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Xi Y, Zhang J, Fan B, Sun M, Cao W, Liu X, Gai Y, Shen C, Wang H, Wang M. Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Potential Regulators of DMI Fungicide Resistance in the Citrus Postharvest Pathogen Penicillium digitatum. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:360. [PMID: 38786715 PMCID: PMC11122302 DOI: 10.3390/jof10050360] [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: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Green mold, caused by Penicillium digitatum, is the major cause of citrus postharvest decay. Currently, the application of sterol demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicide is one of the main control measures to prevent green mold. However, the fungicide-resistance problem in the pathogen P. digitatum is growing. The regulatory mechanism of DMI fungicide resistance in P. digitatum is poorly understood. Here, we first performed transcriptomic analysis of the P. digitatum strain Pdw03 treated with imazalil (IMZ) for 2 and 12 h. A total of 1338 genes were up-regulated and 1635 were down-regulated under IMZ treatment for 2 h compared to control while 1700 were up-regulated and 1661 down-regulated under IMZ treatment for 12 h. The expression of about half of the genes in the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway was affected during IMZ stress. Further analysis identified that 84 of 320 transcription factors (TFs) were differentially expressed at both conditions, making them potential regulators in DMI resistance. To confirm their roles, three differentially expressed TFs were selected to generate disruption mutants using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The results showed that two of them had no response to IMZ stress while ∆PdflbC was more sensitive compared with the wild type. However, disruption of PdflbC did not affect the ergosterol content. The defect in IMZ sensitivity of ∆PdflbC was restored by genetic complementation of the mutant with a functional copy of PdflbC. Taken together, our results offer a rich source of information to identify novel regulators in DMI resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Xi
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China; (Y.X.); (J.Z.); (B.F.); (M.S.); (W.C.); (X.L.); (C.S.); (H.W.)
| | - Jing Zhang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China; (Y.X.); (J.Z.); (B.F.); (M.S.); (W.C.); (X.L.); (C.S.); (H.W.)
| | - Botao Fan
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China; (Y.X.); (J.Z.); (B.F.); (M.S.); (W.C.); (X.L.); (C.S.); (H.W.)
| | - Miaomiao Sun
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China; (Y.X.); (J.Z.); (B.F.); (M.S.); (W.C.); (X.L.); (C.S.); (H.W.)
| | - Wenqian Cao
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China; (Y.X.); (J.Z.); (B.F.); (M.S.); (W.C.); (X.L.); (C.S.); (H.W.)
| | - Xiaotian Liu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China; (Y.X.); (J.Z.); (B.F.); (M.S.); (W.C.); (X.L.); (C.S.); (H.W.)
| | - Yunpeng Gai
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China;
| | - Chenjia Shen
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China; (Y.X.); (J.Z.); (B.F.); (M.S.); (W.C.); (X.L.); (C.S.); (H.W.)
| | - Huizhong Wang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China; (Y.X.); (J.Z.); (B.F.); (M.S.); (W.C.); (X.L.); (C.S.); (H.W.)
| | - Mingshuang Wang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China; (Y.X.); (J.Z.); (B.F.); (M.S.); (W.C.); (X.L.); (C.S.); (H.W.)
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Day AW, Kumamoto CA. Selection of ethanol tolerant strains of Candida albicans by repeated ethanol exposure results in strains with reduced susceptibility to fluconazole. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298724. [PMID: 38377103 PMCID: PMC10878505 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is a commensal yeast that has important impacts on host metabolism and immune function, and can establish life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. Previously, C. albicans colonization has been shown to contribute to the progression and severity of alcoholic liver disease. However, relatively little is known about how C. albicans responds to changing environmental conditions in the GI tract of individuals with alcohol use disorder, namely repeated exposure to ethanol. In this study, we repeatedly exposed C. albicans to high concentrations (10% vol/vol) of ethanol-a concentration that can be observed in the upper GI tract of humans following consumption of alcohol. Following this repeated exposure protocol, ethanol small colony (Esc) variants of C. albicans isolated from these populations exhibited increased ethanol tolerance, altered transcriptional responses to ethanol, and cross-resistance/tolerance to the frontline antifungal fluconazole. These Esc strains exhibited chromosomal copy number variations and carried polymorphisms in genes previously associated with the acquisition of fluconazole resistance during human infection. This study identifies a selective pressure that can result in evolution of fluconazole tolerance and resistance without previous exposure to the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W. Day
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Carol A. Kumamoto
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Day AW, Kumamoto CA. Selection of Ethanol Tolerant Strains of Candida albicans by Repeated Ethanol Exposure Results in Strains with Reduced Susceptibility to Fluconazole. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.13.557677. [PMID: 37745460 PMCID: PMC10515905 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.13.557677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Candida albicans is a commensal yeast that has important impacts on host metabolism and immune function, and can establish life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. Previously, C. albicans colonization has been shown to contribute to the progression and severity of alcoholic liver disease. However, relatively little is known about how C. albicans responds to changing environmental conditions in the GI tract of individuals with alcohol use disorder, namely repeated exposure to ethanol. In this study, we repeatedly exposed C. albicans to high concentrations (10% vol/vol) of ethanol-a concentration that can be observed in the upper GI tract of humans following consumption of alcohol. Following this repeated exposure protocol, ethanol small colony (Esc) variants of C. albicans isolated from these populations exhibited increased ethanol tolerance, altered transcriptional responses to ethanol, and cross-resistance/tolerance to the frontline antifungal fluconazole. These Esc strains exhibited chromosomal copy number variations and carried polymorphisms in genes previously associated with the acquisition of fluconazole resistance during human infection. This study identifies a selective pressure that can result in evolution of fluconazole tolerance and resistance without previous exposure to the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W. Day
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02111, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02111, USA
| | - Carol A. Kumamoto
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02111, USA
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