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Andreani T, Cheng R, Elbadri K, Ferro C, Menezes T, Dos Santos MR, Pereira CM, Santos HA. Natural compounds-based nanomedicines for cancer treatment: Future directions and challenges. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2024; 14:2845-2916. [PMID: 39003425 PMCID: PMC11385056 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-024-01649-z] [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] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Several efforts have been extensively accomplished for the amelioration of the cancer treatments using different types of new drugs and less invasives therapies in comparison with the traditional therapeutic modalities, which are widely associated with numerous drawbacks, such as drug resistance, non-selectivity and high costs, restraining their clinical response. The application of natural compounds for the prevention and treatment of different cancer cells has attracted significant attention from the pharmaceuticals and scientific communities over the past decades. Although the use of nanotechnology in cancer therapy is still in the preliminary stages, the application of nanotherapeutics has demonstrated to decrease the various limitations related to the use of natural compounds, such as physical/chemical instability, poor aqueous solubility, and low bioavailability. Despite the nanotechnology has emerged as a promise to improve the bioavailability of the natural compounds, there are still limited clinical trials performed for their application with various challenges required for the pre-clinical and clinical trials, such as production at an industrial level, assurance of nanotherapeutics long-term stability, physiological barriers and safety and regulatory issues. This review highlights the most recent advances in the nanocarriers for natural compounds secreted from plants, bacteria, fungi, and marine organisms, as well as their role on cell signaling pathways for anticancer treatments. Additionally, the clinical status and the main challenges regarding the natural compounds loaded in nanocarriers for clinical applications were also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Andreani
- Chemistry Research Centre (CIQUP) and Institute of Molecular Sciences (IMS), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
- GreenUPorto-Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre & Inov4Agro, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ruoyu Cheng
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Biomaterials and Biomedical Technology, The Personalized Medicine Research Institute Groningen (PRECISION), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Khalil Elbadri
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Claudio Ferro
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Institute for Medicines, iMed.Ulisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Thacilla Menezes
- Chemistry Research Centre (CIQUP) and Institute of Molecular Sciences (IMS), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Mayara R Dos Santos
- Chemistry Research Centre (CIQUP) and Institute of Molecular Sciences (IMS), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Carlos M Pereira
- Chemistry Research Centre (CIQUP) and Institute of Molecular Sciences (IMS), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Hélder A Santos
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Biomaterials and Biomedical Technology, The Personalized Medicine Research Institute Groningen (PRECISION), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Qureshi M, Mokkawes T, Cao Y, de Visser SP. Mechanism of the Oxidative Ring-Closure Reaction during Gliotoxin Biosynthesis by Cytochrome P450 GliF. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8567. [PMID: 39201254 PMCID: PMC11354885 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25168567] [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: 06/26/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
During gliotoxin biosynthesis in fungi, the cytochrome P450 GliF enzyme catalyzes an unusual C-N ring-closure step while also an aromatic ring is hydroxylated in the same reaction cycle, which may have relevance to drug synthesis reactions in biotechnology. However, as the details of the reaction mechanism are still controversial, no applications have been developed yet. To resolve the mechanism of gliotoxin biosynthesis and gain insight into the steps leading to ring-closure, we ran a combination of molecular dynamics and density functional theory calculations on the structure and reactivity of P450 GliF and tested a range of possible reaction mechanisms, pathways and models. The calculations show that, rather than hydrogen atom transfer from the substrate to Compound I, an initial proton transfer transition state is followed by a fast electron transfer en route to the radical intermediate, and hence a non-synchronous hydrogen atom abstraction takes place. The radical intermediate then reacts by OH rebound to the aromatic ring to form a biradical in the substrate that, through ring-closure between the radical centers, gives gliotoxin products. Interestingly, the structure and energetics of the reaction mechanisms appear little affected by the addition of polar groups to the model and hence we predict that the reaction can be catalyzed by other P450 isozymes that also bind the same substrate. Alternative pathways, such as a pathway starting with an electrophilic attack on the arene to form an epoxide, are high in energy and are ruled out.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sam P. de Visser
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK (Y.C.)
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Balamurugan C, Steenwyk JL, Goldman GH, Rokas A. The evolution of the gliotoxin biosynthetic gene cluster in Penicillium fungi. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2024; 14:jkae063. [PMID: 38507596 PMCID: PMC11075534 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Fungi biosynthesize diverse secondary metabolites, small organic bioactive molecules with key roles in fungal ecology. Fungal secondary metabolites are often encoded by physically clustered genes known as biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Fungi in the genus Penicillium produce a cadre of secondary metabolites, some of which are useful (e.g. the antibiotic penicillin and the cholesterol-lowering drug mevastatin) and others harmful (e.g. the mycotoxin patulin and the immunosuppressant gliotoxin) to human affairs. Fungal genomes often also encode resistance genes that confer protection against toxic secondary metabolites. Some Penicillium species, such as Penicillium decumbens, are known to produce gliotoxin, a secondary metabolite with known immunosuppressant activity. To investigate the evolutionary conservation of homologs of the gliotoxin BGC and of genes involved in gliotoxin resistance in Penicillium, we analyzed 35 Penicillium genomes from 23 species. Homologous, lesser fragmented gliotoxin BGCs were found in 12 genomes, mostly fragmented remnants of the gliotoxin BGC were found in 21 genomes, whereas the remaining 2 Penicillium genomes lacked the gliotoxin BGC altogether. In contrast, broad conservation of homologs of resistance genes that reside outside the BGC across Penicillium genomes was observed. Evolutionary rate analysis revealed that BGCs with higher numbers of genes evolve slower than BGCs with few genes, suggestive of constraint and potential functional significance or more recent decay. Gene tree-species tree reconciliation analyses suggested that the history of homologs in the gliotoxin BGC across the genus Penicillium likely involved multiple duplications, losses, and horizontal gene transfers. Our analyses suggest that genes encoded in BGCs can have complex evolutionary histories and be retained in genomes long after the loss of secondary metabolite biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charu Balamurugan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Jacob L Steenwyk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Howards Hughes Medical Institute and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Gustavo H Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo CEP 14040-903, Brazil
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
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4
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Gu L, Lin J, Wang Q, Meng F, Niu G, Lin H, Chi M, Feng Z, Zheng H, Li D, Zhao G, Li C. Mesoporous zinc oxide-based drug delivery system offers an antifungal and immunoregulatory strategy for treating keratitis. J Control Release 2024; 368:483-497. [PMID: 38458571 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.03.006] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Fungal keratitis is a refractory eye disease that is prone to causing blindness. Fungal virulence and inflammatory responses are two major factors that accelerate the course of fungal keratitis. However, the current antifungal drugs used for treatment usually possess transient residence time on the ocular surface and low bioavailability deficiencies, which limit their therapeutic efficacy. In this work, natamycin (NATA)-loaded mesoporous zinc oxide (Meso-ZnO) was synthesized for treating Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis with excellent drug-loading and sustained drug release capacities. In addition to being a carrier for drug delivery, Meso-ZnO could restrict fungal growth in a concentration-dependent manner, and the transcriptome analysis of fungal hyphae indicated that it inhibited the mycotoxin biosynthesis, oxidoreductase activity and fungal cell wall formation. Meso-ZnO also promoted cell migration and exhibited anti-inflammatory role during fungal infection by promoting the activation of autophagy. In mouse models of fungal keratitis, Meso-ZnO/NATA greatly reduced corneal fungal survival, alleviated tissue inflammatory damage, and reduced neutrophils accumulation and cytokines expression. This study suggests that Meso-ZnO/NATA can be a novel and effective treatment strategy for fungal keratitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingwen Gu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Jing Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Fanyue Meng
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Geng Niu
- School of Science, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, PR China
| | - Hao Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Menghui Chi
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Zhuhui Feng
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Hengrui Zheng
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Daohao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bio-fibers and Eco-textiles, Institute of Marine Biobased Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, PR China.
| | - Guiqiu Zhao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, PR China.
| | - Cui Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, PR China.
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Alves de Castro P, Figueiredo Pinzan C, Dos Reis TF, Valero C, Van Rhijn N, Menegatti C, de Freitas Migliorini IL, Bromley M, Fleming AB, Traynor AM, Sarikaya-Bayram Ö, Bayram Ö, Malavazi I, Ebel F, Barbosa JCJ, Fill T, Pupo MT, Goldman GH. Aspergillus fumigatus mitogen-activated protein kinase MpkA is involved in gliotoxin production and self-protection. Nat Commun 2024; 15:33. [PMID: 38167253 PMCID: PMC10762094 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44329-1] [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: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a saprophytic fungus that can cause a variety of human diseases known as aspergillosis. Mycotoxin gliotoxin (GT) production is important for its virulence and must be tightly regulated to avoid excess production and toxicity to the fungus. GT self-protection by GliT oxidoreductase and GtmA methyltransferase activities is related to the subcellular localization of these enzymes and how GT can be sequestered from the cytoplasm to avoid increased cell damage. Here, we show that GliT:GFP and GtmA:GFP are localized in the cytoplasm and in vacuoles during GT production. The Mitogen-Activated Protein kinase MpkA is essential for GT production and self-protection, interacts physically with GliT and GtmA and it is necessary for their regulation and subsequent presence in the vacuoles. The sensor histidine kinase SlnASln1 is important for modulation of MpkA phosphorylation. Our work emphasizes the importance of MpkA and compartmentalization of cellular events for GT production and self-defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Alves de Castro
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Camila Figueiredo Pinzan
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Thaila Fernanda Dos Reis
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Clara Valero
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Norman Van Rhijn
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Carla Menegatti
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Michael Bromley
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Alastair B Fleming
- Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Aimee M Traynor
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | | | - Özgür Bayram
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
| | - Iran Malavazi
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Frank Ebel
- Institut für Infektionsmedizin und Zoonosen, Medizinische Fakultät, LMU, 80539, München, Germany
| | | | - Taícia Fill
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Monica Tallarico Pupo
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Gustavo H Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
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Yurchenko AN, Nesterenko LE, Popov RS, Kirichuk NN, Chausova VE, Chingizova EA, Isaeva MP, Yurchenko EA. The Metabolite Profiling of Aspergillus fumigatus KMM4631 and Its Co-Cultures with Other Marine Fungi. Metabolites 2023; 13:1138. [PMID: 37999234 PMCID: PMC10673247 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13111138] [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: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
An Aspergillus fumigatus KMM 4631 strain was previously isolated from a Pacific soft coral Sinularia sp. sample and was found to be a source of a number of bioactive secondary metabolites. The aims of this work are the confirmation of this strain' identification based on ITS, BenA, CaM, and RPB2 regions/gene sequences and the investigation of secondary metabolite profiles of Aspergillus fumigatus KMM 4631 culture and its co-cultures with Penicillium hispanicum KMM 4689, Amphichorda sp. KMM 4639, Penicillium sp. KMM 4672, and Asteromyces cruciatus KMM 4696 from the Collection of Marine Microorganisms (PIBOC FEB RAS, Vladivostok, Russia). Moreover, the DPPH-radical scavenging activity, urease inhibition, and cytotoxicity of joint fungal cultures' extracts on HepG2 cells were tested. The detailed UPLC MS qTOF investigation resulted in the identification and annotation of indolediketopiperazine, quinazoline, and tryptoquivaline-related alkaloids as well as a number of polyketides (totally 20 compounds) in the extract of Aspergillus fumigatus KMM 4631. The metabolite profiles of the co-cultures of A. fumigatus with Penicillium hispanicum, Penicillium sp., and Amphichorda sp. were similar to those of Penicillium hispanicum, Penicillium sp., and Amphichorda sp. monocultures. The metabolite profile of the co-culture of A. fumigatus with Asteromyces cruciatus differed from that of each monoculture and may be more promising for the isolation of new compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton N. Yurchenko
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 100-Letiya Vladivostoka, 159, Vladivostok 690022, Russia; (L.E.N.); (R.S.P.); (N.N.K.); (V.E.C.); (E.A.C.); (M.P.I.)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ekaterina A. Yurchenko
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 100-Letiya Vladivostoka, 159, Vladivostok 690022, Russia; (L.E.N.); (R.S.P.); (N.N.K.); (V.E.C.); (E.A.C.); (M.P.I.)
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7
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Downes SG, Owens RA, Walshe K, Fitzpatrick DA, Dorey A, Jones GW, Doyle S. Gliotoxin-mediated bacterial growth inhibition is caused by specific metal ion depletion. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16156. [PMID: 37758814 PMCID: PMC10533825 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43300-w] [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: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Overcoming antimicrobial resistance represents a formidable challenge and investigating bacterial growth inhibition by fungal metabolites may yield new strategies. Although the fungal non-ribosomal peptide gliotoxin (GT) is known to exhibit antibacterial activity, the mechanism(s) of action are unknown, although reduced gliotoxin (dithiol gliotoxin; DTG) is a zinc chelator. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that GT synergises with vancomycin to inhibit growth of Staphylococcus aureus. Here we demonstrate, without precedent, that GT-mediated growth inhibition of both Gram positive and negative bacterial species is reversed by Zn2+ or Cu2+ addition. Both GT, and the known zinc chelator TPEN, mediate growth inhibition of Enterococcus faecalis which is reversed by zinc addition. Moreover, zinc also reverses the synergistic growth inhibition of E. faecalis observed in the presence of both GT and vancomycin (4 µg/ml). As well as zinc chelation, DTG also appears to chelate Cu2+, but not Mn2+ using a 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol assay system and Zn2+ as a positive control. DTG also specifically reacts in Fe3+-containing Siderotec™ assays, most likely by Fe3+ chelation from test reagents. GSH or DTT show no activity in these assays. Confirmatory high resolution mass spectrometry, in negative ion mode, confirmed, for the first time, the presence of both Cu[DTG] and Fe[DTG]2 chelates. Label free quantitative proteomic analysis further revealed major intracellular proteomic remodelling within E. faecalis in response to GT exposure for 30-180 min. Globally, 4.2-7.2% of detectable proteins exhibited evidence of either unique presence/increased abundance or unique absence/decreased abundance (n = 994-1160 total proteins detected), which is the first demonstration that GT affects the bacterial proteome in general, and E. faecalis, specifically. Unique detection of components of the AdcABC and AdcA-II zinc uptake systems was observed, along with apparent ribosomal reprofiling to zinc-free paralogs in the presence of GT. Overall, we hypothesise that GT-mediated bacterial growth inhibition appears to involve intracellular zinc depletion or reduced bioavailability, and based on in vitro chelate formation, may also involve dysregulation of Cu2+ homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane G Downes
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Rebecca A Owens
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | | | | | - Amber Dorey
- Molecular Parasitology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Gary W Jones
- Centre for Biomedical Science Research, School of Health, Leeds-Beckett University, Leeds, UK.
| | - Sean Doyle
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
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Kuo CW, Lin CY, Wei SH, Chou YT, Chen CW, Tsai JS, Su PL, Lin CC. Navigating the challenges of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in lung cancer treatment: a propensity score study. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2023; 15:17588359231198454. [PMID: 37720497 PMCID: PMC10503299 DOI: 10.1177/17588359231198454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) can negatively impact cancer patients' survival. It remains uncertain whether IPA's impact on patient outcomes varies by treatment approach in advanced lung cancer. Objectives To explore the association between IPA and outcomes in patients with advanced lung cancer receiving different treatments. Design A retrospective cohort study. Methods We enrolled patients with advanced-stage lung cancer between 2013 and 2021 at a college hospital in Taiwan and used the 2021 European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium consensus for IPA diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the IPA risk factors. We compared overall survival (OS) and postgalactomannan (GM) test survival between the IPA and control groups using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression and the Kaplan-Meier method with propensity score matching (PSM). Results Among 2543 patients with advanced-stage lung cancer, 290 underwent a GM test, of which 34 (11.7%) were diagnosed with IPA. Patients undergoing chemotherapy (HR = 4.02, p = 0.027) and immunotherapy [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.41, p = 0.076] tended to have IPA. Compared to the control group, the IPA group had shorter median OS (14.4 versus 9.9 months, p = 0.030) and post-GM test survival (4.5 versus 1.9 months, p = 0.003). IPA was associated with shorter OS (log-rank p = 0.014 and 0.018 before and after PSM, respectively) and shorter 1-year and 2-year survival post-GM test (HR = 1.65 and 1.66, respectively). Patients receiving chemotherapy or immunotherapy had a shorter post-GM test survival if they had IPA. Conclusions IPA tended to be diagnosed more frequently in patients receiving chemotherapy or immune checkpoint inhibitors. Patients diagnosed with IPA are associated with shorter survival. Larger cohort studies are needed to verify the observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin-Wei Kuo
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan
- Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan
| | - Chien-Yu Lin
- Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan
| | - Sheng-Huan Wei
- Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan
| | - Yun-Tse Chou
- Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan
| | - Chian-Wei Chen
- Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan
| | - Jeng-Shiuan Tsai
- Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan
| | - Po-Lan Su
- Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan
| | - Chien-Chung Lin
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 138 Sheng-Li Road, Tainan
- Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 138 Sheng-Li Road, Tainan 704
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan
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9
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Downes SG, Doyle S, Jones GW, Owens RA. Gliotoxin and related metabolites as zinc chelators: implications and exploitation to overcome antimicrobial resistance. Essays Biochem 2023; 67:769-780. [PMID: 36876884 PMCID: PMC10500201 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220222] [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: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global problem and threat to humanity. The search for new antibiotics is directed towards targeting of novel microbial systems and enzymes, as well as augmenting the activity of pre-existing antimicrobials. Sulphur-containing metabolites (e.g., auranofin and bacterial dithiolopyrrolones [e.g., holomycin]) and Zn2+-chelating ionophores (PBT2) have emerged as important antimicrobial classes. The sulphur-containing, non-ribosomal peptide gliotoxin, biosynthesised by Aspergillus fumigatus and other fungi exhibits potent antimicrobial activity, especially in the dithiol form (dithiol gliotoxin; DTG). Specifically, it has been revealed that deletion of the enzymes gliotoxin oxidoreductase GliT, bis-thiomethyltransferase GtmA or the transporter GliA dramatically sensitise A. fumigatus to gliotoxin presence. Indeed, the double deletion strain A. fumigatus ΔgliTΔgtmA is especially sensitive to gliotoxin-mediated growth inhibition, which can be reversed by Zn2+ presence. Moreover, DTG is a Zn2+ chelator which can eject zinc from enzymes and inhibit activity. Although multiple studies have demonstrated the potent antibacterial effect of gliotoxin, no mechanistic details are available. Interestingly, reduced holomycin can inhibit metallo-β-lactamases. Since holomycin and gliotoxin can chelate Zn2+, resulting in metalloenzyme inhibition, we propose that this metal-chelating characteristic of these metabolites requires immediate investigation to identify new antibacterial drug targets or to augment the activity of existing antimicrobials. Given that (i) gliotoxin has been shown in vitro to significantly enhance vancomycin activity against Staphylococcus aureus, and (ii) that it has been independently proposed as an ideal probe to dissect the central 'Integrator' role of Zn2+ in bacteria - we contend such studies are immediately undertaken to help address AMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane G Downes
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Sean Doyle
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Gary W Jones
- Centre for Biomedical Science Research, School of Health, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds LS1 3HE, U.K
| | - Rebecca A Owens
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
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10
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Ye W, Liu T, Liu Y, Li M, Wang S, Li S, Zhang W. Enhancing gliotoxins production in deep-sea derived fungus Dichotomocyes cejpii by engineering the biosynthetic pathway. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 377:128905. [PMID: 36931443 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.128905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Gliotoxin can be developed as potent biopesticide. In this study, the positive transcriptional factor gliZ, glutathione-S transferase encoding gene gliG and gliN were firstly deleted by CRISPR/Cas9 system, which abolished the production of gliotoxin-like compounds in Dichotomomyces cejpii. CRISPR/dCas9 system targeting promoter of gliG was used to activate the biosynthetic genes in gli cluster. The overexpression of gliZ, gliN and gliG can significantly improve the yield of gliotoxin-like compunds. The gliotoxin yields was improved by 16.38 ± 1.36 fold, 18.98 ± 1.28 fold through gliZ overexpression and gliM deletion in D. cejpii FS110. In addtion, gliN was heterologously expressed in E. coli, the purified GliN can catalyze gliotoxin into methyl-gliotoxin. Furthermore, the binding sequences of GliZ in the promoters of gliG was determined by Dnase footprinting. This study firstly illustrated the transcriptional regulatory mechanism of DcGliZ for the gliotoxin biosynthesis in D. cejpii, and improved the yields of gliotoxins significantly in D. cejpii via biosynthetic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, No. 100 Xianlie Middle Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Taomei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, No. 100 Xianlie Middle Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Yuping Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, No. 100 Xianlie Middle Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Mengran Li
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, No. 100 Xianlie Middle Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Shixin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, No. 100 Xianlie Middle Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Saini Li
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, No. 100 Xianlie Middle Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Weimin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, No. 100 Xianlie Middle Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 510070, China.
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11
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Balamurugan C, Steenwyk JL, Goldman GH, Rokas A. The evolution of the gliotoxin biosynthetic gene cluster in Penicillium fungi. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.17.524442. [PMID: 36711793 PMCID: PMC9882216 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.17.524442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Fungi biosynthesize a diversity of secondary metabolites, small organic bioactive molecules that play diverse roles in fungal ecology. Fungal secondary metabolites are often encoded by physically clustered sets of genes known as biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Fungi in the genus Penicillium produce diverse secondary metabolites that have been both useful (e.g., the antibiotic penicillin and the cholesterol-lowering drug mevastatin) and harmful (e.g., the mycotoxin patulin and the immunosuppressant gliotoxin) to human affairs. BGCs often also encode resistance genes that confer self-protection to the secondary metabolite-producing fungus. Some Penicillium species, such as Penicillium lilacinoechinulatum and Penicillium decumbens, are known to produce gliotoxin, a secondary metabolite with known immunosuppressant activity; however, an evolutionary characterization of the BGC responsible for gliotoxin biosynthesis among Penicillium species is lacking. Here, we examine the conservation of genes involved in gliotoxin biosynthesis and resistance in 35 Penicillium genomes from 23 species. We found homologous, less fragmented gliotoxin BGCs in 12 genomes, mostly fragmented remnants of the gliotoxin BGC in 21 genomes, whereas the remaining two Penicillium genomes lacked the gliotoxin BGC altogether. In contrast, we observed broad conservation of homologs of resistance genes that reside outside the BGC across Penicillium genomes. Evolutionary rate analysis revealed that BGCs with higher numbers of genes evolve slower than BGCs with few genes. Even though the gliotoxin BGC is fragmented to varying degrees in nearly all genomes examined, ancestral state reconstruction suggests that the ancestor of Penicillium species possessed the gliotoxin BGC. Our analyses suggest that genes that are part of BGCs can be retained in genomes long after the loss of secondary metabolite biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charu Balamurugan
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Jacob L. Steenwyk
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Howards Hughes Medical Institute and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Gustavo H. Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, VU Station B #35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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12
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Albini F, Bormann S, Gerschel P, Ludwig VA, Neumann W. Dithiolopyrrolones are Prochelators that are Activated by Glutathione. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202202567. [PMID: 36214647 PMCID: PMC10099403 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202202567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Dithiolopyrrolones (DTPs), such as holomycin, are natural products that hold promise as scaffolds for antibiotics as they exhibit inhibitory activity against antibiotic-resistant pathogens. They consist of a unique bicyclic core containing a disulfide that is crucial for their biological activity. Herein, we establish the DTPs as prochelators. We show that the disulfides are reduced at cellular gluathione levels. This activates the drugs and initiates interactions with targets, particularly metal coordination. In addition, we report an expedient synthesis for the DTPs thiolutin and aureothricin, providing facile access to important natural DTPs and derivatives thereof.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Albini
- Inorganic Chemistry I - Bioinorganic Chemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Stefan Bormann
- Inorganic Chemistry I - Bioinorganic Chemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Philipp Gerschel
- Inorganic Chemistry I - Bioinorganic Chemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Veza A Ludwig
- Inorganic Chemistry I - Bioinorganic Chemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Wilma Neumann
- Inorganic Chemistry I - Bioinorganic Chemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
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13
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Jimbo K, Hattori A, Koide S, Ito T, Sasaki K, Iwai K, Nannya Y, Iwama A, Tojo A, Konuma T. Genetic deletion and pharmacologic inhibition of E3 ubiquitin ligase HOIP impairs the propagation of myeloid leukemia. Leukemia 2023; 37:122-133. [PMID: 36352193 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-022-01750-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the role of Hoip, a catalytic subunit of linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC), in adult hematopoiesis and myeloid leukemia by using both conditional deletion of Hoip and small-molecule chemical inhibitors of Hoip. Conditional deletion of Hoip led to significantly longer survival and marked depletion of leukemia burden in murine myeloid leukemia models. Nevertheless, a competitive transplantation assay showed the reduction of donor-derived cells in the bone marrow of recipient mice was relatively mild after conditional deletion of Hoip. Although both Hoip-deficient hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and leukemia stem cells (LSCs) impaired the maintenance of quiescence, conditional deletion of Hoipinduced apoptosis in LSCs but not HSCs in vivo. Structure-function analysis revealed that LUBAC ligase activity and the interaction of LUBAC subunits were critical for the propagation of leukemia. Hoip regulated oxidative phosphorylation pathway independently of nuclear factor kappa B pathway in leukemia, but not in normal hematopoietic cells. Finally, the administration of thiolutin, which inhibits the catalytic activity of Hoip, improved the survival of recipients in murine myeloid leukemia and suppressed propagation in the patient-derived xenograft model of myeloid leukemia. Collectively, these data indicate that inhibition of LUBAC activity may be a valid therapeutic target for myeloid leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Jimbo
- Division of Hematopoietic Disease Control, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Stem Cell and Molecular Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Molecular Therapy, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ayuna Hattori
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Dynamics and Therapeutics, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shuhei Koide
- Division of Stem Cell and Molecular Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ito
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Dynamics and Therapeutics, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Katsuhiro Sasaki
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Iwai
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasuhito Nannya
- Division of Hematopoietic Disease Control, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Iwama
- Division of Stem Cell and Molecular Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Arinobu Tojo
- Division of Molecular Therapy, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takaaki Konuma
- Division of Hematopoietic Disease Control, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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14
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Huber EM. Epipolythiodioxopiperazine-Based Natural Products: Building Blocks, Biosynthesis and Biological Activities. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200341. [PMID: 35997236 PMCID: PMC10086836 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Epipolythiodioxopiperazines (ETPs) are fungal secondary metabolites that share a 2,5-diketopiperazine scaffold built from two amino acids and bridged by a sulfide moiety. Modifications of the core and the amino acid side chains, for example by methylations, acetylations, hydroxylations, prenylations, halogenations, cyclizations, and truncations create the structural diversity of ETPs and contribute to their biological activity. However, the key feature responsible for the bioactivities of ETPs is their sulfide moiety. Over the last years, combinations of genome mining, reverse genetics, metabolomics, biochemistry, and structural biology deciphered principles of ETP production. Sulfurization via glutathione and uncovering of the thiols followed by either oxidation or methylation crystallized as fundamental steps that impact expression of the biosynthesis cluster, toxicity and secretion of the metabolite as well as self-tolerance of the producer. This article showcases structure and activity of prototype ETPs such as gliotoxin and discusses the current knowledge on the biosynthesis routes of these exceptional natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M Huber
- Chair of Biochemistry, Center for Protein Assemblies, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 8, 85748, Garching, Germany
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15
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Emri T, Antal K, Gila B, Jónás AP, Pócsi I. Stress Responses Elicited by Glucose Withdrawal in Aspergillus fumigatus. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:1226. [PMID: 36422047 PMCID: PMC9692504 DOI: 10.3390/jof8111226] [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: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucose is a widely used carbon source in laboratory practice to culture Aspergillus fumigatus, however, glucose availability is often low in its “natural habitats”, including the human body. We used a physiological−transcriptomical approach to reveal differences between A. fumigatus Af293 cultures incubated on glucose, glucose and peptone, peptone (carbon limitation), or without any carbon source (carbon starvation). Autolytic cell wall degradation was upregulated by both carbon starvation and limitation. The importance of autolytic cell wall degradation in the adaptation to carbon stress was also highlighted by approximately 12.4% of the A. fumigatus genomes harboring duplication of genes involved in N-acetyl glucosamine utilization. Glucose withdrawal increased redox imbalance, altered both the transcription of antioxidative enzyme genes and oxidative stress tolerance, and downregulated iron acquisition, but upregulated heme protein genes. Transcriptional activity of the Gliotoxin cluster was low in all experiments, while the Fumagillin cluster showed substantial activity both on glucose and under carbon starvation, and the Hexadehydro-astechrome cluster only on glucose. We concluded that glucose withdrawal substantially modified the physiology of A. fumigatus, including processes that contribute to virulence. This may explain the challenge of predicting the in vivo behavior of A. fumigatus based on data from glucose rich cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Emri
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
- ELRN-UD Fungal Stress Biology Research Group, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Károly Antal
- Department of Zoology, Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Eszterházy tér 1, 3300 Eger, Hungary
| | - Barnabás Gila
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Andrea P. Jónás
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - István Pócsi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
- ELRN-UD Fungal Stress Biology Research Group, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
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16
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Chang S, Cai M, Xiao T, Chen Y, Zhao W, Yu L, Shao R, Jiang W, Zhang T, Gan M, Si S, Chen M. Prenylemestrins A and B: Two Unexpected Epipolythiodioxopiperazines with a Thioethanothio Bridge from Emericella sp. Isolated by Genomic Analysis. Org Lett 2022; 24:5941-5945. [PMID: 35938920 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.2c02187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Prenylemestrins A and B (1 and 2, respectively), two unusual epipolythiodioxopiperazines featuring a thioethanothio bridge instead of a polysulfide bridge, were isolated from the fungus Emericella sp. CPCC 400858 guided by genomic analysis. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic data, NMR and ECD calculations, and X-ray diffraction analysis. A plausible biosynthetic pathway for 1 and 2 was proposed on the basis of gene cluster analysis. Prenylemestrins A and B exhibited cytotoxicities against human chronic myelocytic leukemia cell lines K562 and MEG-01.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Chang
- NHC Key Laboratory for Microbial Drug Bioengineering, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Meilian Cai
- NHC Key Laboratory for Microbial Drug Bioengineering, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Tongmei Xiao
- NHC Key Laboratory for Microbial Drug Bioengineering, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuchuan Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory for Microbial Drug Bioengineering, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Wuli Zhao
- NHC Key Laboratory for Microbial Drug Bioengineering, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Liyan Yu
- NHC Key Laboratory for Microbial Drug Bioengineering, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Rongguang Shao
- NHC Key Laboratory for Microbial Drug Bioengineering, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Jiang
- NHC Key Laboratory for Microbial Drug Bioengineering, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory for Microbial Drug Bioengineering, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Maoluo Gan
- NHC Key Laboratory for Microbial Drug Bioengineering, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuyi Si
- NHC Key Laboratory for Microbial Drug Bioengineering, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Minghua Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory for Microbial Drug Bioengineering, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
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17
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Verburg K, van Neer J, Duca M, de Cock H. Novel Treatment Approach for Aspergilloses by Targeting Germination. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:758. [PMID: 35893126 PMCID: PMC9331470 DOI: 10.3390/jof8080758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Germination of conidia is an essential process within the Aspergillus life cycle and plays a major role during the infection of hosts. Conidia are able to avoid detection by the majority of leukocytes when dormant. Germination can cause severe health problems, specifically in immunocompromised people. Aspergillosis is most often caused by Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) and affects neutropenic patients, as well as people with cystic fibrosis (CF). These patients are often unable to effectively detect and clear the conidia or hyphae and can develop chronic non-invasive and/or invasive infections or allergic inflammatory responses. Current treatments with (tri)azoles can be very effective to combat a variety of fungal infections. However, resistance against current azoles has emerged and has been increasing since 1998. As a consequence, patients infected with resistant A. fumigatus have a reported mortality rate of 88% to 100%. Especially with the growing number of patients that harbor azole-resistant Aspergilli, novel antifungals could provide an alternative. Aspergilloses differ in defining characteristics, but germination of conidia is one of the few common denominators. By specifically targeting conidial germination with novel antifungals, early intervention might be possible. In this review, we propose several morphotypes to disrupt conidial germination, as well as potential targets. Hopefully, new antifungals against such targets could contribute to disturbing the ability of Aspergilli to germinate and grow, resulting in a decreased fungal burden on patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Verburg
- Molecular Microbiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.V.); (J.v.N.)
| | - Jacq van Neer
- Molecular Microbiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.V.); (J.v.N.)
| | - Margherita Duca
- Department of Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Hans de Cock
- Molecular Microbiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.V.); (J.v.N.)
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18
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Secondary Metabolites Produced during Aspergillus fumigatus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Formation. mBio 2022; 13:e0185022. [PMID: 35856657 PMCID: PMC9426470 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01850-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In cystic fibrosis (CF), mucus plaques are formed in the patient's lungs, creating a hypoxic condition and a propitious environment for colonization and persistence of many microorganisms. There is clinical evidence showing that Aspergillus fumigatus can cocolonize CF patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which has been associated with lung function decline. P. aeruginosa produces several compounds with inhibitory and antibiofilm effects against A. fumigatus in vitro; however, little is known about the fungal compounds produced in counterattack. Here, we annotated fungal and bacterial secondary metabolites (SM) produced in mixed biofilms under normoxia and hypoxia conditions. We detected nine SM produced by P. aeruginosa. Phenazines and different analogs of pyoverdin were the main compounds produced by P. aeruginosa, and their secretion levels were increased by the fungal presence. The roles of the two operons responsible for phenazine production (phzA1 and phzA2) were also investigated, and mutants lacking one of those operons were able to produce partial sets of phenazines. We detected a total of 20 SM secreted by A. fumigatus either in monoculture or in coculture with P. aeruginosa. All these compounds were secreted during biofilm formation in either normoxia or hypoxia. However, only eight compounds (demethoxyfumitremorgin C, fumitremorgin, ferrichrome, ferricrocin, triacetylfusigen, gliotoxin, gliotoxin E, and pyripyropene A) were detected during biofilm formation by the coculture of A. fumigatus and P. aeruginosa under normoxia and hypoxia conditions. Overall, we showed how diverse SM secretion is during A. fumigatus and P. aeruginosa mixed culture and how this can affect biofilm formation in normoxia and hypoxia. IMPORTANCE The interaction between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aspergillus fumigatus has been well characterized in vitro. In this scenario, the bacterium exerts a strong inhibitory effect against the fungus. However, little is known about the metabolites produced by the fungus to counterattack the bacteria. Our work aimed to annotate secondary metabolites (SM) secreted during coculture between P. aeruginosa and A. fumigatus during biofilm formation in both normoxia and hypoxia. The bacterium produces several different types of phenazines and pyoverdins in response to presence of the fungus. In contrast, we were able to annotate 29 metabolites produced during A. fumigatus biofilm formation, but only 8 compounds were detected during biofilm formation by the coculture of A. fumigatus and P. aeruginosa upon either normoxia or hypoxia. In conclusion, we detected many SM secreted during A. fumigatus and P. aeruginosa biofilm formation. This analysis provides several opportunities to understand the interactions between these two species.
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19
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Secondary Metabolism Gene Clusters Exhibit Increasingly Dynamic and Differential Expression during Asexual Growth, Conidiation, and Sexual Development in Neurospora crassa. mSystems 2022; 7:e0023222. [PMID: 35638725 PMCID: PMC9239088 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00232-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Secondary metabolite clusters (SMCs) encode the machinery for fungal toxin production. However, understanding their function and analyzing their products requires investigation of the developmental and environmental conditions in which they are expressed. Gene expression is often restricted to specific and unexamined stages of the life cycle. Therefore, we applied comparative genomics analyses to identify SMCs in Neurospora crassa and analyzed extensive transcriptomic data spanning nine independent experiments from diverse developmental and environmental conditions to reveal their life cycle-specific gene expression patterns. We reported 20 SMCs comprising 177 genes-a manageable set for investigation of the roles of SMCs across the life cycle of the fungal model N. crassa-as well as gene sets coordinately expressed in 18 predicted SMCs during asexual and sexual growth under three nutritional and two temperature conditions. Divergent activity of SMCs between asexual and sexual development was reported. Of 126 SMC genes that we examined for knockout phenotypes, al-2 and al-3 exhibited phenotypes in asexual growth and conidiation, whereas os-5, poi-2, and pmd-1 exhibited phenotypes in sexual development. SMCs with annotated function in mating and crossing were actively regulated during the switch between asexual and sexual growth. Our discoveries call for attention to roles that SMCs may play in the regulatory switches controlling mode of development, as well as the ecological associations of those developmental stages that may influence expression of SMCs. IMPORTANCE Secondary metabolites (SMs) are low-molecular-weight compounds that often mediate interactions between fungi and their environments. Fungi enriched with SMs are of significant research interest to agriculture and medicine, especially from the aspects of pathogen ecology and environmental epidemiology. However, SM clusters (SMCs) that have been predicted by comparative genomics alone have typically been poorly defined and insufficiently functionally annotated. Therefore, we have investigated coordinate expression in SMCs in the model system N. crassa, and our results suggest that SMCs respond to environmental signals and to stress that are associated with development. This study examined SMC regulation at the level of RNA to integrate observations and knowledge of these genes in various growth and development conditions, supporting combining comparative genomics and inclusive transcriptomics to improve computational annotation of SMCs. Our findings call for detailed study of the function of SMCs during the asexual-sexual switch, a key, often-overlooked developmental stage.
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20
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Ning S, Luo L, Yu B, Mai D, Wang F. Structures, functions, and inhibitors of LUBAC and its related diseases. J Leukoc Biol 2022; 112:799-811. [PMID: 35266190 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.3mr0222-508r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitination is a reversible posttranslational modification in which ubiquitin is covalently attached to substrates at catalysis by E1, E2, and E3 enzymes. As the only E3 ligase for assembling linear ubiquitin chains in animals, the LUBAC complex exerts an essential role in the wide variety of cellular activities. Recent advances in the LUBAC complex, including structure, physiology, and correlation with malignant diseases, have enabled the discovery of potent inhibitors to treat immune-related diseases and cancer brought by LUBAC complex dysfunction. In this review, we summarize the current progress on the structures, physiologic functions, inhibitors of LUBAC, and its potential role in immune diseases, tumors, and other diseases, providing the theoretical basis for therapy of related diseases targeting the LUBAC complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Ning
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, Department of Biology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Lingling Luo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, Department of Biology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Beiming Yu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, Department of Biology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Dina Mai
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, Department of Biology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, Department of Biology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
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de Castro PA, Colabardini AC, Moraes M, Horta MAC, Knowles SL, Raja HA, Oberlies NH, Koyama Y, Ogawa M, Gomi K, Steenwyk JL, Rokas A, Gonçales RA, Duarte-Oliveira C, Carvalho A, Ries LNA, Goldman GH. Regulation of gliotoxin biosynthesis and protection in Aspergillus species. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1009965. [PMID: 35041649 PMCID: PMC8797188 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus causes a range of human and animal diseases collectively known as aspergillosis. A. fumigatus possesses and expresses a range of genetic determinants of virulence, which facilitate colonisation and disease progression, including the secretion of mycotoxins. Gliotoxin (GT) is the best studied A. fumigatus mycotoxin with a wide range of known toxic effects that impair human immune cell function. GT is also highly toxic to A. fumigatus and this fungus has evolved self-protection mechanisms that include (i) the GT efflux pump GliA, (ii) the GT neutralising enzyme GliT, and (iii) the negative regulation of GT biosynthesis by the bis-thiomethyltransferase GtmA. The transcription factor (TF) RglT is the main regulator of GliT and this GT protection mechanism also occurs in the non-GT producing fungus A. nidulans. However, the A. nidulans genome does not encode GtmA and GliA. This work aimed at analysing the transcriptional response to exogenous GT in A. fumigatus and A. nidulans, two distantly related Aspergillus species, and to identify additional components required for GT protection. RNA-sequencing shows a highly different transcriptional response to exogenous GT with the RglT-dependent regulon also significantly differing between A. fumigatus and A. nidulans. However, we were able to observe homologs whose expression pattern was similar in both species (43 RglT-independent and 11 RglT-dependent). Based on this approach, we identified a novel RglT-dependent methyltranferase, MtrA, involved in GT protection. Taking into consideration the occurrence of RglT-independent modulated genes, we screened an A. fumigatus deletion library of 484 transcription factors (TFs) for sensitivity to GT and identified 15 TFs important for GT self-protection. Of these, the TF KojR, which is essential for kojic acid biosynthesis in Aspergillus oryzae, was also essential for virulence and GT biosynthesis in A. fumigatus, and for GT protection in A. fumigatus, A. nidulans, and A. oryzae. KojR regulates rglT, gliT, gliJ expression and sulfur metabolism in Aspergillus species. Together, this study identified conserved components required for GT protection in Aspergillus species. A. fumigatus secretes mycotoxins that are essential for its virulence and pathogenicity. Gliotoxin (GT) is a sulfur-containing mycotoxin, which is known to impair several aspects of the human immune response. GT is also toxic to different fungal species, which have evolved several GT protection strategies. To further decipher these responses, we used transcriptional profiling aiming to compare the response to GT in the GT producer A. fumigatus and the GT non-producer A. nidulans. This analysis allowed us to identify additional genes with a potential role in GT protection. We also identified 15 transcription factors (TFs) encoded in the A. fumigatus genome that are important for conferring resistance to exogenous gliotoxin. One of these TFs, KojR, which is essential for A. oryzae kojic acid production, is also important for virulence in A. fumigatus and GT protection in A. fumigatus, A. nidulans and A. oryzae. KojR regulates the expression of genes important for gliotoxin biosynthesis and protection, and sulfur metabolism. Together, this work identified conserved components required for gliotoxin protection in Aspergillus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Alves de Castro
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Colabardini
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Maísa Moraes
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Sonja L. Knowles
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina United States of America
| | - Huzefa A. Raja
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina United States of America
| | - Nicholas H. Oberlies
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina United States of America
| | - Yasuji Koyama
- Noda Institute for Scientific Research, 338 Noda, Chiba, Japan
| | - Masahiro Ogawa
- Noda Institute for Scientific Research, 338 Noda, Chiba, Japan
| | - Katsuya Gomi
- Department of Bioindustrial Informatics and Genomics, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Jacob L. Steenwyk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Relber A. Gonçales
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães/Braga, Portugal
| | - Cláudio Duarte-Oliveira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães/Braga, Portugal
| | - Agostinho Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães/Braga, Portugal
| | - Laure N. A. Ries
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Exeter, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (LNAR); (GHG)
| | - Gustavo H. Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- * E-mail: (LNAR); (GHG)
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22
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Ali EM, Abdallah BM. Effective Inhibition of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis by Silver Nanoparticles Biosynthesized with Artemisia sieberi Leaf Extract. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 12:51. [PMID: 35010001 PMCID: PMC8746907 DOI: 10.3390/nano12010051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the most common fungal pathogens that can cause a diversity of diseases ranging from invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) and aspergilloma to allergic syndromes. In this study, we investigated the antifungal effect of silver nanoparticles biosynthesized with Artemisia sieberi leaf extract (AS-AgNPs) against A. fumigatus in vitro and in vivo. The biosynthesized AS-AgNPs were characterized by imaging (transmission electron microscopy (TEM)), UV-VIS spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The microdilution method showed the antifungal activity of AS-AgNPs against A. fumigatus, with an MIC of 128 µg/mL. AS-AgNPs significantly inhibited the growth of hyphae in all directions, as imaged by SEM. Additionally, TEM on biofilm revealed invaginations of the cell membrane, a change in the vacuolar system, and the presence of multilamellar bodies within vacuoles. Interestingly, AS-AgNPs displayed low cytotoxicity on the A549 human lung cell line in vitro. Treatment of an invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) mouse model with AS-AgNPs demonstrated the potency of AS-AgNPs to significantly reduce lung tissue damage and to suppress the elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and interleukin-17 (IL-17). The therapeutic potential of AS-AgNPs was found to be due to their direct action to suppress the fungal burden and gliotoxin production in the lungs. In addition, AS-AgNPs reduced the oxidative stress in the lungs by increasing the enzymatic activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Thus, our data indicate the biosynthesized AS-AgNPs as a novel antifungal alternative treatment against aspergillosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enas M. Ali
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia;
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt
| | - Basem M. Abdallah
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia;
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23
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The Toxic Mechanism of Gliotoxins and Biosynthetic Strategies for Toxicity Prevention. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413510. [PMID: 34948306 PMCID: PMC8705807 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gliotoxin is a kind of epipolythiodioxopiperazine derived from different fungi that is characterized by a disulfide bridge. Gliotoxins can be biosynthesized by a gli gene cluster and regulated by a positive GliZ regulator. Gliotoxins show cytotoxic effects via the suppression the function of macrophage immune function, inflammation, antiangiogenesis, DNA damage by ROS production, peroxide damage by the inhibition of various enzymes, and apoptosis through different signal pathways. In the other hand, gliotoxins can also be beneficial with different doses. Low doses of gliotoxin can be used as an antioxidant, in the diagnosis and treatment of HIV, and as an anti-tumor agent in the future. Gliotoxins have also been used in the control of plant pathogens, including Pythium ultimum and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Thus, it is important to elucidate the toxic mechanism of gliotoxins. The toxic mechanism of gliotoxins and biosynthetic strategies to reduce the toxicity of gliotoxins and their producing strains are summarized in this review.
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24
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Traynor AM, Owens RA, Coughlin CM, Holton MC, Jones GW, Calera JA, Doyle S. At the metal-metabolite interface in Aspergillus fumigatus: towards untangling the intersecting roles of zinc and gliotoxin. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2021; 167. [PMID: 34738889 PMCID: PMC8743625 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001106] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cryptic links between apparently unrelated metabolic systems represent potential new drug targets in fungi. Evidence of such a link between zinc and gliotoxin (GT) biosynthesis in Aspergillus fumigatus is emerging. Expression of some genes of the GT biosynthetic gene cluster gli is influenced by the zinc-dependent transcription activator ZafA, zinc may relieve GT-mediated fungal growth inhibition and, surprisingly, GT biosynthesis is influenced by zinc availability. In A. fumigatus, dithiol gliotoxin (DTG), which has zinc-chelating properties, is converted to either GT or bis-dethiobis(methylthio)gliotoxin (BmGT) by oxidoreductase GliT and methyltransferase GtmA, respectively. A double deletion mutant lacking both GliT and GtmA was previously observed to be hypersensitive to exogenous GT exposure. Here we show that compared to wild-type exposure, exogenous GT and the zinc chelator N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridinylmethyl)-1,2-ethanediamine (TPEN) inhibit A. fumigatus ΔgliTΔgtmA growth, specifically under zinc-limiting conditions, which can be reversed by zinc addition. While GT biosynthesis is evident in zinc-depleted medium, addition of zinc (1 µM) suppressed GT and activated BmGT production. In addition, secretion of the unferrated siderophore, triacetylfusarinine C (TAFC), was evident by A. fumigatus wild-type (at >5 µM zinc) and ΔgtmA (at >1 µM zinc) in a low-iron medium. TAFC secretion suggests that differential zinc-sensing between both strains may influence fungal Fe3+ requirement. Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis of both strains under equivalent differential zinc conditions revealed protein abundance alterations in accordance with altered metabolomic observations, in addition to increased GliT abundance in ΔgtmA at 5 µM zinc, compared to wild-type, supporting a zinc-sensing deficiency in the mutant strain. The relative abundance of a range of oxidoreductase- and secondary metabolism-related enzymes was also evident in a zinc- and strain-dependent manner. Overall, we elaborate new linkages between zinc availability, natural product biosynthesis and oxidative stress homeostasis in A. fumigatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimee M Traynor
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Rebecca A Owens
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Claudia M Coughlin
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Maeve C Holton
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Gary W Jones
- Centre for Biomedical Science Research, School of Clinical and Applied Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK
| | - José A Calera
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica (IBFG-CSIC), Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Sean Doyle
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
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Adrover-Castellano ML, Schmidt JJ, Sherman DH. Biosynthetic Cyclization Catalysts for the Assembly of Peptide and Polyketide Natural Products. ChemCatChem 2021; 13:2095-2116. [PMID: 34335987 PMCID: PMC8320681 DOI: 10.1002/cctc.202001886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Many biologically active natural products are synthesized by nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), polyketide synthases (PKSs) and their hybrids. These megasynthetases contain modules possessing distinct catalytic domains that allow for substrate initiation, chain extension, processing and termination. At the end of a module, a terminal domain, usually a thioesterase (TE), is responsible for catalyzing the release of the NRPS or PKS as a linear or cyclized product. In this review, we address the general cyclization mechanism of the TE domain, including oligomerization and the fungal C-C bond forming Claisen-like cyclases (CLCs). Additionally, we include examples of cyclization catalysts acting within or at the end of a module. Furthermore, condensation-like (CT) domains, terminal reductase (R) domains, reductase-like domains that catalyze Dieckmann condensation (RD), thioesterase-like Dieckmann cyclases, trans-acting TEs from the penicillin binding protein (PBP) enzyme family, product template (PT) domains and others will also be reviewed. The studies summarized here highlight the remarkable diversity of NRPS and PKS cyclization catalysts for the production of biologically relevant, complex cyclic natural products and related compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennifer J Schmidt
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, 210 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2216 (USA)
| | - David H Sherman
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, 210 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2216 (USA)
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26
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Chemoinformatic Screening for the Selection of Potential Senolytic Compounds from Natural Products. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11030467. [PMID: 33809876 PMCID: PMC8004226 DOI: 10.3390/biom11030467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular senescence is a cellular condition that involves significant changes in gene expression and the arrest of cell proliferation. Recently, it has been suggested in experimental models that the elimination of senescent cells with pharmacological methods delays, prevents, and improves multiple adverse outcomes related to age. In this sense, the so-called senoylitic compounds are a class of drugs that selectively eliminates senescent cells (SCs) and that could be used in order to delay such adverse outcomes. Interestingly, the first senolytic drug (navitoclax) was discovered by using chemoinformatic and network analyses. Thus, in the present study, we searched for novel senolytic compounds through the use of chemoinformatic tools (fingerprinting and network pharmacology) over different chemical databases (InflamNat and BIOFACQUIM) coming from natural products (NPs) that have proven to be quite remarkable for drug development. As a result of screening, we obtained three molecules (hinokitiol, preussomerin C, and tanshinone I) that could be considered senolytic compound candidates since they share similarities in structure with senolytic leads (tunicamycin, ginsenoside Rb1, ABT 737, rapamycin, navitoclax, timosaponin A-III, digoxin, roxithromycin, and azithromycin) and targets involved in senescence pathways with potential use in the treatment of age-related diseases.
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Bhattarai K, Bhattarai K, Kabir ME, Bastola R, Baral B. Fungal natural products galaxy: Biochemistry and molecular genetics toward blockbuster drugs discovery. ADVANCES IN GENETICS 2021; 107:193-284. [PMID: 33641747 DOI: 10.1016/bs.adgen.2020.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Secondary metabolites synthesized by fungi have become a precious source of inspiration for the design of novel drugs. Indeed, fungi are prolific producers of fascinating, diverse, structurally complex, and low-molecular-mass natural products with high therapeutic leads, such as novel antimicrobial compounds, anticancer compounds, immunosuppressive agents, among others. Given that these microorganisms possess the extraordinary capacity to secrete diverse chemical scaffolds, they have been highly exploited by the giant pharma companies to generate small molecules. This has been made possible because the isolation of metabolites from fungal natural sources is feasible and surpasses the organic synthesis of compounds, which otherwise remains a significant bottleneck in the drug discovery process. Here in this comprehensive review, we have discussed recent studies on different fungi (pathogenic, non-pathogenic, commensal, and endophytic/symbiotic) from different habitats (terrestrial and marines), the specialized metabolites they biosynthesize, and the drugs derived from these specialized metabolites. Moreover, we have unveiled the logic behind the biosynthesis of vital chemical scaffolds, such as NRPS, PKS, PKS-NRPS hybrid, RiPPS, terpenoids, indole alkaloids, and their genetic mechanisms. Besides, we have provided a glimpse of the concept behind mycotoxins, virulence factor, and host immune response based on fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keshab Bhattarai
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Keshab Bhattarai
- Central Department of Chemistry, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Md Ehsanul Kabir
- Animal Health Research Division, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Rina Bastola
- Spinal Cord Injury Association-Nepal (SCIAN), Pokhara, Nepal
| | - Bikash Baral
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
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28
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Delli-Ponti R, Shivhare D, Mutwil M. Using Gene Expression to Study Specialized Metabolism-A Practical Guide. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 11:625035. [PMID: 33510763 PMCID: PMC7835209 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.625035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Plants produce a vast array of chemical compounds that we use as medicines and flavors, but these compounds' biosynthetic pathways are still poorly understood. This paucity precludes us from modifying, improving, and mass-producing these specialized metabolites in suitable bioreactors. Many of the specialized metabolites are expressed in a narrow range of organs, tissues, and cell types, suggesting a tight regulation of the responsible biosynthetic pathways. Fortunately, with unprecedented ease of generating gene expression data and with >200,000 publicly available RNA sequencing samples, we are now able to study the expression of genes from hundreds of plant species. This review demonstrates how gene expression can elucidate the biosynthetic pathways by mining organ-specific genes, gene expression clusters, and applying various types of co-expression analyses. To empower biologists to perform these analyses, we showcase these analyses using recently published, user-friendly tools. Finally, we analyze the performance of co-expression networks and show that they are a valuable addition to elucidating multiple the biosynthetic pathways of specialized metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marek Mutwil
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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29
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Chen YC, Seyedsayamdost MR, Ringstad N. A microbial metabolite synergizes with endogenous serotonin to trigger C. elegans reproductive behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:30589-30598. [PMID: 33199611 PMCID: PMC7720207 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2017918117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural products are a major source of small-molecule therapeutics, including those that target the nervous system. We have used a simple serotonin-dependent behavior of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, egg laying, to perform a behavior-based screen for natural products that affect serotonin signaling. Our screen yielded agonists of G protein-coupled serotonin receptors, protein kinase C agonists, and a microbial metabolite not previously known to interact with serotonin signaling pathways: the disulfide-bridged 2,5-diketopiperazine gliotoxin. Effects of gliotoxin on egg-laying behavior required the G protein-coupled serotonin receptors SER-1 and SER-7, and the Gq ortholog EGL-30. Furthermore, mutants lacking serotonergic neurons and mutants that cannot synthesize serotonin were profoundly resistant to gliotoxin. Exogenous serotonin restored their sensitivity to gliotoxin, indicating that this compound synergizes with endogenous serotonin to elicit behavior. These data show that a microbial metabolite with no structural similarity to known serotonergic agonists potentiates an endogenous serotonin signal to affect behavior. Based on this study, we suggest that microbial metabolites are a rich source of functionally novel neuroactive molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Chih Chen
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
| | | | - Niels Ringstad
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016;
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
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30
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Ries LNA, Pardeshi L, Dong Z, Tan K, Steenwyk JL, Colabardini AC, Ferreira Filho JA, de Castro PA, Silva LP, Preite NW, Almeida F, de Assis LJ, dos Santos RAC, Bowyer P, Bromley M, Owens RA, Doyle S, Demasi M, Hernández DCR, Netto LES, Pupo MT, Rokas A, Loures FV, Wong KH, Goldman GH. The Aspergillus fumigatus transcription factor RglT is important for gliotoxin biosynthesis and self-protection, and virulence. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008645. [PMID: 32667960 PMCID: PMC7384679 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that secretes an array of immune-modulatory molecules, including secondary metabolites (SMs), which contribute to enhancing fungal fitness and growth within the mammalian host. Gliotoxin (GT) is a SM that interferes with the function and recruitment of innate immune cells, which are essential for eliminating A. fumigatus during invasive infections. We identified a C6 Zn cluster-type transcription factor (TF), subsequently named RglT, important for A. fumigatus oxidative stress resistance, GT biosynthesis and self-protection. RglT regulates the expression of several gli genes of the GT biosynthetic gene cluster, including the oxidoreductase-encoding gene gliT, by directly binding to their respective promoter regions. Subsequently, RglT was shown to be important for virulence in a chemotherapeutic murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). Homologues of RglT and GliT are present in eurotiomycete and sordariomycete fungi, including the non-GT-producing fungus A. nidulans, where a conservation of function was described. Phylogenetically informed model testing led to an evolutionary scenario in which the GliT-based resistance mechanism is ancestral and RglT-mediated regulation of GliT occurred subsequently. In conclusion, this work describes the function of a previously uncharacterised TF in oxidative stress resistance, GT biosynthesis and self-protection in both GT-producing and non-producing Aspergillus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure N. A. Ries
- Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Lakhansing Pardeshi
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Zhiqiang Dong
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Kaeling Tan
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Centre for Precision Medicine and Research and Training, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Jacob L. Steenwyk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Ana Cristina Colabardini
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Jaire A. Ferreira Filho
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Patricia A. de Castro
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Lilian P. Silva
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Nycolas W. Preite
- Institute of Science and Technology, Federal University of São Paulo, São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Fausto Almeida
- Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Leandro J. de Assis
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Renato A. C. dos Santos
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Paul Bowyer
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Bromley
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sean Doyle
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
| | - Marilene Demasi
- Institute Butantan, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biophysics, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Diego C. R. Hernández
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Monica T. Pupo
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Flavio V. Loures
- Institute of Science and Technology, Federal University of São Paulo, São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Koon H. Wong
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Gustavo H. Goldman
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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31
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Mutwil M. Computational approaches to unravel the pathways and evolution of specialized metabolism. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2020; 55:38-46. [PMID: 32200228 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2020.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Specialized metabolites serve as a chemical arsenal that protects plants from abiotic stress, pathogens, and herbivores, and they are an essential component of our nutrition and medicine. Despite their importance, we are still at the beginning of unravelling biosynthetic pathways that produce these compounds, which is needed to produce more resilient and nutritious crops, expand our inventory of useful biomolecules, and give valuable insights into plant evolution. This review focuses on the evolution of specialized metabolism in the plant kingdom and the state-of-the-art approaches used to identify the biosynthetic pathways of these useful compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Mutwil
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore.
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Bulgari D, Fiorini L, Gianoncelli A, Bertuzzi M, Gobbi E. Enlightening Gliotoxin Biological System in Agriculturally Relevant Trichoderma spp. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:200. [PMID: 32226413 PMCID: PMC7080844 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00200] [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: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Gliotoxin (GT) is a dual fungal secondary metabolite (SM). It displays pleiotropic activities and possesses medicinal properties and biocontrol abilities but, unfortunately, has toxic properties in humans. Various Trichoderma species are used as fungal biological control agents (BCAs), as a sustainable alternative for crop protection worldwide. Among them is Trichoderma virens, a GT-producing fungus. Since no information was available on the genetically coded prerequisites for the production of GT in other Trichoderma spp., genome analyses were carried out in 10 Trichoderma spp. genomes. Moreover, a real-time PCR assay setup ad hoc and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses were employed to understand the GT-producing biological systems in T. virens GV29-8 (TvGv29-8) and Trichoderma afroharzianum T6776 (TaT6776), two relevant biocontrol fungi. The structure of the GT biosynthesis genes (GT-BG) is polymorphic, with two distinct types associated with the ability to produce GT. GliH, a key protein for GT synthesis, is absent in most of the Trichoderma GT biosynthetic pathways, which may be the reason for their inability to produce GT. The GT-BG are expressed in TvGv29-8 as expected, while they are silent in TaT6776. Interestingly, in the GT-non-producing TaT6776, only gliA (putative GT transporter) and gtmA (putative GT S-methyltransferase) were induced by exogenous GT, underlining the ability of this strain to reduce the deleterious effect of the toxin. This ability is confirmed by growth assays and by the detection of the bis-thiomethylated form of GT catalyzed by GtmA in the culture medium supplemented with GT. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first general description of the GT biological system in different Trichoderma spp. as far as the GT-BG content and organization is concerned and a preliminary insight into their functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Bulgari
- Piattaforma di Microbiologia Agroalimentare ed Ambientale (Pi.Mi.A.A.), AgroFood Lab, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Lisa Fiorini
- Piattaforma di Microbiologia Agroalimentare ed Ambientale (Pi.Mi.A.A.), AgroFood Lab, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Gianoncelli
- Piattaforma di Proteomica, AgroFood Lab, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Michela Bertuzzi
- Piattaforma di Proteomica, AgroFood Lab, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Emanuela Gobbi
- Piattaforma di Microbiologia Agroalimentare ed Ambientale (Pi.Mi.A.A.), AgroFood Lab, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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Pfliegler WP, Pócsi I, Győri Z, Pusztahelyi T. The Aspergilli and Their Mycotoxins: Metabolic Interactions With Plants and the Soil Biota. Front Microbiol 2020; 10:2921. [PMID: 32117074 PMCID: PMC7029702 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Species of the highly diverse fungal genus Aspergillus are well-known agricultural pests, and, most importantly, producers of various mycotoxins threatening food safety worldwide. Mycotoxins are studied predominantly from the perspectives of human and livestock health. Meanwhile, their roles are far less known in nature. However, to understand the factors behind mycotoxin production, the roles of the toxins of Aspergilli must be understood from a complex ecological perspective, taking mold-plant, mold-microbe, and mold-animal interactions into account. The Aspergilli may switch between saprophytic and pathogenic lifestyles, and the production of secondary metabolites, such as mycotoxins, may vary according to these fungal ways of life. Recent studies highlighted the complex ecological network of soil microbiotas determining the niches that Aspergilli can fill in. Interactions with the soil microbiota and soil macro-organisms determine the role of secondary metabolite production to a great extent. While, upon infection of plants, metabolic communication including fungal secondary metabolites like aflatoxins, gliotoxin, patulin, cyclopiazonic acid, and ochratoxin, influences the fate of both the invader and the host. In this review, the role of mycotoxin producing Aspergillus species and their interactions in the ecosystem are discussed. We intend to highlight the complexity of the roles of the main toxic secondary metabolites as well as their fate in natural environments and agriculture, a field that still has important knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter P. Pfliegler
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - István Pócsi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Győri
- Institute of Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tünde Pusztahelyi
- Central Laboratory of Agricultural and Food Products, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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Knowles SL, Mead ME, Silva LP, Raja HA, Steenwyk JL, Goldman GH, Oberlies NH, Rokas A. Gliotoxin, a Known Virulence Factor in the Major Human Pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, Is Also Biosynthesized by Its Nonpathogenic Relative Aspergillus fischeri. mBio 2020; 11:e03361-19. [PMID: 32047138 PMCID: PMC7018655 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03361-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a major opportunistic human pathogen. Multiple traits contribute to A. fumigatus pathogenicity, including its ability to produce specific secondary metabolites, such as gliotoxin. Gliotoxin is known to inhibit the host immune response, and genetic mutants that inactivate gliotoxin biosynthesis (or secondary metabolism in general) attenuate A. fumigatus virulence. The genome of Aspergillus fischeri, a very close nonpathogenic relative of A. fumigatus, contains a biosynthetic gene cluster that is homologous to the A. fumigatus gliotoxin cluster. However, A. fischeri is not known to produce gliotoxin. To gain further insight into the similarities and differences between the major pathogen A. fumigatus and the nonpathogen A. fischeri, we examined whether A. fischeri strain NRRL 181 biosynthesizes gliotoxin and whether the production of secondary metabolites influences the virulence profile of A. fischeri We found that A. fischeri biosynthesizes gliotoxin under the same conditions as A. fumigatus However, whereas loss of laeA, a master regulator of secondary metabolite production (including gliotoxin biosynthesis), has previously been shown to reduce A. fumigatus virulence, we found that laeA loss (and loss of secondary metabolite production) in A. fischeri does not influence its virulence. These results suggest that LaeA-regulated secondary metabolites are virulence factors in the genomic and phenotypic background of the major pathogen A. fumigatus but are much less important in the background of the nonpathogen A. fischeri Understanding the observed spectrum of pathogenicity across closely related pathogenic and nonpathogenic Aspergillus species will require detailed characterization of their biological, chemical, and genomic similarities and differences.IMPORTANCEAspergillus fumigatus is a major opportunistic fungal pathogen of humans, but most of its close relatives are nonpathogenic. Why is that so? This important, yet largely unanswered, question can be addressed by examining how A. fumigatus and its close nonpathogenic relatives are similar or different with respect to virulence-associated traits. We investigated whether Aspergillus fischeri, a nonpathogenic close relative of A. fumigatus, can produce gliotoxin, a mycotoxin known to contribute to A. fumigatus virulence. We discovered that the nonpathogenic A. fischeri produces gliotoxin under the same conditions as those of the major pathogen A. fumigatus However, we also discovered that, in contrast to what has previously been observed in A. fumigatus, the loss of secondary metabolite production in A. fischeri does not alter its virulence. Our results are consistent with the "cards of virulence" model of opportunistic fungal disease, in which the ability to cause disease stems from the combination ("hand") of virulence factors ("cards") but not from individual factors per se.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja L Knowles
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - Matthew E Mead
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Lilian Pereira Silva
- Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Huzefa A Raja
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jacob L Steenwyk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Gustavo H Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nicholas H Oberlies
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Guo Y, Cheng J, Lu Y, Wang H, Gao Y, Shi J, Yin C, Wang X, Chen S, Strasser RJ, Qiang S. Novel Action Targets of Natural Product Gliotoxin in Photosynthetic Apparatus. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 10:1688. [PMID: 32063907 PMCID: PMC6999049 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Gliotoxin (GT) is a fungal secondary metabolite that has attracted great interest due to its high biological activity since it was discovered by the 1930s. It exhibits a unique structure that contains a N-C = O group as the characteristics of the classical PSII inhibitor. However, GT's phytotoxicity, herbicidal activity and primary action targets in plants remain hidden. Here, it is found that GT can cause brown or white leaf spot of various monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants, being regarded as a potential herbicidal agent. The multiple sites of GT action are located in two photosystems. GT decreases the rate of oxygen evolution of PSII with an I 50 value of 60 µM. Chlorophyll fluorescence data from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells and spinach thylakoids implicate that GT affects both PSII electron transport at the acceptor side and the reduction rate of PSI end electron acceptors' pool. The major direct action target of GT is the plastoquinone QB-site of the D1 protein in PSII, where GT inserts in the QB binding niche by replacing native plastoquinone (PQ) and then interrupts electron flow beyond plastoquinone QA. This leads to severe inactivation of PSII RCs and a significant decrease of PSII overall photosynthetic activity. Based on the simulated modeling of GT docking to the D1 protein of spinach, it is proposed that GT binds to the-QB-site through two hydrogen bonds between GT and D1-Ser264 and D1-His252. A hydrogen bond is formed between the aromatic hydroxyl oxygen of GT and the residue Ser264 in the D1 protein. The 4-carbonyl group of GT provides another hydrogen bond to the residue D1-His252. So, it is concluded that GT is a novel natural PSII inhibitor. In the future, GT may have the potential for development into a bioherbicide or being utilized as a lead compound to design more new derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjing Guo
- Weed Research Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Cheng
- Weed Research Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuping Lu
- Weed Research Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - He Wang
- Weed Research Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yazhi Gao
- Weed Research Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiale Shi
- Weed Research Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Cancan Yin
- Weed Research Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoxiong Wang
- Weed Research Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shiguo Chen
- Weed Research Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Reto Jörg Strasser
- Weed Research Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Bioenergetics Laboratory, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sheng Qiang
- Weed Research Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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Huang ZL, Ye W, Zhu MZ, Kong YL, Li SN, Liu S, Zhang WM. Interaction of a Novel Zn2Cys6 Transcription Factor DcGliZ with Promoters in the Gliotoxin Biosynthetic Gene Cluster of the Deep-Sea-Derived Fungus Dichotomomyces cejpii. Biomolecules 2019; 10:E56. [PMID: 31905743 PMCID: PMC7022936 DOI: 10.3390/biom10010056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Revised: 12/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Gliotoxin is an important epipolythiodioxopiperazine, which was biosynthesized by the gli gene cluster in Aspergillus genus. However, the regulatory mechanism of gliotoxin biosynthesis remains unclear. In this study, a novel Zn2Cys6 transcription factor DcGliZ that is responsible for the regulation of gliotoxin biosynthesis from the deep-sea-derived fungus Dichotomomyces cejpii was identified. DcGliZ was expressed in Escherichia coli and effectively purified from inclusion bodies by refolding. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we demonstrated that purified DcGliZ can bind to gliG, gliM, and gliN promoter regions in the gli cluster. Furthermore, the binding kinetics and affinity of DcGliZ protein with different promoters were measured by surface plasmon resonance assays, and the results demonstrated the significant interaction of DcGliZ with the gliG, gliM, and gliN promoters. These new findings would lay the foundation for the elucidation of future gliotoxin biosynthetic regulation mechanisms in D. cejpii.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wei Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China; (Z.-L.H.); (M.-Z.Z.); (Y.-L.K.); (S.-N.L.); (S.L.)
| | | | | | | | | | - Wei-Min Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China; (Z.-L.H.); (M.-Z.Z.); (Y.-L.K.); (S.-N.L.); (S.L.)
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37
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Traynor AM, Sheridan KJ, Jones GW, Calera JA, Doyle S. Involvement of Sulfur in the Biosynthesis of Essential Metabolites in Pathogenic Fungi of Animals, Particularly Aspergillus spp.: Molecular and Therapeutic Implications. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2859. [PMID: 31921039 PMCID: PMC6923255 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal sulfur uptake is required for incorporation into the sidechains of the amino acids cysteine and methionine, and is also essential for the biosynthesis of the antioxidant glutathione (GSH), S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), the key source of methyl groups in cellular transmethylation reactions, and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). Biosynthesis of redox-active gliotoxin in the opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus has been elucidated over the past 10 years. Some fungi which produce gliotoxin-like molecular species have undergone unexpected molecular rewiring to accommodate this high-risk biosynthetic process. Specific disruption of gliotoxin biosynthesis, via deletion of gliK, which encodes a γ-glutamyl cyclotransferase, leads to elevated intracellular antioxidant, ergothioneine (EGT), levels, and confirms crosstalk between the biosynthesis of both sulfur-containing moieties. Gliotoxin is ultimately formed by gliotoxin oxidoreductase GliT-mediated oxidation of dithiol gliotoxin (DTG). In fact, DTG is a substrate for both GliT and a bis-thiomethyltransferase, GtmA. GtmA converts DTG to bisdethiobis(methylthio)gliotoxin (BmGT), using 2 mol SAM and resultant SAH must be re-converted to SAM via the action of the Methyl/Met cycle. In the absence of GliT, DTG fluxes via GtmA to BmGT, which results in both SAM depletion and SAH overproduction. Thus, the negative regulation of gliotoxin biosynthesis via GtmA must be counter-balanced by GliT activity to avoid Methyl/Met cycle dysregulation, SAM depletion and trans consequences on global cellular biochemistry in A. fumigatus. DTG also possesses potent Zn2+ chelation properties which positions this sulfur-containing metabolite as a putative component of the Zn2+ homeostasis system within fungi. EGT plays an essential role in high-level redox homeostasis and its presence requires significant consideration in future oxidative stress studies in pathogenic filamentous fungi. In certain filamentous fungi, sulfur is additionally indirectly required for the formation of EGT and the disulfide-bridge containing non-ribosomal peptide, gliotoxin, and related epipolythiodioxopiperazines. Ultimately, interference with emerging sulfur metabolite functionality may represent a new strategy for antifungal drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimee M Traynor
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
| | | | - Gary W Jones
- Centre for Biomedical Science Research, School of Clinical and Applied Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - José A Calera
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica (IBFG-CSIC), Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Sean Doyle
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
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rmtA-Dependent Transcriptome and Its Role in Secondary Metabolism, Environmental Stress, and Virulence in Aspergillus flavus. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2019; 9:4087-4096. [PMID: 31601618 PMCID: PMC6893206 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Aspergillus flavus colonizes numerous oil seed crops such as maize, peanuts, treenuts and cottonseed worldwide, contaminating them with aflatoxins and other harmful toxins. Previously our lab characterized the gene rmtA, which encodes an arginine methyltransferase in A. flavus, and demonstrated its role governing the expression of regulators in the aflatoxin gene cluster and subsequent synthesis of toxin. Furthermore, our studies revealed that rmtA also controls conidial and sclerotial development implicating it as an epigenetic regulator in A. flavus. To confirm this, we performed a RNA sequencing analysis to ascertain the extent of rmtA’s influence on the transcriptome of A. flavus. In this analysis we identified over 2000 genes that were rmtA-dependent, including over 200 transcription factor genes, as well as an uncharacterized secondary metabolite gene cluster possibly responsible for the synthesis of an epidithiodiketopiperazine-like compound. Our results also revealed rmtA-dependent genes involved in multiple types of abiotic stress response in A. flavus. Importantly, hundreds of genes active during maize infection were also regulated by rmtA. In addition, in the animal infection model, rmtA was dispensable for virulence, however forced overexpression of rmtA increased mortality with respect to the wild type.
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Dechdigliotoxins A-C, Three Novel Disulfide-Bridged Gliotoxin Dimers from Deep-Sea Sediment Derived Fungus Dichotomomyces cejpii. Mar Drugs 2019; 17:md17110596. [PMID: 31652800 PMCID: PMC6891313 DOI: 10.3390/md17110596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dechdigliotoxins A-C (1-3), which represented the first examples of gliotoxin dimers with an unprecedented exocyclic disulfide linkage, were obtained from a deep-sea derived fungus Dichotomomyces cejpii FS110. The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and the absolute configurations were unambiguously determined through quantum chemical calculations, as well as DP4+ probability simulations. The proposed biosynthetic pathway suggested 1-3 were generated from unusual L-Phe and D-Ser. All the isolates were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against four tumor cell lines.
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40
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Baccile JA, Le HH, Pfannenstiel BT, Bok JW, Gomez C, Brandenburger E, Hoffmeister D, Keller NP, Schroeder FC. Diketopiperazine Formation in Fungi Requires Dedicated Cyclization and Thiolation Domains. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201909052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua A. Baccile
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Present Address: Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering California Institute of Technology Pasadena CA USA
| | - Henry H. Le
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | - Brandon T. Pfannenstiel
- Departments of Bacteriology Medical Microbiology and Immunology University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison WI USA
| | - Jin Woo Bok
- Departments of Bacteriology Medical Microbiology and Immunology University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison WI USA
| | - Christian Gomez
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | - Eileen Brandenburger
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology Hans-Knöll-Institute Friedrich Schiller University Jena Germany
| | - Dirk Hoffmeister
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology Hans-Knöll-Institute Friedrich Schiller University Jena Germany
| | - Nancy P. Keller
- Departments of Bacteriology Medical Microbiology and Immunology University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison WI USA
| | - Frank C. Schroeder
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
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41
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Baccile JA, Le HH, Pfannenstiel BT, Bok JW, Gomez C, Brandenburger E, Hoffmeister D, Keller NP, Schroeder FC. Diketopiperazine Formation in Fungi Requires Dedicated Cyclization and Thiolation Domains. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:14589-14593. [PMID: 31342608 PMCID: PMC6764874 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201909052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Cyclization of linear dipeptidyl precursors derived from nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) into 2,5-diketopiperazines (DKPs) is a crucial step in the biosynthesis of a large number of bioactive natural products. However, the mechanism of DKP formation in fungi has remained unclear, despite extensive studies of their biosyntheses. Here we show that DKP formation en route to the fungal virulence factor gliotoxin requires a seemingly extraneous couplet of condensation (C) and thiolation (T) domains in the NRPS GliP. In vivo truncation of GliP to remove the CT couplet or just the T domain abrogated production of gliotoxin and all other gli pathway metabolites. Point mutation of conserved active sites in the C and T domains diminished cyclization activity of GliP in vitro and abolished gliotoxin biosynthesis in vivo. Verified NRPSs of other fungal DKPs terminate with similar CT domain couplets, suggesting a conserved strategy for DKP biosynthesis by fungal NRPSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua A Baccile
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Present Address: Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Henry H Le
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Brandon T Pfannenstiel
- Departments of Bacteriology, Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jin Woo Bok
- Departments of Bacteriology, Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Christian Gomez
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Eileen Brandenburger
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Dirk Hoffmeister
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Nancy P Keller
- Departments of Bacteriology, Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Frank C Schroeder
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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Sarkar D, Rovenich H, Jeena G, Nizam S, Tissier A, Balcke GU, Mahdi LK, Bonkowski M, Langen G, Zuccaro A. The inconspicuous gatekeeper: endophytic Serendipita vermifera acts as extended plant protection barrier in the rhizosphere. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 224:886-901. [PMID: 31074884 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
In nature, beneficial and pathogenic fungi often simultaneously colonise plants. Despite substantial efforts to understand the composition of natural plant-microbe communities, the mechanisms driving such multipartite interactions remain largely unknown. Here we address how the interaction between the beneficial root endophyte Serendipita vermifera and the pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana affects fungal behaviour and determines barley host responses using a gnotobiotic soil-based split-root system. Fungal confrontation in soil resulted in induction of B. sorokiniana genes involved in secondary metabolism and a significant repression of genes encoding putative effectors. In S. vermifera, genes encoding hydrolytic enzymes were strongly induced. This antagonistic response was not activated during the tripartite interaction in barley roots. Instead, we observed a specific induction of S. vermifera genes involved in detoxification and redox homeostasis. Pathogen infection but not endophyte colonisation resulted in substantial host transcriptional reprogramming and activation of defence. In the presence of S. vermifera, pathogen infection and disease symptoms were significantly reduced despite no marked alterations of the plant transcriptional response. The activation of stress response genes and concomitant repression of putative effector gene expression in B. sorokiniana during confrontation with the endophyte suggest a reduction of the pathogen's virulence potential before host plant infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debika Sarkar
- Botanical Institute, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hanna Rovenich
- Botanical Institute, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ganga Jeena
- Botanical Institute, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Shadab Nizam
- Botanical Institute, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alain Tissier
- Department of Cell and Metabolic Biology, Institute of Plant Biochemistry, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Gerd U Balcke
- Department of Cell and Metabolic Biology, Institute of Plant Biochemistry, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Lisa K Mahdi
- Botanical Institute, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael Bonkowski
- Institute of Zoology, Terrestrial Ecology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gregor Langen
- Botanical Institute, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alga Zuccaro
- Botanical Institute, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
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Vassaux A, Meunier L, Vandenbol M, Baurain D, Fickers P, Jacques P, Leclère V. Nonribosomal peptides in fungal cell factories: from genome mining to optimized heterologous production. Biotechnol Adv 2019; 37:107449. [PMID: 31518630 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.107449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Fungi are notoriously prolific producers of secondary metabolites including nonribosomal peptides (NRPs). The structural complexity of NRPs grants them interesting activities such as antibiotic, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. The discovery of these compounds with attractive activities can be achieved by using two approaches: either by screening samples originating from various environments for their biological activities, or by identifying the related clusters in genomic sequences thanks to bioinformatics tools. This genome mining approach has grown tremendously due to recent advances in genome sequencing, which have provided an incredible amount of genomic data from hundreds of microbial species. Regarding fungal organisms, the genomic data have revealed the presence of an unexpected number of putative NRP-related gene clusters. This highlights fungi as a goldmine for the discovery of putative novel bioactive compounds. Recent development of NRP dedicated bioinformatics tools have increased the capacity to identify these gene clusters and to deduce NRPs structures, speeding-up the screening process for novel metabolites discovery. Unfortunately, the newly identified compound is frequently not or poorly produced by native producers due to a lack of expression of the related genes cluster. A frequently employed strategy to increase production rates consists in transferring the related biosynthetic pathway in heterologous hosts. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview about the topic of NRPs discovery, from gene cluster identification by genome mining to the heterologous production in fungal hosts. The main computational tools and methods for genome mining are herein presented with an emphasis on the particularities of the fungal systems. The different steps of the reconstitution of NRP biosynthetic pathway in heterologous fungal cell factories will be discussed, as well as the key factors to consider for maximizing productivity. Several examples will be developed to illustrate the potential of heterologous production to both discover uncharacterized novel compounds predicted in silico by genome mining, and to enhance the productivity of interesting bio-active natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Vassaux
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Microbial Processes and Interactions, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, Avenue de la Faculté d'Agronomie, B5030 Gembloux, Belgium; Univ. Lille, INRA, ISA, Univ. Artois, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, EA 7394-ICV-Institut Charles Viollette, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Loïc Meunier
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Microbial Processes and Interactions, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, Avenue de la Faculté d'Agronomie, B5030 Gembloux, Belgium; InBioS-PhytoSYSTEMS, Eukaryotic Phylogenomics, University of Liege, Boulevard du Rectorat 27, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Micheline Vandenbol
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Microbiologie et Génomique, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, Avenue de la Faculté d'Agronomie, B5030 Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Denis Baurain
- InBioS-PhytoSYSTEMS, Eukaryotic Phylogenomics, University of Liege, Boulevard du Rectorat 27, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Patrick Fickers
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Microbial Processes and Interactions, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, Avenue de la Faculté d'Agronomie, B5030 Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Philippe Jacques
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Microbial Processes and Interactions, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, Avenue de la Faculté d'Agronomie, B5030 Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Valérie Leclère
- Univ. Lille, INRA, ISA, Univ. Artois, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, EA 7394-ICV-Institut Charles Viollette, F-59000 Lille, France.
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Raffa N, Keller NP. A call to arms: Mustering secondary metabolites for success and survival of an opportunistic pathogen. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007606. [PMID: 30947302 PMCID: PMC6448812 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Raffa
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Nancy P. Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Comas L, Polo E, Domingo MP, Hernández Y, Arias M, Esteban P, Martínez-Lostao L, Pardo J, Martínez de la Fuente J, Gálvez EM. Intracellular Delivery of Biologically-Active Fungal Metabolite Gliotoxin Using Magnetic Nanoparticles. MATERIALS 2019; 12:ma12071092. [PMID: 30987007 PMCID: PMC6480141 DOI: 10.3390/ma12071092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Gliotoxin (GT), a secondary metabolite produced by Aspergillus molds, has been proposed as a potential anti-tumor agent. Here we have developed a nanoparticle approach to enhance delivery of GT in tumor cells and establish a basis for its potential use as therapeutical drug. GT bound to magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) retained a high anti-tumor activity, correlating with efficient intracellular delivery, which was increased in the presence of glucose. Our results show that the attachment of GT to MNPs by covalent bonding enhances intracellular GT delivery without affecting its biological activity. This finding represents the first step to use this potent anti-tumor agent in the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Comas
- Instituto de Carboquímica (ICB-CSIC), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Esther Polo
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - M Pilar Domingo
- Instituto de Carboquímica (ICB-CSIC), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Yulán Hernández
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Peru, Departamento de Ciencias - Sección Química, Lima 1761, Peru.
| | - Maykel Arias
- Instituto de Carboquímica (ICB-CSIC), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | | | - Luis Martínez-Lostao
- Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias de Aragón (IIS), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
- Departamento de Microbiología, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
- Servicio de Inmunologia, Hospital Clinico Lozano Blesa, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
- Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Julián Pardo
- Departamento de Microbiología, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
- Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Aragón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
- Fundacion Agencia Aragonesa para la Investigación y el Desarrollo (ARAID), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón, ICMA-CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Jesús Martínez de la Fuente
- Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón, ICMA-CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Eva M Gálvez
- Instituto de Carboquímica (ICB-CSIC), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
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Tran PN, Yen MR, Chiang CY, Lin HC, Chen PY. Detecting and prioritizing biosynthetic gene clusters for bioactive compounds in bacteria and fungi. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:3277-3287. [PMID: 30859257 PMCID: PMC6449301 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-09708-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 02/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Secondary metabolites (SM) produced by fungi and bacteria have long been of exceptional interest owing to their unique biomedical ramifications. The traditional discovery of new natural products that was mainly driven by bioactivity screening has now experienced a fresh new approach in the form of genome mining. Several bioinformatics tools have been continuously developed to detect potential biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that are responsible for the production of SM. Although the principles underlying the computation of these tools have been discussed, the biological background is left underrated and ambiguous. In this review, we emphasize the biological hypotheses in BGC formation driven from the observations across genomes in bacteria and fungi, and provide a comprehensive list of updated algorithms/tools exclusively for BGC detection. Our review points to a direction that the biological hypotheses should be systematically incorporated into the BGC prediction and assist the prioritization of candidate BGC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phuong Nguyen Tran
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Rd, Nangang District, Taipei City, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Ren Yen
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Rd, Nangang District, Taipei City, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Yu Chiang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Rd, Nangang District, Taipei City, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Ching Lin
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Rd, Nangang District, Taipei City, 11529, Taiwan.
| | - Pao-Yang Chen
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Rd, Nangang District, Taipei City, 11529, Taiwan.
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47
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Abstract
One of the exciting movements in microbial sciences has been a refocusing and revitalization of efforts to mine the fungal secondary metabolome. The magnitude of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in a single filamentous fungal genome combined with the historic number of sequenced genomes suggests that the secondary metabolite wealth of filamentous fungi is largely untapped. Mining algorithms and scalable expression platforms have greatly expanded access to the chemical repertoire of fungal-derived secondary metabolites. In this Review, I discuss new insights into the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of BGCs and the ecological roles of fungal secondary metabolites in warfare, defence and development. I also explore avenues for the identification of new fungal metabolites and the challenges in harvesting fungal-derived secondary metabolites.
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Johansson H, Isabella Tsai YC, Fantom K, Chung CW, Kümper S, Martino L, Thomas DA, Eberl HC, Muelbaier M, House D, Rittinger K. Fragment-Based Covalent Ligand Screening Enables Rapid Discovery of Inhibitors for the RBR E3 Ubiquitin Ligase HOIP. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:2703-2712. [PMID: 30657686 PMCID: PMC6383986 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b13193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Modification
of proteins with polyubiquitin chains is a key regulatory
mechanism to control cellular behavior and alterations in the ubiquitin
system are linked to many diseases. Linear (M1-linked) polyubiquitin
chains play pivotal roles in several cellular signaling pathways mediating
immune and inflammatory responses and apoptotic cell death. These
chains are formed by the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC),
a multiprotein E3 ligase that consists of 3 subunits, HOIP, HOIL-1L,
and SHARPIN. Herein, we describe the discovery of inhibitors targeting
the active site cysteine of the catalytic subunit HOIP using fragment-based
covalent ligand screening. We report the synthesis of a diverse library
of electrophilic fragments and demonstrate an integrated use of protein
LC–MS, biochemical ubiquitination assays, chemical synthesis,
and protein crystallography to enable the first structure-based development
of covalent inhibitors for an RBR E3 ligase. Furthermore, using cell-based
assays and chemoproteomics, we demonstrate that these compounds effectively
penetrate mammalian cells to label and inhibit HOIP and NF-κB
activation, making them suitable hits for the development of selective
probes to study LUBAC biology. Our results illustrate the power of
fragment-based covalent ligand screening to discover lead compounds
for challenging targets, which holds promise to be a general approach
for the development of cell-permeable inhibitors of thioester-forming
E3 ubiquitin ligases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Johansson
- Crick-GSK Biomedical LinkLabs , GlaxoSmithKline , Gunnels Wood Road , Stevenage SG1 2NY , United Kingdom.,Molecular Structure of Cell Signalling Laboratory , The Francis Crick Institute , 1 Midland Road , London NW1 1AT , United Kingdom
| | - Yi-Chun Isabella Tsai
- Molecular Structure of Cell Signalling Laboratory , The Francis Crick Institute , 1 Midland Road , London NW1 1AT , United Kingdom
| | - Ken Fantom
- R&D Platform Technology & Science , GlaxoSmithKline , Gunnels Wood Road , Stevenage SG1 2NY , United Kingdom
| | - Chun-Wa Chung
- Crick-GSK Biomedical LinkLabs , GlaxoSmithKline , Gunnels Wood Road , Stevenage SG1 2NY , United Kingdom.,R&D Platform Technology & Science , GlaxoSmithKline , Gunnels Wood Road , Stevenage SG1 2NY , United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Kümper
- Crick-GSK Biomedical LinkLabs , GlaxoSmithKline , Gunnels Wood Road , Stevenage SG1 2NY , United Kingdom.,Molecular Structure of Cell Signalling Laboratory , The Francis Crick Institute , 1 Midland Road , London NW1 1AT , United Kingdom
| | - Luigi Martino
- Molecular Structure of Cell Signalling Laboratory , The Francis Crick Institute , 1 Midland Road , London NW1 1AT , United Kingdom
| | - Daniel A Thomas
- R&D Platform Technology & Science , GlaxoSmithKline , Gunnels Wood Road , Stevenage SG1 2NY , United Kingdom
| | - H Christian Eberl
- Cellzome GmbH, a GlaxoSmithKline Company , Meyerhofstraße 1 , Heidelberg 69117 , Germany
| | - Marcel Muelbaier
- Cellzome GmbH, a GlaxoSmithKline Company , Meyerhofstraße 1 , Heidelberg 69117 , Germany
| | - David House
- Crick-GSK Biomedical LinkLabs , GlaxoSmithKline , Gunnels Wood Road , Stevenage SG1 2NY , United Kingdom
| | - Katrin Rittinger
- Molecular Structure of Cell Signalling Laboratory , The Francis Crick Institute , 1 Midland Road , London NW1 1AT , United Kingdom
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Wu M, Chang Y, Hu H, Mu R, Zhang Y, Qin X, Duan X, Li W, Tu H, Zhang W, Wang G, Han Q, Li A, Zhou T, Iwai K, Zhang X, Li H. LUBAC controls chromosome alignment by targeting CENP-E to attached kinetochores. Nat Commun 2019; 10:273. [PMID: 30655516 PMCID: PMC6336796 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-08043-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Faithful chromosome segregation requires proper chromosome congression at prometaphase and dynamic maintenance of the aligned chromosomes at metaphase. Chromosome missegregation can result in aneuploidy, birth defects and cancer. The kinetochore-bound KMN network and the kinesin motor CENP-E are critical for kinetochore-microtubule attachment and chromosome stability. The linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC) attaches linear ubiquitin chains to substrates, with well-established roles in immune response. Here, we identify LUBAC as a key player of chromosome alignment during mitosis. LUBAC catalyzes linear ubiquitination of the kinetochore motor CENP-E, which is specifically required for the localization of CENP-E at attached kinetochores, but not unattached ones. KNL1 acts as a receptor of linear ubiquitin chains to anchor CENP-E at attached kinetochores in prometaphase and metaphase. Thus, linear ubiquitination promotes chromosome congression and dynamic chromosome alignment by coupling the dynamic kinetochore microtubule receptor CENP-E to the static one, the KMN network. During cell division, faithful chromosome segregation requires proper chromosome congression and dynamic maintenance of the aligned chromosomes. Here, the authors find that LUBAC promotes dynamic chromosome congression and alignment by targeting kinetochore motor CENP-E to the KMN network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Biomedical Analysis, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Biomedical Analysis, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Huaibin Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Biomedical Analysis, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Mu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 100021, Beijing, China
| | - Yucheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Biomedical Analysis, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Xuanhe Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Biomedical Analysis, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaotao Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Weihua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Biomedical Analysis, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Haiqing Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Biomedical Analysis, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Weina Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Biomedical Analysis, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Guang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Biomedical Analysis, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Qiuying Han
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Biomedical Analysis, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Ailing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Biomedical Analysis, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Biomedical Analysis, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Kazuhiro Iwai
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida-konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Xuemin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Biomedical Analysis, 100850, Beijing, China.
| | - Huiyan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Biomedical Analysis, 100850, Beijing, China. .,School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 200032, Shanghai, China.
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50
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Arias M, Santiago L, Vidal-García M, Redrado S, Lanuza P, Comas L, Domingo MP, Rezusta A, Gálvez EM. Preparations for Invasion: Modulation of Host Lung Immunity During Pulmonary Aspergillosis by Gliotoxin and Other Fungal Secondary Metabolites. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2549. [PMID: 30459771 PMCID: PMC6232612 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary aspergillosis is a severe infectious disease caused by some members of the Aspergillus genus, that affects immunocompetent as well as immunocompromised patients. Among the different disease forms, Invasive Aspergillosis is the one causing the highest mortality, mainly, although not exclusively, affecting neutropenic patients. This genus is very well known by humans, since different sectors like pharmaceutical or food industry have taken advantage of the biological activity of some molecules synthetized by the fungus, known as secondary metabolites, including statins, antibiotics, fermentative compounds or colorants among others. However, during infection, in response to a hostile host environment, the fungal secondary metabolism is activated, producing different virulence factors to increase its survival chances. Some of these factors also contribute to fungal dissemination and invasion of adjacent and distant organs. Among the different secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus spp. Gliotoxin (GT) is the best known and better characterized virulence factor. It is able to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to the disulfide bridge present in its structure. It also presents immunosuppressive activity related with its ability to kill mammalian cells and/or inactivate critical immune signaling pathways like NFkB. In this comprehensive review, we will briefly give an overview of the lung immune response against Aspergillus as a preface to analyse the effect of different secondary metabolites on the host immune response, with a special attention to GT. We will discuss the results reported in the literature on the context of the animal models employed to analyse the role of GT as virulence factor, which is expected to greatly depend on the immune status of the host: why should you hide when nobody is seeking for you? Finally, GT immunosuppressive activity will be related with different human diseases predisposing to invasive aspergillosis in order to have a global view on the potential of GT to be used as a target to treat IA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maykel Arias
- Instituto de Carboquímica ICB-CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain
- Immune Effector Cells Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Llipsy Santiago
- Immune Effector Cells Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology, Fac. Ciencias, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Matxalen Vidal-García
- Immune Effector Cells Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), Zaragoza, Spain
- Servicio de Microbiología - Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Pilar Lanuza
- Immune Effector Cells Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology, Fac. Ciencias, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Laura Comas
- Instituto de Carboquímica ICB-CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain
- Immune Effector Cells Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology, Fac. Ciencias, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Rezusta
- Servicio de Microbiología - Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
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