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Liu M, Wang A, Meng G, Liu Q, Yang Y, Wang M, Wang Z, Wang F, Dong C. Innovative application of CRISPR for eliminating Ustiloxin in Cordyceps militaris: Enhancing food safety and quality. Lebensm Wiss Technol 2024; 204:116420. [PMID: 39119199 PMCID: PMC11308680 DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2024.116420] [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] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Cordyceps militaris (L.) Fr. Has long been recognized as a valuable functional food consumed in numerous countries. However, biosynthetic gene clusters of this species and safety regarding mycotoxin production remain largely unexplored. In this study, a ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) cluster responsible for the production of cyclopeptide mycotoxins in Cordyceps was unveiled via genome mining. Ustiloxin B and a novel, predominant and Cordyceps specific ustiloxin I were confirmed by extraction and structural analysis. The difference between Ustiloxins I and B lied in the side chain at C19, where an additional methyl substituent in Ustiloxin I resulted in an alanine moiety substitution for glycine of Ustiloxin B. The simultaneous deletion of the two adjacent core genes, CmustYb and CmustYa, using a single guide RNA designed in the intergenic region, and subsequent in-situ complementation via AMA-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 system confirmed the RiPP cluster's responsibility for ustiloxin production. The cultivation of the edited strain yielded ustiloxin-free fruiting bodies without affecting agronomic characters. PCR and genome resequencing confirmed the absence of any off-target events or foreign sequence remnants. This study marks a significant advancement in utilizing CRISPR technology to control ustiloxins in food, underscoring its broader implications for food safety and quality improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Anning Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Guoliang Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ying Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Min Wang
- School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, 529020, Guangdong, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06510, United States
| | - Fen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Caihong Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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Cmcrf1, a Putative Zn2Cys6 Fungal Transcription Factor, Is Involved in Conidiation, Carotenoid Production, and Fruiting Body Development in Cordyceps militaris. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11101535. [PMID: 36290438 PMCID: PMC9598893 DOI: 10.3390/biology11101535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Cordyceps militaris is a high-value medicinal and edible fungus that produces many bioactive compounds, including carotenoid, and thus, improving the carotenoid productivity of C. militaris will increase its commercial value. However, little is known about the genetic regulatory mechanism of carotenoid biosynthesis in C. militaris. To further understanding the regulatory mechanism of carotenoid biosynthesis, we performed a large-scale screen of T-DNA insertional mutant library and identified a defective mutant, denoted T111, whose colonies did not change color from white to yellow upon exposure to light. Mutation analysis confirmed that a single T-DNA insertion occurred in the gene encoding a 695-amino-acid putative fungal-specific transcription factor with a predicted Zn2Cys6 binuclear cluster DNA-binding domain found uniquely in fungi. Targeted deletion of this gene, denoted C. militaris carotenogenesis regulatory factor 1 (Cmcrf1), generated the ΔCmcrf1 mutant that exhibited drastically reduced carotenoid biosynthesis and failed to generate fruiting bodies. In addition, the ΔCmcrf1 mutant showed significantly increased conidiation and increased hypersensitivity to cell-wall-perturbing agents compared with the wild-type strain. However, the Cmcrf1 gene did not have an impact on the mycelia growth of C. militaris. These results show that Cmcrf1 is involved in carotenoid biosynthesis and is required for conidiation and fruiting body formation in C. militaris.
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Lu Y, Wang Y, Yuan X, Huang O, Dong Q, Li D, Ding S, Ma F, Yu H. Genomic Comparative Analysis of Cordyceps pseudotenuipes with Other Species from Cordyceps. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12090844. [PMID: 36144248 PMCID: PMC9505148 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12090844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The whole genome of Cordyceps pseudotenuipes was sequenced, annotated, and compared with three related species to characterize the genome. The antibiotics and Secondary Metabolites Analysis Shell (antiSMASH) and local BLAST analysis were used to explore the secondary metabolites (SMs) and biosynthesis gene clusters (BGCs) of the genus Cordyceps. The genome-wide basic characteristics of C. pseudotenuipes, C. tenuipes, C. cicadae, and C. militaris revealed unequal genome size, with C. cicadae as the largest (34.11 Mb), followed by C. militaris (32.27 Mb). However, the total gene lengths of C. pseudotenuipes and C. tenuipes were similar (30.1 Mb and 30.06 Mb). The GC contents of C. pseudotenuipes, C. tenuipes, C. cicadae, and C. militaris genomes differed slightly (51.40% to 54.11%). AntiSMASH and local BLAST analysis showed that C. pseudotenuipes, C. tenuipes, C. cicadae, and C. militaris had 31, 28, 31, and 29 putative SM BGCs, respectively. The SM BGCs contained different quantities of polyketide synthetase (PKS), nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS), terpene, hybrid PKS + NRPS, and hybrid NRPS + Other. Moreover, C. pseudotenuipes, C. tenuipes, C. cicadae, and C. militaris had BGCs for the synthesis of dimethylcoprogen. C. pseudotenuipes, C. tenuipes, and C. cicadae had BGCs for the synthesis of leucinostatin A/B, neosartorin, dimethylcoprogen, wortmanamide A/B, and beauvericin. In addition, the SM BGCs unique to C. pseudotenuipes were clavaric acid, communesin, and deoxynivalenol. Synteny analysis indicated that the scaffolds where the SM BGC was located were divided into more than 70 collinear blocks, and there might be rearrangements. Altogether, these findings improved our understanding of the molecular biology of the genus Cordyceps and will facilitate the discovery of new biologically active SMs from the genus Cordyceps using heterologous expression and gene knockdown methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingling Lu
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
- School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
- Laboratory of Forest Plant Cultivation and Utilization, The Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Forest Plants of State Forestry Administration, Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Laboratory of Forest Plant Cultivation and Utilization, The Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Forest Plants of State Forestry Administration, Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland, Kunming 650201, China
- Correspondence: (Y.W.); (H.Y.); Tel.: +86-186-8716-3524 (Y.W.); +86-137-0067-6633 (H.Y.)
| | - Xiaolong Yuan
- Laboratory of Forest Plant Cultivation and Utilization, The Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Forest Plants of State Forestry Administration, Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Ou Huang
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
| | - Quanying Dong
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
- School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
| | - Dandan Li
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
| | - Shujin Ding
- Laboratory of Forest Plant Cultivation and Utilization, The Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Forest Plants of State Forestry Administration, Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland, Kunming 650201, China
- College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Fuxian Ma
- Laboratory of Forest Plant Cultivation and Utilization, The Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Forest Plants of State Forestry Administration, Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland, Kunming 650201, China
- College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Hong Yu
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
- Correspondence: (Y.W.); (H.Y.); Tel.: +86-186-8716-3524 (Y.W.); +86-137-0067-6633 (H.Y.)
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Qu SL, Li SS, Li D, Zhao PJ. Metabolites and Their Bioactivities from the Genus Cordyceps. Microorganisms 2022; 10:1489. [PMID: 35893547 PMCID: PMC9330831 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The Cordyceps genus is a group of ascomycete parasitic fungi, and all known species of this genus are endoparasites; they mainly feed on insects or arthropods and a few feed on other fungi. Fungi of this genus have evolved highly specific and complex mechanisms to escape their host's immune system and coordinate their life cycle coefficients with those of their hosts for survival and reproduction; this mechanism has led to the production of distinctive metabolites in response to the host's defenses. Herein, we review approximately 131 metabolites discovered in the genus Cordyceps (including mycelium, fruiting bodies and fungal complexes) in the past 15 years, which can be used as an important source for new drug research and development. We summarize chemical structures, bioactivity and the potential application of these natural metabolites. We have excluded some reports that originally belonged to Cordyceps, but whose taxonomic attribution is no longer the Cordyceps genus. This can and will serve as a resource for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Pei-Ji Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (S.-L.Q.); (S.-S.L.); (D.L.)
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Kuhnert E, Collemare J. A genomic journey in the secondary metabolite diversity of fungal plant and insect pathogens: from functional to population genomics. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 69:102178. [PMID: 35870224 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Fungal pathogens produce a broad array of secondary metabolites (SMs), which allow the fungus to thrive in its natural habitat and gain competitive advantage. Analysis of the genetically encoded blueprints for SM assembly highlighted that only a small portion of the SMs these fungi are capable of producing are known, and even fewer have been investigated for their natural function. Using molecular tools, a lot of progress has been made recently in identifying the blueprint products and linking them to their ecological purpose such as the peptide virulence factor fusaoctaxin A released by Fusarium graminearum during infection of wheat or the F. oxysporum polyketide bikaverin that provides competitive advantage against bacteria in tomato. In addition, population genomics have given particularly important insights into the species-specific plasticity of the SM blueprint arsenal, showcasing the ongoing evolution and adaptation of fungal pathogens. This approach holds promise in inferring roles in pathogenicity of many more fungal SMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Kuhnert
- Centre of Biomolecular Drug Research (BMWZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry, Leibniz University Hannover, Schneiderberg 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
| | - Jérôme Collemare
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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