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Palma D, Oliva V, Montanares M, Gil-Durán C, Travisany D, Chávez R, Vaca I. Expanding the Toolbox for Genetic Manipulation in Pseudogymnoascus: RNAi-Mediated Silencing and CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Disruption of a Polyketide Synthase Gene Involved in Red Pigment Production in P. verrucosus. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:157. [PMID: 38392828 PMCID: PMC10889956 DOI: 10.3390/jof10020157] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Fungi belonging to the genus Pseudogymnoascus have garnered increasing attention in recent years. One of the members of the genus, P. destructans, has been identified as the causal agent of a severe bat disease. Simultaneously, the knowledge of Pseudogymnoascus species has expanded, in parallel with the increased availability of genome sequences. Moreover, Pseudogymnoascus exhibits great potential as a producer of specialized metabolites, displaying a diverse array of biological activities. Despite these significant advancements, the genetic landscape of Pseudogymnoascus remains largely unexplored due to the scarcity of suitable molecular tools for genetic manipulation. In this study, we successfully implemented RNAi-mediated gene silencing and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated disruption in Pseudogymnoascus, using an Antarctic strain of Pseudogymnoascus verrucosus as a model. Both methods were applied to target azpA, a gene involved in red pigment biosynthesis. Silencing of the azpA gene to levels of 90% or higher eliminated red pigment production, resulting in transformants exhibiting a white phenotype. On the other hand, the CRISPR/Cas9 system led to a high percentage (73%) of transformants with a one-nucleotide insertion, thereby inactivating azpA and abolishing red pigment production, resulting in a white phenotype. The successful application of RNAi-mediated gene silencing and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated disruption represents a significant advancement in Pseudogymnoascus research, opening avenues for comprehensive functional genetic investigations within this underexplored fungal genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Palma
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile
| | - Vicente Oliva
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile
| | - Mariana Montanares
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile
| | - Carlos Gil-Durán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH, Santiago 9170022, Chile
| | - Dante Travisany
- Núcleo de Investigación en Data Science, Facultad de Ingeniería y Negocios, Universidad de Las Américas, Santiago 7500975, Chile
| | - Renato Chávez
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH, Santiago 9170022, Chile
| | - Inmaculada Vaca
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile
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Abu Bakar N, Lau BYC, González-Aravena M, Smykla J, Krzewicka B, Karsani SA, Alias SA. Geographical Diversity of Proteomic Responses to Cold Stress in the Fungal Genus Pseudogymnoascus. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 87:11. [PMID: 38060022 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02311-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
In understanding stress response mechanisms in fungi, cold stress has received less attention than heat stress. However, cold stress has shown its importance in various research fields. The following study examined the cold stress response of six Pseudogymnoascus spp. isolated from various biogeographical regions through a proteomic approach. In total, 2541 proteins were identified with high confidence. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis showed diversity in the cold stress response pathways for all six Pseudogymnoascus spp. isolates, with metabolic and translation-related processes being prominent in most isolates. 25.6% of the proteins with an increase in relative abundance were increased by more than 3.0-fold. There was no link between the geographical origin of the isolates and the cold stress response of Pseudogymnoascus spp. However, one Antarctic isolate, sp3, showed a distinctive cold stress response profile involving increased flavin/riboflavin biosynthesis and methane metabolism. This Antarctic isolate (sp3) was also the only one that showed decreased phospholipid metabolism in cold stress conditions. This work will improve our understanding of the mechanisms of cold stress response and adaptation in psychrotolerant soil microfungi, with specific attention to the fungal genus Pseudogymnoascus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurlizah Abu Bakar
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, C308, Institute of Advanced Studies Building, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- National Antarctic Research Centre, B303, Institute of Advanced Studies Building, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Benjamin Yii Chung Lau
- Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, No. 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Jerzy Smykla
- Department of Biodiversity, Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Krakow, Poland
| | - Beata Krzewicka
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, 31-512, Kraków, Poland
| | - Saiful Anuar Karsani
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Siti Aisyah Alias
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, C308, Institute of Advanced Studies Building, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- National Antarctic Research Centre, B303, Institute of Advanced Studies Building, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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