Inhibition of sterol synthesis by delta 5-sterols in a sterol auxotroph of yeast defective in oxidosqualene cyclase and cytochrome P-450

Selection of suitable reference genes for quantitative real time PCR in different Tulasnella isolates and orchid-fungus symbiotic germination system

Under natural conditions, mycorrhizal symbiosis accompanies nearly the entire life cycle of orchids from seed germination through to flowering and fruiting. Tulasnella-like orchid mycorrhizal fungi are the most common mycorrhizal fungi found in association with orchid species. Presently suitable reference genes have not been systematically selected for the quantification of gene expression via Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). We evaluated 12 candidate Tulasnella genes in nine different Tulasnella isolates and in the Dendrobium-fungal symbiotic germination associations followed by statistical analysis using the programs Bestkeeper, geNorm, and Normfinder to analyze the expression stability of the individual genes. The results showed that the EF2, UBC, and PP2A genes had the highest rankings with relatively stable expression levels across the different genotypes and during the symbiotic seed germination process by the three programs, and may be suitable for RT-qPCR normalization. Furthermore, the gene encoding C-5 Sterol desaturase (C5SD) was selected to verify the reliability of EF2, UBC, and PP2A expression during the Tulasnella-Dendrobium symbiotic seed germination process. This study is the first systematic exploration of optimal reference genes for gene expression studies during the colonization of orchid seeds by the mycorrhizal fungus Tulasnella.

Functional importance for developmental regulation of sterol biosynthesis in Acanthamoeba castellanii

The sterol metabolome of Acanthamoeba castellanii (Ac) yielded 25 sterols. Substrate screening of cloned AcCYP51 revealed obtusifoliol as the natural substrate which converts to ∆8,14-sterol (<95%). The combination of [2H3-methyl]methionine incubation to intact cultures showing C28-ergosterol incorporates 2-2H atoms and C29-7-dehydroporiferasterol incorporates 5 2H-atoms, the natural distribution of sterols, CYP51 and previously published sterol methyltransferase (SMT) data indicate separate ∆24(28)- and ∆25(27)-olefin pathways to C28- and C29-sterol products from the protosterol cycloartenol. In cell-based culture, we observed a marked change in sterol compositions during the growth and encystment phases monitored microscopically and by trypan blue staining; trophozoites possess C28/C29-∆5,7-sterols, viable encysted cells (mature cyst) possess mostly C29-∆5-sterol and non-viable encysted cells possess C28/C29-∆5,7-sterols that turnover variably from stress to 6-methyl aromatic sterols associated with changed membrane fluidity affording lysis. An incompatible fit of steroidal aromatics in membranes was confirmed using the yeast sterol auxotroph GL7. Only viable cysts, including those treated with inhibitor, can excyst into trophozoites. 25-Azacycloartanol or voriconazole that target SMT and CYP51, respectively, are potent enzyme inhibitors in the nanomolar range against the cloned enzymes and amoeba cells. At minimum amoebicidal concentration of inhibitor amoeboid cells rapidly convert to encysted cells unable to excyst. The correlation between stage-specific sterol compositions and the physiological effects of ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors suggests that amoeba fitness is controlled mainly by developmentally-regulated changes in the phytosterol B-ring; paired interference in the ∆5,7-sterol biosynthesis (to ∆5,7) - metabolism (to ∆5 or 6-methyl aromatic) congruence during cell proliferation and encystment could be a source of therapeutic intervention for Acanthamoeba infections.

Expression of C-5 sterol desaturase from an edible mushroom in fisson yeast enhances its ethanol and thermotolerance

Bioethanol is an environment friendly and renewable source of energy produced by the fermentation of agricultural raw material by a variety of microorganisms including yeast. Obtaining yeast strains that are tolerant to stresses like high levels of ethanol and high temperature is highly desirable as it reduces cost and increases yield during bioethanol production. Here, we report that heterologous expression of C-5 Sterol desaturase (FvC5SD)-an ergosterol biosynthesis enzyme from an edible mushroom Flammulina velutipes in fission yeast, not only imparts increased thermotolerance but also tolerance towards high ethanol concentration and low pH. This tolerance could be attributed to an increase of ≈1.5 fold in the level of ergosterol and oleic acid (C-18 unsaturated fatty acid) as analysed by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry. FvC5SD is a membrane localized iron binding enzyme that introduces double bond at C-5 position into the Δ7-sterol substrates to yield Δ5, 7- sterols as products. In F. velutipes, FvC5SD transcript was observed to be upregulated by ≈5 fold under low pH condition and by ≈ 9 folds and ≈5 fold at 40°C and 4°C respectively when compared to normal growth temperature of 23°C. Besides, susceptibility to cell wall inhibiting drugs like Congo red and Calcoflour white was also found to increase in FvC5SD expressing S. pombe strain. Alteration in membrane sterol and fatty acid composition could also lead to increase in susceptibility to cell wall inhibiting drugs. Thus, this study has immense industrial application and can be employed to ensure competitiveness of fermentation process.

Biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology of lipids of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a powerful experimental system to study biochemical, cell biological and molecular biological aspects of lipid synthesis. Most but not all genes encoding enzymes involved in fatty acid, phospholipid, sterol or sphingolipid biosynthesis of this unicellular eukaryote have been cloned, and many gene products have been functionally characterized. Less information is available about genes and gene products governing the transport of lipids between organelles and within membranes, turnover and degradation of complex lipids, regulation of lipid biosynthesis, and linkage of lipid metabolism to other cellular processes. Here we summarize current knowledge about lipid biosynthetic pathways in S. cerevisiae and describe the characteristic features of the gene products involved. We focus on recent discoveries in these fields and address questions on the regulation of lipid synthesis, subcellular localization of lipid biosynthetic steps, cross-talk between organelles during lipid synthesis and subcellular distribution of lipids. Finally, we discuss distinct functions of certain key lipids and their possible roles in cellular processes.

Fungicides and sterol-deficient mutants of Ustilago maydis: plasma membrane physico-chemical characteristics do not explain growth inhibition

Plasma membrane vesicles from erg11 and erg2 sterol-deficient mutants and from wild-type Ustilago maydis sporidia treated with and without inhibitors of sterol 14α-demethylase or sterol ∆8–∆7 isomerase (triadimenol and fenpropimorph fungicides, respectively) were purified by aqueous two-phase partitioning. Changes in plasma membrane lipid composition were mostly restricted to sterols and complex lipid-bound fatty acids (CLB fatty acids). There was a greater accumulation of abnormal sterols (14α-methyl-or ∆ 8-unsaturated sterols) in plasma membranes from sterol-deficient mutants than from those treated with their fungicide counterparts. However, greater growth inhibition was observed on fungicide-treated wild-type than on mutants. Changes in CLB fatty acids were restricted to alterations in the relative proportion of linoleic acid (18:2) with respect to oleic acid (18:1). The 18:2 to 18:1 ratio found in CLB fatty acids in plasma membranes could be correlated to rates of sporidial growth but not to accumulation of a particular abnormal sterol or to the extent of sterol replacement. Plasma membrane permeability to protons was increased moderately in the mutants only. No changes were observed in plasma membrane fluidity. Plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity was increased up to twofold in those cases with lower growth rate. It was concluded that fungicide-induced growth inhibition in U. maydis was not due to accumulation of abnormal sterols in plasma membranes but probably due to intracellular ATP depletion by the H+-ATPase and that changes in 18:2 to 18:1 ratio in CLB fatty acids were not directly dependent on the plasma membrane physical state or lipid composition but were possibly part of a stress adaptation mechanism.

Antifungal sterol biosynthesis inhibitors

During the course of the last decade, the development of SBIs, and particularly sterol biomethylation inhibitors, has been based on the rational design approach. Successful though this approach has been in elucidating sterol biomethylation enzymology, its limitations are becoming apparent from the findings that: (i) 24,25-double bond metabolism gives rise to cholesterol and ergosterol in a mechanistically similar manner, (ii) 25-azasterols are harmful to human physiology, and (iii) side-chain modified sterols designed to inhibit the SMT enzyme in S. cerevisiae may be ineffective or operate by another kinetic mechanism in a related organism, rendering it therapeutically nonuseful. Nevertheless, it may be possible to ultimately capitalize on the unique aspects of sterol biomethylation chemistry and enzymology to design taxa-specific inhibitors. With increased understanding of the structure and function of SMT enzymes in different fungi, it should be possible to prepare novel mechanism-based inactivators to control SMT activity uniquely and with high specific activity.

Positive and negative regulation of a sterol biosynthetic gene (ERG3) in the post-squalene portion of the yeast ergosterol pathway

Regulation of sterol biosynthesis in the terminal portion of the pathway represents an efficient mechanism by which the cell can control the production of sterol without disturbing the production of other essential mevalonate pathway products. We demonstrate that mutations affecting early and late steps in sterol homeostasis modulate the expression of the ERG3 gene: a late step in sterol biosynthesis in yeast. Expression of ERG3 is increased in response to a mutation in the major isoform of HMG CoA reductase which catalyzes the rate-limiting step of sterol biosynthesis. Likewise, mutations in non-auxotrophic ergosterol biosynthetic genes downstream of squalene production (erg2, erg3, erg4, erg5, and erg6) result in an up-regulation of ERG3 expression. Deletion analysis of the ERG3 promoter identified two upstream activation sequences: UAS1 which when deleted reduces ERG3 gene expression 3-4-fold but maintains sterol regulation and UAS2, which when deleted further reduces ERG3 expression and abolishes sterol regulation. The recent isolation of two yeast genes responsible for the esterification of intracellular sterol (ARE1 and ARE2) has enabled us to directly analyze the relationship between sterol esterification and de novo biosynthesis. Our results demonstrate that the absence of sterol esterification leads to a decrease in total intracellular sterol and ERG3 is a target of this negative regulation.

Cloning, disruption and sequence of the gene encoding yeast C-5 sterol desaturase

The ERG3 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been cloned by complementation of an erg3-2 mutation. ERG3 is the putative gene encoding the C-5 sterol desaturase required for ergosterol biosynthesis. The functional gene has been localized on a 2.5-kb HindIII-BamHI fragment containing an open reading frame comprising 365 amino acids. Gene disruption resulting from a deletion/substitution demonstrates that ERG3 is not essential for cell viability or the sparking function.

Effect of sterol side-chain structure on the feed-back control of sterol biosynthesis in yeast

We measured the incorporation of radiolabeled methionine and acetate into the sterol component of G204, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant strain which is partially heme competent. By comparing the amount of label incorporated into the sterol pool of a control culture, to which no exogenous sterol was added, with a culture which had various sterols added to the growth medium, we were able to determine the specific structural features of ergosterol which facilitate its ability to restrict the sterol biosynthetic pathway. These experiments demonstrate that sterols which contain both a C22 unsaturation and a C24 methyl group are capable of reducing sterol biosynthesis by approx. 50%, regardless of B-ring structure. We examined the regulatory properties of various oxysterols; 24,25-epoxylanosterol reduced endogenous biosynthesis by 49%, whereas all cholesterol derivatives tested, including 25-hydroxycholesterol, had little effect. A new procedure for the synthesis of ergosterol peroxides is also described.