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Ishii M, Matsumoto Y, Yamada T, Uga H, Katada T, Ohata S. TrCla4 promotes actin polymerization at the hyphal tip and mycelial growth in Trichophyton rubrum. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0292323. [PMID: 37905917 PMCID: PMC10714743 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02923-23] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Superficial fungal infections, such as athlete's foot, affect more than 10% of the world's population and have a significant impact on quality of life. Despite the fact that treatment-resistant fungi are a concern, there are just a few antifungal drug targets accessible, as opposed to the wide range of therapeutic targets found in bacterial infections. As a result, additional alternatives are sought. In this study, we generated a PAK TrCla4 deletion strain (∆Trcla4) of Trichophyton rubrum. The ∆Trcla4 strain exhibited deficiencies in mycelial growth, hyphal morphology, and polarized actin localization at the hyphal tip. IPA-3 and FRAX486, small chemical inhibitors of mammalian PAK, were discovered to limit fungal mycelial proliferation. According to our findings, fungal PAKs are interesting therapeutic targets for the development of new antifungal medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Ishii
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Musashino University, Nishitokyo-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Matsumoto
- Department of Microbiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Yamada
- Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, Teikyo University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
- Asia International Institute of Infectious Disease Control, Teikyo University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideko Uga
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Musashino University, Nishitokyo-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Katada
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Musashino University, Nishitokyo-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinya Ohata
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Musashino University, Nishitokyo-shi, Tokyo, Japan
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Matsumoto Y, Sugiyama Y, Nagamachi T, Yoshikawa A, Sugita T. Hog1-mediated stress tolerance in the pathogenic fungus Trichosporon asahii. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13539. [PMID: 37598230 PMCID: PMC10439922 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40825-y] [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: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Trichosporon asahii is an opportunistic pathogenic fungus that causes severe and sometimes fatal infections in immunocompromised patients. Hog1, a mitogen-activated protein kinase, regulates the stress resistance of some pathogenic fungi, however its role in T. asahii has not been investigated. Here, we demonstrated that the hog1 gene-deficient T. asahii mutant is sensitive to high temperature, cell membrane stress, oxidative stress, and antifungal drugs. Growth of the hog1 gene-deficient T. asahii mutant was delayed at 40 °C. The hog1 gene-deficient T. asahii mutant also exhibited sensitivity to sodium dodecyl sulfate, hydrogen peroxide, menadione, methyl methanesulfonate, UV exposure, and antifungal drugs such as amphotericin B under a glucose-rich condition. Under a glucose-restricted condition, the hog1 gene-deficient mutant exhibited sensitivity to NaCl and KCl. The virulence of the hog1 gene-deficient mutant against silkworms was attenuated. Moreover, the viability of the hog1 gene-deficient mutant decreased in the silkworm hemolymph. These phenotypes were restored by re-introducing the hog1 gene into the gene-deficient mutant. Our findings suggest that Hog1 plays a critical role in regulating cellular stress responses in T. asahii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiko Matsumoto
- Department of Microbiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, 2-522-1, Noshio, Kiyose, Tokyo, 204-8588, Japan.
| | - Yu Sugiyama
- Department of Microbiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, 2-522-1, Noshio, Kiyose, Tokyo, 204-8588, Japan
| | - Tae Nagamachi
- Department of Microbiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, 2-522-1, Noshio, Kiyose, Tokyo, 204-8588, Japan
| | - Asami Yoshikawa
- Department of Microbiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, 2-522-1, Noshio, Kiyose, Tokyo, 204-8588, Japan
| | - Takashi Sugita
- Department of Microbiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, 2-522-1, Noshio, Kiyose, Tokyo, 204-8588, Japan
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Ma X, Liu H, Liu Z, Wang Y, Zhong Z, Peng G, Gu Y. Trichosporon asahii PLA2 Gene Enhances Drug Resistance to Azoles by Improving Drug Efflux and Biofilm Formation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108855. [PMID: 37240199 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108855] [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: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Trichosporon asahii is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause severe or even fatal infections in patients with low immune function. sPLA2 plays different roles in different fungi and is also related to fungal drug resistance. However, the mechanism underlying its drug resistance to azoles has not yet been reported in T. asahii. Therefore, we investigated the drug resistance of T. asahii PLA2 (TaPLA2) by constructing overexpressing mutant strains (TaPLA2OE). TaPLA2OE was generated by homologous recombination of the recombinant vector pEGFP-N1-TaPLA2, induced by the CMV promoter, with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The structure of the protein was found to be typical of sPLA2, and it belongs to the phospholipase A2_3 superfamily. TaPLA2OE enhanced antifungal drug resistance by upregulating the expression of effector genes and increasing the number of arthrospores to promote biofilm formation. TaPLA2OE was highly sensitive to sodium dodecyl sulfate and Congo red, indicating impaired cell wall integrity due to downregulation of chitin synthesis or degradation genes, which can indirectly affect fungal resistance. In conclusion, TaPLA2 overexpression enhanced the resistance to azoles of T. asahii by enhancing drug efflux and biofilm formation and upregulating HOG-MAPK pathway genes; therefore, it has promising research prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoping Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Hong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Zhen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Ya Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Zhijun Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Guangneng Peng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yu Gu
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
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Francisco EC, Hagen F. JMM Profile: Trichosporon yeasts: from superficial pathogen to threat for haematological-neutropenic patients. J Med Microbiol 2022; 71. [PMID: 36748684 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichosporon yeasts are classical agents of superficial mycoses, and they are ranked as the first to second predominant basidiomycetous yeast able to cause invasive infections. The clinical presentation of Trichosporon infections varies with the affected anatomical site, with fungaemia present in the majority of invasive trichosporonosis cases. Only a limited number of antifungal compounds can be used to treat Trichosporon infections. Azoles are the first choice due to their intrinsic resistance to echinocandins. Better laboratory methods and up-to-date databases of commercial platforms are required to improve identification, susceptibility testing and surveillance of this potentially threating infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Cristina Francisco
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Escola Paulista de Medicina-Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04039-032, Brazil.,Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ferry Hagen
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Utrecht, 3584 CX, Netherlands.,Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1012 WX, Amsterdam,, Netherlands
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A critical role of calcineurin in stress responses, hyphal formation, and virulence of the pathogenic fungus Trichosporon asahii. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16126. [PMID: 36167890 PMCID: PMC9515189 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20507-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichosporon asahii is a conditional pathogenic fungus that causes severe and sometimes fatal infections in immunocompromised patients. While calcineurin, an essential component of a calcium-dependent signaling pathway, is known to regulate stress resistance and virulence of some pathogenic fungi, its role in T. asahii has not been investigated. Here, we demonstrated that calcineurin gene-deficient T. asahii mutants are sensitive to high temperature as well as cell-membrane and cell-wall stress, and exhibit decreased hyphal formation and virulence against silkworms. Growth of T. asahii mutants deficient in genes encoding subunits of calcineurin, cna1 and cnb1, was delayed at 40 °C. The cna1 and cnb1 gene-deficient mutants also showed sensitivity to sodium dodecyl sulfate, Congo red, dithiothreitol, and tunicamycin. On the other hand, these mutants exhibited no sensitivity to caffeine, sorbitol, monensin, CaCl2, LiCl, NaCl, amphotericin B, fluconazole, or voriconazole. The ratio of hyphal formation in the cna1 and cnb1 gene-deficient mutants was decreased. Moreover, the virulence of the cna1 and cnb1 gene-deficient mutants against silkworms was attenuated. These phenotypes were restored by re-introducing each respective gene into the gene-deficient mutants. Our findings suggest that calcineurin has a role in regulating the cellular stress response and virulence of T. asahii.
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Matsumoto Y, Nagamachi T, Yoshikawa A, Yamada T, Sugita T. A joint PCR-based gene-targeting method using electroporation in the pathogenic fungus Trichosporon asahii. AMB Express 2022; 12:91. [PMID: 35834071 PMCID: PMC9283638 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-022-01431-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichosporon asahii is a pathogenic fungus that causes deep-seated fungal infections in immunocompromised patients. Established methods for generating gene-deficient T. asahii mutants exist, but the frequency of obtaining transformants by electroporation remains low. In the present study, we optimized the conditions for gene transfer by electroporation using a ku70 gene-deficient mutant with high recombination efficiency. Introducing a DNA fragment by electroporation into T. asahii cells on Sabouraud dextrose agar to generate a cnb1 gene-deficient mutant and incubating for 1 day led to the growth of approximately 100 transformants. When the incubation period was extended to 2 days or 5 days, however, only 2 or no transformants, respectively, were grown. The highest number of transformants was grown by electroporation when a square wave at 1.8 kV (9 kV/cm) was applied for 5 ms. In addition, the number of transformants increased with an increase in the length of the homologous region, and transformants did not grow when the homologous region was less than 500 base pairs. A DNA fragment was produced for deletion of the cnb1 gene by joint PCR, and the cnb1 gene-deficient mutant was obtained by introducing the DNA fragment by electroporation. These results indicate that DNA fragments produced by joint PCR can be used to generate gene-deficient mutants of T. asahii through gene transfer by electroporation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiko Matsumoto
- Department of Microbiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, 2-522-1, Noshio, Kiyose, Tokyo, 204-8588, Japan.
| | - Tae Nagamachi
- Department of Microbiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, 2-522-1, Noshio, Kiyose, Tokyo, 204-8588, Japan
| | - Asami Yoshikawa
- Department of Microbiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, 2-522-1, Noshio, Kiyose, Tokyo, 204-8588, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Yamada
- Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, 359 Otsuka, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0395, Japan.,Asia International Institute of Infectious Disease Control, Teikyo University, 2-11-1, Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8605, Japan
| | - Takashi Sugita
- Department of Microbiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, 2-522-1, Noshio, Kiyose, Tokyo, 204-8588, Japan
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