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Choi S, Kronstad JW, Jung WH. Siderophore Biosynthesis and Transport Systems in Model and Pathogenic Fungi. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 34:1551-1562. [PMID: 38881181 PMCID: PMC11380514 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2405.05020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Fungi employ diverse mechanisms for iron uptake to ensure proliferation and survival in iron-limited environments. Siderophores are secondary metabolite small molecules with a high affinity specifically for ferric iron; these molecules play an essential role in iron acquisition in fungi and significantly influence fungal physiology and virulence. Fungal siderophores, which are primarily hydroxamate types, are synthesized via non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) or NRPS-independent pathways. Following synthesis, siderophores are excreted, chelate iron, and are transported into the cell by specific cell membrane transporters. In several human pathogenic fungi, siderophores are pivotal for virulence, as inhibition of their synthesis or transport significantly reduces disease in murine models of infection. This review briefly highlights siderophore biosynthesis and transport mechanisms in fungal pathogens as well the model fungi Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Understanding siderophore biosynthesis and transport in pathogenic fungi provides valuable insights into fungal biology and illuminates potential therapeutic targets for combating fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohyeong Choi
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - James W Kronstad
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Won Hee Jung
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Republic of Korea
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2
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Sun TF, Ge ZW, Xu HR, Zhang H, Huang SS, Feng MG, Ying SH. Unlocking the Siderophore Biosynthesis Pathway and Its Biological Functions in the Fungal Insect Pathogen Beauveria bassiana. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:18455-18464. [PMID: 39109629 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c02957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
Siderophores are small molecule iron chelators. The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana produces a plethora of siderophores under iron-limiting conditions. In this study, a siderophore biosynthesis pathway, akin to the general pathway observed in filamentous fungi, was revealed in B. bassiana. Among the siderophore biosynthesis genes (SID), BbSidA was required for the production of most siderophores, and the SidC and SidD biosynthesis gene clusters were indispensable for the production of ferricrocin and fusarinine C, respectively. Biosynthesis genes play various roles in siderophore production, vegetative growth, stress resistance, development, and virulence, in which BbSidA plays the most important role. Accordingly, B. bassiana employs a cocktail of siderophores for iron metabolism, which is essential for fungal physiology and host interactions. This study provides the initial network for the genetic modification of siderophore biosynthesis, which not only aims to improve the efficacy of biocontrol agents but also ensures the efficient production of siderophores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Fei Sun
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhi-Wei Ge
- Analysis Center of Agrobiology and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hang-Rong Xu
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shuai-Shuai Huang
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environment on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa 850011, China
| | - Ming-Guang Feng
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Sheng-Hua Ying
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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3
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Oberegger S, Misslinger M, Faserl K, Sarg B, Farhan H, Haas H. The cytosolic form of dual localized BolA family protein Bol3 is important for adaptation to iron starvation in Aspergillus fumigatus. Open Biol 2024; 14:240033. [PMID: 38919062 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.240033] [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: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is the predominant mould pathogen for humans. Adaption to host-imposed iron limitation has previously been demonstrated to be essential for its virulence. [2Fe-2S] clusters are crucial as cofactors of several metabolic pathways and mediate cytosolic/nuclear iron sensing in fungi including A. fumigatus. [2Fe-2S] cluster trafficking has been shown to involve BolA family proteins in both mitochondria and the cytosol/nucleus. Interestingly, both A. fumigatus homologues, termed Bol1 and Bol3, possess mitochondrial targeting sequences, suggesting the lack of cytosolic/nuclear versions. Here, we show by the combination of mutational, proteomic and fluorescence microscopic analyses that expression of the Bol3 encoding gene leads to dual localization of gene products to mitochondria and the cytosol/nucleus via alternative translation initiation downstream of the mitochondrial targeting sequence, which appears to be highly conserved in various Aspergillus species. Lack of either mitochondrial Bol1 or Bol3 was phenotypically inconspicuous while lack of cytosolic/nuclear Bol3 impaired growth during iron limitation but not iron sensing which indicates a particular importance of [2Fe-2S] cluster trafficking during iron limitation. Remarkably, cytosolic/nuclear Bol3 differs from the mitochondrial version only by N-terminal acetylation, a finding that was only possible by mutational hypothesis testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Oberegger
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Matthias Misslinger
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Klaus Faserl
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Biocenter, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Bettina Sarg
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Biocenter, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hesso Farhan
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Biocenter, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Caballero P, Yap A, Bromley MJ, Haas H. The Transcription Factors AcuK and AcuM Influence Siderophore Biosynthesis of Aspergillus fumigatus. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:327. [PMID: 38786682 PMCID: PMC11121910 DOI: 10.3390/jof10050327] [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: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The mold Aspergillus fumigatus employs two high-affinity uptake systems, reductive iron assimilation (RIA) and siderophore-mediated iron acquisition (SIA), for the acquisition of the essential trace element iron. SIA has previously been shown to be crucial for virulence in mammalian hosts. Here, we show that a lack of AcuK or AcuM, transcription factors required for the activation of gluconeogenesis, decreases the production of both extra- and intracellular siderophores in A. fumigatus. The lack of AcuM or AcuK did not affect the expression of genes involved in RIA and SIA, suggesting that these regulators do not directly regulate iron homeostasis genes, but indirectly affect siderophore production through their influence on metabolism. Consistent with this, acetate supplementation reversed the intracellular siderophore production defect of ΔacuM and ΔacuK. Moreover, ΔacuM and ΔacuK displayed a similar growth defect under iron limitation and iron sufficiency, which suggests they have a general role in carbon metabolism apart from gluconeogenesis. In agreement with a potential role of the glyoxylate cycle in adaptation to iron starvation, transcript levels of the malate synthase-encoding acuE were found to be upregulated by iron limitation that is partially dependent on AcuK and AcuM. Together, these data demonstrate the influence of iron availability on carbon metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Caballero
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (P.C.); (A.Y.)
| | - Annie Yap
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (P.C.); (A.Y.)
| | - Michael J. Bromley
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Infection, Immunity, and Respiratory Medicine, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK;
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (P.C.); (A.Y.)
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Kotb E, Al-Abdalall AH, Ababutain I, AlAhmady NF, Aldossary S, Alkhaldi E, Alghamdi AI, Alzahrani HAS, Almuhawish MA, Alshammary MN, Ahmed AA. Anticandidal Activity of a Siderophore from Marine Endophyte Pseudomonas aeruginosa Mgrv7. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:347. [PMID: 38667023 PMCID: PMC11047651 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13040347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
An endophytic symbiont P. aeruginosa-producing anticandidal siderophore was recovered from mangrove leaves for the first time. Production was optimal in a succinate medium supplemented with 0.4% citric acid and 15 µM iron at pH 7 and 35 °C after 60 h of fermentation. UV spectra of the acidic preparation after purification with Amberlite XAD-4 resin gave a peak at 400 nm, while the neutralized form gave a peak at 360 nm. A prominent peak with RP-HPLC was obtained at RT 18.95 min, confirming its homogeneity. It was pH stable at 5.0-9.5 and thermally stable at elevated temperatures, which encourages the possibility of its application in extreme environments. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) against Candida spp. Were in the range of 128 µg/mL and lower. It enhanced the intracellular iron accumulation with 3.2-4.2-fold (as judged by atomic absorption spectrometry) with a subsequent increase in the intracellular antioxidative enzymes SOD and CAT. Furthermore, the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration due to cellular lipid peroxidation increased to 3.8-fold and 7.3-fold in C. albicans and C. tropicalis, respectively. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) confirmed cellular damage in the form of roughness, malformation, and production of defensive exopolysaccharides and/or proteins after exposure to siderophore. In conclusion, this anticandidal siderophore may be a promising biocontrol, nonpolluting agent against waterborne pathogens and pathogens of the skin. It indirectly kills Candida spp. by ferroptosis and mediation of hyperaccumulation of iron rather than directly attacking the cell targets, which triggers the activation of antioxidative enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Essam Kotb
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (A.H.A.-A.); (I.A.); (N.F.A.); (A.I.A.); (M.A.A.)
- Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center (BASRC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amira H. Al-Abdalall
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (A.H.A.-A.); (I.A.); (N.F.A.); (A.I.A.); (M.A.A.)
- Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center (BASRC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibtisam Ababutain
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (A.H.A.-A.); (I.A.); (N.F.A.); (A.I.A.); (M.A.A.)
- Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center (BASRC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nada F. AlAhmady
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (A.H.A.-A.); (I.A.); (N.F.A.); (A.I.A.); (M.A.A.)
- Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center (BASRC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sahar Aldossary
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (A.H.A.-A.); (I.A.); (N.F.A.); (A.I.A.); (M.A.A.)
- Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center (BASRC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eida Alkhaldi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (A.H.A.-A.); (I.A.); (N.F.A.); (A.I.A.); (M.A.A.)
- Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center (BASRC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Azzah I. Alghamdi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (A.H.A.-A.); (I.A.); (N.F.A.); (A.I.A.); (M.A.A.)
- Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center (BASRC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hind A. S. Alzahrani
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (A.H.A.-A.); (I.A.); (N.F.A.); (A.I.A.); (M.A.A.)
| | - Mashael A. Almuhawish
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (A.H.A.-A.); (I.A.); (N.F.A.); (A.I.A.); (M.A.A.)
- Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center (BASRC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Moudhi N. Alshammary
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (A.H.A.-A.); (I.A.); (N.F.A.); (A.I.A.); (M.A.A.)
| | - Asmaa A. Ahmed
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Commerce, Al-Azhar University, Cairo P.O. Box 11751, Egypt
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6
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Potenciano da Silva KL, Moraes D, Lechner B, Lindner H, Haas H, Almeida Soares CM, Silva-Bailão MG, Bailão AM. Fonsecaea pedrosoi produces ferricrocin and can utilize different host iron sources. Fungal Biol 2023; 127:1512-1523. [PMID: 38097325 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
The survival of living organisms depends on iron, one of the most abundant metals in the Earth's crust. Nevertheless, this micronutrient is poorly available in our aerobic atmosphere as well as inside the mammalian host. This problem is circumvented by the expression of high affinity iron uptake machineries, including the production of siderophores, in pathogenic fungi. Here we demonstrated that F. pedrosoi, the causative agent of the neglected tropical disease chromoblastomycosis, presents gene clusters for siderophore production. In addition, ten putative siderophore transporters were identified. Those genes are upregulated under iron starvation, a condition that induces the secretion of hydroxamates, as revealed by chrome azurol S assays. RP-HPLC and mass spectrometry analysis allowed the identification of ferricrocin as an intra- and extracellular siderophore. F. pedrosoi can grow in different iron sources, including the bacterial ferrioxamine B and the host proteins ferritin, hemoglobin and holotransferrin. Of note, addition of hemoglobin, lactoferrin and holotransferrin to the growth medium of macrophages infected with F. pedrosoi enhanced significantly fungal survival. The ability to produce siderophores in iron limited conditions added to the versatility to utilize different sources of iron are strategies that certainly may contribute to fungal survival inside the host.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dayane Moraes
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
| | - Beatrix Lechner
- Institute of Molecular Biology/ Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Herbert Lindner
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry/Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Institute of Molecular Biology/ Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | | | | | - Alexandre Melo Bailão
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
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Pijuan J, Moreno DF, Yahya G, Moisa M, Ul Haq I, Krukiewicz K, Mosbah R, Metwally K, Cavalu S. Regulatory and pathogenic mechanisms in response to iron deficiency and excess in fungi. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:2053-2071. [PMID: 37804207 PMCID: PMC10616654 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron is an essential element for all eukaryote organisms because of its redox properties, which are important for many biological processes such as DNA synthesis, mitochondrial respiration, oxygen transport, lipid, and carbon metabolism. For this reason, living organisms have developed different strategies and mechanisms to optimally regulate iron acquisition, transport, storage, and uptake in different environmental responses. Moreover, iron plays an essential role during microbial infections. Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been of key importance for decrypting iron homeostasis and regulation mechanisms in eukaryotes. Specifically, the transcription factors Aft1/Aft2 and Yap5 regulate the expression of genes to control iron metabolism in response to its deficiency or excess, adapting to the cell's iron requirements and its availability in the environment. We also review which iron-related virulence factors have the most common fungal human pathogens (Aspergillus fumigatus, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Candida albicans). These factors are essential for adaptation in different host niches during pathogenesis, including different fungal-specific iron-uptake mechanisms. While being necessary for virulence, they provide hope for developing novel antifungal treatments, which are currently scarce and usually toxic for patients. In this review, we provide a compilation of the current knowledge about the metabolic response to iron deficiency and excess in fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Pijuan
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Molecular MedicineInstitut de Recerca Sant Joan de DéuBarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIIIMadridSpain
| | - David F. Moreno
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental BiologyYale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Systems Biology InstituteYale UniversityWest HavenConnecticutUSA
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et CellulaireIllkirchFrance
| | - Galal Yahya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of PharmacyZagazig UniversityAl SharqiaEgypt
| | - Mihaela Moisa
- Faculty of Medicine and PharmacyUniversity of OradeaOradeaRomania
| | - Ihtisham Ul Haq
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Polymers TechnologySilesian University of TechnologyGliwicePoland
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Inovação TecnológicaUniversidade Federal de Minas GeraisBelo HorizonteBrazil
| | - Katarzyna Krukiewicz
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Polymers TechnologySilesian University of TechnologyGliwicePoland
- Centre for Organic and Nanohybrid ElectronicsSilesian University of TechnologyGliwicePoland
| | - Rasha Mosbah
- Infection Control UnitHospitals of Zagazig UniversityZagazigEgypt
| | - Kamel Metwally
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of PharmacyUniversity of TabukTabukSaudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of PharmacyZagazig UniversityZagazigEgypt
| | - Simona Cavalu
- Faculty of Medicine and PharmacyUniversity of OradeaOradeaRomania
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8
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Happacher I, Aguiar M, Yap A, Decristoforo C, Haas H. Fungal siderophore metabolism with a focus on Aspergillus fumigatus: impact on biotic interactions and potential translational applications. Essays Biochem 2023; 67:829-842. [PMID: 37313590 PMCID: PMC10500206 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220252] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Iron is an essential trace element that is limiting in most habitats including hosts for fungal pathogens. Siderophores are iron-chelators synthesized by most fungal species for high-affinity uptake and intracellular handling of iron. Moreover, virtually all fungal species including those lacking siderophore biosynthesis appear to be able to utilize siderophores produced by other species. Siderophore biosynthesis has been shown to be crucial for virulence of several fungal pathogens infecting animals and plants revealing induction of this iron acquisition system during virulence, which offers translational potential of this fungal-specific system. The present article summarizes the current knowledge on the fungal siderophore system with a focus on Aspergillus fumigatus and its potential translational application including noninvasive diagnosis of fungal infections via urine samples, imaging of fungal infections via labeling of siderophores with radionuclides such as Gallium-68 for detection with positron emission tomography, conjugation of siderophores with fluorescent probes, and development of novel antifungal strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isidor Happacher
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mario Aguiar
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Annie Yap
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Clemens Decristoforo
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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9
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Lin C, Feng XL, Liu Y, Li ZC, Li XZ, Qi J. Bioinformatic Analysis of Secondary Metabolite Biosynthetic Potential in Pathogenic Fusarium. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:850. [PMID: 37623621 PMCID: PMC10455296 DOI: 10.3390/jof9080850] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Fusarium species are among the filamentous fungi with the most pronounced impact on agricultural production and human health. The mycotoxins produced by pathogenic Fusarium not only attack various plants including crops, causing various plant diseases that lead to reduced yields and even death, but also penetrate into the food chain of humans and animals to cause food poisoning and consequent health hazards. Although sporadic studies have revealed some of the biosynthetic pathways of Fusarium toxins, they are insufficient to satisfy the need for a comprehensive understanding of Fusarium toxin production. In this study, we focused on 35 serious pathogenic Fusarium species with available genomes and systematically analyzed the ubiquity of the distribution of identified Fusarium- and non-Fusarium-derived fungal toxin biosynthesis gene clusters (BGCs) in these species through the mining of core genes and the comparative analysis of corresponding BGCs. Additionally, novel sesterterpene synthases and PKS_NRPS clusters were discovered and analyzed. This work is the first to systematically analyze the distribution of related mycotoxin biosynthesis in pathogenic Fusarium species. These findings enhance the knowledge of mycotoxin production and provide a theoretical grounding for the prevention of fungal toxin production using biotechnological approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Lin
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Xi-long Feng
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Zhao-chen Li
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Xiu-Zhang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai Academy of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
| | - Jianzhao Qi
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
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10
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Hokken MWJ, Coolen JPM, Steenbreker H, Zoll J, Baltussen TJH, Verweij PE, Melchers WJG. The Transcriptome Response to Azole Compounds in Aspergillus fumigatus Shows Differential Gene Expression across Pathways Essential for Azole Resistance and Cell Survival. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:807. [PMID: 37623579 PMCID: PMC10455693 DOI: 10.3390/jof9080807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus is found on all continents and thrives in soil and agricultural environments. Its ability to readily adapt to novel environments and to produce billions of spores led to the spread of azole-resistant A. fumigatus across the globe, posing a threat to many immunocompromised patients, including critically ill patients with severe influenza or COVID-19. In our study, we sought to compare the adaptational response to azoles from A. fumigatus isolates that differ in azole susceptibility and genetic background. To gain more insight into how short-term adaptation to stressful azole compounds is managed through gene expression, we conducted an RNA-sequencing study on the response of A. fumigatus to itraconazole and the newest clinically approved azole, isavuconazole. We observed many similarities in ergosterol biosynthesis up-regulation across isolates, with the exception of the pan-azole-resistant isolate, which showed very little differential regulation in comparison to other isolates. Additionally, we found differential regulation of membrane efflux transporters, secondary metabolites, iron metabolism, and various stress response and cell signaling mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margriet W. J. Hokken
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands (T.J.H.B.)
- Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jordy P. M. Coolen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands (T.J.H.B.)
- Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hilbert Steenbreker
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands (T.J.H.B.)
| | - Jan Zoll
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands (T.J.H.B.)
- Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tim J. H. Baltussen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands (T.J.H.B.)
- Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Paul E. Verweij
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands (T.J.H.B.)
- Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Willem J. G. Melchers
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands (T.J.H.B.)
- Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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11
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Bailão AM, Silva KLPD, Moraes D, Lechner B, Lindner H, Haas H, Soares CMA, Silva-Bailão MG. Iron Starvation Induces Ferricrocin Production and the Reductive Iron Acquisition System in the Chromoblastomycosis Agent Cladophialophora carrionii. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:727. [PMID: 37504717 PMCID: PMC10382037 DOI: 10.3390/jof9070727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron is a micronutrient required by almost all living organisms. Despite being essential, the availability of this metal is low in aerobic environments. Additionally, mammalian hosts evolved strategies to restrict iron from invading microorganisms. In this scenario, the survival of pathogenic fungi depends on high-affinity iron uptake mechanisms. Here, we show that the production of siderophores and the reductive iron acquisition system (RIA) are employed by Cladophialophora carrionii under iron restriction. This black fungus is one of the causative agents of chromoblastomycosis, a neglected subcutaneous tropical disease. Siderophore biosynthesis genes are arranged in clusters and, interestingly, two RIA systems are present in the genome. Orthologs of putative siderophore transporters were identified as well. Iron starvation regulates the expression of genes related to both siderophore production and RIA systems, as well as of two transcription factors that regulate iron homeostasis in fungi. A chrome azurol S assay demonstrated the secretion of hydroxamate-type siderophores, which were further identified via RP-HPLC and mass spectrometry as ferricrocin. An analysis of cell extracts also revealed ferricrocin as an intracellular siderophore. The presence of active high-affinity iron acquisition systems may surely contribute to fungal survival during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Melo Bailão
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | | | - Dayane Moraes
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Beatrix Lechner
- Institute of Molecular Biology/Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 795J+RF Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Herbert Lindner
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry/Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 795J+RF Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Institute of Molecular Biology/Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 795J+RF Innsbruck, Austria
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12
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Yap A, Volz R, Paul S, Moye-Rowley WS, Haas H. Regulation of High-Affinity Iron Acquisition, Including Acquisition Mediated by the Iron Permease FtrA, Is Coordinated by AtrR, SrbA, and SreA in Aspergillus fumigatus. mBio 2023; 14:e0075723. [PMID: 37093084 PMCID: PMC10294635 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00757-23] [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: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron acquisition is crucial for virulence of the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Previous studies indicated that this mold regulates iron uptake via both siderophores and reductive iron assimilation by the GATA factor SreA and the SREBP regulator SrbA. Here, characterization of loss of function as well as hyperactive alleles revealed that transcriptional activation of iron uptake depends additionally on the Zn2Cys6 regulator AtrR, most likely via cooperation with SrbA. Mutational analysis of the promoter of the iron permease-encoding ftrA gene identified a 210-bp sequence, which is both essential and sufficient to impart iron regulation. Further studies located functional sequences, densely packed within 75 bp, that largely resemble binding motifs for SrbA, SreA, and AtrR. The latter, confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis, is the first one not fully matching the 5'-CGGN12CCG-3' consensus sequence. The results presented here emphasize for the first time the direct involvement of SrbA, AtrR, and SreA in iron regulation. The essential role of both AtrR and SrbA in activation of iron acquisition underlines the coordination of iron homeostasis with biosynthesis of ergosterol and heme as well as adaptation to hypoxia. The rationale is most likely the iron dependence of these pathways along with the enzymatic link of biosynthesis of ergosterol and siderophores. IMPORTANCE Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common filamentous fungal pathogen infecting humans. Iron acquisition via siderophores has previously been shown to be essential for virulence of this mold species. Here, we demonstrate that AtrR, a transcription factor previously shown to control ergosterol biosynthesis, azole resistance, and adaptation to hypoxia, is essential for activation of iron acquisition, including siderophore biosynthesis and uptake. Dissection of an iron-regulated promoter identified binding motifs for AtrR and the two previously identified regulators of iron acquisition, SrbA and SreA. Altogether, this study identified a new regulator required for maintenance of iron homeostasis, revealed insights into promoter architecture for iron regulation, and emphasized the coordinated regulation of iron homeostasis ergosterol biosynthesis and adaptation to hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Yap
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ricarda Volz
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Sanjoy Paul
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - W. Scott Moye-Rowley
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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13
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Happacher I, Aguiar M, Alilou M, Abt B, Baltussen TJH, Decristoforo C, Melchers WJG, Haas H. The Siderophore Ferricrocin Mediates Iron Acquisition in Aspergillus fumigatus. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0049623. [PMID: 37199664 PMCID: PMC10269809 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00496-23] [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: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus utilizes two high-affinity iron uptake mechanisms, termed reductive iron assimilation (RIA) and siderophore-mediated iron acquisition (SIA). The latter has been shown to be crucial for virulence of this fungus and is a target for development of novel strategies for diagnosis and treatment of fungal infections. So far, research on SIA in this mold focused mainly on the hyphal stage, revealing the importance of extracellular fusarinine-type siderophores in iron acquisition as well as of the siderophore ferricrocin in intracellular iron handling. The current study aimed to characterize iron acquisition during germination. High expression of genes involved in biosynthesis and uptake of ferricrocin in conidia and during germination, independent of iron availability, suggested a role of ferricrocin in iron acquisition during germination. In agreement, (i) bioassays indicated secretion of ferricrocin during growth on solid media during both iron sufficiency and limitation, (ii) ferricrocin was identified in the supernatant of conidia germinating in liquid media during both iron sufficiency and limitation, (iii) in contrast to mutants lacking all siderophores, mutants synthesizing ferricrocin but lacking fusarinine-type siderophores were able to grow under iron limitation in the absence of RIA, and (iv) genetic inactivation of the ferricrocin transporter Sit1 decreased germination in the absence of RIA. Taken together, this study revealed that ferricrocin has not only an intracellular role but also functions as an extracellular siderophore to support iron acquisition. The iron availability-independent ferricrocin secretion and uptake during early germination indicate developmental, rather than iron regulation. IMPORTANCE Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the most common airborne fungal pathogens for humans. Low-molecular-mass iron chelators, termed siderophores, have been shown to play a central role in iron homeostasis and, consequently, virulence of this mold. Previous studies demonstrated the crucial role of secreted fusarinine-type siderophores, such as triacetylfusarinine C, in iron acquisition, as well as of the ferrichrome-type siderophore ferricrocin in intracellular iron storage and transport. Here, we demonstrate that ferricrocin is also secreted to mediate iron acquisition during germination together with reductive iron assimilation. During early germination, ferricrocin secretion and uptake were not repressed by iron availability, indicating developmental regulation of this iron acquisition system in this growth phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isidor Happacher
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mario Aguiar
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mostafa Alilou
- Institute of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacognosy, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Beate Abt
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Tim J. H. Baltussen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology, Radboudumc/CWZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Clemens Decristoforo
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Willem J. G. Melchers
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Expertise in Mycology, Radboudumc/CWZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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14
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Xiong F, Zhu X, Luo C, Liu Z, Zhang Z. The Cytosolic Acetoacetyl-CoA Thiolase TaAACT1 Is Required for Defense against Fusarium pseudograminearum in Wheat. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076165. [PMID: 37047146 PMCID: PMC10094598 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Fusarium pseudograminearum is a major pathogen for the destructive disease Fusarium crown rot (FCR) of wheat (Triticum aestivum). The cytosolic Acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase II (AACT) is the first catalytic enzyme in the mevalonate pathway that biosynthesizes isoprenoids in plants. However, there has been no investigation of wheat cytosolic AACT genes in defense against pathogens including Fusarium pseudograminearum. Herein, we identified a cytosolic AACT-encoding gene from wheat, named TaAACT1, and demonstrated its positively regulatory role in the wheat defense response to F. pseudograminearum. One haplotype of TaAACT1 in analyzed wheat genotypes was associated with wheat resistance to FCR. The TaAACT1 transcript level was elevated after F. pseudograminearum infection, and was higher in FCR-resistant wheat genotypes than in susceptible wheat genotypes. Functional analysis indicated that knock down of TaAACT1 impaired resistance against F. pseudograminearum and reduced the expression of downstream defense genes in wheat. TaAACT1 protein was verified to localize in the cytosol of wheat cells. TaAACT1 and its modulated defense genes were rapidly responsive to exogenous jasmonate treatment. Collectively, TaAACT1 contributes to resistance to F. pseudograminearum through upregulating the expression of defense genes in wheat. This study sheds new light on the molecular mechanisms underlying wheat defense against FCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Xiong
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Forestry Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
- The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiuliang Zhu
- The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Changsha Luo
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Forestry Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Zhixiang Liu
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Forestry Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Zengyan Zhang
- The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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15
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Noriler S, Navarro-Muñoz JC, Glienke C, Collemare J. Evolutionary relationships of adenylation domains in fungi. Genomics 2022; 114:110525. [PMID: 36423773 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) and NRPS-like enzymes are abundant in microbes as they are involved in the production of primary and secondary metabolites. In contrast to the well-studied NRPSs, known to produce non-ribosomal peptides, NRPS-like enzymes exhibit more diverse activities and their evolutionary relationships are unclear. Here, we present the first in-depth phylogenetic analysis of fungal NRPS-like A domains from functionally characterized pathways, and their relationships to characterized A domains found in fungal NRPSs. This study clearly differentiated amino acid reductases, including NRPSs, from CoA/AMP ligases, which could be divided into 10 distinct phylogenetic clades that reflect their conserved domain organization, substrate specificity and enzymatic activity. In particular, evolutionary relationships of adenylate forming reductases could be refined and explained the substrate specificity difference. Consistent with their phylogeny, the deduced amino acid code of A domains differentiated amino acid reductases from other enzymes. However, a diagnostic code was found for α-keto acid reductases and clade 7 CoA/AMP ligases only. Comparative genomics of loci containing these enzymes revealed that they can be independently recruited as tailoring genes in diverse secondary metabolite pathways. Based on these results, we propose a refined and clear phylogeny-based classification of A domain-containing enzymes, which will provide a robust framework for future functional analyses and engineering of these enzymes to produce new bioactive molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandriele Noriler
- Postgraduate Program of Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology, Department of Pathology, Universidade Federal do Parana, Av. Coronel Francisco Heráclito dos Santos, 210, CEP: 81531-970, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Jorge C Navarro-Muñoz
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584, CT, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Chirlei Glienke
- Postgraduate Program of Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology, Department of Pathology, Universidade Federal do Parana, Av. Coronel Francisco Heráclito dos Santos, 210, CEP: 81531-970, Curitiba, PR, Brazil; Postgraduate Program of Genetics, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Parana, Av. Coronel Francisco Heráclito dos Santos, 210, CEP: 81531-970, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Jérôme Collemare
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584, CT, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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16
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Yap A, Glarcher I, Misslinger M, Haas H. Characterization and engineering of the xylose-inducible xylP promoter for use in mold fungal species. Metab Eng Commun 2022; 15:e00214. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2022.e00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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17
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Aguiar M, Orasch T, Shadkchan Y, Caballero P, Pfister J, Sastré-Velásquez LE, Gsaller F, Decristoforo C, Osherov N, Haas H. Uptake of the Siderophore Triacetylfusarinine C, but Not Fusarinine C, Is Crucial for Virulence of Aspergillus fumigatus. mBio 2022; 13:e0219222. [PMID: 36125294 PMCID: PMC9600649 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02192-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Siderophores play an important role in fungal virulence, serving as trackers for in vivo imaging and as biomarkers of fungal infections. However, siderophore uptake is only partially characterized. As the major cause of aspergillosis, Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the most common airborne fungal pathogens of humans. Here, we demonstrate that this mold species mediates the uptake of iron chelated by the secreted siderophores triacetylfusarinine C (TAFC) and fusarinine C by the major facilitator-type transporters MirB and MirD, respectively. In a murine aspergillosis model, MirB but not MirD was found to be crucial for virulence, indicating that TAFC-mediated uptake plays a dominant role during infection. In the absence of MirB, TAFC becomes inhibitory by decreasing iron availability because the mutant is not able to recognize iron that is chelated by TAFC. MirB-mediated transport was found to tolerate the conjugation of fluorescein isothiocyanate to triacetylfusarinine C, which might aid in the development of siderophore-based antifungals in a Trojan horse approach, particularly as the role of MirB in pathogenicity restrains its mutational inactivation. Taken together, this study identified the first eukaryotic siderophore transporter that is crucial for virulence and elucidated its translational potential as well as its evolutionary conservation. IMPORTANCE Aspergillus fumigatus is responsible for thousands of cases of invasive fungal disease annually. For iron uptake, A. fumigatus secretes so-called siderophores, which are taken up after the binding of environmental iron. Moreover, A. fumigatus can utilize siderophore types that are produced by other fungi or bacteria. Fungal siderophores raised considerable interest due to their role in virulence and their potential for the diagnosis and treatment of fungal infections. Here, we demonstrate that the siderophore transporter MirB is crucial for the virulence of A. fumigatus, which reveals that its substrate, triacetylfusarinine C, is the most important siderophore during infection. We found that in the absence of MirB, TAFC becomes inhibitory by decreasing the availability of environmental iron and that MirB-mediated transport tolerates the derivatization of its substrate, which might aid in the development of siderophore-based antifungals. This study significantly improved the understanding of fungal iron homeostasis and the role of siderophores in interactions with the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Aguiar
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas Orasch
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Yana Shadkchan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Patricia Caballero
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Joachim Pfister
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Fabio Gsaller
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Clemens Decristoforo
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nir Osherov
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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18
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Fisher MC, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Berman J, Bicanic T, Bignell EM, Bowyer P, Bromley M, Brüggemann R, Garber G, Cornely OA, Gurr SJ, Harrison TS, Kuijper E, Rhodes J, Sheppard DC, Warris A, White PL, Xu J, Zwaan B, Verweij PE. Tackling the emerging threat of antifungal resistance to human health. Nat Rev Microbiol 2022; 20:557-571. [PMID: 35352028 PMCID: PMC8962932 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-022-00720-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 319] [Impact Index Per Article: 159.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections pose an important threat to public health and are an under-recognized component of antimicrobial resistance, an emerging crisis worldwide. Across a period of profound global environmental change and expanding at-risk populations, human-infecting pathogenic fungi are evolving resistance to all licensed systemic antifungal drugs. In this Review, we highlight the main mechanisms of antifungal resistance and explore the similarities and differences between bacterial and fungal resistance to antimicrobial control. We discuss the research and innovation topics that are needed for risk reduction strategies aimed at minimizing the emergence of resistance in pathogenic fungi. These topics include links between the environment and One Health, surveillance, diagnostics, routes of transmission, novel therapeutics and methods to mitigate hotspots for fungal adaptation. We emphasize the global efforts required to steward our existing antifungal armamentarium, and to direct the research and development of future therapies and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Fisher
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Outbreak Analysis, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Judith Berman
- Shmunis School of Biomedical and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel
| | - Tihana Bicanic
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, St George's University London, London, UK
| | - Elaine M Bignell
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Paul Bowyer
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Michael Bromley
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Roger Brüggemann
- Department of Pharmacy, Radboudumc Institute for Health Sciences and Radboudumc - CWZ Centre of Expertise for Mycology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Gary Garber
- Department of Medicine and the School of Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Oliver A Cornely
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Excellence Center for Medical Mycology (ECMM), Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Thomas S Harrison
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, St George's University London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Ed Kuijper
- Centre for Infectious Diseases Research, Diagnostics and Laboratory Surveillance, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Johanna Rhodes
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Outbreak Analysis, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Donald C Sheppard
- Infectious Disease in Global Health Program and McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Adilia Warris
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - P Lewis White
- Public Health Wales Mycology Reference Laboratory, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jianping Xu
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bas Zwaan
- Department of Plant Science, Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Paul E Verweij
- Centre for Infectious Diseases Research, Diagnostics and Laboratory Surveillance, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands.
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Radboudumc - CWZ Centre of Expertise for Mycology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
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19
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Ninomiya A, Urayama SI, Hagiwara D. Antibacterial diphenyl ether production induced by co-culture of Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:4169-4185. [PMID: 35595930 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-11964-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Fungi are a rich source of secondary metabolites with potent biological activities. Co-culturing a fungus with another microorganism has drawn much attention as a practical method for stimulating fungal secondary metabolism. However, in most cases, the molecular mechanisms underlying the activation of secondary metabolite production in co-culture are poorly understood. To elucidate such a mechanism, in this study, we established a model fungal-fungal co-culture system, composed of Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus. In the co-culture of A. nidulans and A. fumigatus, production of antibacterial diphenyl ethers was enhanced. Transcriptome analysis by RNA-sequencing showed that the co-culture activated expression of siderophore biosynthesis genes in A. fumigatus and two polyketide biosynthetic gene clusters (the ors and cic clusters) in A. nidulans. Gene disruption experiments revealed that the ors cluster is responsible for diphenyl ether production in the co-culture. Interestingly, the ors cluster was previously reported to be upregulated by co-culture of A. nidulans with the bacterium Streptomyces rapamycinicus; orsellinic acid was the main product of the cluster in that co-culture. In other words, the main product of the ors cluster was different in fungal-fungal and bacterial-fungal co-culture. The genes responsible for biosynthesis of the bacterial- and fungal-induced polyketides were deduced using a heterologous expression system in Aspergillus oryzae. The molecular genetic mechanisms that trigger biosynthesis of two different types of compounds in A. nidulans in response to the fungus and the bacterium were demonstrated, which provides an insight into complex secondary metabolic response of fungi to microorganisms. KEY POINTS: • Co-culture of two fungal species triggered antibiotic diphenyl ether production. • The co-culture affected expression levels of several genes for secondary metabolism. • Gene cluster essential for induction of the antibiotics production was determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Ninomiya
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan.,Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Syun-Ichi Urayama
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan.,Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Daisuke Hagiwara
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan. .,Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan.
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20
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Colabardini AC, Wang F, Dong Z, Pardeshi L, Rocha MC, Costa JH, dos Reis TF, Brown A, Jaber QZ, Fridman M, Fill T, Rokas A, Malavazi I, Wong KH, Goldman GH. Heterogeneity in the transcriptional response of the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus to the antifungal agent caspofungin. Genetics 2022; 220:iyab183. [PMID: 34718550 PMCID: PMC8733440 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is the main causative agent of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), a severe disease that affects immunosuppressed patients worldwide. The fungistatic drug caspofungin (CSP) is the second line of therapy against IPA but has increasingly been used against clinical strains that are resistant to azoles, the first line antifungal therapy. In high concentrations, CSP induces a tolerance phenotype with partial reestablishment of fungal growth called CSP paradoxical effect (CPE), resulting from a change in the composition of the cell wall. An increasing number of studies has shown that different isolates of A. fumigatus exhibit phenotypic heterogeneity, including heterogeneity in their CPE response. To gain insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms of CPE response heterogeneity, we analyzed the transcriptomes of two A. fumigatus reference strains, Af293 and CEA17, exposed to low and high CSP concentrations. We found that there is a core transcriptional response that involves genes related to cell wall remodeling processes, mitochondrial function, transmembrane transport, and amino acid and ergosterol metabolism, and a variable response related to secondary metabolite (SM) biosynthesis and iron homeostasis. Specifically, we show here that the overexpression of a SM pathway that works as an iron chelator extinguishes the CPE in both backgrounds, whereas iron depletion is detrimental for the CPE in Af293 but not in CEA17. We next investigated the function of the transcription factor CrzA, whose deletion was previously shown to result in heterogeneity in the CPE response of the Af293 and CEA17 strains. We found that CrzA constitutively binds to and modulates the expression of several genes related to processes involved in CSP tolerance and that crzA deletion differentially impacts the SM production and growth of Af293 and CEA17. As opposed to the ΔcrzACEA17 mutant, the ΔcrzAAf293 mutant fails to activate cell wall remodeling genes upon CSP exposure, which most likely severely affects its macrostructure and extinguishes its CPE. This study describes how heterogeneity in the response to an antifungal agent between A. fumigatus strains stems from heterogeneity in the function of a transcription factor and its downstream target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cristina Colabardini
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo CEP 14040-903, Brazil
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Zhiqiang Dong
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Lakhansing Pardeshi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
- Genomics, Bioinformatics and Single Cell Analysis Core, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Marina Campos Rocha
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos CEP 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Jonas Henrique Costa
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo CEP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Thaila Fernanda dos Reis
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo CEP 14040-903, Brazil
| | - Alec Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Qais Z Jaber
- School of Chemistry, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Micha Fridman
- School of Chemistry, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Taicia Fill
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo CEP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Iran Malavazi
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos CEP 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Koon Ho Wong
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Gustavo Henrique Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo CEP 14040-903, Brazil
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21
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Lenz RR, Louie KB, Søndreli KL, Galanie SS, Chen JG, Muchero W, Bowen BP, Northen TR, LeBoldus JM. Metabolomic Patterns of Septoria Canker Resistant and Susceptible Populus trichocarpa Genotypes 24 Hours Postinoculation. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2021; 111:2052-2066. [PMID: 33881913 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-02-21-0053-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sphaerulina musiva is an economically and ecologically important fungal pathogen that causes Septoria stem canker and leaf spot disease of Populus species. To bridge the gap between genetic markers and structural barriers previously found to be linked to Septoria canker disease resistance in poplar, we used hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry to identify and quantify metabolites involved with signaling and cell wall remodeling. Fluctuations in signaling molecules, organic acids, amino acids, sterols, phenolics, and saccharides in resistant and susceptible P. trichocarpa inoculated with S. musiva were observed. The patterns of 222 metabolites in the resistant host implicate systemic acquired resistance (SAR), cell wall apposition, and lignin deposition as modes of resistance to this hemibiotrophic pathogen. This pattern is consistent with the expected response to the biotrophic phase of S. musiva colonization during the first 24 h postinoculation. The fungal pathogen metabolized key regulatory signals of SAR, other phenolics, and precursors of lignin biosynthesis that were depleted in the susceptible host. This is the first study to characterize metabolites associated with the response to initial colonization by S. musiva between resistant and susceptible hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan R Lenz
- Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
| | - Katherine B Louie
- Metabolomics Technology, DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Kelsey L Søndreli
- Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
| | | | - Jin-Gui Chen
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831
| | - Wellington Muchero
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831
| | - Benjamin P Bowen
- Metabolomics Technology, DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Trent R Northen
- Metabolomics Technology, DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Jared M LeBoldus
- Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
- Forest Resources, Engineering, and Management Department, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
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22
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Gonzalez-Jimenez I, Lucio J, Roldan A, Alcazar-Fuoli L, Mellado E. Are Point Mutations in HMG-CoA Reductases (Hmg1 and Hmg2) a Step towards Azole Resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus? Molecules 2021; 26:5975. [PMID: 34641518 PMCID: PMC8512156 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26195975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive aspergillosis, mainly caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, can lead to severe clinical outcomes in immunocompromised individuals. Antifungal treatment, based on the use of azoles, is crucial to increase survival rates. However, the recent emergence of azole-resistant A. fumigatus isolates is affecting the efficacy of the clinical therapy and lowering the success rate of azole strategies against aspergillosis. Azole resistance mechanisms described to date are mainly associated with mutations in the azole target gene cyp51A that entail structural changes in Cyp51A or overexpression of the gene. However, strains lacking cyp51A modifications but resistant to clinical azoles have recently been detected. Some genes have been proposed as new players in azole resistance. In this study, the gene hmg1, recently related to azole resistance, and its paralogue hmg2 were studied in a collection of fifteen azole-resistant strains without cyp51A modifications. Both genes encode HMG-CoA reductases and are involved in the ergosterol biosynthesis. Several mutations located in the sterol sensing domain (SSD) of Hmg1 (D242Y, G307D/S, P309L, K319Q, Y368H, F390L and I412T) and Hmg2 (I235S, V303A, I312S, I360F and V397C) were detected. The role of these mutations in conferring azole resistance is discussed in this work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Gonzalez-Jimenez
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain; (I.G.-J.); (J.L.); (A.R.); (L.A.-F.)
| | - Jose Lucio
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain; (I.G.-J.); (J.L.); (A.R.); (L.A.-F.)
| | - Alejandra Roldan
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain; (I.G.-J.); (J.L.); (A.R.); (L.A.-F.)
| | - Laura Alcazar-Fuoli
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain; (I.G.-J.); (J.L.); (A.R.); (L.A.-F.)
- Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD16/CIII/0004/0003), ISCIII, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilia Mellado
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain; (I.G.-J.); (J.L.); (A.R.); (L.A.-F.)
- Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD16/CIII/0004/0003), ISCIII, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
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23
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Arastehfar A, Carvalho A, Houbraken J, Lombardi L, Garcia-Rubio R, Jenks J, Rivero-Menendez O, Aljohani R, Jacobsen I, Berman J, Osherov N, Hedayati M, Ilkit M, Armstrong-James D, Gabaldón T, Meletiadis J, Kostrzewa M, Pan W, Lass-Flörl C, Perlin D, Hoenigl M. Aspergillus fumigatus and aspergillosis: From basics to clinics. Stud Mycol 2021; 100:100115. [PMID: 34035866 PMCID: PMC8131930 DOI: 10.1016/j.simyco.2021.100115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The airborne fungus Aspergillus fumigatus poses a serious health threat to humans by causing numerous invasive infections and a notable mortality in humans, especially in immunocompromised patients. Mould-active azoles are the frontline therapeutics employed to treat aspergillosis. The global emergence of azole-resistant A. fumigatus isolates in clinic and environment, however, notoriously limits the therapeutic options of mould-active antifungals and potentially can be attributed to a mortality rate reaching up to 100 %. Although specific mutations in CYP 51A are the main cause of azole resistance, there is a new wave of azole-resistant isolates with wild-type CYP 51A genotype challenging the efficacy of the current diagnostic tools. Therefore, applications of whole-genome sequencing are increasingly gaining popularity to overcome such challenges. Prominent echinocandin tolerance, as well as liver and kidney toxicity posed by amphotericin B, necessitate a continuous quest for novel antifungal drugs to combat emerging azole-resistant A. fumigatus isolates. Animal models and the tools used for genetic engineering require further refinement to facilitate a better understanding about the resistance mechanisms, virulence, and immune reactions orchestrated against A. fumigatus. This review paper comprehensively discusses the current clinical challenges caused by A. fumigatus and provides insights on how to address them.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Arastehfar
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
| | - A. Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães/Braga, Portugal
| | - J. Houbraken
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - L. Lombardi
- UCD Conway Institute and School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - R. Garcia-Rubio
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
| | - J.D. Jenks
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA
- Clinical and Translational Fungal-Working Group, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - O. Rivero-Menendez
- Medical Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Center for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, 28222, Spain
| | - R. Aljohani
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - I.D. Jacobsen
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - J. Berman
- Research Group Microbial Immunology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - N. Osherov
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - M.T. Hedayati
- Invasive Fungi Research Center/Department of Medical Mycology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - M. Ilkit
- Division of Mycology, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, 01330, Adana, Turkey
| | | | - T. Gabaldón
- Life Sciences Programme, Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), Jordi Girona, Barcelona, 08034, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Programme, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J. Meletiadis
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - W. Pan
- Medical Mycology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200003, China
| | - C. Lass-Flörl
- Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - D.S. Perlin
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
| | - M. Hoenigl
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA
- Section of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8036, Graz, Austria
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
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24
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Wang Q, Jin Q, Ma Y, Zhang S, Zhang L, Liu Z, Zhang Y. Iron toxicity-induced regulation of key secondary metabolic processes associated with the quality and resistance of Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 224:112648. [PMID: 34450425 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius can survive for long periods of time in iron toxicity-stressed environments, which cause rusty roots and reduced productivity. To reveal the proteomic changes in these two Panax species in response to iron toxicity stress, plants of these two species were divided into a control group and an iron toxicity-stress group. An isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) proteomics approach was used to explore the changes in protein accumulation and the potential mechanisms underlying the response to iron toxicity stress in the two Panax species. Proteomic analyses revealed approximately 725 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the iron toxicity-stress and control groups, including 233 and 492 proteins whose expression was upregulated and downregulated, respectively. The expression of DEPs related to photosynthesis was significantly downregulated, and DEPs whose expression was significantly upregulated were associated with redox reactions. Many upregulated DEPs were also involved in pathways such as those involving phenylpropanoid, flavonoid, isoflavone and ginsenoside synthesis. The abundance of some ginsenoside monomers (Rg1 and Rb3) also significantly increased in P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius. Moreover, P. quinquefolius contained 455 DEPs whose expression was higher than that in P. ginseng, including many proteins related to the regulation of ion homeostasis, indicating that P. quinquefolius is more resistant to iron toxicity stress than P. ginseng is.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuxia Wang
- Institute of Special Wild Economic Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jilin 130112, China.
| | - Qiao Jin
- Institute of Special Wild Economic Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jilin 130112, China
| | - Yingying Ma
- Institute of Special Wild Economic Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jilin 130112, China
| | - Shuna Zhang
- Institute of Special Wild Economic Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jilin 130112, China
| | - Linlin Zhang
- Institute of Special Wild Economic Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jilin 130112, China
| | - Zhengbo Liu
- Institute of Special Wild Economic Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jilin 130112, China
| | - Yayu Zhang
- Institute of Special Wild Economic Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jilin 130112, China; College of Pharmacy and biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China.
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25
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López-Berges MS, Scheven MT, Hortschansky P, Misslinger M, Baldin C, Gsaller F, Werner ER, Krüger T, Kniemeyer O, Weber J, Brakhage AA, Haas H. The bZIP Transcription Factor HapX Is Post-Translationally Regulated to Control Iron Homeostasis in Aspergillus fumigatus. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147739. [PMID: 34299357 PMCID: PMC8307855 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The airborne fungus Aspergillus fumigatus causes opportunistic infections in humans with high mortality rates in immunocompromised patients. Previous work established that the bZIP transcription factor HapX is essential for virulence via adaptation to iron limitation by repressing iron-consuming pathways and activating iron acquisition mechanisms. Moreover, HapX was shown to be essential for transcriptional activation of vacuolar iron storage and iron-dependent pathways in response to iron availability. Here, we demonstrate that HapX has a very short half-life during iron starvation, which is further decreased in response to iron, while siderophore biosynthetic enzymes are very stable. We identified Fbx22 and SumO as HapX interactors and, in agreement, HapX post-translational modifications including ubiquitination of lysine161, sumoylation of lysine242 and phosphorylation of threonine319. All three modifications were enriched in the immediate adaptation from iron-limiting to iron-replete conditions. Interfering with these post-translational modifications, either by point mutations or by inactivation, of Fbx22 or SumO, altered HapX degradation, heme biosynthesis and iron resistance to different extents. Consistent with the need to precisely regulate HapX protein levels, overexpression of hapX caused significant growth defects under iron sufficiency. Taken together, our results indicate that post-translational regulation of HapX is important to control iron homeostasis in A. fumigatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Sánchez López-Berges
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.M.); (C.B.); (F.G.)
- Correspondence: (M.S.L.-B.); (A.A.B.); (H.H.)
| | - Mareike Thea Scheven
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; (M.T.S.); (P.H.); (T.K.); (O.K.); (J.W.)
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Peter Hortschansky
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; (M.T.S.); (P.H.); (T.K.); (O.K.); (J.W.)
| | - Matthias Misslinger
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.M.); (C.B.); (F.G.)
| | - Clara Baldin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.M.); (C.B.); (F.G.)
| | - Fabio Gsaller
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.M.); (C.B.); (F.G.)
| | - Ernst R. Werner
- Division of Biological Chemistry, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Thomas Krüger
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; (M.T.S.); (P.H.); (T.K.); (O.K.); (J.W.)
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; (M.T.S.); (P.H.); (T.K.); (O.K.); (J.W.)
| | - Jakob Weber
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; (M.T.S.); (P.H.); (T.K.); (O.K.); (J.W.)
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; (M.T.S.); (P.H.); (T.K.); (O.K.); (J.W.)
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
- Correspondence: (M.S.L.-B.); (A.A.B.); (H.H.)
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.M.); (C.B.); (F.G.)
- Correspondence: (M.S.L.-B.); (A.A.B.); (H.H.)
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26
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Turning Inside Out: Filamentous Fungal Secretion and Its Applications in Biotechnology, Agriculture, and the Clinic. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7070535. [PMID: 34356914 PMCID: PMC8307877 DOI: 10.3390/jof7070535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are found in virtually every marine and terrestrial habitat. Vital to this success is their ability to secrete a diverse range of molecules, including hydrolytic enzymes, organic acids, and small molecular weight natural products. Industrial biotechnologists have successfully harnessed and re-engineered the secretory capacity of dozens of filamentous fungal species to make a diverse portfolio of useful molecules. The study of fungal secretion outside fermenters, e.g., during host infection or in mixed microbial communities, has also led to the development of novel and emerging technological breakthroughs, ranging from ultra-sensitive biosensors of fungal disease to the efficient bioremediation of polluted environments. In this review, we consider filamentous fungal secretion across multiple disciplinary boundaries (e.g., white, green, and red biotechnology) and product classes (protein, organic acid, and secondary metabolite). We summarize the mechanistic understanding for how various molecules are secreted and present numerous applications for extracellular products. Additionally, we discuss how the control of secretory pathways and the polar growth of filamentous hyphae can be utilized in diverse settings, including industrial biotechnology, agriculture, and the clinic.
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27
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Nitrogen, Iron and Zinc Acquisition: Key Nutrients to Aspergillus fumigatus Virulence. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7070518. [PMID: 34203370 PMCID: PMC8303583 DOI: 10.3390/jof7070518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous soil decomposer and an opportunistic pathogen that is characterized by its large metabolic machinery for acquiring nutrients from media. Lately, an ever-increasing number of genes involved in fungal nutrition has been associated with its virulence. Of these, nitrogen, iron, and zinc metabolism-related genes are particularly noteworthy, since 78% of them have a direct implication in virulence. In this review, we describe the sensing, uptake and regulation process of the acquisition of these nutrients, the connections between pathways and the virulence-implicated genes. Nevertheless, only 40% of the genes mentioned in this review have been assayed for roles in virulence, leaving a wide field of knowledge that remains uncertain and might offer new therapeutic and diagnostic targets.
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28
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Understanding the fundamental role of virulence determinants to combat Aspergillus fumigatus infections: exploring beyond cell wall. Mycol Prog 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11557-021-01677-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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29
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Discovery and genetic identification of amphiphilic coprogen siderophores from Trichoderm hypoxylon. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:2831-2839. [PMID: 33758985 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11245-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Siderophores are small molecular iron chelators and participate in the multiple cellular processes in fungi. In this study, we discovered and identified five amphiphilic coprogen siderophores including three new natural products according to LC-MS-guided separation strategy from Trichoderm hypoxylon. The structures of three new coprogens were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy, and high-resolution (HR)-ESI-MS analysis. Genetic deletions of dfcA and dfcB abolished the production of compounds 1-5 that implied their involvement in the biosynthesis of coprogens. Interestingly, cultivations of ΔdfcA and ΔdfcB mutants with pathogenic fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Mucor corcinelloides showed the weaker inhibitions in comparison to wild type that demonstrated coprogen's role in combating the pathogenic fungi. Our study not only enriched the diversities of siderophores but also provided an approach for finding the rare amphiphilic coprogen siderophores in fungi. Furthermore, this work provided a basis for investigation on the biosynthesis of fungal amphiphilic siderophores and their ecological roles in nature. KEY POINTS: • A series of amphiphilic coprogens were found. • The gene cluster of amphiphilic coprogens and ecological roles were elucidated.
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Association of Fungal Siderophores in Human Diseases: Roles and Treatments. Fungal Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-53077-8_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Kim JH, Cheng LW, Chan KL, Tam CC, Mahoney N, Friedman M, Shilman MM, Land KM. Antifungal Drug Repurposing. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:antibiotics9110812. [PMID: 33203147 PMCID: PMC7697925 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9110812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Control of fungal pathogens is increasingly problematic due to the limited number of effective drugs available for antifungal therapy. Conventional antifungal drugs could also trigger human cytotoxicity associated with the kidneys and liver, including the generation of reactive oxygen species. Moreover, increased incidences of fungal resistance to the classes of azoles, such as fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, or posaconazole, or echinocandins, including caspofungin, anidulafungin, or micafungin, have been documented. Of note, certain azole fungicides such as propiconazole or tebuconazole that are applied to agricultural fields have the same mechanism of antifungal action as clinical azole drugs. Such long-term application of azole fungicides to crop fields provides environmental selection pressure for the emergence of pan-azole-resistant fungal strains such as Aspergillus fumigatus having TR34/L98H mutations, specifically, a 34 bp insertion into the cytochrome P450 51A (CYP51A) gene promoter region and a leucine-to-histidine substitution at codon 98 of CYP51A. Altogether, the emerging resistance of pathogens to currently available antifungal drugs and insufficiency in the discovery of new therapeutics engender the urgent need for the development of new antifungals and/or alternative therapies for effective control of fungal pathogens. We discuss the current needs for the discovery of new clinical antifungal drugs and the recent drug repurposing endeavors as alternative methods for fungal pathogen control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong H. Kim
- Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Albany, CA 94710, USA; (L.W.C.); (K.L.C.); (C.C.T.); (N.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-510-559-5841
| | - Luisa W. Cheng
- Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Albany, CA 94710, USA; (L.W.C.); (K.L.C.); (C.C.T.); (N.M.)
| | - Kathleen L. Chan
- Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Albany, CA 94710, USA; (L.W.C.); (K.L.C.); (C.C.T.); (N.M.)
| | - Christina C. Tam
- Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Albany, CA 94710, USA; (L.W.C.); (K.L.C.); (C.C.T.); (N.M.)
| | - Noreen Mahoney
- Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Albany, CA 94710, USA; (L.W.C.); (K.L.C.); (C.C.T.); (N.M.)
| | - Mendel Friedman
- Healthy Processed Foods Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Albany, CA 94710, USA;
| | | | - Kirkwood M. Land
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA;
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Le Govic Y, Havlíček V, Capilla J, Luptáková D, Dumas D, Papon N, Le Gal S, Bouchara JP, Vandeputte P. Synthesis of the Hydroxamate Siderophore N α-Methylcoprogen B in Scedosporium apiospermum Is Mediated by sidD Ortholog and Is Required for Virulence. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:587909. [PMID: 33194829 PMCID: PMC7655970 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.587909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Scedosporium species rank second among the filamentous fungi capable to colonize chronically the respiratory tract of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Nevertheless, there is little information on the mechanisms underpinning their virulence. Iron acquisition is critical for the growth and pathogenesis of many bacterial and fungal genera that chronically inhabit the CF lungs. In a previous study, we showed the presence in the genome of Scedosporium apiospermum of several genes relevant for iron uptake, notably SAPIO_CDS2806, an ortholog of sidD, which drives the synthesis of the extracellular hydroxamate-type siderophore fusarinine C (FsC) and its derivative triacetylfusarinine C (TAFC) in Aspergillus fumigatus. Here, we demonstrate that Scedosporium apiospermum sidD gene is required for production of an excreted siderophore, namely, Nα-methylcoprogen B, which also belongs to the hydroxamate family. Blockage of the synthesis of Nα-methylcoprogen B by disruption of the sidD gene resulted in the lack of fungal growth under iron limiting conditions. Still, growth of ΔsidD mutants could be restored by supplementation of the culture medium with a culture filtrate from the parent strain, but not from the mutants. Furthermore, the use of xenosiderophores as the sole source of iron revealed that S. apiospermum can acquire the iron using the hydroxamate siderophores ferrichrome or ferrioxamine, i.e., independently of Nα-methylcoprogen B production. Conversely, Nα-methylcoprogen B is mandatory for iron acquisition from pyoverdine, a mixed catecholate-hydroxamate siderophore. Finally, the deletion of sidD resulted in the loss of virulence in a murine model of scedosporiosis. Our findings demonstrate that S. apiospermum sidD gene drives the synthesis of a unique extracellular, hydroxamate-type iron chelator, which is essential for fungal growth and virulence. This compound scavenges iron from pyoverdine, which might explain why S. apiospermum and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are rarely found simultaneously in the CF lungs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohann Le Govic
- Groupe d'Etude des Interactions Hôte-Pathogène (GEIHP, EA 3142), SFR ICAT 4208, Université Angers, Université Brest, Angers, France.,Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Angers, France
| | - Vladimir Havlíček
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Javier Capilla
- Unitat de Microbiologia, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Rovira i Virgili and Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Reus, Spain
| | - Dominika Luptáková
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Dayana Dumas
- Unitat de Microbiologia, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Rovira i Virgili and Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Reus, Spain
| | - Nicolas Papon
- Groupe d'Etude des Interactions Hôte-Pathogène (GEIHP, EA 3142), SFR ICAT 4208, Université Angers, Université Brest, Angers, France
| | - Solène Le Gal
- Groupe d'Etude des Interactions Hôte-Pathogène (GEIHP, EA 3142), SFR ICAT 4208, Université Angers, Université Brest, Angers, France.,Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Brest, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Bouchara
- Groupe d'Etude des Interactions Hôte-Pathogène (GEIHP, EA 3142), SFR ICAT 4208, Université Angers, Université Brest, Angers, France.,Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Angers, France
| | - Patrick Vandeputte
- Groupe d'Etude des Interactions Hôte-Pathogène (GEIHP, EA 3142), SFR ICAT 4208, Université Angers, Université Brest, Angers, France.,Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Angers, France
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Martínez-Pastor MT, Puig S. Adaptation to iron deficiency in human pathogenic fungi. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2020; 1867:118797. [PMID: 32663505 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2020.118797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Iron is an essential micronutrient for virtually all eukaryotic organisms and plays a central role during microbial infections. Invasive fungal diseases are associated with strikingly high rates of mortality, but their impact on human health is usually underestimated. Upon a fungal infection, hosts restrict iron availability in order to limit the growth and virulence of the pathogen. Here, we use two model yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, to delve into the response to iron deficiency of human fungal pathogens, such as Candida glabrata, Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus and Cryptococcus neoformans. Fungi possess common and species-specific mechanisms to acquire iron and to control the response to iron limitation. Upon iron scarcity, fungi activate a wide range of elegant strategies to capture and import exogenous iron, mobilize iron from intracellular stores, and modulate their metabolism to economize and prioritize iron utilization. Hence, iron homeostasis genes represent remarkable virulence factors that can be used as targets for the development of novel antifungal treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sergi Puig
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
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Sheng M, Jia H, Zhang G, Zeng L, Zhang T, Long Y, Lan J, Hu Z, Zeng Z, Wang B, Liu H. Siderophore Production by Rhizosphere Biological Control Bacteria Brevibacillus brevis GZDF3 of Pinellia ternata and Its Antifungal Effects on Candida albicans. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 30:689-699. [PMID: 32482934 PMCID: PMC9728291 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.1910.10066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Brevibacillus brevis GZDF3 is a gram-positive, plant growth-promoting rhizosphere bacterium (PGPR) isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Pinellia ternata (an important herb in traditional Chinese medicine). The GZDF3 strain produces certain active compounds, such as siderophores, which are the final metabolite products of non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and independent non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NIS) activity. With the present study, we attempted to investigate the siderophore production characteristics and conditions of Bacillus sp. GZDF3. The antibacterial activity of the siderophores on pathogenic fungi was also investigated. Optimal conditions for the synthesis of siderophores were determined by single factor method, using sucrose 15 g/l, asparagine 2 g/l, 32°C, and 48 h. The optimized sucrose asparagine medium significantly increased the production of siderophores, from 27.09% to 54.99%. Moreover, the effects of different kinds of metal ions on siderophore production were explored here. We found that Fe3+ and Cu2+ significantly inhibited the synthesis of siderophores. The preliminary separation and purification of siderophores by immobilized-metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) provides strong antibacterial activity against Candida albicans. The synergistic effect of siderophores and amphotericin B was also demonstrated. Our results have shown that the GZDF3 strain could produce a large amount of siderophores with strong antagonistic activity, which is helpful in the development of new biological control agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Sheng
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Huake Jia
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Gongyou Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Lina Zeng
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, P.R. China
- Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 55005, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Tingting Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, P.R. China
- Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 55005, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Yaohang Long
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, P.R. China
- Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 55005, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Jing Lan
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, P.R. China
- Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 55005, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Zuquan Hu
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, P.R. China
- Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 55005, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Zhu Zeng
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, P.R. China
- Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 55005, Guizhou, P.R. China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Bing Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, P.R. China
- Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 55005, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Hongmei Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, P.R. China
- Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 55005, Guizhou, P.R. China
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Aspergillus fumigatus Mitochondrial Acetyl Coenzyme A Acetyltransferase as an Antifungal Target. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.02986-19. [PMID: 32005728 PMCID: PMC7082573 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02986-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Ergosterol plays an important role in maintaining cell membrane sterol homeostasis in fungi, and as such, it is considered an effective target in antifungal chemotherapy. In yeast, the enzyme acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) acetyltransferase (ERG10) catalyzes the Claisen condensation of two acetyl-CoA molecules to acetoacetyl-CoA in the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway and is reported as being critical for cell viability. Using yeast ERG10 for alignment, two orthologues, AfERG10A (AFUB_000550) and AfERG10B (AFUB_083570), were discovered in the opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus Despite the essentiality of AfERG10B having been previously validated, the biological function of AfERG10A remains unclear. In this study, we have characterized recombinant AfERG10A as a functional acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase catalyzing both synthetic and degradative reactions. Unexpectedly, AfERG10A localizes to the mitochondria in A. fumigatus, as shown by C-terminal green fluorescent protein (GFP) tag fusion. Both knockout and inducible promoter strategies demonstrate that Aferg10A is essential for the survival of A. fumigatus The reduced expression of Aferg10A leads to severe morphological defects and increased susceptibility to oxidative and cell wall stresses. Although the catalytic mechanism of acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase family is highly conserved, the crystal structure of AfERG10A and its complex with CoA are solved, revealing four substitutions within the CoA binding site that are different from human orthologues. Taken together, our combination of genetic and structural studies demonstrates that mitochondrial AfERG10A is essential for A. fumigatus cell viability and could be a potential drug target to feed the antifungal drug development pipeline.IMPORTANCE A growing number of people worldwide are suffering from invasive aspergillosis caused by the human opportunistic fungal pathogen A. fumigatus Current therapeutic options rely on a limited repertoire of antifungals. Ergosterol is an essential component of the fungal cell membrane as well as a target of current antifungals. Approximately 20 enzymes are involved in ergosterol biosynthesis, of which acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase (ACAT) is the first enzyme. Two ACATs in A. fumigatus are AfErg10A and AfErg10B. However, the biological function of AfErg10A is yet to be investigated. In this study, we showed that AfErg10A is localized in the mitochondria and is essential for A. fumigatus survival and morphological development. In combination with structural studies, we validated AfErg10A as a potential drug target that will facilitate the development of novel antifungals and improve the efficiency of existing drugs.
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Bauer I, Misslinger M, Shadkchan Y, Dietl AM, Petzer V, Orasch T, Abt B, Graessle S, Osherov N, Haas H. The Lysine Deacetylase RpdA Is Essential for Virulence in Aspergillus fumigatus. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2773. [PMID: 31866965 PMCID: PMC6905131 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Current suboptimal treatment options of invasive fungal infections and emerging resistance of the corresponding pathogens urge the need for alternative therapy strategies and require the identification of novel antifungal targets. Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common airborne opportunistic mold pathogen causing invasive and often fatal disease. Establishing a novel in vivo conditional gene expression system, we demonstrate that downregulation of the class 1 lysine deacetylase (KDAC) RpdA leads to avirulence of A. fumigatus in a murine model for pulmonary aspergillosis. The xylP promoter used has previously been shown to allow xylose-induced gene expression in different molds. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that this promoter also allows in vivo tuning of A. fumigatus gene activity by supplying xylose in the drinking water of mice. In the absence of xylose, an A. fumigatus strain expressing rpdA under control of the xylP promoter, rpdAxylP, was avirulent and lung histology showed significantly less fungal growth. With xylose, however, rpdAxylP displayed full virulence demonstrating that xylose was taken up by the mouse, transported to the site of fungal infection and caused rpdA induction in vivo. These results demonstrate that (i) RpdA is a promising target for novel antifungal therapies and (ii) the xylP expression system is a powerful new tool for in vivo gene silencing in A. fumigatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo Bauer
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Matthias Misslinger
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Yana Shadkchan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Aspergillus and Antifungal Research Laboratory, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
| | - Anna-Maria Dietl
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Verena Petzer
- Department of Internal Medicine II (Infectious Diseases, Immunology, Rheumatology and Pneumology), Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas Orasch
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Beate Abt
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Stefan Graessle
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nir Osherov
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Aspergillus and Antifungal Research Laboratory, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Forester NT, Lane GA, McKenzie CM, Lamont IL, Johnson LJ. The Role of SreA-Mediated Iron Regulation in Maintaining Epichloë festucae- Lolium perenne Symbioses. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2019; 32:1324-1335. [PMID: 31107632 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-03-19-0060-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In ascomycetes and basidiomycetes, iron-responsive GATA-type transcriptional repressors are involved in regulating iron homeostasis, notably to prevent iron toxicity through control of iron uptake. To date, it has been unknown whether this iron regulator contributes toward mutualistic endosymbiosis of microbes with plants, a system where the endophyte must function within the constraints of an in-host existence, including a dependency on the host for nutrient acquisition. Functional characterization of one such protein, SreA from Epichloë festucae, a fungal endosymbiont of cool-season grasses, indicates that regulation of iron homeostasis processes is important for symbiotic maintenance. The deletion of the sreA gene (ΔsreA) led to iron-dependent aberrant hyphal growth and the gradual loss of endophyte hyphae from perennial ryegrass. SreA negatively regulates the siderophore biosynthesis and high-affinity iron uptake systems of E. festucae, similar to other fungi, resulting in iron accumulation in mutants. Our evidence suggests that SreA is involved in the processes that moderate Epichloë iron acquisition from the plant apoplast, because overharvesting of iron in ΔsreA mutants was detected as premature chlorosis of the host using a hydroponic plant growth assay. E. festucae appears to have a tightly regulated iron management system, involving SreA that balances endophyte growth with its survival and prevents overcompetition with the host for iron in the intercellular niche, thus promoting mutualistic associations. Mutations that interfere with Epichloë iron management negatively affect iron-dependent fungal growth and destabilize mutualistic Epichloë -ryegrass associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha T Forester
- AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research Centre, Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Geoffrey A Lane
- AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research Centre, Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Catherine M McKenzie
- AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research Centre, Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Iain L Lamont
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Linda J Johnson
- AgResearch Ltd., Grasslands Research Centre, Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
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The monothiol glutaredoxin GrxD is essential for sensing iron starvation in Aspergillus fumigatus. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008379. [PMID: 31525190 PMCID: PMC6762210 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficient adaptation to iron starvation is an essential virulence determinant of the most common human mold pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus. Here, we demonstrate that the cytosolic monothiol glutaredoxin GrxD plays an essential role in iron sensing in this fungus. Our studies revealed that (i) GrxD is essential for growth; (ii) expression of the encoding gene, grxD, is repressed by the transcription factor SreA in iron replete conditions and upregulated during iron starvation; (iii) during iron starvation but not iron sufficiency, GrxD displays predominant nuclear localization; (iv) downregulation of grxD expression results in de-repression of genes involved in iron-dependent pathways and repression of genes involved in iron acquisition during iron starvation, but did not significantly affect these genes during iron sufficiency; (v) GrxD displays protein-protein interaction with components of the cytosolic iron-sulfur cluster biosynthetic machinery, indicating a role in this process, and with the transcription factors SreA and HapX, which mediate iron regulation of iron acquisition and iron-dependent pathways; (vi) UV-Vis spectra of recombinant HapX or the complex of HapX and GrxD indicate coordination of iron-sulfur clusters; (vii) the cysteine required for iron-sulfur cluster coordination in GrxD is in vitro dispensable for interaction with HapX; and (viii) there is a GrxD-independent mechanism for sensing iron sufficiency by HapX; (ix) inactivation of SreA suppresses the lethal effect caused by GrxD inactivation. Taken together, this study demonstrates that GrxD is crucial for iron homeostasis in A. fumigatus. Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous saprophytic mold and the major causative pathogen causing life-threatening aspergillosis. To improve therapy, there is an urgent need for a better understanding of the fungal physiology. We have previously shown that adaptation to iron starvation is an essential virulence attribute of A. fumigatus. In the present study, we characterized the mechanism employed by A. fumigatus to sense the cellular iron status, which is essential for iron homeostasis. We demonstrate that the transcription factors SreA and HapX, which coordinate iron acquisition, iron consumption and iron detoxification require physical interaction with the monothiol glutaredoxin GrxD to sense iron starvation. Moreover, we show that there is a GrxD-independent mechanism for sensing excess of iron.
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Fountain JC, Yang L, Pandey MK, Bajaj P, Alexander D, Chen S, Kemerait RC, Varshney RK, Guo B. Carbohydrate, glutathione, and polyamine metabolism are central to Aspergillus flavus oxidative stress responses over time. BMC Microbiol 2019; 19:209. [PMID: 31488075 PMCID: PMC6727485 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-019-1580-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The primary and secondary metabolites of fungi are critical for adaptation to environmental stresses, host pathogenicity, competition with other microbes, and reproductive fitness. Drought-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been shown to stimulate aflatoxin production and regulate in Aspergillus flavus, and may function in signaling with host plants. Here, we have performed global, untargeted metabolomics to better understand the role of aflatoxin production in oxidative stress responses, and also explore isolate-specific oxidative stress responses over time. Results Two field isolates of A. flavus, AF13 and NRRL3357, possessing high and moderate aflatoxin production, respectively, were cultured in medium with and without supplementation with 15 mM H2O2, and mycelia were collected following 4 and 7 days in culture for global metabolomics. Overall, 389 compounds were described in the analysis which encompassed 9 biological super-pathways and 47 sub-pathways. These metabolites were examined for differential accumulation. Significant differences were observed in both isolates in response to oxidative stress and when comparing sampling time points. Conclusions The moderately high aflatoxin-producing isolate, NRRL3357, showed extensive stimulation of antioxidant mechanisms and pathways including polyamines metabolism, glutathione metabolism, TCA cycle, and lipid metabolism while the highly aflatoxigenic isolate, AF13, showed a less vigorous response to stress. Carbohydrate pathway levels also imply that carbohydrate repression and starvation may influence metabolite accumulation at the later timepoint. Higher conidial oxidative stress tolerance and antioxidant capacity in AF13 compared to NRRL3357, inferred from their metabolomic profiles and growth curves over time, may be connected to aflatoxin production capability and aflatoxin-related antioxidant accumulation. The coincidence of several of the detected metabolites in H2O2-stressed A. flavus and drought-stressed hosts also suggests their potential role in the interaction between these organisms and their use as markers/targets to enhance host resistance through biomarker selection or genetic engineering. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-019-1580-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake C Fountain
- USDA-ARS, Crop Protection and Management Research Unit, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA.,Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA
| | - Liming Yang
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA.,College of Biology and Environmental Science, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Manish K Pandey
- International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, Telangana, 502324, India
| | - Prasad Bajaj
- International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, Telangana, 502324, India
| | | | - Sixue Chen
- Department of Biology, Genetics Institute, and Plant Molecular & Cellular Biology Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Robert C Kemerait
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA
| | - Rajeev K Varshney
- International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, Telangana, 502324, India
| | - Baozhu Guo
- USDA-ARS, Crop Protection and Management Research Unit, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA.
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Schäpe P, Kwon MJ, Baumann B, Gutschmann B, Jung S, Lenz S, Nitsche B, Paege N, Schütze T, Cairns TC, Meyer V. Updating genome annotation for the microbial cell factory Aspergillus niger using gene co-expression networks. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:559-569. [PMID: 30496528 PMCID: PMC6344863 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky1183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A significant challenge in our understanding of biological systems is the high number of genes with unknown function in many genomes. The fungal genus Aspergillus contains important pathogens of humans, model organisms, and microbial cell factories. Aspergillus niger is used to produce organic acids, proteins, and is a promising source of new bioactive secondary metabolites. Out of the 14,165 open reading frames predicted in the A. niger genome only 2% have been experimentally verified and over 6,000 are hypothetical. Here, we show that gene co-expression network analysis can be used to overcome this limitation. A meta-analysis of 155 transcriptomics experiments generated co-expression networks for 9,579 genes (∼65%) of the A. niger genome. By populating this dataset with over 1,200 gene functional experiments from the genus Aspergillus and performing gene ontology enrichment, we could infer biological processes for 9,263 of A. niger genes, including 2,970 hypothetical genes. Experimental validation of selected co-expression sub-networks uncovered four transcription factors involved in secondary metabolite synthesis, which were used to activate production of multiple natural products. This study constitutes a significant step towards systems-level understanding of A. niger, and the datasets can be used to fuel discoveries of model systems, fungal pathogens, and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Schäpe
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - M J Kwon
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - B Baumann
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - B Gutschmann
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - S Jung
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - S Lenz
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - B Nitsche
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - N Paege
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - T Schütze
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - T C Cairns
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - V Meyer
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
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Zhai P, Song J, Gao L, Lu L. A sphingolipid synthesis-related protein OrmA in Aspergillus fumigatus is responsible for azole susceptibility and virulence. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13092. [PMID: 31376233 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies identified that the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have two sphingolipid synthesis-related proteins, Orm1p and Orm2p, that negatively regulate the activities of SPT, which is a key rate-limiting enzyme in sphingolipid synthesis. However, little is known about whether sphingolipids in the cell membrane, which are closely related to ergosterols, could affect the efficacy of azole drugs, which target to the ergosterol biosynthesis. In this study, through genome-wide homologue search analysis, we found that the Aspergillus fumigatus genome only contains one Orm homologue, referred to as OrmA for which the protein expression could be induced by azole antifungals in a dose-dependent manner. Deletion of ormA caused hypersensitivity to azoles, and adding the sphingolipid synthesis inhibitor myriocin rescued the azole susceptibility induced by lack of ormA. In contrast, overexpression of OrmA resulted in azole resistance, indicating that OrmA is a positive azole-response regulator. Further mechanism analysis verified that OrmA is related to drug susceptibility by affecting endoplasmic reticulum stress responses in an unfolded protein response pathway-HacA-dependent manner. Lack of ormA led to an abnormal profile of sphingolipid ceramide components accompanied by hypersensitivity to low temperatures. Furthermore, deletion of OrmA significantly reduced virulence in an immunosuppressed mouse model. The findings in this study collectively suggest that the sphingolipid metabolism pathway in A. fumigatus plays a critical role in azole susceptibility and fungal virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Zhai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Jinxing Song
- The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province and School of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, PR China
| | - Lu Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Ling Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, PR China
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Hussein HM, Al-Khoury DK, Abdelnoor AM, Rahal EA. Atorvastatin increases the production of proinflammatory cytokines and decreases the survival of Escherichia coli-infected mice. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11717. [PMID: 31406240 PMCID: PMC6690901 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48282-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
To assess whether the immunosuppressive effects of atorvastatin outweigh its antibacterial ones in an infection, mice were infected with Escherichia coli and administered atorvastatin; survival rates were then monitored. Mice treated with atorvastatin post-infection showed a remarkable decrease in their survival rate. On the other hand, the higher the level of serum IFN-γ in the infected mice treated with atorvastatin, the lower was the survival rate. Levels of IL-4 were markedly depressed in all groups infected with E. coli and treated with atorvastatin. Since atorvastatin inhibits IFN-γ expression in the absence of bacterial infection, we examined whether bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was the element capable of overriding this inhibition. Mouse peripheral blood mononuclear cells were treated with atorvastatin and lipopolysaccharide ex vivo then proinflammatory (IFN-γ, TNFα, IL-6) and prohumoral/regulatory (IL-4, IL-13, IL-10) cytokine levels were analyzed in culture supernatants. While proinflammatory cytokine levels were decreased upon treatment with atorvastatin alone, their levels were markedly elevated by treatment with LPS, bacterial lysate or bacterial culture supernatant. On the other hand, atorvastatin exerted an inhibitory effect on production of the prohumoral/regulatory cytokines. Our data indicates that any consideration for statins as antimicrobial treatment should assess the possible adverse outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadi M Hussein
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.,Center for Infectious Diseases Research (CIDR), American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Diva Kalash Al-Khoury
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Alexander M Abdelnoor
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Elias A Rahal
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon. .,Center for Infectious Diseases Research (CIDR), American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
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Huang J, Ma Z, Zhong G, Sheppard DC, Lu L, Zhang S. The mitochondrial thiamine pyrophosphate transporter TptA promotes adaptation to low iron conditions and virulence in fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Virulence 2019; 10:234-247. [PMID: 30880633 PMCID: PMC6527022 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2019.1596505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is the most prevalent airborne fungal pathogen that causes invasive fungal infections in immunosuppressed individuals. Adaptation to iron limited conditions is crucial for A. fumigatus virulence. To identify novel genes that play roles in adaptation to low iron conditions we performed an insertional mutagenesis screen in A. fumigatus. Using this approach, we identified the tptA gene in A. fumigatus, which shares homology with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae thiamine pyrophosphate (ThPP) transporter encoding gene tpc1. Heterologous expression of tpc1 in the tptA deletion mutant completely restored the ThPP auxotrophy phenotype, suggesting that Tpc1 and TptA are functional orthologues. Importantly, TptA was required for adaptation to low iron conditions in A. fumigatus. The ΔtptA mutant had decreased resistance to the iron chelator bathophenanthroline disulfonate (BPS) with severe growth defects. Moreover, loss of tptA decreased the expression of hapX, which is a major transcription factor indispensable for adaptation to iron starvation in A. fumigatus. Overexpression of hapX in the ΔtptA strain greatly rescued the growth defect and siderophore production by A. fumigatus in iron-depleted conditions. Mutagenesis experiments demonstrated that the conserved residues related to ThPP uptake in TptA were also required for low iron adaptation. Furthermore, TptA-mediated adaptation to low iron conditions was found to be dependent on carbon sources. Finally, loss of tptA resulted in the attenuation of virulence in a murine model of aspergillosis. Taken together, this study demonstrated that the mitochondrial ThPP transporter TptA promotes low iron adaptation and virulence in A. fumigatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Huang
- a Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Microbiology, College of Life Sciences , Nanjing Normal University , Nanjing , China
| | - Zhihua Ma
- a Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Microbiology, College of Life Sciences , Nanjing Normal University , Nanjing , China
| | - Guowei Zhong
- b Department of Hygiene Analysis and Detection, School of Public Health , Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing , China
| | - Donald C Sheppard
- c Departments of Medicine, Microbiology & Immunology , McGill University , Montréal , QC , Canada.,d Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program , Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre , Montreal , QC , Canada
| | - Ling Lu
- a Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Microbiology, College of Life Sciences , Nanjing Normal University , Nanjing , China
| | - Shizhu Zhang
- a Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Microbiology, College of Life Sciences , Nanjing Normal University , Nanjing , China
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Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is the predominant pathogen of invasive aspergillosis, a disease state credited with over 200,000 life-threatening infections annually. The triazole class of antifungals are clinically essential to the treatment of invasive aspergillosis. Unfortunately, resistance to the triazoles among A. fumigatus isolates is now increasingly reported worldwide. In this work, we challenge the current paradigm of clinical triazole resistance in A. fumigatus, by first demonstrating that previously characterized mechanisms of resistance have nominal impact on triazole susceptibility and subsequently identifying a novel mechanism of resistance with a profound impact on clinical triazole susceptibility. We demonstrate that mutations in the HMG-CoA reductase gene, hmg1, are common among resistant clinical isolates and that hmg1 mutations confer resistance to all clinically available triazole antifungals. Aspergillus fumigatus is the predominant pathogen of invasive aspergillosis, a disease state credited with over 200,000 life-threatening infections each year. The triazole class of antifungals are clinically essential to the treatment of invasive aspergillosis, both as frontline and as salvage therapy. Unfortunately, resistance to the triazoles among A. fumigatus isolates is now increasingly reported worldwide, and a large proportion of this resistance remains unexplained. In this work, we characterize the contributions of previously identified mechanisms of triazole resistance, including mutations in the sterol-demethylase-encoding gene cyp51A, overexpression of sterol-demethylase genes, and overexpression of the efflux pump-encoding gene abcC, among a large collection of highly triazole-resistant clinical A. fumigatus isolates. Upon revealing that these mechanisms alone cannot substantiate the majority of triazole resistance exhibited by this collection, we subsequently describe the identification and characterization of a novel genetic determinant of triazole resistance. Mutations in the 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase-encoding gene, hmg1, were identified in a majority of triazole-resistant clinical isolates in our collection. Introduction of three different hmg1 mutations, predicted to encode residue alterations in the conserved sterol sensing domain of Hmg1, resulted in significantly increased resistance to the triazole class of agents. Additionally, correction of a hmg1 mutation in a pan-triazole-resistant clinical isolate of A. fumigatus with a novel Cas9-ribonucleoprotein-mediated system was shown to restore clinical susceptibility to all triazole agents. Mutations in hmg1 were also shown to lead to the accumulation of ergosterol precursors, such as eburicol, by sterol profiling, while not altering the expression of sterol-demethylase genes.
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46
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Hoenigl M, Orasch T, Faserl K, Prattes J, Loeffler J, Springer J, Gsaller F, Reischies F, Duettmann W, Raggam RB, Lindner H, Haas H. Triacetylfusarinine C: A urine biomarker for diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis. J Infect 2019; 78:150-157. [PMID: 30267801 PMCID: PMC6361682 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2018.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Early diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) remains challenging, with available diagnostics being limited by inadequate sensitivities and specificities. Triacetylfusarinine C, a fungal siderophore that has been shown to accumulate in urine in animal models, is a potential new biomarker for diagnosis of IA. METHODS We developed a method allowing absolute and matrix-independent mass spectrometric quantification of TAFC. Urine TAFC, normalized to creatinine, was determined in 44 samples from 24 patients with underlying hematologic malignancies and probable, possible or no IA according to current EORTC/MSG criteria and compared to other established biomarkers measured in urine and same-day blood samples. RESULTS TAFC/creatinine sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratio for probable versus no IA (cut-off ≥ 3) were 0.86, 0.88, 6.86, 0.16 per patient. CONCLUSION For the first time, we provide proof for the occurrence of TAFC in human urine. TAFC/creatinine index determination in urine showed promising results for diagnosis of IA offering the advantages of non-invasive sampling. Sensitivity and specificity were similar as reported for GM determination in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage, the gold standard mycological criterion for IA diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Hoenigl
- Section of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; CBmed Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, Graz, Austria; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Thomas Orasch
- Division of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Klaus Faserl
- Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Juergen Prattes
- Section of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; CBmed Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, Graz, Austria
| | - Juergen Loeffler
- Department for Internal Medicine II, University of Wuerzburg Medical Centre, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Jan Springer
- Department for Internal Medicine II, University of Wuerzburg Medical Centre, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Fabio Gsaller
- Division of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Frederike Reischies
- Section of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Wiebke Duettmann
- Section of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Reinhard B Raggam
- Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; Division of Angiology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Herbert Lindner
- Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Division of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
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Hokken MWJ, Zoll J, Coolen JPM, Zwaan BJ, Verweij PE, Melchers WJG. Phenotypic plasticity and the evolution of azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus; an expression profile of clinical isolates upon exposure to itraconazole. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:28. [PMID: 30626317 PMCID: PMC6327609 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-5255-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The prevalence of azole resistance in clinical and environmental Aspergillus fumigatus isolates is rising over the past decades, but the molecular basis of the development of antifungal drug resistance is not well understood. This study focuses on the role of phenotypic plasticity in the evolution of azole resistance in A. fumigatus. When A. fumigatus is challenged with a new stressful environment, phenotypic plasticity may allow A. fumigatus to adjust their physiology to still enable growth and reproduction, therefore allowing the establishment of genetic adaptations through natural selection on the available variation in the mutational and recombinational gene pool. To investigate these short-term physiological adaptations, we conducted time series transcriptome analyses on three clinical A. fumigatus isolates, during incubation with itraconazole. Results After analysis of expression patterns, we identified 3955, 3430, 1207, and 1101 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), after 30, 60, 120 and 240 min of incubation with itraconazole, respectively. We explored the general functions in these gene groups and we identified 186 genes that were differentially expressed during the whole time series. Additionally, we investigated expression patterns of potential novel drug-efflux transporters, genes involved in ergosterol and phospholipid biosynthesis, and the known MAPK proteins of A. fumigatus. Conclusions Our data suggests that A. fumigatus adjusts its transcriptome quickly within 60 min of exposure to itraconazole. Further investigation of these short-term adaptive phenotypic plasticity mechanisms might enable us to understand how the direct response of A. fumigatus to itraconazole promotes survival of the fungus in the patient, before any “hard-wired” genetic mutations arise. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-5255-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margriet W J Hokken
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. .,Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6532 SZ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Jan Zoll
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6532 SZ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jordy P M Coolen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6532 SZ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Bas J Zwaan
- Department of Plant Sciences, Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Paul E Verweij
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6532 SZ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Willem J G Melchers
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6532 SZ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Chelius CL, Ribeiro LFC, Huso W, Kumar J, Lincoln S, Tran B, Goo YA, Srivastava R, Harris SD, Marten MR. Phosphoproteomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal multiple functions for Aspergillus nidulans MpkA independent of cell wall stress. Fungal Genet Biol 2019; 125:1-12. [PMID: 30639305 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The protein kinase MpkA plays a prominent role in the cell wall integrity signaling (CWIS) pathway, acting as the terminal MAPK activating expression of genes which encode cell wall biosynthetic enzymes and other repair functions. Numerous studies focus on MpkA function during cell wall perturbation. Here, we focus on the role MpkA plays outside of cell wall stress, during steady state growth. In an effort to seek other, as yet unknown, connections to this pathway, an mpkA deletion mutant (ΔmpkA) was subjected to phosphoproteomic and transcriptomic analysis. When compared to the control (isogenic parent of ΔmpkA), there is strong evidence suggesting MpkA is involved with maintaining cell wall strength, branching regulation, and the iron starvation pathway, among others. Particle-size analysis during shake flask growth revealed ΔmpkA mycelia were about 4 times smaller than the control strain and more than 90 cell wall related genes show significantly altered expression levels. The deletion mutant had a significantly higher branching rate than the control and phosphoproteomic results show putative branching-regulation proteins, such as CotA, LagA, and Cdc24, have a significantly different level of phosphorylation. When grown in iron limited conditions, ΔmpkA had no difference in growth rate or production of siderophores, whereas the control strain showed decreased growth rate and increased siderophore production. Transcriptomic data revealed over 25 iron related genes with altered transcript levels. Results suggest MpkA is involved with regulation of broad cellular functions in the absence of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia L Chelius
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States
| | - Liliane F C Ribeiro
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States
| | - Walker Huso
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States
| | - Jyothi Kumar
- Center for Plant Science Innovation and Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, United States
| | - Stephen Lincoln
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, United States
| | - Bao Tran
- Mass Spectrometry Center, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Young Ah Goo
- Mass Spectrometry Center, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Ranjan Srivastava
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, United States
| | - Steven D Harris
- Center for Plant Science Innovation and Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, United States
| | - Mark R Marten
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States.
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Misslinger M, Lechner BE, Bacher K, Haas H. Iron-sensing is governed by mitochondrial, not by cytosolic iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis in Aspergillus fumigatus. Metallomics 2018; 10:1687-1700. [PMID: 30395137 PMCID: PMC6250123 DOI: 10.1039/c8mt00263k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Microorganisms have to adapt their metabolism to the requirements of their ecological niche to avoid iron shortage as well as iron toxicity. Therefore, mechanisms have been evolved to tightly regulate iron uptake, consumption, and detoxification, which depend on sensing the cellular iron status. In the facultative anaerobic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, iron-sensing depends on mitochondrial (ISC) but not cytosolic iron-sulfur cluster assembly (CIA), while in mammals further processing of an ISC product via CIA is required for sensing of the cellular iron state. To address the question of how the obligatory aerobic mold Aspergillus fumigatus senses the cellular iron state, mutant strains allowing the downregulation of ISC and CIA were generated. These studies revealed that: (i) Nfs1 (Afu3g14240) and Nbp35 (Afu2g15960), which are involved in ISC and CIA, respectively, are essential for growth; (ii) a decrease in ISC (Nfs1 depletion) but not CIA (Nbp35 depletion) results in a transcriptional iron starvation response, (iii) a decrease in, ISC as well as CIA, increases the chelatable iron pool, accompanied by increased iron toxicity and increased susceptibility to oxidative stress and phleomycin. In agreement with ISC being essential for iron-sensing, a decrease in mitochondrial iron import by deletion of the mitochondrial iron importer MrsA resulted in an iron starvation response. Taken together, these data underline that iron-sensing in A. fumigatus depends on ISC but not CIA. Moreover, depletion of the glutathione pool via generating a mutant lacking γ-glutamylcysteine synthase, GshA (Afu3g13900), caused an iron starvation response, underlining a crucial role of glutathione in iron-sensing in A. fumigatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Misslinger
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter
, Medical University of Innsbruck
,
Innrain 80
, 6020 Innsbruck
, Austria
.
| | - Beatrix E. Lechner
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter
, Medical University of Innsbruck
,
Innrain 80
, 6020 Innsbruck
, Austria
.
| | - Katharina Bacher
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter
, Medical University of Innsbruck
,
Innrain 80
, 6020 Innsbruck
, Austria
.
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter
, Medical University of Innsbruck
,
Innrain 80
, 6020 Innsbruck
, Austria
.
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50
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Long N, Orasch T, Zhang S, Gao L, Xu X, Hortschansky P, Ye J, Zhang F, Xu K, Gsaller F, Straßburger M, Binder U, Heinekamp T, Brakhage AA, Haas H, Lu L. The Zn2Cys6-type transcription factor LeuB cross-links regulation of leucine biosynthesis and iron acquisition in Aspergillus fumigatus. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007762. [PMID: 30365497 PMCID: PMC6221358 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Both branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and iron are essential nutrients for eukaryotic cells. Previously, the Zn2Cys6-type transcription factor Leu3/LeuB was shown to play a crucial role in regulation of BCAA biosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus nidulans. In this study, we found that the A. fumigatus homolog LeuB is involved in regulation of not only BCAA biosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism but also iron acquisition including siderophore metabolism. Lack of LeuB caused a growth defect, which was cured by supplementation with leucine or iron. Moreover, simultaneous inactivation of LeuB and HapX, a bZIP transcription factor required for adaptation to iron starvation, significantly aggravated the growth defect caused by inactivation of one of these regulators during iron starvation. In agreement with a direct role in regulation of both BCAA and iron metabolism, LeuB was found to bind to phylogenetically conserved motifs in promoters of genes involved in BCAA biosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, and iron acquisition in vitro and in vivo, and was required for full activation of their expression. Lack of LeuB also caused activation of protease activity and autophagy via leucine depletion. Moreover, LeuB inactivation resulted in virulence attenuation of A. fumigatus in Galleria mellonella. Taken together, this study identified a previously uncharacterized direct cross-regulation of BCCA biosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism and iron homeostasis as well as proteolysis. Adaptation to the host niche is an essential attribute of pathogens. Here we found that the Zn2Cys6-type transcription factor LeuB cross-regulates branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, iron acquisition via siderophores, and proteasome activity in the mold Aspergillus fumigatus. Lack of this regulatory circuit impaired virulence in an insect infection model. Mammals do neither express Zn2Cys6-type transcription factors nor have the capacity to produce branched-chain amino acids or siderophores. Consequently, this regulatory circuit is a paradigm for fungal pathogen-specific adaptation to the host niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanbiao Long
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shaoyang University, Shaoyang, China
| | - Thomas Orasch
- Division of Molecular Biology/Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Shizhu Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lu Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoling Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Peter Hortschansky
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), and Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Jing Ye
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fenli Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Kai Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fabio Gsaller
- Division of Molecular Biology/Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Maria Straßburger
- Transfer Group Anti-infectives, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Ulrike Binder
- Division of Hygiene & Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thorsten Heinekamp
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), and Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), and Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Division of Molecular Biology/Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain, Innsbruck, Austria
- * E-mail: (HH); (LL)
| | - Ling Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
- * E-mail: (HH); (LL)
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