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Kraševec N, Novak M, Barat S, Skočaj M, Sepčić K, Anderluh G. Unconventional Secretion of Nigerolysins A from Aspergillus Species. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1973. [PMID: 33322461 PMCID: PMC7763983 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8121973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Aegerolysins are small lipid-binding proteins particularly abundant in fungi. Aegerolysins from oyster mushrooms interact with an insect-specific membrane lipid and, together with MACPF proteins produced by the same organism, form pesticidal pore-forming complexes. The specific interaction with the same membrane lipid was recently demonstrated for nigerolysin A2 (NigA2), an aegerolysin from Aspergillus niger. In Aspergillus species, the aegerolysins were frequently found as secreted proteins, indicating their function in fungal defense. Using immunocytochemistry and live-cell imaging we investigated the subcellular localization of the nigerolysins A in A. niger, while their secretion was addressed by secretion prediction and Western blotting. We show that both nigerolysins A are leaderless proteins that reach the cell exterior by an unconventional protein secretion. NigA proteins are evenly distributed in the cytoplasm of fungal hyphae. A detailed bioinformatics analysis of Aspergillus aegerolysins suggests that the same function occurs only in a limited number of aegerolysins. From alignment, analysis of chromosomal loci, orthology, synteny, and phylogeny it follows that the same or a similar function described for pairs of pesticidal proteins of Pleurotus sp. can be expected in species of the subgenus Circumdati, section Nigri, series Nigri, and some other species with adjacent pairs of putative pesticidal proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada Kraševec
- National Institute of Chemistry, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (S.B.); (G.A.)
| | - Maruša Novak
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.N.); (M.S.); (K.S.)
| | - Simona Barat
- National Institute of Chemistry, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (S.B.); (G.A.)
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.N.); (M.S.); (K.S.)
| | - Matej Skočaj
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.N.); (M.S.); (K.S.)
| | - Kristina Sepčić
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.N.); (M.S.); (K.S.)
| | - Gregor Anderluh
- National Institute of Chemistry, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (S.B.); (G.A.)
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2
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Caesar LK, Kelleher NL, Keller NP. In the fungus where it happens: History and future propelling Aspergillus nidulans as the archetype of natural products research. Fungal Genet Biol 2020; 144:103477. [PMID: 33035657 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2020.103477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In 1990 the first fungal secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene was cloned in Aspergillus nidulans. Thirty years later, >30 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) have been linked to specific natural products in this one fungal species. While impressive, over half of the BGCs in A. nidulans remain uncharacterized and their compounds structurally and functionally unknown. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of past advances that have enabled A. nidulans to rise to its current status as a natural product powerhouse focusing on the discovery and annotation of secondary metabolite clusters. From genome sequencing, heterologous expression, and metabolomics to CRISPR and epigenetic manipulations, we present a guided tour through the evolution of technologies developed and utilized in the last 30 years. These insights provide perspective to future efforts to fully unlock the biosynthetic potential of A. nidulans and, by extension, the potential of other filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay K Caesar
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Neil L Kelleher
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States; Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States; Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.
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Millet N, Moya-Nilges M, Sachse M, Krijnse Locker J, Latgé JP, Mouyna I. Aspergillus fumigatus exoβ(1-3)glucanases family GH55 are essential for conidial cell wall morphogenesis. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13102. [PMID: 31424155 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The cell wall of Aspergillus fumigatus is predominantly composed of polysaccharides. The central fibrillar core of the cell wall is composed of a branched β(1-3)glucan, to which the chitin and the galactomannan are covalently bound. Softening of the cell wall is an essential event during fungal morphogenesis, wherein rigid cell wall structures are cleaved by glycosyl hydrolases. In this study, we characterised the role of the glycosyl hydrolase GH55 members in A. fumigatus fungal morphogenesis. We showed that deletion of the six genes of the GH55 family stopped conidial cell wall maturation at the beginning of the development process, leading to abrogation of conidial separation: the shape of conidia became ovoid, and germination was delayed. In conclusion, the reorganisation and structuring of the conidial cell wall mediated by members of the GH55 family is essential for their maturation, normal dissemination, and germination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Millet
- Aspergillus Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Maryse Moya-Nilges
- Unité Technologie et service Bioimagerie Ultrastructurale, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Martin Sachse
- Unité Technologie et service Bioimagerie Ultrastructurale, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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Cairns TC, Nai C, Meyer V. How a fungus shapes biotechnology: 100 years of Aspergillus niger research. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2018; 5:13. [PMID: 29850025 PMCID: PMC5966904 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-018-0054-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1917, a food chemist named James Currie made a promising discovery: any strain of the filamentous mould Aspergillus niger would produce high concentrations of citric acid when grown in sugar medium. This tricarboxylic acid, which we now know is an intermediate of the Krebs cycle, had previously been extracted from citrus fruits for applications in food and beverage production. Two years after Currie’s discovery, industrial-level production using A. niger began, the biochemical fermentation industry started to flourish, and industrial biotechnology was born. A century later, citric acid production using this mould is a multi-billion dollar industry, with A. niger additionally producing a diverse range of proteins, enzymes and secondary metabolites. In this review, we assess main developments in the field of A. niger biology over the last 100 years and highlight scientific breakthroughs and discoveries which were influential for both basic and applied fungal research in and outside the A. niger community. We give special focus to two developments of the last decade: systems biology and genome editing. We also summarize the current international A. niger research community, and end by speculating on the future of fundamental research on this fascinating fungus and its exploitation in industrial biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C Cairns
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Corrado Nai
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Vera Meyer
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
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Oxidative Stress Response Tips the Balance in Aspergillus terreus Amphotericin B Resistance. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2017; 61:AAC.00670-17. [PMID: 28739793 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00670-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we characterize the impact of antioxidative enzymes in amphotericin B (AmB)-resistant (ATR) and rare AmB-susceptible (ATS) clinical Aspergillus terreus isolates. We elucidate expression profiles of superoxide dismutase (SOD)- and catalase (CAT)-encoding genes, enzymatic activities of SODs, and superoxide anion production and signaling pathways involved in the oxidative stress response (OSR) in ATS and ATR strains under AmB treatment conditions. We show that ATR strains possess almost doubled basal SOD activity compared to that of ATS strains and that ATR strains exhibit an enhanced OSR, with significantly higher sod2 mRNA levels and significantly increased cat transcripts in ATR strains upon AmB treatment. In particular, inhibition of SOD and CAT proteins renders resistant isolates considerably susceptible to the drug in vitro In conclusion, this study shows that SODs and CATs are crucial for AmB resistance in A. terreus and that targeting the OSR might offer new treatment perspectives for resistant species.
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Aspergillus Secondary Metabolite Database, a resource to understand the Secondary metabolome of Aspergillus genus. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7325. [PMID: 28779078 PMCID: PMC5544713 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07436-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus is a genus of ubiquitous fungi that are pathologically & therapeutically important. Aspergillus Secondary Metabolites Database (A2MDB) is a curated compendium of information on Aspergillus & its secondary metabolome. A2MDB catalogs 807 unique non-redundantsecondary metabolites derived from 675 Aspergillus species. A2MDB has a compilation of 100 cellular targets of secondary metabolites, 44 secondary metabolic pathways, 150 electron and light microscopy images of various Aspergillus species. A phylogenetic representation of over 2500 strains has been provided. A2MDB presents a detailed chemical information of secondary metabolites and their mycotoxins. Molecular docking models of metabolite-target protein interactions have been put together. A2MDB also has epidemiological data representing Aspergillosis and global occurrence of Aspergillus species. Furthermore a novel classification of Aspergillosis along with 370 case reports with images, were made available. For each metabolite catalogued, external links to related databases have been provided. All this data is available on A2MDB, launched through Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India, as an open resource http://www.iictindia.org/A2MDB. We believe A2MDB is of practical relevance to the scientific community that is in pursuit of novel therapeutics.
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de Vries RP, Riley R, Wiebenga A, Aguilar-Osorio G, Amillis S, Uchima CA, Anderluh G, Asadollahi M, Askin M, Barry K, Battaglia E, Bayram Ö, Benocci T, Braus-Stromeyer SA, Caldana C, Cánovas D, Cerqueira GC, Chen F, Chen W, Choi C, Clum A, dos Santos RAC, Damásio ARDL, Diallinas G, Emri T, Fekete E, Flipphi M, Freyberg S, Gallo A, Gournas C, Habgood R, Hainaut M, Harispe ML, Henrissat B, Hildén KS, Hope R, Hossain A, Karabika E, Karaffa L, Karányi Z, Kraševec N, Kuo A, Kusch H, LaButti K, Lagendijk EL, Lapidus A, Levasseur A, Lindquist E, Lipzen A, Logrieco AF, MacCabe A, Mäkelä MR, Malavazi I, Melin P, Meyer V, Mielnichuk N, Miskei M, Molnár ÁP, Mulé G, Ngan CY, Orejas M, Orosz E, Ouedraogo JP, Overkamp KM, Park HS, Perrone G, Piumi F, Punt PJ, Ram AFJ, Ramón A, Rauscher S, Record E, Riaño-Pachón DM, Robert V, Röhrig J, Ruller R, Salamov A, Salih NS, Samson RA, Sándor E, Sanguinetti M, Schütze T, Sepčić K, Shelest E, Sherlock G, Sophianopoulou V, Squina FM, Sun H, Susca A, Todd RB, Tsang A, Unkles SE, van de Wiele N, van Rossen-Uffink D, Oliveira JVDC, Vesth TC, Visser J, Yu JH, Zhou M, Andersen MR, Archer DB, Baker SE, Benoit I, Brakhage AA, Braus GH, Fischer R, Frisvad JC, Goldman GH, Houbraken J, Oakley B, Pócsi I, Scazzocchio C, Seiboth B, vanKuyk PA, Wortman J, Dyer PS, Grigoriev IV. Comparative genomics reveals high biological diversity and specific adaptations in the industrially and medically important fungal genus Aspergillus. Genome Biol 2017; 18:28. [PMID: 28196534 PMCID: PMC5307856 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-017-1151-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 320] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The fungal genus Aspergillus is of critical importance to humankind. Species include those with industrial applications, important pathogens of humans, animals and crops, a source of potent carcinogenic contaminants of food, and an important genetic model. The genome sequences of eight aspergilli have already been explored to investigate aspects of fungal biology, raising questions about evolution and specialization within this genus. RESULTS We have generated genome sequences for ten novel, highly diverse Aspergillus species and compared these in detail to sister and more distant genera. Comparative studies of key aspects of fungal biology, including primary and secondary metabolism, stress response, biomass degradation, and signal transduction, revealed both conservation and diversity among the species. Observed genomic differences were validated with experimental studies. This revealed several highlights, such as the potential for sex in asexual species, organic acid production genes being a key feature of black aspergilli, alternative approaches for degrading plant biomass, and indications for the genetic basis of stress response. A genome-wide phylogenetic analysis demonstrated in detail the relationship of the newly genome sequenced species with other aspergilli. CONCLUSIONS Many aspects of biological differences between fungal species cannot be explained by current knowledge obtained from genome sequences. The comparative genomics and experimental study, presented here, allows for the first time a genus-wide view of the biological diversity of the aspergilli and in many, but not all, cases linked genome differences to phenotype. Insights gained could be exploited for biotechnological and medical applications of fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald P. de Vries
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Robert Riley
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 USA
| | - Ad Wiebenga
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Guillermo Aguilar-Osorio
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, National University of Mexico, Ciudad Universitaria, D.F. C.P. 04510 Mexico
| | - Sotiris Amillis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15781 Athens, Greece
| | - Cristiane Akemi Uchima
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Caixa Postal 6192 CEP 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo Brasil
- Present address: VTT Brasil, Alameda Inajá, 123, CEP 06460-055 Barueri, São Paulo Brazil
| | - Gregor Anderluh
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mojtaba Asadollahi
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Marion Askin
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
- Present address: CSIRO Publishing, Unipark, Building 1 Level 1, 195 Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3168 Australia
| | - Kerrie Barry
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 USA
| | - Evy Battaglia
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Özgür Bayram
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Georg August University Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare Ireland
| | - Tiziano Benocci
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Susanna A. Braus-Stromeyer
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Georg August University Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Camila Caldana
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Caixa Postal 6192 CEP 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo Brasil
- Max Planck Partner Group, Brazilian Bioethanol Science and Technology Laboratory, CEP 13083-100 Campinas, Sao Paulo Brazil
| | - David Cánovas
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Avda de Reina Mercedes 6, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
- Fungal Genetics and Genomics Unit, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Fusheng Chen
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Wanping Chen
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Cindy Choi
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 USA
| | - Alicia Clum
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 USA
| | - Renato Augusto Corrêa dos Santos
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Caixa Postal 6192 CEP 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo Brasil
| | - André Ricardo de Lima Damásio
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Caixa Postal 6192 CEP 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo Brasil
- Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, CEP 13083-862 Campinas, SP Brazil
| | - George Diallinas
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15781 Athens, Greece
| | - Tamás Emri
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Erzsébet Fekete
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Michel Flipphi
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Susanne Freyberg
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Georg August University Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Antonia Gallo
- Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), National Research Council (CNR), via Provinciale Lecce-Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Christos Gournas
- Institute of Biosciences and Applications, Microbial Molecular Genetics Laboratory, National Center for Scientific Research, Demokritos (NCSRD), Athens, Greece
- Present address: Université Libre de Bruxelles Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine (IBMM), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Rob Habgood
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | | | - María Laura Harispe
- Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Unidad Mixta INIA-IPMont, Mataojo 2020, CP11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
- Present address: Instituto de Profesores Artigas, Consejo de Formación en Educación, ANEP, CP 11800, Av. del Libertador 2025, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
- INRA, USC 1408 AFMB, 13288 Marseille, France
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kristiina S. Hildén
- Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ryan Hope
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | - Abeer Hossain
- Dutch DNA Biotech BV, Utrechtseweg 48, 3703AJ Zeist, The Netherlands
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eugenia Karabika
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH UK
- Present Address: Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, 45110 Greece
| | - Levente Karaffa
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Karányi
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei krt. 98, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Nada Kraševec
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Alan Kuo
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 USA
| | - Harald Kusch
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Georg August University Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Medical Informatics, University Medical Centre, Robert-Koch-Str.40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Molecular Biology, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, Göttingen, 37073 Germany
| | - Kurt LaButti
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 USA
| | - Ellen L. Lagendijk
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Alla Lapidus
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 USA
- Present address: Center for Algorithmic Biotechnology, St.Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anthony Levasseur
- INRA, Aix-Marseille Univ, BBF, Biodiversité et Biotechnologie Fongiques, Marseille, France
- Present address: Aix-Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM U1095, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Erika Lindquist
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 USA
| | - Anna Lipzen
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 USA
| | - Antonio F. Logrieco
- Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Andrew MacCabe
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Miia R. Mäkelä
- Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Iran Malavazi
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo Brazil
| | - Petter Melin
- Uppsala BioCenter, Department of Microbiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7025, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
- Present address: Swedish Chemicals Agency, Box 2, 172 13 Sundbyberg, Sweden
| | - Vera Meyer
- Institute of Biotechnology, Department Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Berlin University of Technology, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Natalia Mielnichuk
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Avda de Reina Mercedes 6, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
- Present address: Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Dr. César Milstein, Fundación Pablo Cassará, CONICET, Saladillo 2468 C1440FFX, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Márton Miskei
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
- MTA-DE Momentum, Laboratory of Protein Dynamics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei krt.98., 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Ákos P. Molnár
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Giuseppina Mulé
- Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Chew Yee Ngan
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 USA
| | - Margarita Orejas
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Erzsébet Orosz
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Jean Paul Ouedraogo
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
- Present address: Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - Karin M. Overkamp
- Dutch DNA Biotech BV, Utrechtseweg 48, 3703AJ Zeist, The Netherlands
| | - Hee-Soo Park
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 702-701 Republic of Korea
| | - Giancarlo Perrone
- Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Francois Piumi
- INRA, Aix-Marseille Univ, BBF, Biodiversité et Biotechnologie Fongiques, Marseille, France
- Present address: INRA UMR1198 Biologie du Développement et de la Reproduction - Domaine de Vilvert, Jouy en Josas, 78352 Cedex France
| | - Peter J. Punt
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
- Dutch DNA Biotech BV, Utrechtseweg 48, 3703AJ Zeist, The Netherlands
| | - Arthur F. J. Ram
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ana Ramón
- Sección Bioquímica, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Stefan Rauscher
- Department of Microbiology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Hertzstrasse 16,, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Eric Record
- INRA, Aix-Marseille Univ, BBF, Biodiversité et Biotechnologie Fongiques, Marseille, France
| | - Diego Mauricio Riaño-Pachón
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Caixa Postal 6192 CEP 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo Brasil
| | - Vincent Robert
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Julian Röhrig
- Department of Microbiology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Hertzstrasse 16,, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Roberto Ruller
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Caixa Postal 6192 CEP 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo Brasil
| | - Asaf Salamov
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 USA
| | - Nadhira S. Salih
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
- Department of Biology, School of Science, University of Sulaimani, Al Sulaymaneyah, Iraq
| | - Rob A. Samson
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Erzsébet Sándor
- Institute of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Manuel Sanguinetti
- Sección Bioquímica, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Tabea Schütze
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
- Present address: Department Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Berlin University of Technology, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kristina Sepčić
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ekaterina Shelest
- Systems Biology/Bioinformatics group, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoell Institute, (HKI), Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Gavin Sherlock
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5120 USA
| | - Vicky Sophianopoulou
- Institute of Biosciences and Applications, Microbial Molecular Genetics Laboratory, National Center for Scientific Research, Demokritos (NCSRD), Athens, Greece
| | - Fabio M. Squina
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Caixa Postal 6192 CEP 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo Brasil
| | - Hui Sun
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 USA
| | - Antonia Susca
- Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Richard B. Todd
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
| | - Adrian Tsang
- Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - Shiela E. Unkles
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH UK
| | - Nathalie van de Wiele
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Diana van Rossen-Uffink
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
- Present address: BaseClear B.V., Einsteinweg 5, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Juliana Velasco de Castro Oliveira
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Caixa Postal 6192 CEP 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo Brasil
| | - Tammi C. Vesth
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 223, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jaap Visser
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jae-Hyuk Yu
- Departments of Bacteriology and Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706 USA
| | - Miaomiao Zhou
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mikael R. Andersen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 223, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - David B. Archer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | - Scott E. Baker
- Fungal Biotechnology Team, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, 99352 USA
| | - Isabelle Benoit
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Present address: Centre of Functional and Structure Genomics Biology Department Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz-Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI) and Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Gerhard H. Braus
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Georg August University Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Reinhard Fischer
- Department of Microbiology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Hertzstrasse 16,, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jens C. Frisvad
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 223, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Gustavo H. Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. do Café S/N, CEP 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo Brazil
| | - Jos Houbraken
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Berl Oakley
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045 USA
| | - István Pócsi
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Claudio Scazzocchio
- Department of Microbiology, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ UK
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, University Paris‐Sud, Université Paris‐Saclay, 91198 Gif‐sur‐Yvette cedex, France
| | - Bernhard Seiboth
- Research Division Biochemical Technology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorferstraße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Patricia A. vanKuyk
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jennifer Wortman
- Broad Institute, 415 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
- Present address: Seres Therapeutics, 200 Sidney St, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Paul S. Dyer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | - Igor V. Grigoriev
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 USA
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8
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Kanhayuwa L, Coutts RHA. Short Interspersed Nuclear Element (SINE) Sequences in the Genome of the Human Pathogenic Fungus Aspergillus fumigatus Af293. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163215. [PMID: 27736869 PMCID: PMC5063351 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel families of short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) sequences in the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, clinical isolate Af293, were identified and categorised into tRNA-related and 5S rRNA-related SINEs. Eight predicted tRNA-related SINE families originating from different tRNAs, and nominated as AfuSINE2 sequences, contained target site duplications of short direct repeat sequences (4–14 bp) flanking the elements, an extended tRNA-unrelated region and typical features of RNA polymerase III promoter sequences. The elements ranged in size from 140–493 bp and were present in low copy number in the genome and five out of eight were actively transcribed. One putative tRNAArg-derived sequence, AfuSINE2-1a possessed a unique feature of repeated trinucleotide ACT residues at its 3’-terminus. This element was similar in sequence to the I-4_AO element found in A. oryzae and an I-1_AF long nuclear interspersed element-like sequence identified in A. fumigatus Af293. Families of 5S rRNA-related SINE sequences, nominated as AfuSINE3, were also identified and their 5'-5S rRNA-related regions show 50–65% and 60–75% similarity to respectively A. fumigatus 5S rRNAs and SINE3-1_AO found in A. oryzae. A. fumigatus Af293 contains five copies of AfuSINE3 sequences ranging in size from 259–343 bp and two out of five AfuSINE3 sequences were actively transcribed. Investigations on AfuSINE distribution in the fungal genome revealed that the elements are enriched in pericentromeric and subtelomeric regions and inserted within gene-rich regions. We also demonstrated that some, but not all, AfuSINE sequences are targeted by host RNA silencing mechanisms. Finally, we demonstrated that infection of the fungus with mycoviruses had no apparent effects on SINE activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakkhana Kanhayuwa
- Division of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Robert H. A. Coutts
- Division of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London, United Kingdom
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
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9
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Kalb D, Heinekamp T, Schieferdecker S, Nett M, Brakhage AA, Hoffmeister D. An Iterative O-Methyltransferase Catalyzes 1,11-Dimethylation of Aspergillus fumigatus Fumaric Acid Amides. Chembiochem 2016; 17:1813-1817. [PMID: 27442960 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201600293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransfer is a common biosynthetic strategy to modify natural products. We investigated the previously uncharacterized Aspergillus fumigatus methyltransferase FtpM, which is encoded next to the bimodular fumaric acid amide synthetase FtpA. Structure elucidation of two new A. fumigatus natural products, the 1,11-dimethyl esters of fumaryl-l-tyrosine and fumaryl-l-phenylalanine, together with ftpM gene disruption suggested that FtpM catalyzes iterative methylation. Final evidence that a single enzyme repeatedly acts on fumaric acid amides came from an in vitro biochemical investigation with recombinantly produced FtpM. Size-exclusion chromatography indicated that this methyltransferase is active as a dimer. As ftpA and ftpM homologues are found clustered in other fungi, we expect our work will help to identify and annotate natural product biosynthesis genes in various species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kalb
- Department Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Friedrich Schiller University, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Thorsten Heinekamp
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Friedrich Schiller University, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastian Schieferdecker
- Research Group Secondary Metabolism of Predatory Bacteria, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Friedrich Schiller University, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Markus Nett
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Technical University Dortmund, Emil-Figge-Strasse 66, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Friedrich Schiller University, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Dirk Hoffmeister
- Department Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Friedrich Schiller University, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany.
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10
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Mouyna I, Aimanianda V, Hartl L, Prevost MC, Sismeiro O, Dillies MA, Jagla B, Legendre R, Coppee JY, Latgé JP. GH16 and GH81 family β-(1,3)-glucanases in Aspergillus fumigatus are essential for conidial cell wall morphogenesis. Cell Microbiol 2016; 18:1285-93. [PMID: 27306610 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The fungal cell wall is a rigid structure because of fibrillar and branched β-(1,3)-glucan linked to chitin. Softening of the cell wall is an essential phenomenon during fungal morphogenesis, wherein rigid cell wall structures are cleaved by glycosylhydrolases. During the search for glycosylhydrolases acting on β-(1,3)-glucan, we identified seven genes in the Aspergillus fumigatus genome coding for potential endo-β-(1,3)-glucanase. ENG1 (previously characterized and named ENGL1, Mouyna et al., ), belongs to the Glycoside-Hydrolase 81 (GH81) family, while ENG2 to ENG7, to GH16 family. ENG1 and four GH16 genes (ENG2-5) were expressed in the resting conidia as well as during germination, suggesting an essential role during A. fumigatus morphogenesis. Here, we report the effect of sequential deletion of AfENG2-5 (GH16) followed by AfENG1 (GH81) deletion in the Δeng2,3,4,5 mutant. The Δeng1,2,3,4,5 mutant showed conidial defects, with linear chains of conidia unable to separate while the germination rate was not affected. These results show, for the first time in a filamentous fungus, that endo β-(1,3)-glucanases are essential for proper conidial cell wall assembly and thus segregation of conidia during conidiation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lukas Hartl
- Unité des Aspergillus, Département de Mycologie, France.,Microsynth Austria Leberstrasse, 20 1110, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Odile Sismeiro
- Transcriptome and EpiGenome Platform, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Marie-Agnès Dillies
- Transcriptome and EpiGenome Platform, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Bernd Jagla
- Transcriptome and EpiGenome Platform, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Rachel Legendre
- Transcriptome and EpiGenome Platform, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Jean-Yves Coppee
- Transcriptome and EpiGenome Platform, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
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11
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Schinke J, Kolog Gulko M, Christmann M, Valerius O, Stumpf SK, Stirz M, Braus GH. The DenA/DEN1 Interacting Phosphatase DipA Controls Septa Positioning and Phosphorylation-Dependent Stability of Cytoplasmatic DenA/DEN1 during Fungal Development. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1005949. [PMID: 27010942 PMCID: PMC4806917 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
DenA/DEN1 and the COP9 signalosome (CSN) represent two deneddylases which remove the ubiquitin-like Nedd8 from modified target proteins and are required for distinct fungal developmental programmes. The cellular DenA/DEN1 population is divided into a nuclear and a cytoplasmatic subpopulation which is especially enriched at septa. DenA/DEN1 stability control mechanisms are different for the two cellular subpopulations and depend on different physical interacting proteins and the C-terminal DenA/DEN1 phosphorylation pattern. Nuclear DenA/DEN1 is destabilized during fungal development by five of the eight CSN subunits which target nuclear DenA/DEN1 for degradation. DenA/DEN1 becomes stabilized as a phosphoprotein at S243/S245 during vegetative growth, which is necessary to support further asexual development. After the initial phase of development, the newly identified cytoplasmatic DenA/DEN1 interacting phosphatase DipA and an additional developmental specific C-terminal phosphorylation site at serine S253 destabilize DenA/DEN1. Outside of the nucleus, DipA is co-transported with DenA/DEN1 in the cytoplasm between septa and nuclei. Deletion of dipA resulted in increased DenA/DEN1 stability in a strain which is unresponsive to illumination. The mutant strain is dysregulated in cytokinesis and impaired in asexual development. Our results suggest a dual phosphorylation-dependent DenA/DEN1 stability control with stabilizing and destabilizing modifications and physical interaction partner proteins which function as control points in the nucleus and the cytoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josua Schinke
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), and Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Miriam Kolog Gulko
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), and Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Martin Christmann
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), and Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Valerius
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), and Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sina Kristin Stumpf
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), and Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Margarita Stirz
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), and Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gerhard H. Braus
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), and Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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12
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Gene Expression in Filamentous Fungi: Advantages and Disadvantages Compared to Other Systems. Fungal Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-27951-0_8] [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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13
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Blatzer M, Jukic E, Posch W, Schöpf B, Binder U, Steger M, Blum G, Hackl H, Gnaiger E, Lass-Flörl C, Wilflingseder D. Amphotericin B Resistance in Aspergillus terreus Is Overpowered by Coapplication of Pro-oxidants. Antioxid Redox Signal 2015; 23:1424-38. [PMID: 26054424 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2014.6220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Invasive fungal infections have significantly increased over the past decades in immunocompromised individuals and high-risk patients. Amphotericin B (AmB) exerts a powerful and broad activity against a vast array of fungi and has a remarkably low rate of microbial resistance. However, most isolates of Aspergillus terreus developed an intrinsic resistance against AmB, and during this study, we characterized the mode of action of this polyene antifungal drug in more detail in resistant (ATR) and rare susceptible (ATS) clinical isolates of A. terreus. RESULTS We illustrate that AmB treatment changes cellular redox status and promotes the generation of high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in ATS. In contrast, ATR isolates were able to cope better with AmB-induced oxidative stress. INNOVATION Most importantly, we demonstrate in this study that coapplication of anti- and pro-oxidants significantly affects AmB efficacy in an antithetic manner--antioxidants and ROS-scavenging agents increase AmB tolerance in susceptible strains, while pro-oxidants render formerly resistant isolates considerably susceptible to the antifungal drug also in vivo in a Galleria animal model. CONCLUSION Thereby, our study provides novel therapeutic options to treat formerly resistant fungal strains by a combination of AmB and pro-oxidant compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Blatzer
- 1 Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Emina Jukic
- 1 Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Wilfried Posch
- 1 Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Bernd Schöpf
- 2 Division of Genetic Epidemiology, Medical University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ulrike Binder
- 1 Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Marion Steger
- 1 Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Gerhard Blum
- 1 Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hubert Hackl
- 3 Division of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Erich Gnaiger
- 4 D. Swarovski Research Laboratory, Department of General and Transplant Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Cornelia Lass-Flörl
- 1 Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Doris Wilflingseder
- 1 Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck, Austria
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14
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Altwasser R, Baldin C, Weber J, Guthke R, Kniemeyer O, Brakhage AA, Linde J, Valiante V. Network Modeling Reveals Cross Talk of MAP Kinases during Adaptation to Caspofungin Stress in Aspergillus fumigatus. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136932. [PMID: 26356475 PMCID: PMC4565559 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are highly conserved in eukaryotic organisms. In pathogenic fungi, their activities were assigned to different physiological functions including drug adaptation and resistance. Aspergillus fumigatus is a human pathogenic fungus, which causes life-threatening invasive infections. Therapeutic options against invasive mycoses are still limited. One of the clinically used drugs is caspofungin, which specifically targets the fungal cell wall biosynthesis. A systems biology approach, based on comprehensive transcriptome data sets and mathematical modeling, was employed to infer a regulatory network and identify key interactions during adaptation to caspofungin stress in A. fumigatus. Mathematical modeling and experimental validations confirmed an intimate cross talk occurring between the cell wall-integrity and the high osmolarity-glycerol signaling pathways. Specifically, increased concentrations of caspofungin promoted activation of these signalings. Moreover, caspofungin affected the intracellular transport, which caused an additional osmotic stress that is independent of glucan inhibition. High concentrations of caspofungin reduced this osmotic stress, and thus decreased its toxic activity. Our results demonstrated that MAPK signaling pathways play a key role during caspofungin adaptation and are contributing to the paradoxical effect exerted by this drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Altwasser
- Department of Systems Biology/Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Clara Baldin
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Jakob Weber
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Reinhard Guthke
- Department of Systems Biology/Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Jörg Linde
- Department of Systems Biology/Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745, Jena, Germany
- * E-mail: (JL); (VV)
| | - Vito Valiante
- Leibniz Junior Research Group—Biobricks of Microbial Natural Product Syntheses, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745, Jena, Germany
- * E-mail: (JL); (VV)
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15
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Interplay between Gliotoxin Resistance, Secretion, and the Methyl/Methionine Cycle in Aspergillus fumigatus. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2015; 14:941-57. [PMID: 26150413 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00055-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Mechanistic studies on gliotoxin biosynthesis and self-protection in Aspergillus fumigatus, both of which require the gliotoxin oxidoreductase GliT, have revealed a rich landscape of highly novel biochemistries, yet key aspects of this complex molecular architecture remain obscure. Here we show that an A. fumigatus ΔgliA strain is completely deficient in gliotoxin secretion but still retains the ability to efflux bisdethiobis(methylthio)gliotoxin (BmGT). This correlates with a significant increase in sensitivity to exogenous gliotoxin because gliotoxin trapped inside the cell leads to (i) activation of the gli cluster, as disabling gli cluster activation, via gliZ deletion, attenuates the sensitivity of an A. fumigatus ΔgliT strain to gliotoxin, thus implicating cluster activation as a factor in gliotoxin sensitivity, and (ii) increased methylation activity due to excess substrate (dithiol gliotoxin) for the gliotoxin bis-thiomethyltransferase GtmA. Intracellular dithiol gliotoxin is oxidized by GliT and subsequently effluxed by GliA. In the absence of GliA, gliotoxin persists in the cell and is converted to BmGT, with levels significantly higher than those in the wild type. Similarly, in the ΔgliT strain, gliotoxin oxidation is impeded, and methylation occurs unchecked, leading to significant S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) depletion and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) overproduction. This in turn significantly contributes to the observed hypersensitivity of gliT-deficient A. fumigatus to gliotoxin. Our observations reveal a key role for GliT in preventing dysregulation of the methyl/methionine cycle to control intracellular SAM and SAH homeostasis during gliotoxin biosynthesis and exposure. Moreover, we reveal attenuated GliT abundance in the A. fumigatus ΔgliK strain, but not the ΔgliG strain, following exposure to gliotoxin, correlating with relative sensitivities. Overall, we illuminate new systems interactions that have evolved in gliotoxin-producing, compared to gliotoxin-naive, fungi to facilitate their cellular presence.
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16
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Blocking Hsp70 enhances the efficiency of amphotericin B treatment against resistant Aspergillus terreus strains. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2015; 59:3778-88. [PMID: 25870060 DOI: 10.1128/aac.05164-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The polyene antifungal amphotericin B (AmB) is widely used to treat life-threatening fungal infections. Even though AmB resistance is exceptionally rare in fungi, most Aspergillus terreus isolates exhibit an intrinsic resistance against the drug in vivo and in vitro. Heat shock proteins perform a fundamental protective role against a multitude of stress responses, thereby maintaining protein homeostasis in the organism. In this study, we elucidated the role of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) family members and compared resistant and susceptible A. terreus clinical isolates. The upregulation of cytoplasmic Hsp70 members at the transcriptional as well as translational levels was significantly higher with AmB treatment than without AmB treatment, particularly in resistant A. terreus isolates, thereby indicating a role of Hsp70 proteins in the AmB response. We found that Hsp70 inhibitors considerably increased the susceptibility of resistant A. terreus isolates to AmB but exerted little impact on susceptible isolates. Also, in in vivo experiments, using the Galleria mellonella infection model, cotreatment of resistant A. terreus strains with AmB and the Hsp70 inhibitor pifithrin-μ resulted in significantly improved survival compared with that achieved with AmB alone. Our results point to an important mechanism of regulation of AmB resistance by Hsp70 family members in A. terreus and suggest novel drug targets for the treatment of infections caused by resistant fungal isolates.
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Dang HX, Pryor B, Peever T, Lawrence CB. The Alternaria genomes database: a comprehensive resource for a fungal genus comprised of saprophytes, plant pathogens, and allergenic species. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:239. [PMID: 25887485 PMCID: PMC4387663 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1430-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alternaria is considered one of the most common saprophytic fungal genera on the planet. It is comprised of many species that exhibit a necrotrophic phytopathogenic lifestyle. Several species are clinically associated with allergic respiratory disorders although rarely found to cause invasive infections in humans. Finally, Alternaria spp. are among the most well known producers of diverse fungal secondary metabolites, especially toxins. Description We have recently sequenced and annotated the genomes of 25 Alternaria spp. including but not limited to many necrotrophic plant pathogens such as A. brassicicola (a pathogen of Brassicaceous crops like cabbage and canola) and A. solani (a major pathogen of Solanaceous plants like potato and tomato), and several saprophytes that cause allergy in human such as A. alternata isolates. These genomes were annotated and compared. Multiple genetic differences were found in the context of plant and human pathogenicity, notably the pro-inflammatory potential of A. alternata. The Alternaria genomes database was built to provide a public platform to access the whole genome sequences, genome annotations, and comparative genomics data of these species. Genome annotation and comparison were performed using a pipeline that integrated multiple computational and comparative genomics tools. Alternaria genome sequences together with their annotation and comparison data were ported to Ensembl database schemas using a self-developed tool (EnsImport). Collectively, data are currently hosted using a customized installation of the Ensembl genome browser platform. Conclusion Recent efforts in fungal genome sequencing have facilitated the studies of the molecular basis of fungal pathogenicity as a whole system. The Alternaria genomes database provides a comprehensive resource of genomics and comparative data of an important saprophytic and plant/human pathogenic fungal genus. The database will be updated regularly with new genomes when they become available. The Alternaria genomes database is freely available for non-profit use at http://alternaria.vbi.vt.edu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha X Dang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA. .,Current address: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Oncology, and The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Barry Pryor
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA.
| | - Tobin Peever
- Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA.
| | - Christopher B Lawrence
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA. .,Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA.
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18
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Dang HX, Pryor B, Peever T, Lawrence CB. The Alternaria genomes database: a comprehensive resource for a fungal genus comprised of saprophytes, plant pathogens, and allergenic species. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:239. [PMID: 25887485 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1430-7/figures/5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alternaria is considered one of the most common saprophytic fungal genera on the planet. It is comprised of many species that exhibit a necrotrophic phytopathogenic lifestyle. Several species are clinically associated with allergic respiratory disorders although rarely found to cause invasive infections in humans. Finally, Alternaria spp. are among the most well known producers of diverse fungal secondary metabolites, especially toxins. DESCRIPTION We have recently sequenced and annotated the genomes of 25 Alternaria spp. including but not limited to many necrotrophic plant pathogens such as A. brassicicola (a pathogen of Brassicaceous crops like cabbage and canola) and A. solani (a major pathogen of Solanaceous plants like potato and tomato), and several saprophytes that cause allergy in human such as A. alternata isolates. These genomes were annotated and compared. Multiple genetic differences were found in the context of plant and human pathogenicity, notably the pro-inflammatory potential of A. alternata. The Alternaria genomes database was built to provide a public platform to access the whole genome sequences, genome annotations, and comparative genomics data of these species. Genome annotation and comparison were performed using a pipeline that integrated multiple computational and comparative genomics tools. Alternaria genome sequences together with their annotation and comparison data were ported to Ensembl database schemas using a self-developed tool (EnsImport). Collectively, data are currently hosted using a customized installation of the Ensembl genome browser platform. CONCLUSION Recent efforts in fungal genome sequencing have facilitated the studies of the molecular basis of fungal pathogenicity as a whole system. The Alternaria genomes database provides a comprehensive resource of genomics and comparative data of an important saprophytic and plant/human pathogenic fungal genus. The database will be updated regularly with new genomes when they become available. The Alternaria genomes database is freely available for non-profit use at http://alternaria.vbi.vt.edu .
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha X Dang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA.
- Current address: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Oncology, and The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Barry Pryor
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA.
| | - Tobin Peever
- Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA.
| | - Christopher B Lawrence
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA.
- Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA.
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19
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Kant Sharma
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Recombinant DNA Technology, Department of Microbiology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India
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20
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Perkhofer S, Zenzmaier C, Frealle E, Blatzer M, Hackl H, Sartori B, Lass-Flörl C. Differential gene expression in Aspergillus fumigatus induced by human platelets in vitro. Int J Med Microbiol 2015; 305:327-38. [PMID: 25661519 PMCID: PMC4415150 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2015.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive aspergillosis is characterized by vascular invasion and thrombosis. In order to determine the antifungal activity of human platelets, hyphal elongation and metabolic activity of a clinical A. fumigatus isolate were measured. Genome-wide identification of differentially expressed genes in A. fumigatus was performed after exposure to platelets for 15, 30, 60 and 180 min. Data were analyzed by gene ontology annotation as well as functional categories (FunCat) and KEGG enrichment analyses. Platelets attenuated hyphal elongation and viability of A. fumigatus and in total 584 differentially expressed genes were identified, many of which were associated with regulation of biological processes, stress response, transport and metabolism. FunCat and KEGG enrichment analyses showed stress response and metabolic adaptation to be increased in response to platelets. Our findings demonstrate that A. fumigatus displayed a specific transcriptional response when exposed to platelets, thus reflecting their antifungal activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Perkhofer
- University of Applied Sciences Tyrol, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Innsbruck Medical University, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
| | | | - Emilie Frealle
- Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille (CIIL), Institut Pasteur de Lille, Biology and Diversity of Emerging Eukaryotic Pathogens (BDEEP), INSERM U1019, CNRS UMR 8204, Univ. Lille Nord de France, Lille, France
| | - Michael Blatzer
- Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Innsbruck Medical University, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hubert Hackl
- Division of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Bettina Sartori
- Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Innsbruck Medical University, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Cornelia Lass-Flörl
- Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Innsbruck Medical University, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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21
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Meyer V, Fiedler M, Nitsche B, King R. The Cell Factory Aspergillus Enters the Big Data Era: Opportunities and Challenges for Optimising Product Formation. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2015; 149:91-132. [PMID: 25616499 DOI: 10.1007/10_2014_297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Living with limits. Getting more from less. Producing commodities and high-value products from renewable resources including waste. What is the driving force and quintessence of bioeconomy outlines the lifestyle and product portfolio of Aspergillus, a saprophytic genus, to which some of the top-performing microbial cell factories belong: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus terreus. What makes them so interesting for exploitation in biotechnology and how can they help us to address key challenges of the twenty-first century? How can these strains become trimmed for better growth on second-generation feedstocks and how can we enlarge their product portfolio by genetic and metabolic engineering to get more from less? On the other hand, what makes it so challenging to deduce biological meaning from the wealth of Aspergillus -omics data? And which hurdles hinder us to model and engineer industrial strains for higher productivity and better rheological performance under industrial cultivation conditions? In this review, we will address these issues by highlighting most recent findings from the Aspergillus research with a focus on fungal growth, physiology, morphology and product formation. Indeed, the last years brought us many surprising insights into model and industrial strains. They clearly told us that similar is not the same: there are different ways to make a hypha, there are more protein secretion routes than anticipated and there are different molecular and physical mechanisms which control polar growth and the development of hyphal networks. We will discuss new conceptual frameworks derived from these insights and the future scientific advances necessary to create value from Aspergillus Big Data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Meyer
- Department Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Berlin University of Technology, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355, Berlin, Germany,
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22
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Hillmann F, Linde J, Beckmann N, Cyrulies M, Strassburger M, Heinekamp T, Haas H, Guthke R, Kniemeyer O, Brakhage AA. The novel globin protein fungoglobin is involved in low oxygen adaptation of Aspergillus fumigatus. Mol Microbiol 2014; 93:539-53. [PMID: 24948085 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus normally lives as a soil saprophyte. Its environment includes poorly oxygenated substrates that also occur during tissue invasive growth of the fungus in the human host. Up to now, few cellular factors have been identified that allow the fungus to efficiently adapt its energy metabolism to hypoxia. Here, we cultivated A. fumigatus in an O2 -controlled fermenter and analysed its responses to O2 limitation on a minute timescale. Transcriptome sequencing revealed several genes displaying a rapid and highly dynamic regulation. One of these genes was analysed in detail and found to encode fungoglobin, a previously uncharacterized member of the sensor globin protein family widely conserved in filamentous fungi. Besides low O2 , iron limitation also induced transcription, but regulation was not entirely dependent on the two major transcription factors involved in adaptation to iron starvation and hypoxia, HapX and SrbA respectively. The protein was identified as a functional haemoglobin, as binding of this cofactor was detected for the recombinant protein. Gene deletion in A. fumigatus confirmed that haem-binding fungoglobins are important for growth in microaerobic environments with O2 levels far lower than in hypoxic human tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Falk Hillmann
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, HKI, Jena, Germany; Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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23
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Sibthorp C, Wu H, Cowley G, Wong PWH, Palaima P, Morozov IY, Weedall GD, Caddick MX. Transcriptome analysis of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans directed to the global identification of promoters. BMC Genomics 2013; 14:847. [PMID: 24299161 PMCID: PMC4046813 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans has been a tractable model organism for cell biology and genetics for over 60 years. It is among a large number of Aspergilli whose genomes have been sequenced since 2005, including medically and industrially important species. In order to advance our knowledge of its biology and increase its utility as a genetic model by improving gene annotation we sequenced the transcriptome of A. nidulans with a focus on 5' end analysis. RESULTS Strand-specific whole transcriptome sequencing showed that 80-95% of annotated genes appear to be expressed across the conditions tested. We estimate that the total gene number should be increased by approximately 1000, to 11,800. With respect to splicing 8.3% of genes had multiple alternative transcripts, but alternative splicing by exon-skipping was very rare. 75% of annotated genes showed some level of antisense transcription and for one gene, meaB, we demonstrated the antisense transcript has a regulatory role. Specific sequencing of the 5' ends of transcripts was used for genome wide mapping of transcription start sites, allowing us to interrogate over 7000 promoters and 5' untranslated regions. CONCLUSIONS Our data has revealed the complexity of the A. nidulans transcriptome and contributed to improved genome annotation. The data can be viewed on the AspGD genome browser.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Sibthorp
- />Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB UK
| | - Huihai Wu
- />Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool, Ashton Building, Ashton Street, Liverpool, L69 3BX UK
| | - Gwendolyn Cowley
- />Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB UK
| | - Prudence W H Wong
- />Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool, Ashton Building, Ashton Street, Liverpool, L69 3BX UK
| | - Paulius Palaima
- />Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB UK
| | - Igor Y Morozov
- />Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB UK
- />Department of Biomolecular and Sports Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, James Starley Building, Coventry, CV1 5FB UK
| | - Gareth D Weedall
- />Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB UK
| | - Mark X Caddick
- />Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB UK
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24
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Harting R, Bayram O, Laubinger K, Valerius O, Braus GH. Interplay of the fungal sumoylation network for control of multicellular development. Mol Microbiol 2013; 90:1125-45. [PMID: 24279728 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The role of the complex network of the ubiquitin-like modifier SumO in fungal development was analysed. SumO is not only required for sexual development but also for accurate induction and light stimulation of asexual development. The Aspergillus nidulans COMPASS complex including its subunits CclA and the methyltransferase SetA connects the SumO network to histone modification. SetA is required for correct positioning of aerial hyphae for conidiophore and asexual spore formation. Multicellular fungal development requires sumoylation and desumoylation. This includes the SumO processing enzyme UlpB, the E1 SumO activating enzyme AosA/UbaB, the E2 conjugation enzyme UbcN and UlpA as major SumO isopeptidase. Genetic suppression analysis suggests a connection between the genes for the Nedd8 isopeptidase DenA and the SumO isopeptidase UlpA and therefore a developmental interplay between neddylation and sumoylation in fungi. Biochemical evidence suggests an additional connection of the fungal SumO network with ubiquitination. Members of the cellular SumO network include histone modifiers, components of the transcription, RNA maturation and stress response machinery, or metabolic enzymes. Our data suggest that the SumO network controls specific temporal and spatial steps in fungal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekka Harting
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Genetik, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Grisebachstrasse 8, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
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25
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Regulation of sulphur assimilation is essential for virulence and affects iron homeostasis of the human-pathogenic mould Aspergillus fumigatus. PLoS Pathog 2013; 9:e1003573. [PMID: 24009505 PMCID: PMC3757043 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2013] [Accepted: 07/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sulphur is an essential element that all pathogens have to absorb from their surroundings in order to grow inside their infected host. Despite its importance, the relevance of sulphur assimilation in fungal virulence is largely unexplored. Here we report a role of the bZIP transcription factor MetR in sulphur assimilation and virulence of the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. The MetR regulator is essential for growth on a variety of sulphur sources; remarkably, it is fundamental for assimilation of inorganic S-sources but dispensable for utilization of methionine. Accordingly, it strongly supports expression of genes directly related to inorganic sulphur assimilation but not of genes connected to methionine metabolism. On a broader scale, MetR orchestrates the comprehensive transcriptional adaptation to sulphur-starving conditions as demonstrated by digital gene expression analysis. Surprisingly, A. fumigatus is able to utilize volatile sulphur compounds produced by its methionine catabolism, a process that has not been described before and that is MetR-dependent. The A. fumigatus MetR transcriptional activator is important for virulence in both leukopenic mice and an alternative mini-host model of aspergillosis, as it was essential for the development of pulmonary aspergillosis and supported the systemic dissemination of the fungus. MetR action under sulphur-starving conditions is further required for proper iron regulation, which links regulation of sulphur metabolism to iron homeostasis and demonstrates an unprecedented regulatory crosstalk. Taken together, this study provides evidence that regulation of sulphur assimilation is not only crucial for A. fumigatus virulence but also affects the balance of iron in this prime opportunistic pathogen.
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26
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The influence of Aspergillus niger transcription factors AraR and XlnR in the gene expression during growth in D-xylose, L-arabinose and steam-exploded sugarcane bagasse. Fungal Genet Biol 2013; 60:29-45. [PMID: 23892063 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2013.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2013] [Revised: 07/03/2013] [Accepted: 07/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The interest in the conversion of plant biomass to renewable fuels such as bioethanol has led to an increased investigation into the processes regulating biomass saccharification. The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger is an important microorganism capable of producing a wide variety of plant biomass degrading enzymes. In A. niger the transcriptional activator XlnR and its close homolog, AraR, controls the main (hemi-)cellulolytic system responsible for plant polysaccharide degradation. Sugarcane is used worldwide as a feedstock for sugar and ethanol production, while the lignocellulosic residual bagasse can be used in different industrial applications, including ethanol production. The use of pentose sugars from hemicelluloses represents an opportunity to further increase production efficiencies. In the present study, we describe a global gene expression analysis of A. niger XlnR- and AraR-deficient mutant strains, grown on a D-xylose/L-arabinose monosaccharide mixture and steam-exploded sugarcane bagasse. Different gene sets of CAZy enzymes and sugar transporters were shown to be individually or dually regulated by XlnR and AraR, with XlnR appearing to be the major regulator on complex polysaccharides. Our study contributes to understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms responsible for plant polysaccharide-degrading gene expression, and opens new possibilities for the engineering of fungi able to produce more efficient enzymatic cocktails to be used in biofuel production.
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27
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Karányi Z, Holb I, Hornok L, Pócsi I, Miskei M. FSRD: fungal stress response database. DATABASE-THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL DATABASES AND CURATION 2013; 2013:bat037. [PMID: 23757396 PMCID: PMC3678302 DOI: 10.1093/database/bat037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Adaptation to different types of environmental stress is a common part of life for today's fungi. A deeper understanding of the organization, regulation and evolution of fungal stress response systems may lead to the development of novel antifungal drugs and technologies or the engineering of industrial strains with elevated stress tolerance. Here we present the Fungal Stress Response Database (http://internal.med.unideb.hu/fsrd) aimed to stimulate further research on stress biology of fungi. The database incorporates 1985 fungal stress response proteins with verified physiological function(s) and their orthologs identified and annotated in 28 species including human and plant pathogens, as well as important industrial fungi. The database will be extended continuously to cover other fully sequenced fungal species. Our database, as a starting point for future stress research, facilitates the analysis of literature data on stress and the identification of ortholog groups of stress response proteins in newly sequenced fungal genomes. Database URL: http://internal.med.unideb.hu/fsrd
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsolt Karányi
- Department of Medicine, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen Nagyerdei krt. 98, Hungary
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28
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Discovery of a HapE mutation that causes azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus through whole genome sequencing and sexual crossing. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50034. [PMID: 23226235 PMCID: PMC3511431 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2012] [Accepted: 10/15/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Azole compounds are the primary therapy for patients with diseases caused by Aspergillus fumigatus. However, prolonged treatment may cause resistance to develop, which is associated with treatment failure. The azole target cyp51A is a hotspot for mutations that confer phenotypic resistance, but in an increasing number of resistant isolates the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we report the discovery of a novel resistance mechanism, caused by a mutation in the CCAAT-binding transcription factor complex subunit HapE. From one patient, four A. fumigatus isolates were serially collected. The last two isolates developed an azole resistant phenotype during prolonged azole therapy. Because the resistant isolates contained a wild type cyp51A gene and the isolates were isogenic, the complete genomes of the last susceptible isolate and the first resistant isolate (taken 17 weeks apart) were sequenced using Illumina technology to identify the resistance conferring mutation. By comparing the genome sequences to each other as well as to two A. fumigatus reference genomes, several potential non-synonymous mutations in protein-coding regions were identified, six of which could be confirmed by PCR and Sanger sequencing. Subsequent sexual crossing experiments showed that resistant progeny always contained a P88L substitution in HapE, while the presence of the other five mutations did not correlate with resistance in the progeny. Cloning the mutated hapE gene into the azole susceptible akuB(KU80) strain showed that the HapE P88L mutation by itself could confer the resistant phenotype. This is the first time that whole genome sequencing and sexual crossing strategies have been used to find the genetic basis of a trait of interest in A. fumigatus. The discovery may help understand alternate pathways for azole resistance in A. fumigatus with implications for the molecular diagnosis of resistance and drug discovery.
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29
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Gibbons JG, Rokas A. The function and evolution of the Aspergillus genome. Trends Microbiol 2012; 21:14-22. [PMID: 23084572 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2012.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2012] [Revised: 09/20/2012] [Accepted: 09/24/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Species in the filamentous fungal genus Aspergillus display a wide diversity of lifestyles and are of great importance to humans. The decoding of genome sequences from a dozen species that vary widely in their degree of evolutionary affinity has galvanized studies of the function and evolution of the Aspergillus genome in clinical, industrial, and agricultural environments. Here, we synthesize recent key findings that shed light on the architecture of the Aspergillus genome, on the molecular foundations of the genus' astounding dexterity and diversity in secondary metabolism, and on the genetic underpinnings of virulence in Aspergillus fumigatus, one of the most lethal fungal pathogens. Many of these insights dramatically expand our knowledge of fungal and microbial eukaryote genome evolution and function and argue that Aspergillus constitutes a superb model clade for the study of functional and comparative genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Gibbons
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
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Müller S, Baldin C, Groth M, Guthke R, Kniemeyer O, Brakhage AA, Valiante V. Comparison of transcriptome technologies in the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus reveals novel insights into the genome and MpkA dependent gene expression. BMC Genomics 2012; 13:519. [PMID: 23031507 PMCID: PMC3505472 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-13-519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2012] [Accepted: 09/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus has become the most important airborne fungal pathogen causing life-threatening infections in immuno-compromised patients. Recently developed high-throughput transcriptome and proteome technologies, such as microarrays, RNA deep-sequencing, and LC-MS/MS of peptide mixtures, are of enormous value for systematically investigating pathogenic organisms. In the field of infection biology, one of the priorities is to collect and standardise data, in order to generate datasets that can be used to investigate and compare pathways and gene responses involved in pathogenicity. The "omics" era provides a multitude of inputs that need to be integrated and assessed. We therefore evaluated the potential of paired-end mRNA-Seq for investigating the regulatory role of the central mitogen activated protein kinase (MpkA). This kinase is involved in the cell wall integrity signalling pathway of A. fumigatus and essential for maintaining an intact cell wall in response to stress. RESULTS The comparison of the transcriptome and proteome of an A. fumigatus wild-type strain with an mpkA null mutant strain revealed that 70.4% of the genome was found to be expressed and that MpkA plays a significant role in the regulation of many genes involved in cell wall remodelling, oxidative stress and iron starvation response, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Moreover, absence of the mpkA gene also strongly affects the expression of genes involved in primary metabolism. The data were further processed to evaluate the potential of the mRNA-Seq technique. We comprehensively matched up our data to published transcriptome studies and were able to show an improved data comparability of mRNA-Seq experiments independently of the technique used. Analysis of transcriptome and proteome data revealed only a weak correlation between mRNA and protein abundance. CONCLUSIONS High-throughput analysis of MpkA-dependent gene expression confirmed many previous findings that this kinase is important for regulating many genes involved in metabolic pathways. Our analysis showed more than 2000 differentially regulated genes. RNA deep-sequencing is less error-prone than established microarray-based technologies. It also provides additional information in A. fumigatus studies and as a result is more suitable for the creation of extensive datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Müller
- Department of Systems Biology/Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Beutenbergstr. 11a, Jena 07745, Germany
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31
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Uncovering the genome-wide transcriptional responses of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger to lignocellulose using RNA sequencing. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1002875. [PMID: 22912594 PMCID: PMC3415456 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2012] [Accepted: 06/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A key challenge in the production of second generation biofuels is the conversion of lignocellulosic substrates into fermentable sugars. Enzymes, particularly those from fungi, are a central part of this process, and many have been isolated and characterised. However, relatively little is known of how fungi respond to lignocellulose and produce the enzymes necessary for dis-assembly of plant biomass. We studied the physiological response of the fungus Aspergillus niger when exposed to wheat straw as a model lignocellulosic substrate. Using RNA sequencing we showed that, 24 hours after exposure to straw, gene expression of known and presumptive plant cell wall-degrading enzymes represents a huge investment for the cells (about 20% of the total mRNA). Our results also uncovered new esterases and surface interacting proteins that might form part of the fungal arsenal of enzymes for the degradation of plant biomass. Using transcription factor deletion mutants (xlnR and creA) to study the response to both lignocellulosic substrates and low carbon source concentrations, we showed that a subset of genes coding for degradative enzymes is induced by starvation. Our data support a model whereby this subset of enzymes plays a scouting role under starvation conditions, testing for available complex polysaccharides and liberating inducing sugars, that triggers the subsequent induction of the majority of hydrolases. We also showed that antisense transcripts are abundant and that their expression can be regulated by growth conditions.
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Lin SH, Yoshimoto M, Lyu PC, Tang CY, Arita M. Phylogenomic and domain analysis of iterative polyketide synthases in Aspergillus species. Evol Bioinform Online 2012; 8:373-87. [PMID: 22844193 PMCID: PMC3399418 DOI: 10.4137/ebo.s9796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus species are industrially and agriculturally important as fermentors and as producers of various secondary metabolites. Among them, fungal polyketides such as lovastatin and melanin are considered a gold mine for bioactive compounds. We used a phylogenomic approach to investigate the distribution of iterative polyketide synthases (PKS) in eight sequenced Aspergilli and classified over 250 fungal genes. Their genealogy by the conserved ketosynthase (KS) domain revealed three large groups of nonreducing PKS, one group inside bacterial PKS, and more than 9 small groups of reducing PKS. Polyphyly of nonribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS)-PKS genes raised questions regarding the recruitment of the elegant conjugation machinery. High rates of gene duplication and divergence were frequent. All data are accessible through our web database at http://metabolomics.jp/wiki/Category:PK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Hsi Lin
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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Horn F, Heinekamp T, Kniemeyer O, Pollmächer J, Valiante V, Brakhage AA. Systems biology of fungal infection. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:108. [PMID: 22485108 PMCID: PMC3317178 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2011] [Accepted: 03/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Elucidation of pathogenicity mechanisms of the most important human-pathogenic fungi, Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans, has gained great interest in the light of the steadily increasing number of cases of invasive fungal infections. A key feature of these infections is the interaction of the different fungal morphotypes with epithelial and immune effector cells in the human host. Because of the high level of complexity, it is necessary to describe and understand invasive fungal infection by taking a systems biological approach, i.e., by a comprehensive quantitative analysis of the non-linear and selective interactions of a large number of functionally diverse, and frequently multifunctional, sets of elements, e.g., genes, proteins, metabolites, which produce coherent and emergent behaviors in time and space. The recent advances in systems biology will now make it possible to uncover the structure and dynamics of molecular and cellular cause-effect relationships within these pathogenic interactions. We review current efforts to integrate omics and image-based data of host-pathogen interactions into network and spatio-temporal models. The modeling will help to elucidate pathogenicity mechanisms and to identify diagnostic biomarkers and potential drug targets for therapy and could thus pave the way for novel intervention strategies based on novel antifungal drugs and cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Horn
- Systems Biology/Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll InstituteJena, Germany
| | - Thorsten Heinekamp
- Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll InstituteJena, Germany
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll InstituteJena, Germany
| | - Johannes Pollmächer
- Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll InstituteJena, Germany
| | - Vito Valiante
- Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll InstituteJena, Germany
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll InstituteJena, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller UniversityJena, Germany
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