungi. Mdr1 has been extensively studied in Candida albicans; its role in other fungi is largely unknown. In this study, we identified a homologous protein of Mdr (AoMdr1) in the nematode-trapping (NT) fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. It was found that the deletion of Aomdr1 resulted in a significant reduction in the number of hyphal septa and nuclei as well as increased sensitivity to fluconazole and resistance to hyperosmotic stress and SDS. The deletion of Aomdr1 also led to a remarkable increase in the numbers of traps and mycelial loops in the traps. Notably, AoMdr1 was able to regulate mycelial fusion under low-nutrient conditions, but not under nutrient-rich conditions. AoMdr1 was also involved in secondary metabolism, and its deletion caused an increase in arthrobotrisins (specific compounds produced by NT fungi). These results suggest that AoMdr1 plays a crucial role in the fluconazole resistance, mycelial fusion, conidiation, trap formation, and secondary metabolism of A. oligospora. Our study contributes to the understanding of the critical role of Mdr proteins in mycelial growth and the development of NT fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yankun Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Xuewei Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Meichen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Na Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Wenjie Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Jinkui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
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7
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Yang J, Wang W, Liu Y, Xie M, Yang J. The MADS-box transcription factor AoRlmA is involved in the regulation of mycelium development, conidiation, cell-wall integrity, stress response, and trap formation of Arthrobotrys oligospora. Microbiol Res 2023; 268:127299. [PMID: 36599176 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The maintenance of cell-wall integrity (CWI) is important for mycelial growth, development, and pathogenicity in fungi. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a typical nematode-trapping (NT) fungus which can capture nematodes by producing adhesive networks. In this study, we characterized an orthologous MADS-box transcription factor RlmA (AoRlmA) downstream of the CWI regulatory pathway in A. oligospora. The deletion of AorlmA caused a reduction in mycelial growth, the number of nuclei, conidiation, and trap formation, as well as increased sensitivity to cell-wall synthesis-disrupting agents, osmotic agents, and oxidants; accordingly, the transcript levels of genes associated with sporulation, cell-wall biosynthesis, and DNA damage response were downregulated in the ΔAorlmA mutant. Furthermore, the absence of AorlmA resulted in a reduction in autophagy and endocytosis. Transcriptome analysis showed that differentially expressed genes in the absence of AorlmA were involved in membrane components, the oxidation-reduction process, transmembrane transport, metabolic processes, cellular components, organelles, cellular response to stress, and DNA damage response. In addition, metabolomic analysis showed that AoRlmA was involved in the regulation of secondary metabolites of A. oligospora. To summarize, our results highlighted the important roles of transcription factor RlmA in mycelial growth, conidiation, CWI, trap formation, stress response, autophagy, endocytosis, and secondary metabolism regulation in A. oligospora, providing a basis for elucidating the regulatory mechanism of the mycelial growth and development, pathogenicity, and stress response of NT fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangliu Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, PR China
| | - Wenjie Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, PR China
| | - Yankun Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, PR China
| | - Meihua Xie
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, PR China
| | - Jinkui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, PR China.
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8
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Zhao X, Fan Y, Zhang W, Xiang M, Kang S, Wang S, Liu X. DhFIG_2, a gene of nematode-trapping fungus Dactylellina haptotyla that encodes a component of the low-affinity calcium uptake system, is required for conidiation and knob-trap formation. Fungal Genet Biol 2023; 166:103782. [PMID: 36849068 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Calcium ion (Ca2+) is a universal second messenger involved in regulating diverse processes in animals, plants, and fungi. The low-affinity calcium uptake system (LACS) participates in acquiring Ca2+ from extracellular environments under high extracellular Ca2+ concentration. Unlike most fungi, which encode only one protein (FIG1) for LACS, nematode-trapping fungi (NTF) encode two related proteins. AoFIG_2, the NTF-specific LACS component encoded by adhesive network-trap forming Arthrobotrys oligospora, was shown to be required for conidiation and trap formation. We characterized the role of DhFIG_2, an AoFIG_2 ortholog encoded by knob-trap forming Dactylellina haptotyla, in growth and development to expand our understanding of the role of LACS in NTF. Because repeated attempts to disrupt DhFIG_2 failed, knocking down the expression of DhFIG_2 via RNA interference (RNAi) was used to study its function. RNAi of DhFIG_2 significantly decreased its expression, severely reduced conidiation and trap formation, and affected vegetative growth and stress responses, suggesting that this component of LACS is crucial for trap formation and conidiation in NTF. Our study demonstrated the utility of RNAi assisted by ATMT for studying gene function in D. haptotyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhou Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yani Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Weiwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Meichun Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Seogchan Kang
- Department of Plant Pathology & Environmental Microbiology, The Pennsylvania State University, PA 16802, USA
| | - Shunxian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
| | - Xingzhong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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9
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Wang D, Ma N, Rao W, Zhang Y. Recent Advances in Life History Transition with Nematode-Trapping Fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora and Its Application in Sustainable Agriculture. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12030367. [PMID: 36986289 PMCID: PMC10056792 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12030367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic nematodes cause great annual loss in the agricultural industry globally. Arthrobotrys oligospora is the most prevalent and common nematode-trapping fungus (NTF) in the environment and the candidate for the control of plant- and animal-parasitic nematodes. A. oligospora is also the first recognized and intensively studied NTF species. This review highlights the recent research advances of A. oligospora as a model to study the biological signals of the switch from saprophytism to predation and their sophisticated mechanisms for interacting with their invertebrate hosts, which is of vital importance for improving the engineering of this species as an effective biocontrol fungus. The application of A. oligospora in industry and agriculture, especially as biological control agents for sustainable purposes, was summarized, and we discussed the increasing role of A. oligospora in studying its sexual morph and genetic transformation in complementing biological control research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
- School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Nan Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
- School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Wanqin Rao
- School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
- Correspondence:
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10
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Peroxin Pex14/17 Is Required for Trap Formation, and Plays Pleiotropic Roles in Mycelial Development, Stress Response, and Secondary Metabolism in Arthrobotrys oligospora. mSphere 2023; 8:e0001223. [PMID: 36786584 PMCID: PMC10117088 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00012-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The peroxins encoded by PEX genes involved in peroxisome biogenesis play a crucial role in cellular metabolism and pathogenicity in fungi. Herein, we characterized a filamentous fungus-specific peroxin Pex14/17 in the Arthrobotrys oligospora, a representative species of nematode-trapping fungi. The deletion of AoPEX14/17 resulted in a remarkable reduction in mycelial growth, conidia yield, trap formation, and pathogenicity. Compared with the wild-type strain, the ΔAopex14/17 mutant exhibited more lipid droplet and reactive oxygen species accumulation accompanied with a significant decrease in fatty acid utilization and tolerance to oxidative stress. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that AoPEX14/17 was involved in the regulation of metabolism, genetic information processing, environmental information processing, and cellular processes. In subcellular morphology, the deletion of AoPEX14/17 resulted in a decrease in the number of cell nuclei, autophagosomes, and Woronin bodies. Metabolic profile analysis showed that AoPex14/17 affects the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Yeast two-hybrid assay revealed that AoPex14/17 interacted with AoPex14 but not with AoPex13. Taken together, our results suggest that Pex14/17 is the main factor for modulating growth, development, and pathogenicity in A. oligospora. IMPORTANCE Peroxisome biogenesis genes (PEX) play an important role in growth, development, and pathogenicity in pathogenic fungi. However, the roles of PEX genes remain largely unknown in nematode-trapping (NT) fungi. Here, we provide direct evidence that AoPex14/17 regulates mycelial growth, conidiation, trap formation, autophagy, endocytosis, catalase activity, stress response to oxidants, lipid metabolism, and reactive oxygen species production. Transcriptome analysis and metabolic profile suggested that AoPex14/17 is involved in multiple cellular processes and the regulation of secondary metabolism. Therefore, our study extends the functions of PEX genes, which helps to elucidate the mechanism of organelle development and trap formation in NT fungi and lays the foundation for the development of efficient nematode biocontrol agents.
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11
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Abstract
Nematode-trapping fungi (NTF) are the majority of carnivorous microbes to capture nematodes through diverse and sophisticated trapping organs derived from hyphae. They can adopt carnivorous lifestyles in addition to saprophytism to obtain extra-nutrition from nematodes. As a special group of fungi, the NTF are not only excellent model organism for studying lifestyle transition of fungi but also natural resources of exploring biological control of nematodes. However, the carnivorous mechanism of NTF remains poorly understood. Nowadays, the omics studies of NTF have provided numerous genes and pathways that are associated with the phenotypes of carnivorous traits, which need molecular tools to verify. Here, we review the development and progress of gene manipulation tools in NTF, including methodology and strategy of transformation, random gene mutagenesis methods and target gene mutagenesis methods. The principle and practical approach for each method was summarized and discussed, and the basic operational flow for each tool was described. This paper offers a clear reference and instruction for researchers who work on NTF as well as other group of fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunxian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xingzhong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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12
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Zhu MC, Zhao N, Liu YK, Li XM, Zhen ZY, Zheng YQ, Zhang KQ, Yang JK. The cAMP-PKA signalling pathway regulates hyphal growth, conidiation, trap morphogenesis, stress tolerance, and autophagy in Arthrobotrys oligospora. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:6524-6538. [PMID: 36260054 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The cyclic adenosine monophosphate-protein kinase A (cAMP-PKA) signalling pathway is evolutionarily conserved in eukaryotes and plays a crucial role in defending against external environmental challenges, which can modulate the cellular response to external stimuli. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a typical nematode-trapping fungus that specializes in adhesive networks to kill nematodes. To elucidate the biological roles of the cAMP-PKA signalling pathway, we characterized the orthologous adenylate cyclase AoAcy, a regulatory subunit (AoPkaR), and two catalytic subunits (AoPkaC1 and AoPkaC2) of PKA in A. oligospora by gene disruption, transcriptome, and metabolome analyses. Deletion of Aoacy significantly reduced the levels of cAMP and arthrobotrisins. Results revealed that Aoacy, AopkaR, and AopkaC1 were involved in hyphal growth, trap morphogenesis, sporulation, stress resistance, and autophagy. In addition, Aoacy and AopkaC1 were involved in the regulation of mitochondrial morphology, thereby affecting energy metabolism, whereas AopkaC2 affected sporulation, nuclei, and autophagy. Multi-omics results showed that the cAMP-PKA signalling pathway regulated multiple metabolic and cellular processes. Collectively, these data highlight the indispensable role of cAMP-PKA signalling pathway in the growth, development, and pathogenicity of A. oligospora, and provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms of signalling pathways in sporulation, trap formation, and lifestyle transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Chen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Na Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yan-Kun Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Xue-Mei Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Zheng-Yi Zhen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ya-Qing Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Jin-Kui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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13
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Li X, Zhu M, Liu Y, Yang L, Yang J. Aoatg11 and Aoatg33 are indispensable for mitophagy, and contribute to conidiation, the stress response, and pathogenicity in the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. Microbiol Res 2022; 266:127252. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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14
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Amphiphysin AoRvs167-Mediated Membrane Curvature Facilitates Trap Formation, Endocytosis, and Stress Resistance in Arthrobotrysoligospora. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11090997. [PMID: 36145429 PMCID: PMC9501185 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11090997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bin1/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) domain-containing proteins mediate fundamental cellular processes, including membrane remodeling and endocytosis. Nematode-trapping (NT) fungi can differentiate to form trapping structures through highly reorganized cell membranes and walls. In this study, we identified the NT fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora ortholog of yeast Rvs167 and documented its involvement in membrane bending and endocytosis. We further confirmed that the deletion of AoRvs167 makes the fungus more hypersensitive to osmotic salt (Nacl), higher temperatures (28 to 30 °C), and the cell wall perturbation agent Congo red. In addition, the disruption of AoRvs167 reduced the trap formation capacity. Hence, AoRvs167 may regulate fungal pathogenicity through the integrity of plasma membranes and cell walls.
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15
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DdaCrz1, a C2H2-Type Transcription Factor, Regulates Growth, Conidiation, and Stress Resistance in the Nematode-Trapping Fungus Drechslerella dactyloides. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8070750. [PMID: 35887505 PMCID: PMC9322116 DOI: 10.3390/jof8070750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent signaling pathway regulates diverse cellular processes. Calcineurin is a calcium-dependent phosphatase acting in fungi mainly through Crz1, a zinc finger transcription factor. Although the likely involvement of Ca2+ in fungal carnivorism has been documented, how Crz1 functions in nematode-trapping fungi remains unknown. Here, we identified the Crz1 gene (named as DdaCrz1) in Drechslerella dactyloides, a species that forms constricting rings to trap nematodes. The deletion of DdaCrz1 significantly reduced hyphal growth and conidiation, trap formation, and ring cell inflation. Moreover, the mutation increased sensitivity to Mn2+ but decreased sensitivity to Ca2+, Mg2+, Zn2+, and Li+. Similarly, the mutant showed increased tolerance to osmotic stress but was more sensitive to Congo red, a cell wall-damaging agent. Our results confirmed the critical roles of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent signaling pathway in regulating growth, conidiation, and the stress response, and suggested its involvement in trapping nematodes.
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16
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Xie M, Ma N, Bai N, Yang L, Yang X, Zhang KQ, Yang J. PKC-SWI6 signaling regulates asexual development, cell wall integrity, stress response, and lifestyle transition in the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 65:2455-2471. [PMID: 35829807 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2118-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Predatory fungi possess intricate signal transduction systems that regulate their development and support successful infection of the host. Herein, we characterized three components of the cell wall integrity-controlling pathway, namely protein kinase C (AoPKC), SLT2-MAPK (AoSLT2), and SWI6 (AoSWI6), in a representative nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora, using gene disruption and multi-omics approaches. The phenotypic traits (such as mycelia development, conidiation, stress response, and trap morphogenesis) and metabolic profiles of ΔAopkc and ΔAoswi6 mutants were similar but differed from those of the ΔAoslt2 mutants. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that the genes differentially expressed in the absence of Aoswi6 were involved in DNA replication, repair, and recombination during trap formation. Moreover, the yeast two-hybrid assay showed that AoPKC interacted with AoSWI6, suggesting that in A. oligospora, PKC can directly regulate SWI6, bypassing the SLT2 signaling cascade. Conclusively, our findings deepen our understanding of the regulatory mechanism of asexual development and lifestyle switching in nematode-trapping fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meihua Xie
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.,School of Resource, Environment and Chemistry, Chuxiong Normal University, Chuxiong, 675000, China
| | - Ni Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.,Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, 650022, China
| | - Na Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Le Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Xuewei Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
| | - Jinkui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
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17
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The Arf-GAP Proteins AoGcs1 and AoGts1 Regulate Mycelial Development, Endocytosis, and Pathogenicity in Arthrobotrys oligospora. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8050463. [PMID: 35628718 PMCID: PMC9146637 DOI: 10.3390/jof8050463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Small GTPases from the ADP-ribosylation factor (Arf) family and their activating proteins (Arf-GAPs) regulate mycelial development, endocytosis, and virulence in fungi. Here, we identified two orthologous Arf-GAP proteins, AoGcs1 and AoGts1, in a typical nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. The transcription of Aogcs1 and Aogts1 was highly expressed in the sporulation stage. The deletion of Aogcs1 and Aogts1 caused defects in DNA damage, endocytosis, scavenging of reactive oxygen species, lipid droplet storage, mitochondrial activity, autophagy, serine protease activity, and the response to endoplasmic reticulum stress. The combined effects resulted in slow growth, decreased sporulation capacity, increased susceptibility to chemical stressors and heat shock, and decreased pathogenicity of the mutants compared with the wild-type (WT) strain. Although deletion of Aogcs1 and Aogts1 produced similar phenotfypic traits, their roles varied in conidiation and proteolytic activity. The ΔAogts1 mutant showed a remarkable reduction in conidial yield compared with the WT strain but not in proteolytic activity; in contrast, the ΔAogcs1 mutant showed an increase in proteolytic activity but not in sporulation. In addition, the growth of ΔAogcs1 and ΔAogts1 mutants was promoted by rapamycin, and the ΔAogts1 mutant was sensitive to H-89. Collectively, the ΔAogts1 mutant showed a more remarkable difference compared with the WT strain than the ΔAogcs1 mutant. Our study further illustrates the importance of Arf-GAPs in the growth, development, and pathogenicity of nematode-trapping fungi.
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18
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Zhu MC, Li XM, Zhao N, Yang L, Zhang KQ, Yang JK. Regulatory Mechanism of Trap Formation in the Nematode-Trapping Fungi. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8040406. [PMID: 35448637 PMCID: PMC9031305 DOI: 10.3390/jof8040406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Nematode-trapping (NT) fungi play a significant role in the biological control of plant- parasitic nematodes. NT fungi, as a predator, can differentiate into specialized structures called “traps” to capture, kill, and consume nematodes at a nutrient-deprived condition. Therefore, trap formation is also an important indicator that NT fungi transition from a saprophytic to a predacious lifestyle. With the development of gene knockout and multiple omics such as genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, increasing studies have tried to investigate the regulation mechanism of trap formation in NT fungi. This review summarizes the potential regulatory mechanism of trap formation in NT fungi based on the latest findings in this field. Signaling pathways have been confirmed to play an especially vital role in trap formation based on phenotypes of various mutants and multi-omics analysis, and the involvement of small molecule compounds, woronin body, peroxisome, autophagy, and pH-sensing receptors in the formation of traps are also discussed. In addition, we also highlight the research focus for elucidating the mechanism underlying trap formation of NT fungi in the future.
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19
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Ma N, Jiang KX, Bai N, Li DN, Zhang KQ, Yang JK. Functional Analysis of Two Affinity cAMP Phosphodiesterases in the Nematode-Trapping Fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11040405. [PMID: 35456080 PMCID: PMC9026129 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11040405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphodiesterases are essential regulators of cyclic nucleotide signaling with diverse physiological functions. Two phosphodiesterases, PdeH and PdeL, have been identified from yeast and filamentous fungi. Here, the orthologs of PdeH and PdeL were characterized in a typical nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora by gene disruption and phenotypic comparison. Deletion of AopdeH caused serious defects in mycelial growth, conidiation, stress response, trap formation, and nematicidal efficiency compared to the wild-type strain. In contrast, these phenotypes have no significant difference in the absence of AopdeL. In addition, deletion of AopdeH and AopdeL resulted in a remarkable increase in cAMP level during vegetative growth and trap formation, and the number of autophagosomes was decreased in ΔAopdeH and ΔAopdeL mutants, whereas their volumes considerably increased. Moreover, metabolomic analyses revealed that many metabolites were downregulated in ΔAopdeH mutant compared to their expression in the wild-type strain. Our results indicate that AoPdeH plays a crucial role in mycelial growth, conidiation, stress response, secondary metabolism, and trap formation. In contrast, AoPdeL only plays a minor role in hyphal and conidial morphology, autophagy, and trap formation in A. oligospora. This work expands the roles of phosphodiesterases and deepens the understanding of the regulation of trap formation in nematode-trapping fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (N.M.); (K.-X.J.); (N.B.); (D.-N.L.); (K.-Q.Z.)
- Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming 650022, China
| | - Ke-Xin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (N.M.); (K.-X.J.); (N.B.); (D.-N.L.); (K.-Q.Z.)
| | - Na Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (N.M.); (K.-X.J.); (N.B.); (D.-N.L.); (K.-Q.Z.)
| | - Dong-Ni Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (N.M.); (K.-X.J.); (N.B.); (D.-N.L.); (K.-Q.Z.)
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (N.M.); (K.-X.J.); (N.B.); (D.-N.L.); (K.-Q.Z.)
| | - Jin-Kui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (N.M.); (K.-X.J.); (N.B.); (D.-N.L.); (K.-Q.Z.)
- Correspondence:
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20
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AoPEX1 and AoPEX6 Are Required for Mycelial Growth, Conidiation, Stress Response, Fatty Acid Utilization, and Trap Formation in Arthrobotrys oligospora. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0027522. [PMID: 35323036 PMCID: PMC9045386 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00275-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthrobotrys oligospora (A. oligospora) is a typical nematode-trapping (NT) fungus that can capture nematodes by producing adhesive networks. Peroxisomes are single membrane-bound organelles that perform multiple physiological functions in filamentous fungi. Peroxisome biogenesis proteins are encoded by PEX genes, and the functions of PEX genes in A. oligospora and other NT fungi remain largely unknown. Here, our results demonstrated that two PEX genes (AoPEX1 and AoPEX6) are essential for mycelial growth, conidiation, fatty acid utilization, stress tolerance, and pathogenicity in A. oligospora. AoPEX1 and AoPEX6 knockout resulted in a failure to produce traps, conidia, peroxisomes, and Woronin bodies and damaged cell walls, reduced autophagosome levels, and increased lipid droplet size. Transcriptome data analysis showed that AoPEX1 and AoPEX6 deletion resulted in the upregulation of the proteasome, membranes, ribosomes, DNA replication, and cell cycle functions, and the downregulation of MAPK signaling and nitrogen metabolism. In summary, our results provide novel insights into the functions of PEX genes in the growth, development, and pathogenicity of A. oligospora and contribute to the elucidation of the regulatory mechanism of peroxisomes in trap formation and lifestyle switching in NT fungi. IMPORTANCE Nematode-trapping (NT) fungi are important resources for the biological control of plant-parasitic nematodes. They are widely distributed in various ecological environments and capture nematodes by producing unique predatory organs (traps). However, the molecular mechanisms of trap formation and lifestyle switching in NT fungi are still unclear. Here, we provided experimental evidence that the AoPEX1 and AoPEX6 genes could regulate mycelial growth and development, trap formation, and nematode predation of A. oligospora. We further analyzed the global transcription level changes of wild-type and mutant strains using RNA-seq. This study highlights the important role of peroxisome biogenesis genes in vegetative growth, conidiation, trap formation, and pathogenicity, which contribute to probing the mechanism of organelle development and trap formation of NT fungi and lays a foundation for developing high-efficiency nematode biocontrol agents.
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21
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Jiang KX, Liu QQ, Bai N, Zhu MC, Zhang KQ, Yang JK. AoSsk1, a Response Regulator Required for Mycelial Growth and Development, Stress Responses, Trap Formation, and the Secondary Metabolism in Arthrobotrys oligospora. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8030260. [PMID: 35330262 PMCID: PMC8952730 DOI: 10.3390/jof8030260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ssk1, a response regulator of the two-component signaling system, plays an important role in the cellular response to hyperosmotic stress in fungi. Herein, an ortholog of ssk1 (Aossk1) was characterized in the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora using gene disruption and multi-phenotypic comparison. The deletion of Aossk1 resulted in defective growth, deformed and swollen hyphal cells, an increased hyphal septum, and a shrunken nucleus. Compared to the wild-type (WT) strain, the number of autophagosomes and lipid droplets in the hyphal cells of the ΔAossk1 mutant decreased, whereas their volumes considerably increased. Aossk1 disruption caused a 95% reduction in conidial yield and remarkable defects in tolerance to osmotic and oxidative stress. Meanwhile, the transcript levels of several sporulation-related genes were significantly decreased in the ΔAossk1 mutant compared to the WT strain, including abaA, brlA, flbC, fluG, and rodA. Moreover, the loss of Aossk1 resulted in a remarkable increase in trap formation and predation efficiency. In addition, many metabolites were markedly downregulated in the ΔAossk1 mutant compared to the WT strain. Our results highlight that AoSsk1 is a crucial regulator of asexual development, stress responses, the secondary metabolism, and pathogenicity, and can be useful in probing the regulatory mechanism underlying the trap formation and lifestyle switching of nematode-trapping fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Xin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Qian-Qian Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Na Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Mei-Chen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Jin-Kui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
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22
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Zhou L, Li M, Cui P, Tian M, Xu Y, Zheng X, Zhang K, Li G, Wang X. Arrestin-Coding Genes Regulate Endocytosis, Sporulation, Pathogenicity, and Stress Resistance in Arthrobotrys oligospora. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:754333. [PMID: 35252023 PMCID: PMC8890662 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.754333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Arrestins are a family of scaffold proteins that play a crucial role in regulating numerous cellular processes, such as GPCR signaling. The Arthrobotrys oligospora arrestin family contains 12 members, which have highly conserved N-terminal and C-terminal domains. In the presence of ammonia, A. oligospora can change its lifestyle from saprotrophic to carnivorous. During this transition, the expression pattern of arrestin-coding (AoArc) genes was markedly upregulated. Therefore, we disrupted seven AoArc genes from A. oligospora to identify their functions. Although individual arrestin mutant strains display similar pathogenesis, phenotypes, and stress resistance, the fundamental data on the roles of AoArc genes in A. oligospora are obtained in this study. Membrane endocytosis in AoArc mutants was significantly reduced. Meanwhile, the capacity of trap device formation against nematodes and ammonia was impaired due to AoArc deletions. We also found that AoArc genes could regulate conidial phenotypes, cell nuclear distribution, pH response, and stress resistance. Results of qRT-PCR assays revealed that sporulation-regulated genes were affected after the deletion of AoArc genes. In particular, among the 12 arrestins, AoArc2 mediates pH signaling in the fungus A. oligospora. Notably, combined with the classical paradigm of arrestin–GPCR signal transduction, we suggest that arrestin-regulated trap formation in A. oligospora may be directly linked to the receptor endocytosis pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Mengfei Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Peijie Cui
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Mengqing Tian
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ya Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Xi Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Keqin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Guohong Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- *Correspondence: Xin Wang, ; Guohong Li,
| | - Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- *Correspondence: Xin Wang, ; Guohong Li,
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23
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Si J, Dong X, Zhang G, Lu H, Tang K, Zhang L, Kong X, Sheng K, Wang J, Zha X, Wang Y. The fucose-specific lectin gene AOL_s00054g276 affects trap formation and nematocidal activity of the nematophagous fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2022; 369:6526307. [PMID: 35142828 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnac013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Nematode-trapping fungi are natural enemies of nematodes in nature. Arthrobotrys oligospora, a typical nematode-trapping fungus with a clear genetic background, can capture and infect nematodes by forming adhesive three-dimensional networks. Lectins, a class of glycoproteins containing glycosyl-specific recognition domains, play an important role in biological recognition. However, the fucose-specific lectins have rarely been studied regarding the process of preying on nematodes. In this study, we characterized the biological role of the fucose-specific lectin encoding gene AOL_s00054g276 (g276) in A. oligospora. The gene g276 was first deleted based on homologous recombination, then the phenotype and nematocidal activity of the Δg276 mutant was evaluated. The results showed that the deletion of gene g276 delayed trap formation and weakened its nematocidal activity; however, mycelial growth, conidia production, conidial germination rates, and adaption to environmental stresses were not affected. Our results suggest that the fucose-specific lectin encoding gene g276 might be associated with the morphogenesis of this fungus, and its deletion resulted in a significantly low density of three-dimensional traps (P < 0.05) and a significantly low nematode-tapping efficiency (P < 0.001). These findings provide a basis for further elucidating the mechanism of A. oligospora preying on nematodes and lay a foundation for the development and utilization of fungal-derived lectins for nematode control in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiali Si
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Modern Biomanufacturing, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Xinyuan Dong
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Modern Biomanufacturing, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Guanghui Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Modern Biomanufacturing, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Hengqian Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Modern Biomanufacturing, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Kaijing Tang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Modern Biomanufacturing, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Li Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Modern Biomanufacturing, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaowei Kong
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Modern Biomanufacturing, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Kangliang Sheng
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Modern Biomanufacturing, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Jingmin Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Modern Biomanufacturing, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Xiangdong Zha
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Modern Biomanufacturing, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Yongzhong Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Modern Biomanufacturing, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.,Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China
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24
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Zhou D, Zhu Y, Bai N, Xie M, Zhang KQ, Yang J. Aolatg1 and Aolatg13 Regulate Autophagy and Play Different Roles in Conidiation, Trap Formation, and Pathogenicity in the Nematode-Trapping Fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 11:824407. [PMID: 35145926 PMCID: PMC8821819 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.824407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a conserved cellular recycling and trafficking pathway in eukaryotes that plays an important role in cell growth, development, and pathogenicity. Atg1 and Atg13 form the Atg1–Atg13 complex, which is essential for autophagy in yeast. Here, we characterized the roles of the Aolatg1 and Aolatg13 genes encoding these autophagy-related proteins in the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. Investigation of the autophagy process by using the AoAtg8-GFP fusion protein showed that autophagosomes accumulated inside vacuoles in the wild-type (WT) A. oligospora strain, whereas in the two mutant strains with deletions of Aolatg1 or Aolatg13, GFP signals were observed outside vacuoles. Similar results were observed by using transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, deletion of Aolatg1 caused severe defects in mycelial growth, conidiation, conidial germination, trap formation, and nematode predation. In addition, transcripts of several sporulation-related genes were significantly downregulated in the ΔAolatg1 mutant. In contrast, except for the altered resistance to several chemical stressors, no obvious differences were observed in phenotypic traits between the WT and ΔAolatg13 mutant strains. The gene ontology analysis of the transcription profiles of the WT and ΔAolatg1 mutant strains showed that the set of differentially expressed genes was highly enriched in genes relevant to membrane and cellular components. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicated that differentially expressed genes were highly enriched in those related to metabolic pathways, autophagy and autophagy-related processes, including ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and SNARE interaction in vesicular transport, which were enriched during trap formation. These results indicate that Aolatg1 and Aolatg13 play crucial roles in the autophagy process in A. oligospora. Aolatg1 is also involved in the regulation of asexual growth, trap formation, and pathogenicity. Our results highlight the importance of Aolatg1 in the growth and development of A. oligospora, and provide a basis for elucidating the role of autophagy in the trap formation and pathogenicity of nematode-trapping fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duanxu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yingmei Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Na Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Meihua Xie
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Jinkui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- *Correspondence: Jinkui Yang,
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25
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Ma N, Zhao Y, Wang Y, Yang L, Li D, Yang J, Jiang K, Zhang KQ, Yang J. Functional analysis of seven regulators of G protein signaling (RGSs) in the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. Virulence 2021; 12:1825-1840. [PMID: 34224331 PMCID: PMC8259722 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1948667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulators of G protein signaling (RGSs) are proteins that negatively regulate G protein signal transduction. In this study, seven putative RGSs were characterized in the nematode-trapping (NT) fungus, Arthrobotrys oligospora. Deleting Rgs genes significantly increased intracellular cAMP levels, and caused defects in mycelia growth, stress resistance, conidiation, trap formation, and nematocidal activity. In particular, the ΔAoFlbA mutant was unable to produce conidia and traps. Transcriptomic analysis showed that amino acid metabolic and biosynthetic processes were significantly enriched in the ΔAoFlbA mutant compared to WT. Interestingly, Gas1 family genes are significantly expanded in A. oligospora and other NT fungi that produce adhesive traps, and are differentially expressed during trap formation in A. oligospora. Disruption of two Gas1 genes resulted in defective conidiation, trap formation, and pathogenicity. Our results indicate that RGSs play pleiotropic roles in regulating A. oligospora mycelial growth, development, and pathogenicity. Further, AoFlbA is a prominent member and required for conidiation and trap formation, possibly by regulating amino acid metabolism and biosynthesis. Our results provide a basis for elucidating the signaling mechanism of vegetative growth, lifestyle transition, and pathogenicity in NT fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
| | - Yining Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
| | - Yunchuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, KunmingP. R. China
| | - Le Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
| | - Dongni Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
| | - Jiangliu Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
| | - Kexin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
| | - Jinkui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, KunmingP. R. China
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26
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Xie M, Ma N, Bai N, Zhu M, Zhang KQ, Yang J. Phospholipase C (AoPLC2) regulates mycelial development, trap morphogenesis, and pathogenicity of the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. J Appl Microbiol 2021; 132:2144-2156. [PMID: 34797022 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Phospholipase C (PLC) is a hydrolase involved in signal transduction in eukaryotic cells. This study aimed to understand the function of PLC in the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. METHODS AND RESULTS Orthologous PLC (AoPLC2) of A. oligospora was functionally analysed using gene disruption and multi-phenotypic analysis. Disrupting Aoplc2 caused a deformation of partial hyphal cells (about 10%) and conidia (about 50%), decreased the number of nuclei in both conidia and hyphal cells, and increased the accumulation of lipid droplets. Meanwhile, the sporulation-related genes fluG and abaA were downregulated in ΔAoplc2 mutants than in the wild-type strain. Moreover, ΔAoplc2 mutants were more sensitive to osmotic stressors. Importantly, the number of traps, electron-dense bodies in traps, and nematicidal activity of ΔAoplc2 mutants were reduced, and the shape of the traps was deformed. In addition, AoPLC2 was involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in A. oligospora. CONCLUSIONS AoPLC2 plays an important role in the development of hyphae, spores, and cell nuclei, responses to stress, formation of traps, and predation of nematodes in A. oligospora. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY This study reveals the various functions of phospholipase C and elucidates the regulation of trap morphogenesis in nematode-trapping fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meihua Xie
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, and School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Resource, Environment and Chemistry, Chuxiong Normal University, Chuxiong, China
| | - Ni Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, and School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, China
| | - Na Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, and School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Meichen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, and School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, and School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Jinkui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, and School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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27
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Bai N, Zhang G, Wang W, Feng H, Yang X, Zheng Y, Yang L, Xie M, Zhang KQ, Yang J. Ric8 acts as a regulator of G-protein signalling required for nematode-trapping lifecycle of Arthrobotrys oligospora. Environ Microbiol 2021; 24:1714-1730. [PMID: 34431203 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Resistance to inhibitors of cholinesterase 8 (Ric8) is a conserved guanine nucleotide exchange factor that is involved in the regulation of G-protein signalling in filamentous fungi. Here, we characterized an orthologous Ric8 (AoRic8) in Arthrobotrys oligospora by multi-omics analyses. The Aoric8 deletion (ΔAoric8) mutants lost an ability to produce traps essential for nematode predation, accompanied by a marked reduction in cAMP level. Yeast two-hybrid assay revealed that AoRic8 interacted with G-protein subunit Gα1. Moreover, the mutants were compromised in mycelia growth, conidiation, stress resistance, endocytosis, cellular components and intrahyphal hyphae. Revealed by transcriptomic analysis differentially upregulated genes in the absence of Aoric8 were involved in cell cycle, DNA replication and recombination during trap formation while downregulated genes were primarily involved in organelles, carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid metabolism. Metabolomic analysis showed that many compounds were markedly downregulated in ΔAoric8 mutants versus the wild-type strain. Our results demonstrated a crucial role for AoRic8 in the fungal growth, environmental adaption and nematode predation through control of cell cycle, organelle and secondary metabolism by G-protein signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China
| | - Guosheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China
| | - Wenjie Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China
| | - Huihua Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China
| | - Xuewei Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China
| | - Yaqing Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China
| | - Le Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China
| | - Meihua Xie
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China
| | - Jinkui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China
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28
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Pleiotropic roles of Ras GTPases in the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora identified through multi-omics analyses. iScience 2021; 24:102820. [PMID: 34337364 PMCID: PMC8313493 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode-trapping fungi are ideal agents for controlling pathogenic nematodes. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a representative species of the same, producing traps for nematode predation. Here, three orthologous Ras GTPases (Ras2, Ras3, and Rheb) were characterized in A. oligospora. Our results indicate that they play pleiotropic roles in regulating the mycelial growth, conidiation, stress resistance, and pathogenicity of A. oligospora. Furthermore, deletion of Aoras2 and Aorheb significantly affected the mitochondrial activity, reactive oxygen species levels, lipid storage, and autophagy. Transcriptome analyses of ΔAoras2 mutant revealed that many repressed genes were associated with signal transduction, energy production, and carbohydrate transport and metabolism. Moreover, metabolic profile analyses showed that AoRas2 and AoRheb affect the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in A. oligospora. Collectively, these findings provide an in-depth insight into the essential roles of Ras GTPases in vegetative growth, development, and pathogenicity and highlight their importance in the lifestyle switch of the nematode-trapping fungi. Ras GTPases play a multifunctional role in the lifestyle switch of A. oligospora Ras GTPases affect multiple cellular processes, including mitochondrial activity AoRas2 plays a key role in regulating global gene expression and nematode predation AoRas2 and AoRheb significantly affect the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites
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29
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Xie M, Yang J, Jiang K, Bai N, Zhu M, Zhu Y, Zhang KQ, Yang J. AoBck1 and AoMkk1 Are Necessary to Maintain Cell Wall Integrity, Vegetative Growth, Conidiation, Stress Resistance, and Pathogenicity in the Nematode-Trapping Fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:649582. [PMID: 34239505 PMCID: PMC8258383 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.649582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell wall integrity (CWI) pathway is composed of three mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), Bck1, Mkk1/2, and Slt2, and is one of the main signaling pathways for fungal pathogenesis, cell wall synthesis, and integrity maintenance. In this study, we characterized orthologs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Bck1 and Mkk1 in the nematode-trapping (NT) fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora by multiple phenotypic comparison, and the regulation of conidiation and cell wall synthesis was analyzed using real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Both ΔAoBck1 and ΔAoMkk1 mutants showed severe defects in vegetative growth, cell nucleus number, and stress resistance. Both the mutants were unable to produce spores, and the transcription of several genes associated with sporulation and cell wall biosynthesis was markedly downregulated during the conidiation stage. Further, cell walls of the ΔAoBck1 and ΔAoMkk1 mutants were severely damaged, and the Woronin body failed to respond to cellular damage. In particular, the mutants lost the ability to produce mycelial traps for nematode predation. Taken together, AoBck1 and AoMkk1 play a conserved role in mycelial growth and development, CWI, conidiation, multi-stress tolerance, trap formation, and pathogenicity. We highlighted the role of AoBck1 and AoMkk1 in regulating the Woronin body response to cellular damage and cell nucleus development in A. oligospora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meihua Xie
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, and Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Resources, Environment and Chemistry, Chuxiong Normal University, Chuxiong, China
| | - Jiangliu Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, and Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Kexin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, and Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Na Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, and Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Meichen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, and Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yingmei Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, and Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, and Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Jinkui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, and Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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30
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AoATG5 plays pleiotropic roles in vegetative growth, cell nucleus development, conidiation, and virulence in the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2021; 65:412-425. [PMID: 34031812 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-020-1913-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process in eukaryotes, which is regulated by autophagy-related genes (ATGs). Arthrobotrys oligospora is a representative species of nematode-trapping (NT) fungi that can produce special traps for nematode predation. To elucidate the biological roles of autophagy in NT fungi, we characterized an orthologous Atg protein, AoAtg5, in A. oligospora. We found that AoATG5 deletion causes a significant reduction in vegetative growth and conidiation, and that the transcript levels of several sporulation-related genes were significantly downregulated during sporulation stage. In addition, the cell nuclei were significantly reduced in the ΔAoATG5 mutant, and the transcripts of several genes involved in DNA biosynthesis, repair, and ligation were significantly upregulated. In ΔAoATG5 mutants, the autophagic process was significantly impaired, and trap formation and nematocidal activity were significantly decreased. Comparative transcriptome analysis results showed that AoAtg5 is involved in the regulation of multiple cellular processes, such as autophagy, nitrogen metabolism, DNA biosynthesis and repair, and vesicular transport. In summary, our results suggest that AoAtg5 is essential for autophagy and significantly contributes to vegetative growth, cell nucleus development, sporulation, trap formation, and pathogenicity in A. oligospora, thus providing a basis for future studies focusing on related mechanisms of autophagy in NT fungi.
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31
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Dautt-Castro M, Rosendo-Vargas M, Casas-Flores S. The Small GTPases in Fungal Signaling Conservation and Function. Cells 2021; 10:cells10051039. [PMID: 33924947 PMCID: PMC8146680 DOI: 10.3390/cells10051039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Monomeric GTPases, which belong to the Ras superfamily, are small proteins involved in many biological processes. They are fine-tuned regulated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Several families have been identified in organisms from different kingdoms. Overall, the most studied families are Ras, Rho, Rab, Ran, Arf, and Miro. Recently, a new family named Big Ras GTPases was reported. As a general rule, the proteins of all families have five characteristic motifs (G1–G5), and some specific features for each family have been described. Here, we present an exhaustive analysis of these small GTPase families in fungi, using 56 different genomes belonging to different phyla. For this purpose, we used distinct approaches such as phylogenetics and sequences analysis. The main functions described for monomeric GTPases in fungi include morphogenesis, secondary metabolism, vesicle trafficking, and virulence, which are discussed here. Their participation during fungus–plant interactions is reviewed as well.
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32
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Zhou D, Xie M, Bai N, Yang L, Zhang KQ, Yang J. The Autophagy-Related Gene Aolatg4 Regulates Hyphal Growth, Sporulation, Autophagosome Formation, and Pathogenicity in Arthrobotrys oligospora. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:592524. [PMID: 33304340 PMCID: PMC7701090 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.592524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy plays an important role in cell growth and development. The autophagy-related gene atg4 encodes a cysteine protease, which can cleave the carboxyl terminus of Atg8, thus plays a role in autophagosome formation in yeast and filamentous fungi. Arthrobotrys oligospora is well known for producing special trapping-devices (traps) and capturing nematodes. In this study, two ΔAolatg4 mutants were generated using targeted gene replacement and were used to investigate the biological functions of autophagy in A. oligospora. Autophagic process was observed using the AoAtg8-GFP fusion protein. The mutants showed a defective in hyphal growth and sporulation and were sensitive to chemical stressors, including menadione and Congo red. The spore yield of the ΔAolatg4 mutants was decreased by 88.5% compared to the wild type (WT), and the transcript levels of six sporulation-related genes, such as abaA, fluG, brlA, and wetA, were significantly downregulated during the conidiation stage. Deletion of Aolatg4 also affected the cell nuclei and mycelial septal development in A. oligospora. Importantly, autophagosome formation and the autophagic process were impaired in the ΔAolatg4 mutant. Moreover, the ΔAolatg4 mutant lost its ability to form mature traps. Our results provide novel insights into the roles of autophagy in A. oligospora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duanxu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Meihua Xie
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Na Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Le Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Jinkui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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