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Marcos CM, de Oliveira HC, Assato PA, de Oliveira LT, Fregonezi N, dos Santos KS, Costa-Orlandi CB, Fusco-Almeida AM, Mendes-Giannini MJS. Polypeptides Targeting Paracoccidioides brasiliensis Drk1. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:980. [PMID: 37888236 PMCID: PMC10607314 DOI: 10.3390/jof9100980] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Considering the toxicity of conventional therapeutic approaches and the importance of precise mechanistic targets, it is important to explore signaling pathways implicated in fungal pathobiology. Moreover, treatment of paracoccidioidomycosis, a systemic mycosis caused by a dimorphic fungus, requires prolonged therapeutic regimens. Among the numerous factors underpinning the establishment of Paracoccidioides spp. infection, the capacity to transition from the mycelial to the yeast form is of pivotal importance. The Drk1 protein of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis likely plays a decisive role in this morphological shift and subsequent virulence. We identified peptides with affinity for the PbDrk1 protein using the phage-display method and assessed the effects of these peptides on P. brasiliensis. The peptides were found to inhibit the phase transition of P. brasiliensis. Furthermore, a substantial proportion of these peptides prevented adhesion to pneumocytes. Although these peptides may not possess inherent antifungal properties, they can augment the effects of certain antifungal agents. Notably, the cell wall architecture of P. brasiliensis appears to be modulated by peptide intervention, resulting in a reduced abundance of glycosylated proteins and lipids. These peptides were also evaluated for their efficacy in a Galleria mellonella model and shown to contribute to enhanced larval survival rates. The role of PbDrk1, which is notably absent in mammals, should be further investigated to improve the understanding of its functional role in P. brasiliensis, which may be helpful for designing novel therapeutic modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Maria Marcos
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
| | - Haroldo Cesar de Oliveira
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba 81350-010, Brazil
| | - Patricia Akemi Assato
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
- Laboratório Central de Multiusuários, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Campus Botucatu, UNESP—Universidade Estadual Paulista, São Paulo 18610-034, Brazil
| | - Lariane Teodoro de Oliveira
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
| | - Nathália Fregonezi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
| | - Kelvin Sousa dos Santos
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
| | - Caroline Barcelos Costa-Orlandi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
| | - Ana Marisa Fusco-Almeida
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
| | - Maria José Soares Mendes-Giannini
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
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Online Biomass Monitoring Enables Characterization of the Growth Pattern of Aspergillus fumigatus in Liquid Shake Conditions. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8101013. [PMID: 36294578 PMCID: PMC9605507 DOI: 10.3390/jof8101013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous filamentous fungal species are extensively studied due to their role as model organisms, workhorses in biotechnology, or as pathogens for plants, animals, and humans. Growth studies are mainly carried out on solid media. However, studies concerning gene expression, biochemistry, or metabolism are carried out usually in liquid shake conditions, which do not correspond to the growth pattern on solid media. The reason for this practice is the problem of on-line growth monitoring of filamentous fungal species, which usually form pellets in liquid shake cultures. Here, we compared the time-consuming and tedious process of dry-weight determination of the mold Aspergillus fumigatus with online monitoring of biomass in liquid shake culture by the parallelizable CGQ (“cell growth quantifier”), which implements dynamic biomass determination by backscattered light measurement. The results revealed a strong correlation of CGQ-mediated growth monitoring and classical biomass measurement of A. fumigatus grown over a time course. Moreover, CGQ-mediated growth monitoring displayed the difference in growth of A. fumigatus in response to the limitation of iron or nitrogen as well as the growth defects of previously reported mutant strains (ΔhapX, ΔsrbA). Furthermore, the frequently used wild-type strain Af293 showed largely decreased and delayed growth in liquid shake cultures compared to other strains (AfS77, A1160p+, AfS35). Taken together, the CGQ allows for robust, automated biomass monitoring of A. fumigatus during liquid shake conditions, which largely facilitates the characterization of the growth pattern of filamentous fungal species.
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Bui TT, Harting R, Braus-Stromeyer SA, Tran VT, Leonard M, Höfer A, Abelmann A, Bakti F, Valerius O, Schlüter R, Stanley CE, Ambrósio A, Braus GH. Verticillium dahliae transcription factors Som1 and Vta3 control microsclerotia formation and sequential steps of plant root penetration and colonisation to induce disease. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 221:2138-2159. [PMID: 30290010 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Verticillium dahliae nuclear transcription factors Som1 and Vta3 can rescue adhesion in a FLO8-deficient Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. Som1 and Vta3 induce the expression of the yeast FLO1 and FLO11 genes encoding adhesins. Som1 and Vta3 are sequentially required for root penetration and colonisation of the plant host by V. dahliae. The SOM1 and VTA3 genes were deleted and their functions in fungus-induced plant pathogenesis were studied using genetic, cell biology, proteomic and plant pathogenicity experiments. Som1 supports fungal adhesion and root penetration and is required earlier than Vta3 in the colonisation of plant root surfaces and tomato plant infection. Som1 controls septa positioning and the size of vacuoles, and subsequently hyphal development including aerial hyphae formation and normal hyphal branching. Som1 and Vta3 control conidiation, microsclerotia formation, and antagonise in oxidative stress responses. The molecular function of Som1 is conserved between the plant pathogen V. dahliae and the opportunistic human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Som1 controls genes for initial steps of plant root penetration, adhesion, oxidative stress response and VTA3 expression to allow subsequent root colonisation. Both Som1 and Vta3 regulate developmental genetic networks required for conidiation, microsclerotia formation and pathogenicity of V. dahliae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tri-Thuc Bui
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Goettingen and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Rebekka Harting
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Goettingen and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Susanna A Braus-Stromeyer
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Goettingen and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Van-Tuan Tran
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Goettingen and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, VNU University of Science, 334 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, 100000, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Miriam Leonard
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Goettingen and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Annalena Höfer
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Goettingen and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Anja Abelmann
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Goettingen and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Fruzsina Bakti
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Goettingen and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Valerius
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Goettingen and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Rabea Schlüter
- Imaging Center of the Department of Biology, University of Greifswald, D-17489, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Claire E Stanley
- Plant-Soil Interactions, Agroecology and Environment Research Division, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alinne Ambrósio
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Goettingen and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Gerhard H Braus
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Goettingen and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany
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