A guide to binary vectors and strategies for targeted genome modification in fungi using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation

Tools to make Stachybotrys chartarum genetically amendable: Key to unlocking cryptic biosynthetic gene clusters

The soil and indoor fungus Stachybotrys chartarum can induce respiratory disorders, collectively referred to as stachybotryotoxicosis, owing to its prolific production of diverse bioactive secondary metabolites (SMs) or mycotoxins. Although many of these toxins responsible for the harmful effects on animals and humans have been identified in the genus Stachybotrys, however a number of SMs remain elusive. Through in silico analyses, we have identified 37 polyketide synthase (PKS) genes, highlighting that the chemical profile potential of Stachybotrys is far from being fully explored. Additionally, by leveraging phylogenetic analysis of known SMs produced by non-reducing polyketide synthases (NR-PKS) in other filamentous fungi, we showed that Stachybotrys possesses a rich reservoir of untapped SMs. To unravel natural product biosynthesis in S. chartarum, genetic engineering methods are crucial. For this purpose, we have developed a reliable protocol for the genetic transformation of S. chartarum and applied it to the ScPKS14 biosynthetic gene cluster. This cluster is homologous to the already known Claviceps purpurea CpPKS8 BGC, responsible for the production of ergochromes. While no novel SMs were detected, we successfully applied genetic tools, such as the generation of deletionand overexpression strains of single cluster genes. This toolbox can now be readily employed to unravel not only this particular BGC but also other candidate BGCs present in S. chartarum, making this fungus accessible for genetic engineering.

Genetic Transformation of Cryptococcus Species with Agrobacterium Transfer DNA

Transformation of foreign DNA into Cryptococcus species is a powerful tool for exploring gene functions in these human pathogens. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (AtMT) has been used for the stable introduction of exogenous DNA into Cryptococcus for over two decades, being particularly impactful for insertional mutagenesis screens to discover new genes involved in fungal biology. A detailed protocol to conduct this transformation method is provided in the chapter. Scope for modifications and the benefits and disadvantages of using AtMT in Cryptococcus species are also presented.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation of the Aquatic Fungus Phialemonium inflatum FBCC-F1546

Phialemonium inflatum is a useful fungus known for its ability to mineralise lignin during primary metabolism and decompose polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, no functional genetic analysis techniques have been developed yet for this fungus, specifically in terms of transformation. In this study, we applied an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) system to P. inflatum for a functional gene analysis. We generated 3689 transformants using the binary vector pSK1044, which carried either the hygromycin B phosphotransferase (hph) gene or the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene to label the transformants. A Southern blot analysis showed that the probability of a single copy of T-DNA insertion was approximately 50% when the co-cultivation of fungal spores and Agrobacterium tumefaciens cells was performed at 24-36 h, whereas at 48 h, it was approximately 35.5%. Therefore, when performing gene knockout using the ATMT system, the co-cultivation time was reduced to ≤36 h. The resulting transformants were mitotically stable, and a PCR analysis confirmed the genes' integration into the transformant genome. Additionally, hph and eGFP gene expressions were confirmed via PCR amplification and fluorescence microscopy. This optimised transformation system will enable functional gene analyses to study genes of interest in P. inflatum.

DNA methylation-dependent epigenetic regulation of Verticillium dahliae virulence in plants

As a conserved epigenetic mark, DNA cytosine methylation, at the 5' position (5-mC), plays important roles in multiple biological processes, including plant immunity. However, the involvement of DNA methylation in the determinants of virulence of phytopathogenic fungi remains elusive. In this study, we profiled the DNA methylation patterns of the phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae, one of the major causal pathogens of Verticillium wilt disease that causes great losses in many crops, and explored its contribution in fungal pathogenicity. We reveal that DNA methylation modification is present in V. dahliae and is required for its full virulence in host plants. The major enzymes responsible for the establishment of DNA methylation in V. dahliae were identified. We provided evidence that DNA methyltransferase-mediated establishment of DNA methylation pattern positively regulates fungal virulence, mainly through repressing a conserved protein kinase VdRim15-mediated Ca2+ signaling and ROS production, which is essential for the penetration activity of V. dahliae. In addition, we further demonstrated that histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3), another heterochromatin marker that is closely associated with 5-mC in eukaryotes, also participates in the regulation of V. dahliae pathogenicity, through a similar mechanism. More importantly, DNA methyltransferase genes VdRid, VdDnmt5, as well as H3K9me3 methyltransferase genes, were greatly induced during the early infection phase, implying that a dynamic regulation of 5-mC and H3K9me3 homeostasis is required for an efficient infection. Collectively, our findings uncover an epigenetic mechanism in the regulation of phytopathogenic fungal virulence.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42994-023-00117-5.

Establishment of RNA Interference Genetic Transformation System and Functional Analysis of FlbA Gene in Leptographium qinlingensis

Leptographium qinlingensis is a pathogenic fungus of Pinus armandii that is epidemic in the Qinling Mountains. However, an effective gene interference strategy is needed to characterize the pathogenic genes in this fungus on a functional level. Using the RNA silencing vector pSilent-1 as a template, we established an RNA interference genetic transformation system mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens GV3101, which is suitable for the gene study for Leptographium qinlingensis by homologous recombination and strain interference system screening. The LqFlbA gene was silenced using the RNA interference approach described above, and the resulting transformants displayed various levels of silencing with a gene silencing effectiveness ranging from 41.8% to 91.4%. The LqFlbA-RNAi mutant displayed altered colony morphology, sluggish mycelium growth, and diminished pathogenicity toward the host P. armandii in comparison to the wild type. The results indicate that this method provides a useful reverse genetic system for studying the gene function of L. qinlingensis, and that LqFlbA plays a crucial role in the growth, development, and pathogenicity of L. qinlingensis.

Strategies for the Development of Industrial Fungal Producing Strains

The use of microorganisms in industry has enabled the (over)production of various compounds (e.g., primary and secondary metabolites, proteins and enzymes) that are relevant for the production of antibiotics, food, beverages, cosmetics, chemicals and biofuels, among others. Industrial strains are commonly obtained by conventional (non-GMO) strain improvement strategies and random screening and selection. However, recombinant DNA technology has made it possible to improve microbial strains by adding, deleting or modifying specific genes. Techniques such as genetic engineering and genome editing are contributing to the development of industrial production strains. Nevertheless, there is still significant room for further strain improvement. In this review, we will focus on classical and recent methods, tools and technologies used for the development of fungal production strains with the potential to be applied at an industrial scale. Additionally, the use of functional genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics together with the implementation of genetic manipulation techniques and expression tools will be discussed.

Epistatic Relationship between MGV1 and TRI6 in the Regulation of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters in Fusarium graminearum

Genetic studies have shown that the MAP kinase MGV1 and the transcriptional regulator TRI6 regulate many of the same biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in Fusarium graminearum. This study sought to investigate the relationship between MGV1 and TRI6 in the regulatory hierarchy. Transgenic F. graminearum strains constitutively expressing MGV1 and TRI6 were generated to address both independent and epistatic regulation of BGCs by MGV1 and TRI6. We performed a comparative transcriptome analysis between axenic cultures grown in nutrient-rich and secondary metabolite-inducing conditions. The results indicated that BGCs regulated independently by Mgv1 included genes of BGC52, whereas genes uniquely regulated by TRI6 included the gene cluster (BGC49) that produces gramillin. To understand the epistatic relationship between MGV1 and TRI6, CRISPR/Cas9 was used to insert a constitutive promoter to drive TRI6 expression in the Δmgv1 strain. The results indicate that BGCs that produce deoxynivalenol and fusaoctaxin are co-regulated, with TRI6 being partially regulated by MGV1. Overall, the findings from this study indicate that MGV1 provides an articulation point to differentially regulate various BGCs. Moreover, TRI6, embedded in one of the BGCs provides specificity to regulate the expression of the genes in the BGC.

A newly constructed Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system based on the hisB auxotrophic marker for genetic manipulation in Aspergillus niger

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger is widely exploited as an industrial workhorse for producing enzymes and organic acids. So far, different genetic tools, including CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing strategies, have been developed for the engineering of A. niger. However, these tools usually require a suitable method for gene transfer into the fungal genome, like protoplast-mediated transformation (PMT) or Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT). Compared to PMT, ATMT is considered more advantageous because fungal spores can be used directly for genetic transformation instead of protoplasts. Although ATMT has been applied in many filamentous fungi, it remains less effective in A. niger. In the present study, we deleted the hisB gene and established an ATMT system for A. niger based on the histidine auxotrophic mechanism. Our results revealed that the ATMT system could achieve 300 transformants per 10⁷ fungal spores under optimal transformation conditions. The ATMT efficiency in this work is 5 - 60 times higher than those of the previous ATMT studies in A. niger. The ATMT system was successfully applied to express the DsRed fluorescent protein-encoding gene from the Discosoma coral in A. niger. Furthermore, we showed that the ATMT system was efficient for gene targeting in A. niger. The deletion efficiency of the laeA regulatory gene using hisB as a selectable marker could reach 68 - 85% in A. niger strains. The ATMT system constructed in our work represents a promising genetic tool for heterologous expression and gene targeting in the industrially important fungus A. niger.

Construction of Cordycepin High-Production Strain and Optimization of Culture Conditions

This study aimed to increase cordycepin production by over-expressing bio-synthetic enzyme genes, including the adenylosuccinate synthase, adenylosuccinate lyase, and 5'-nucleotidase genes. Research data showed that the extracellular and intracellular cordycepin concent of 24 recombinant strains were higher than those of C. militaris WT, indicating that over-expression of key enzyme genes increased cordycepin production. Among them, the CM-adss-5 strain had highest cordycepin production, and the extracellular and intracellular cordycepin concent were 1119.75 ± 1.61 and 65.56 ± 0.97 mg/L, which were 1.26 and 2.61 times that of C. militaris WT. This study also optimized the culture conditions of CM-adss-5 strain through single factor experiments to obtain the best culture conditions. The best culture condition was 25 °C constant temperature, 180-rpm shaking culture, fermentation period 12 days, inoculate amount 5%, initial pH 6, seed age 108 h, and liquid volume 110/250 mL. Then, the extracellular and intracellular cordycepin content of CM-adss-5 strain reached 2581.96 ± 21.07 and 164.08 ± 1.44 mg/L, which were higher by 130.6% and 150.3%, respectively. Therefore, our research provides a way to efficiently produce cordycepin for the development of cordycepin and its downstream products.

Targeted Genetic Engineering via Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation in Fusarium solani

Members of the Fusarium solani species complex are filamentous fungi that can act as pathogens to many crops and animals. Although relevant, a robust molecular toolbox is missing for the investigation of gene function and metabolism. In this chapter, we describe how Agrobacterium-mediated transformation can be used to facilitate gene targeting. A flexible vector system, based on in vivo recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is utilized to achieve overexpression and gene deletion of targeted biosynthetic genes in F. solani f. sp. pisi.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation Method for Fusarium oxysporum

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) is becoming a popular effective system as an insertional mutagenesis tool in filamentous fungi. An efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation approach was developed for the plant pathogenic fungus, F. oxysporum, the causal agent of Apple replant disease (ARD) in China. Four parameters were selected to optimize efficiencies of transformation. A. tumefaciens concentration, conidial concentration of F. oxysporum, and co-culture temperature and time have a significant influence on all parameters. Transformants emit green fluorescence under fluorescence microscopy. The integration of a mitotically stable hygromycin resistance gene (hph) in the genome is confirmed by PCR. The transformation efficiency can reach up to 300 transformants per 10⁶ conidia under optimal conditions. This ATMT method is an efficient tool for insertional mutagenesis of F. oxysporum.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation of NHEJ Mutant Aspergillus nidulans Conidia: An Efficient Tool for Targeted Gene Recombination Using Selectable Nutritional Markers

Protoplast transformation for the introduction of recombinant DNA into Aspergillus nidulans is technically demanding and dependant on the availability and batch variability of commercial enzyme preparations. Given the success of Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) in diverse pathogenic fungi, we have adapted this method to facilitate transformation of A. nidulans. Using suitably engineered binary vectors, gene-targeted ATMT of A. nidulans non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) mutant conidia has been carried out for the first time by complementation of a nutritional requirement (uridine/uracil auxotrophy). Site-specific integration in the ΔnkuA host genome occurred at high efficiency. Unlike other transformation techniques, however, cross-feeding of certain nutritional requirements from the bacterium to the fungus was found to occur, thus limiting the choice of auxotrophies available for ATMT. In complementation tests and also for comparative purposes, integration of recombinant cassettes at a specific locus could provide a means to reduce the influence of position effects (chromatin structure) on transgene expression. In this regard, targeted disruption of the wA locus permitted visual identification of transformants carrying site-specific integration events by conidial colour (white), even when auxotrophy selection was compromised due to cross-feeding. The protocol described offers an attractive alternative to the protoplast procedure for obtaining locus-targeted A. nidulans transformants.

Protoplast-mediated transformation in Sporisorium scitamineum facilitates visualization of in planta developmental stages in sugarcane

BACKGROUND

Sporisorium scitamineum is the causative agent of smut disease in sugarcane. The tricky life cycle of S. scitamineum consists of three distinct growth stages: diploid teliospores, haploid sporidia and dikaryotic mycelia. Compatible haploid sporidia representing opposite mating types (MAT-1 and MAT-2) of the fungus fuse to form infective dikaryotic mycelia in the host tissues, leading to the development of a characteristic whip shaped sorus. In this study, the transition of distinct stages of in vitro life cycle and in planta developmental stages of S. scitamineum are presented by generating stable GFP transformants of S. scitamineum.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Haploid sporidia were isolated from the teliospores of Ss97009, and the opposite mating types (MAT-1 and MAT-2) were identified by random mating assay and mating type-specific PCR. Both haploid sporidia were individually transformed with pNIIST plasmid, harboring an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene and hygromycin gene by a modified protoplast-based PEG-mediated transformation method. Thereafter, the distinct in vitro developmental stages including fusion of haploid sporidia and formation of dikaryotic mycelia expressing GFP were demonstrated. To visualize in planta colonization, transformed haploids (MAT-1gfp and MAT-2gfp) were fused and inoculated onto the smut susceptible sugarcane cultivar, Co 97009 and examined microscopically at different stages of colonization. GFP fluorescence-based analysis presented an extensive fungal colonization of the bud surface as well as inter- and intracellular colonization of the transformed S. scitamineum in sugarcane tissues during initial stages of disease development. Noticeably, the GFP-tagged S. scitamineum led to the emergence of smut whips, which established their pathogenicity, and demonstrated initial colonization, active sporogenesis and teliospore maturation stages.

CONCLUSION

Overall, for the first time, an efficient protoplast-based transformation method was employed to depict clear-cut developmental stages in vitro and in planta using GFP-tagged strains for better understanding of S. scitamineum life cycle development.

Optimization of Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation of Xylaria grammica EL000614, an Endolichenic Fungus Producing Grammicin

An endolichenic fungus Xylaria grammica EL000614 produces grammicin, a potent nematicidal pyrone derivative that can serve as a new control option for root-knot nematodes. We optimized an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) protocol for X. grammica to support genetic studies. Transformants were successfully generated after co-cultivation of homogenized young mycelia of X. grammica with A. tumefaciens strain AGL-1 carrying a binary vector that contains the bacterial hygromycin B phosphotransferase (hph) gene and the eGFP gene in T-DNA. The resulting transformants were mitotically stable, and PCR analysis showed the integratin of both genes in the genome of transformants. Expression of eGFP was confirmed via fluorescence microscopy. Southern analysis showed that 131 (78.9%) out of 166 transformants contained a single T-DNA insertion. Crucial factors for producing predominantly single T-DNA transformants include 48 h of co-cultivation, pre-treatment of A. tumefaciens cells with acetosyringone before co-cultivation, and using freshly prepared mycelia. The established ATMT protocol offers an efficient tool for random insertional mutagenesis and gene transfer in studying the biology and ecology of X. grammica.

Efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation system of Diaporthe caulivora

This is the first report describing the genetic transformation of Diaporthe caulivora, the soybean stem canker fungus. A simple and 100% efficient protocol of Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation used mycelium as starting material and the hygromycin B resistance and green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a selection and reporter agents, respectively. All transgenic isolates were mitotically stable in two independent experiments and polymerase chain reaction with hygromycin B resistance primers confirmed successful T-DNA integration into the fungal genome. Plant-fungus interaction studies, including pathogenicity, latency, and endophytism, as well as further studies of random and targeted mutagenesis will be possible with GFP-expressing isolates of D. caulivora and other species in the Diaporthe / Phomopsis complex.

Advances in Genetic Engineering Technology and Its Application in the Industrial Fungus Aspergillus oryzae

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae is an important strain in the traditional fermentation and food processing industries and is often used in the production of soy sauce, soybean paste, and liquor-making. In addition, A. oryzae has a strong capacity to secrete large amounts of hydrolytic enzymes; therefore, it has also been used in the enzyme industry as a cell factory for the production of numerous native and heterologous enzymes. However, the production and secretion of foreign proteins by A. oryzae are often limited by numerous bottlenecks that occur during transcription, translation, protein folding, translocation, degradation, transport, secretion, etc. The existence of these problems makes it difficult to achieve the desired target in the production of foreign proteins by A. oryzae. In recent years, with the decipherment of the whole genome sequence, basic research and genetic engineering technologies related to the production and utilization of A. oryzae have been well developed, such as the improvement of homologous recombination efficiency, application of selectable marker genes, development of large chromosome deletion technology, utilization of hyphal fusion techniques, and application of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing systems. The development and establishment of these genetic engineering technologies provided a great deal of technical support for the industrial production and application of A. oryzae. This paper reviews the advances in basic research and genetic engineering technologies of the fermentation strain A. oryzae mentioned above to open up more effective ways and research space for the breeding of A. oryzae production strains in the future.

Efficient expressions of reporter genes in the industrial filamentous fungus Sclerotium rolfsii mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Sclerotium rolfsii (teleomorph Athelia rolfsii) is one of the plant pathogenic basidiomycetes, which causes severe stem-rot disease in hundreds of plants and produces important metabolites, such as scleroglucan and TF-specific lectin. However, further molecular biological research on this filamentous fungus is severely plateaued out due to the lack of genetic methods. In this study, the A. tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring a binary vector containing the basta resistance gene fused with three reporters (DsRed, tdTomato, and GUSPlus) respectively, driven by the SrGPD promoter, was used for genetic transformation of S. rolfsii. The results showed that the three reporter genes were all effectively expressed in S. rolfsii. This study also showed that the intron of the SrGPD promoter is not necessary for transgene expression in this fungus. Besides, we showed that these reporters' signals could be observed easily but in a short time window. The efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system and the three reporter gene plasmids for S. rolfsii developed in this study are of significance in overcoming current limitations of no available transformation and genetic manipulation techniques in S. rolfsii, facilitating further genetic manipulations and gene function exploration.

Discovery of New Secondary Metabolites by Epigenetic Regulation and NMR Comparison from the Plant Endophytic Fungus Monosporascus eutypoides

Overexpression of the histone acetyltransferase and the ¹H NMR spectroscopic experiments of the endophytic fungus Monosporascus eutypoides resulted in the isolation of two new compounds, monosporasols A (1) and B (2), and two known compounds, pestaloficin C (3) and arthrinone (4). Their planar structures and absolute configurations were determined by spectroscopic analysis including high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (HRESIMS), one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR, and calculated electronic circular dichroism data. Compounds 1–2 were screened in cytotoxic bioassays against HeLa, HCT-8, A549 and MCF-7 cells. Our work highlights the enormous potential of epigenetic manipulation along with the NMR comparison as an effective strategy for unlocking the chemical diversity encoded by fungal genomes.

Approaches for Genetic Discoveries in the Skin Commensal and Pathogenic Malassezia Yeasts

Malassezia includes yeasts belong to the subphylum Ustilaginomycotina within the Basidiomycota. Malassezia yeasts are commonly found as commensals on human and animal skin. Nevertheless, Malassezia species are also associated with several skin disorders, such as dandruff/seborrheic dermatitis, atopic eczema, pityriasis versicolor, and folliculitis. More recently, associations of Malassezia with Crohn's disease, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and cystic fibrosis pulmonary exacerbation have been reported. The increasing availability of genomic and molecular tools have played a crucial role in understanding the genetic basis of Malassezia commensalism and pathogenicity. In the present review we report genomics advances in Malassezia highlighting unique features that potentially impacted Malassezia biology and host adaptation. Furthermore, we describe the recently developed protocols for Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation in Malassezia, and their applications for random insertional mutagenesis or targeted gene replacement strategies.

A new vector system for targeted integration and overexpression of genes in the crop pathogen Fusarium solani

Background

Besides their ability to produce several interesting bioactive secondary metabolites, members of the Fusarium solani species complex comprise important pathogens of plants and humans. One of the major obstacles in understanding the biology of this species complex is the lack of efficient molecular tools for genetic manipulation.

Results

To remove this obstacle we here report the development of a reliable system where the vectors are generated through yeast recombinational cloning and inserted into a specific site in F. solani through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. As proof-of-concept, the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (eYFP) was inserted in a non-coding genomic position of F. solani and subsequent analyses showed that the resulting transformants were fluorescent on all tested media. In addition, we cloned and overexpressed the Zn(II)₂Cys₆ transcriptional factor fsr6 controlling mycelial pigmentation. A transformant displayed deep red/purple pigmentation stemming from bostrycoidin and javanicin.

Conclusion

By creating streamlined plasmid construction and fungal transformation systems, we are now able to express genes in the crop pathogen F. solani in a reliable and fast manner. As a case study, we targeted and activated the fusarubin (PKS3: fsr) gene cluster, which is the first case study of secondary metabolites being directly associated with the responsible gene cluster in F. solani via targeted activation. The system provides an approach that in the future can be used by the community to understand the biochemistry and genetics of the Fusarium solani species complex, and is obtainable from Addgene catalog #133094.

Graphic abstract

Visualization of Phytophthora palmivora Infection in Oil Palm Leaflets with Fluorescent Proteins and Cell Viability Markers

Bud rot (BR) is the most devastating disease affecting oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) crops in Colombia. Its causal agent, Phytophthora palmivora, initiates the infection in immature oil palm leaflets producing necrotic lesions, followed by colonization of opportunistic necrotrophs, which increases disease damage. To improve the characterization of the disease, we transformed P. palmivora using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) to include the fluorescent proteins CFP-SKL (peroxisomal localization), eGFP and mRFP1 (cytoplasmic localization). The stability of some transformants was confirmed by Southern blot analysis and single zoospore cultures; additionally, virulence and in vitro growth were compared to the wild-type isolate to select transformants with the greatest resemblance to the WT isolate. GFP-tagged P. palmivora was useful to identify all of the infective structures that are commonly formed by hemibiotrophic oomycetes, including apoplastic colonization and haustorium formation. Finally, we detected cell death responses associated with immature oil palm tissues that showed reduced susceptibility to P. palmivora infection, indicating that these tissues could exhibit age-related resistance. The aim of this research is to improve the characterization of the initial disease stages and generate cell biology tools that may be useful for developing methodologies for early identification of oil palm materials resistant or susceptible to BR.

ATMT transformation efficiencies with native promoters in Botryosphaeria kuwatsukai causing ring rot disease in pear

Botryosphaeria kuwatsukai is an important fungal pathogen affecting pear fruits. However, infection processes of this fungus are still unclear. This study seeks to develop the fungal transformation of B. kuwatsukai by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT), assess the reliability of appropriate vectors and examine the infection processes in vitro using a GFP labeled strain of B. kuwatsukai. To establish a highly effective transformation system in B. kuwatsukai, binary vectors containing various lengths of H3 promoters and TEF promoters fused with GFP and hygromycin B resistance gene cassettes were constructed. These cassettes were integrated into the genomic DNA of B. kuwatsukai with high transformation frequency by the ATMT method. Transformants showed strong expression of GFP and hygromycin B resistance genes in cells. Furthermore, we investigated if native promoters are more suitable to govern marker genes than other general promoters used in other filamentous fungi. The results obtained herein demonstrate that the vectors constructed in this study can be utilized with high transformation rate. Microscopic examinations also reveal that fungal hyphae undergo morphological changes during the infection process resulting in biotrophic stage of infected host cells. Our results provide genetic insights to further explore the infection processes of B. kuwatsukai.

Identification of novel genes in the carotenogenic and oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula toruloides through genome-wide insertional mutagenesis

Background

Rhodotorula toruloides is an outstanding producer of lipids and carotenoids. Currently, information on the key metabolic pathways and their molecular basis of regulation remains scarce, severely limiting efforts to engineer it as an industrial host.

Results

We have adapted Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) as a gene-tagging tool for the identification of novel genes in R. toruloides. Multiple factors affecting transformation efficiency in several species in the Pucciniomycotina subphylum were optimized. The Agrobacterium transfer DNA (T-DNA) showed predominantly single-copy chromosomal integrations in R. toruloides, which were trackable by high efficiency thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR (hiTAIL-PCR). To demonstrate the application of random T-DNA insertions for strain improvement and gene hunting, 3 T-DNA insertional libraries were screened against cerulenin, nile red and tetrazolium violet respectively, resulting in the identification of 22 mutants with obvious phenotypes in fatty acid or lipid metabolism. Similarly, 5 carotenoid biosynthetic mutants were obtained through visual screening of the transformants. To further validate the gene tagging strategy, one of the carotenoid production mutants, RAM5, was analyzed in detail. The mutant had a T-DNA inserted at the putative phytoene desaturase gene CAR1. Deletion of CAR1 by homologous recombination led to a phenotype similar to RAM5 and it could be genetically complemented by re-introduction of the wild-type CAR1 genome sequence.

Conclusions

T-DNA insertional mutagenesis is an efficient forward genetic tool for gene discovery in R. toruloides and related oleaginous yeast species. It is also valuable for metabolic engineering in these hosts. Further analysis of the 27 mutants identified in this study should augment our knowledge of the lipid and carotenoid biosynthesis, which may be exploited for oil and isoprenoid metabolic engineering.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-018-1151-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Genetic manipulation of Fonsecaea pedrosoi using particles bombardment and Agrobacterium mediated transformation

Fonsecaea pedrosoi, a melanized fungal pathogen that causes Chromoblastomycosis, a human disease with a worldwide distribution. Biolistic is a widely used technique for direct delivery of genetic material into intact cells by particles bombardment. Another well-established transformation method is Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (ATMT), which involves the transfer of a T-DNA from the bacterium to the target cells. In F. pedrosoi there are no reports of established protocols for genetic transformation, which require optimization of physical and biological parameters. In this work, intact conidia of F. pedrosoi were particle bombarded and subjected to ATMT. In addition, we proposed hygromycin B, nourseothricin and neomycin as dominant selective markers for F. pedrosoi and vectors were constructed. We tested two parameters for biolistic: the distance of the particles to the target cells and time of cells recovery in nonselective medium. The biolistic efficiency was 37 transformants/μg of pFpHYG, and 45 transformants/μg of pAN7.1. Transformants expressing GFP were successfully obtained by biolistic. A co-culture ratio of 10: 1 (bacterium: conidia) and co-incubation time of 72 h yielded the largest number of transformants after ATMT. Southern blot analysis showed the number of foreign DNA insertion into the genome is dependent upon the plasmid used to generate the mutants. This work describes for the first time two efficient methods for genetic modification of Fonsecaea and these results open new avenues to better understand the biology and pathogenicity of the main causal agent of this neglected disease.

Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation of Yeast and Fungi

Two decades ago, it was discovered that the well-known plant vector Agrobacterium tumefaciens can also transform yeasts and fungi when these microorganisms are co-cultivated on a solid substrate in the presence of a phenolic inducer such as acetosyringone. It is important that the medium has a low pH (5-6) and that the temperature is kept at room temperature (20-25 °C) during co-cultivation. Nowadays, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (AMT) is the method of choice for the transformation of many fungal species; as the method is simple, the transformation efficiencies are much higher than with other methods, and AMT leads to single-copy integration much more frequently than do other methods. Integration of T-DNA in fungi occurs by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), but also targeted integration of the T-DNA by homologous recombination (HR) is possible. In contrast to AMT of plants, which relies on the assistance of a number of translocated virulence (effector) proteins, none of these (VirE2, VirE3, VirD5, VirF) are necessary for AMT of yeast or fungi. This is in line with the idea that some of these proteins help to overcome plant defense. Importantly, it also showed that VirE2 is not necessary for the transport of the T-strand into the nucleus. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a fast-growing organism with a relatively simple genome with reduced genetic redundancy. This yeast species has therefore been used to unravel basic molecular processes in eukaryotic cells as well as to elucidate the function of virulence factors of pathogenic microorganisms acting in plants or animals. Translocation of Agrobacterium virulence proteins into yeast was recently visualized in real time by confocal microscopy. In addition, the yeast 2-hybrid system, one of many tools that have been developed for use in this yeast, was used to identify plant and yeast proteins interacting with the translocated Agrobacterium virulence proteins. Dedicated mutant libraries, containing for each gene a mutant with a precise deletion, have been used to unravel the mode of action of some of the Agrobacterium virulence proteins. Yeast deletion mutant collections were also helpful in identifying host factors promoting or inhibiting AMT, including factors involved in T-DNA integration. Thus, the homologous recombination (HR) factor Rad52 was found to be essential for targeted integration of T-DNA by HR in yeast. Proteins mediating double-strand break (DSB) repair by end-joining (Ku70, Ku80, Lig4) turned out to be essential for non-homologous integration. Inactivation of any one of the genes encoding these end-joining factors in other yeasts and fungi was employed to reduce or totally eliminate non-homologous integration and promote efficient targeted integration at the homologous locus by HR. In plants, however, their inactivation did not prevent non-homologous integration, indicating that T-DNA is captured by different DNA repair pathways in plants and fungi.

Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation: biology and applications

Plant genetic transformation heavily relies on the bacterial pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens as a powerful tool to deliver genes of interest into a host plant. Inside the plant nucleus, the transferred DNA is capable of integrating into the plant genome for inheritance to the next generation (i.e. stable transformation). Alternatively, the foreign DNA can transiently remain in the nucleus without integrating into the genome but still be transcribed to produce desirable gene products (i.e. transient transformation). From the discovery of A. tumefaciens to its wide application in plant biotechnology, numerous aspects of the interaction between A. tumefaciens and plants have been elucidated. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the biology and the applications of Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation, which may be useful for both microbiologists and plant biologists who desire a better understanding of plant transformation, protein expression in plants, and plant-microbe interaction.

A silver bullet in a golden age of functional genomics: the impact of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of fungi

The implementation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens as a transformation tool revolutionized approaches to discover and understand gene functions in a large number of fungal species. A. tumefaciens mediated transformation (AtMT) is one of the most transformative technologies for research on fungi developed in the last 20 years, a development arguably only surpassed by the impact of genomics. AtMT has been widely applied in forward genetics, whereby generation of strain libraries using random T-DNA insertional mutagenesis, combined with phenotypic screening, has enabled the genetic basis of many processes to be elucidated. Alternatively, AtMT has been fundamental for reverse genetics, where mutant isolates are generated with targeted gene deletions or disruptions, enabling gene functional roles to be determined. When combined with concomitant advances in genomics, both forward and reverse approaches using AtMT have enabled complex fungal phenotypes to be dissected at the molecular and genetic level. Additionally, in several cases AtMT has paved the way for the development of new species to act as models for specific areas of fungal biology, particularly in plant pathogenic ascomycetes and in a number of basidiomycete species. Despite its impact, the implementation of AtMT has been uneven in the fungi. This review provides insight into the dynamics of expansion of new research tools into a large research community and across multiple organisms. As such, AtMT in the fungi, beyond the demonstrated and continuing power for gene discovery and as a facile transformation tool, provides a model to understand how other technologies that are just being pioneered, e.g. CRISPR/Cas, may play roles in fungi and other eukaryotic species.

RNAi-mediated silencing of MAP kinase signalling genes (Fmk1, Hog1, and Pbs2) in Fusarium oxysporum reduces pathogenesis on tomato plants

Fusarium oxysporum is a soil-borne plant fungal pathogen, and causes colossal losses in several crop plants including tomato. Effective control measures include the use of harmful fungicides and resistant cultivars, but these methods have shown limited success. Conventional methods to validate fungal pathogenic genes are labour intensive. Therefore, an alternative strategy is required to efficiently characterize unknown pathogenic genes. RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a potential tool to functionally characterize novel fungal pathogenic genes and also to control fungal diseases. Here, we report an efficient method to produce stable RNAi transformants of F. oxysporum using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (AMT). We have transformed F. oxysporum spores using RNAi constructs of Fmk1, Hog1, and Pbs2 MAP kinase signalling genes. Fmk1 RNAi fungal transformants showed loss of surface hydrophobicity, reduced invasive growth on tomato fruits and hypo-virulence on tomato seedlings. Hog1 and Pbs2 RNAi transformants showed altered conidial size, and reduced invasive growth and pathogenesis. These results showed that AMT using RNAi constructs is an effective approach for dissecting the role of genes involved in pathogenesis in F. oxysporum and this could be extended for other fungal systems. The obtained knowledge can be easily translated for developing fungal resistant crops by RNAi.

Expression and functional analysis of the lysine decarboxylase and copper amine oxidase genes from the endophytic fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides ES026

Huperzine A (HupA) isolated from Huperzia serrata is an important compound used to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, HupA was reported in various endophytic fungi, with Colletotrichum gloeosporioides ES026 previously isolated from H. serrata shown to produce HupA. In this study, we performed next-generation sequencing and de novo RNA sequencing of C. gloeosporioides ES026 to elucidate the molecular functions, biological processes, and biochemical pathways of these unique sequences. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes assignments allowed annotation of lysine decarboxylase (LDC) and copper amine oxidase (CAO) for their conversion of L-lysine to 5-aminopentanal during HupA biosynthesis. Additionally, we constructed a stable, high-yielding HupA-expression system resulting from the overexpression of CgLDC and CgCAO from the HupA-producing endophytic fungus C. gloeosporioides ES026 in Escherichia coli. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed CgLDC and CgCAO expression, and quantitative determination of HupA levels was assessed by liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry, which revealed that elevated expression of CgLDC and CgCAO produced higher yields of HupA than those derived from C. gloeosporioides ES026. These results revealed CgLDC and CgCAO involvement in HupA biosynthesis and their key role in regulating HupA content in C. gloeosporioides ES026.

Use of Random T-DNA Mutagenesis in Identification of Gene UvPRO1, A Regulator of Conidiation, Stress Response, and Virulence in Ustilaginoidea virens

False smut of rice, caused by Ustilaginoidea virens (Cooke) Takahashi (teleomorph: Villosiclava virens), is one of the most important diseases affecting rice worldwide. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation was used to identify functional genes in U. virens. In this study, we selected a single-copy insertion mutant T133 with deficiency in producing conidia by screening the T-DNA insertion mutant library of U. virens. The UvPRO1-deletion mutant was successfully obtained after cloning the targeted gene by analysis of the T-DNA insert site of mutant T133. Further research showed that the UvPRO1 mutant was reduced in growth rate and could not produce conidia in PSB medium, while sensitivities to sodium dodecyl sulfate, Congo red, and hyperosmotic stress increased. Moreover, the UvPRO1 deletion mutant hyphae could extend along the surface of spikelets at 1-3 dpi, but mycelia became shriveled and completely lost the ability to infect spikelets at 4 dpi. The relative expression level of UvPRO1 at 8 dpi was more than twice as high as that at 1-2 dpi. These results suggest that UvPRO1 plays a critical role in hyphal growth and conidiation, as well as in stress response and pathogenesis. These findings provide a novel mode of action for the PRO1 protein in fungi and improve the understanding of the function of UvPRO1 in the life cycle of U. virens.

Nutrient supplements boost yeast transformation efficiency

Efficiency of yeast transformation is determined by the rate of yeast endocytosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of introducing amino acids and other nutrients (inositol, adenine, or p-aminobenzoic acid) in the transformation medium to develop a highly efficient yeast transformation protocol. The target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) kinase signalling complex influences the rate of yeast endocytosis. TORC signaling is induced by amino acids in the media. Here, we found that increasing the concentration of amino acids and other nutrients in the growth media lead to an increase yeast transformation efficiency up to 10⁷ CFU per μg plasmid DNA and per 10⁸ cells with a 13.8 kb plasmid DNA. This is over 130 times that of current published methods. This improvement may facilitate more efficient experimentation in which transformation efficiency is critical, such as yeast two-hybrid screening.

Variation in Growth, Colonization of Maize, and Metabolic Parameters of GFP- and DsRed-Labeled Fusarium verticillioides Strains

Autofluorescent proteins are frequently applied as visual markers in the labeling of filamentous fungi. Genes gfp and DsRed were transformed into the genome of Fusarium verticillioides via the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation method. The selected transformants displayed a bright green or red fluorescence in all the organelles of the growing fungal mycelia and spores (except for the vacuoles) both in cultures and in the maize (Zea mays) roots they colonized. The results of gene-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and the thermal asymmetrical interlaced (TAIL)-PCR analysis demonstrated that gfp and DsRed were integrated on different chromosomes of the fungus. Reductions in the colony growth on the plates at pH 4.0 and 5.5 was observed for the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-transformant G3 and the DsRed-transformant R4, but transformants G4 and R1 grew as well as the wild-type strain at pH 4.0. The speed of growth of all the transformants was similar to the wild-type strain at pH ≥ 7. The insertion of gfp and DsRed did not alter the production of extracellular enzymes and fumonisin B by F. verticillioides. The transformants expressing GFP and DsRed proteins were able to colonize maize roots. However, the four transformants examined produced fewer CFU in the root samples than the wild-type strain during a sampling period of 7 to 28 days after inoculation.

Multi-Homologous Recombination-Based Gene Manipulation in the Rice Pathogen Fusarium fujikuroi

Gene disruption by homologous recombination is widely used to investigate and analyze the function of genes in Fusarium fujikuroi, a fungus that causes bakanae disease and root rot symptoms in rice. To generate gene deletion constructs, the use of conventional cloning methods, which rely on restriction enzymes and ligases, has had limited success due to a lack of unique restriction enzyme sites. Although strategies that avoid the use of restriction enzymes have been employed to overcome this issue, these methods require complicated PCR steps or are frequently inefficient. Here, we introduce a cloning system that utilizes multi-fragment assembly by In-Fusion to generate a gene disruption construct. This method utilizes DNA fragment fusion and requires only one PCR step and one reaction for construction. Using this strategy, a gene disruption construct for Fusarium cyclin C1 (FCC1 ), which is associated with fumonisin B1 biosynthesis, was successfully created and used for fungal transformation. In vivo and in vitro experiments using confirmed fcc1 mutants suggest that fumonisin production is closely related to disease symptoms exhibited by F. fujikuroi strain B14. Taken together, this multi-fragment assembly method represents a simpler and a more convenient process for targeted gene disruption in fungi.

A Functional Bacterium-to-Plant DNA Transfer Machinery of Rhizobium etli

Different strains and species of the soil phytopathogen Agrobacterium possess the ability to transfer and integrate a segment of DNA (T-DNA) into the genome of their eukaryotic hosts, which is mainly mediated by a set of virulence (vir) genes located on the bacterial Ti-plasmid that also contains the T-DNA. To date, Agrobacterium is considered to be unique in its capacity to mediate genetic transformation of eukaryotes. However, close homologs of the vir genes are encoded by the p42a plasmid of Rhizobium etli; this microorganism is related to Agrobacterium, but known only as a symbiotic bacterium that forms nitrogen-fixing nodules in several species of beans. Here, we show that R. etli can mediate functional DNA transfer and stable genetic transformation of plant cells, when provided with a plasmid containing a T-DNA segment. Thus, R. etli represents another bacterial species, besides Agrobacterium, that encodes a protein machinery for DNA transfer to eukaryotic cells and their subsequent genetic modification.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation: An efficient tool for insertional mutagenesis and targeted gene disruption in Harpophora oryzae

The endophytic filamentous fungus Harpophora oryzae is a beneficial endosymbiont isolated from the wild rice. H. oryzae could not only effectively improve growth rate and biomass yield of rice crops, but also induce systemic resistance against the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae. In this study, Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) was employed and optimized to modify the H. oryzae genes by either random DNA fragment integration or targeted gene replacement. Our results showed that co-cultivation of H. oryzae conidia with A. tumefaciens in the presence of acetosyringone for 48 h at 22 °C could lead to a relatively highest frequency of transformation, and 200 μM acetosyringone (AS) pre-cultivation of A. tumefaciens is also suggested. ATMT-mediated knockout mutagenesis was accomplished with the gene-deletion cassettes using a yeast homologous recombination method with a yeast-Escherichia-Agrobacterium shuttle vector pKOHo. Using the ATMT-mediated knockout mutagenesis, we successfully deleted three genes of H. oryzae (HoATG5, HoATG7, and HoATG8), and then got the null mutants ΔHoatg5, ΔHoatg7, and ΔHoatg8. These results suggest that ATMT is an efficient tool for gene modification including randomly insertional mutagenesis and gene deletion mutagenesis in H. oryzae.

Horizontal DNA transfer from bacteria to eukaryotes and a lesson from experimental transfers

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is widespread among bacteria and plays a key role in genome dynamics. HGT is much less common in eukaryotes, but is being reported with increasing frequency in eukaryotes. The mechanism as to how eukaryotes acquired genes from distantly related organisms remains obscure yet. This paper cites examples of bacteria-derived genes found in eukaryotic organisms, and then describes experimental DNA transports to eukaryotes by bacterial type 4 secretion systems in optimized conditions. The mechanisms of the latter are efficient, quite reproducible in vitro and predictable, and thereby would provide insight into natural HGT and to the development of new research tools.

Development of an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system for the cold-adapted fungi Pseudogymnoascus destructans and P. pannorum

The mechanisms of cold adaptation by fungi remain unknown. This topic is of high interest due to the emergence of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a skin infection of hibernating bats caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). Recent studies indicated that apart from Pd, there is an abundance of other Pseudogymnoascus species in the hibernacula soil. We developed an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) system for Pd and a related fungus Pseudogymnoascus pannorum (Pp) to advance experimental studies. URE1 gene encoding the enzyme urease was used as an easy to screen marker to facilitate molecular genetic analyses. A Uracil-Specific Excision Reagent (USER) Friendly pRF-HU2 vector containing Pd or Pp ure1::hygromycin (HYG) disruption cassette was introduced into A. tumefaciens AGL-1 cells by electroporation and the resulting strains were co-cultivated with conidia of Pd or Pp for various durations and temperatures to optimize the ATMT system. Overall, 680 Pd (0.006%) and 1800 Pp (0.018%) transformants were obtained from plating of 10(7) conidia; their recoveries were strongly correlated with the length of the incubation period (96h for Pd; 72h for Pp) and with temperature (15-18°C for Pd; 25°C for Pp). The homologous recombination in transformants was 3.1% for Pd and 16.7% for Pp. The availability of a standardized ATMT system would allow future molecular genetic analyses of Pd and related cold-adapted fungi.

Efficient genome editing in filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei using the CRISPR/Cas9 system

Filamentous fungi have wide applications in biotechnology. The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful genome-editing method that facilitates genetic alterations of genomes in a variety of organisms. However, a genome-editing approach has not been reported in filamentous fungi. Here, we demonstrated the establishment of a CRISPR/Cas9 system in the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei by specific codon optimization and in vitro RNA transcription. It was shown that the CRISPR/Cas9 system was controllable and conditional through inducible Cas9 expression. This system generated site-specific mutations in target genes through efficient homologous recombination, even using short homology arms. This system also provided an applicable and promising approach to targeting multiple genes simultaneously. Our results illustrate that the CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful genome-manipulating tool for T. reesei and most likely for other filamentous fungal species, which may accelerate studies on functional genomics and strain improvement in these filamentous fungi.