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Sun L, David KT, Wolters JF, Karlen SD, Gonçalves C, Opulente DA, LaBella AL, Groenewald M, Zhou X, Shen XX, Rokas A, Hittinger CT. Functional and Evolutionary Integration of a Fungal Gene With a Bacterial Operon. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae045. [PMID: 38415839 PMCID: PMC11043216 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae045] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Siderophores are crucial for iron-scavenging in microorganisms. While many yeasts can uptake siderophores produced by other organisms, they are typically unable to synthesize siderophores themselves. In contrast, Wickerhamiella/Starmerella (W/S) clade yeasts gained the capacity to make the siderophore enterobactin following the remarkable horizontal acquisition of a bacterial operon enabling enterobactin synthesis. Yet, how these yeasts absorb the iron bound by enterobactin remains unresolved. Here, we demonstrate that Enb1 is the key enterobactin importer in the W/S-clade species Starmerella bombicola. Through phylogenomic analyses, we show that ENB1 is present in all W/S clade yeast species that retained the enterobactin biosynthetic genes. Conversely, it is absent in species that lost the ent genes, except for Starmerella stellata, making this species the only cheater in the W/S clade that can utilize enterobactin without producing it. Through phylogenetic analyses, we infer that ENB1 is a fungal gene that likely existed in the W/S clade prior to the acquisition of the ent genes and subsequently experienced multiple gene losses and duplications. Through phylogenetic topology tests, we show that ENB1 likely underwent horizontal gene transfer from an ancient W/S clade yeast to the order Saccharomycetales, which includes the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, followed by extensive secondary losses. Taken together, these results suggest that the fungal ENB1 and bacterial ent genes were cooperatively integrated into a functional unit within the W/S clade that enabled adaptation to iron-limited environments. This integrated fungal-bacterial circuit and its dynamic evolution determine the extant distribution of yeast enterobactin producers and cheaters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Sun
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, Wisconsin Energy Institute, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Kyle T David
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - John F Wolters
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, Wisconsin Energy Institute, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Steven D Karlen
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Carla Gonçalves
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, Wisconsin Energy Institute, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- UCIBIO, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Dana A Opulente
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, Wisconsin Energy Institute, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Biology Department, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
| | - Abigail Leavitt LaBella
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | | | - Xiaofan Zhou
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xing-Xing Shen
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology and Centre for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Chris Todd Hittinger
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, Wisconsin Energy Institute, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
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Wang JJT, Steenwyk JL, Brem RB. Natural trait variation across Saccharomycotina species. FEMS Yeast Res 2024; 24:foae002. [PMID: 38218591 PMCID: PMC10833146 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/foae002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Among molecular biologists, the group of fungi called Saccharomycotina is famous for its yeasts. These yeasts in turn are famous for what they have in common-genetic, biochemical, and cell-biological characteristics that serve as models for plants and animals. But behind the apparent homogeneity of Saccharomycotina species lie a wealth of differences. In this review, we discuss traits that vary across the Saccharomycotina subphylum. We describe cases of bright pigmentation; a zoo of cell shapes; metabolic specialties; and species with unique rules of gene regulation. We discuss the genetics of this diversity and why it matters, including insights into basic evolutionary principles with relevance across Eukarya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnson J -T Wang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jacob L Steenwyk
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Rachel B Brem
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Sun L, David KT, Wolters JF, Karlen SD, Gonçalves C, Opulente DA, Leavitt LaBella A, Groenewald M, Zhou X, Shen XX, Rokas A, Todd Hittinger C. Functional and evolutionary integration of a fungal gene with a bacterial operon. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.21.568075. [PMID: 38045280 PMCID: PMC10690196 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.21.568075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Siderophores are crucial for iron-scavenging in microorganisms. While many yeasts can uptake siderophores produced by other organisms, they are typically unable to synthesize siderophores themselves. In contrast, Wickerhamiella/Starmerella (W/S) clade yeasts gained the capacity to make the siderophore enterobactin following the remarkable horizontal acquisition of a bacterial operon enabling enterobactin synthesis. Yet, how these yeasts absorb the iron bound by enterobactin remains unresolved. Here, we demonstrate that Enb1 is the key enterobactin importer in the W/S-clade species Starmerella bombicola. Through phylogenomic analyses, we show that ENB1 is present in all W/S clade yeast species that retained the enterobactin biosynthetic genes. Conversely, it is absent in species that lost the ent genes, except for Starmerella stellata, making this species the only cheater in the W/S clade that can utilize enterobactin without producing it. Through phylogenetic analyses, we infer that ENB1 is a fungal gene that likely existed in the W/S clade prior to the acquisition of the ent genes and subsequently experienced multiple gene losses and duplications. Through phylogenetic topology tests, we show that ENB1 likely underwent horizontal gene transfer from an ancient W/S clade yeast to the order Saccharomycetales, which includes the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, followed by extensive secondary losses. Taken together, these results suggest that the fungal ENB1 and bacterial ent genes were cooperatively integrated into a functional unit within the W/S clade that enabled adaptation to iron-limited environments. This integrated fungal-bacterial circuit and its dynamic evolution determines the extant distribution of yeast enterobactin producers and cheaters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Sun
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, Wisconsin Energy Institute, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Kyle T. David
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - John F. Wolters
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, Wisconsin Energy Institute, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Steven D. Karlen
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Carla Gonçalves
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, Wisconsin Energy Institute, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- UCIBIO, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Dana A. Opulente
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, Wisconsin Energy Institute, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Biology Department, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
| | - Abigail Leavitt LaBella
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223
| | | | - Xiaofan Zhou
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology and Centre for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xing-Xing Shen
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Chris Todd Hittinger
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, Wisconsin Energy Institute, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
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Krause DJ. The evolution of anaerobic growth in Saccharomycotina yeasts. Yeast 2023; 40:395-400. [PMID: 37526396 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3890] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans rely on the ability of budding yeasts to grow without oxygen in industrial scale fermentations that produce beverages, foods, and biofuels. Oxygen is deeply woven into the energy metabolism and biosynthetic capabilities of budding yeasts. While diverse ecological habitats may provide wide varieties of different carbon and nitrogen sources for yeasts to utilize, there is no direct substitute for molecular oxygen, only a range of availability. Understanding how a small subset of budding yeasts evolved the ability to grow without oxygen could expand the set of useful species in industrial scale fermentations as well as provide insight into the cryptic field of yeast ecology. However, we still do not yet appreciate the full breadth of species that can growth without oxygen, what genes underlie this adaptation, and how these genes have evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Krause
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA
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