Evaluation of the infection process by Lecanicillium fungicola in Agaricus bisporus by scanning electron microscopy

BACKGROUND

Lecanicillium fungicola causes dry bubble disease in Agaricus bisporus mushrooms leading to significant economic losses in commercial production.

AIMS

To monitor the infection process of L. fungicola in Brazilian strains of A. bisporus.

METHODS

The interaction between the mycelium of L. fungicola (LF.1) and three strains of A. bisporus (ABI 7, ABI 11/14 and ABI 11/21) was studied. Electron microscopy and X-ray microanalyses of vegetative growth and basidiocarp infection were evaluated.

RESULTS

Micrographs show that the vegetative mycelium of the Brazilian strains of A. bisporus is not infected by the parasite. The images show that the pathogen can interlace the hyphae of A. bisporus without causing damage, which contributes to the presence of L. fungicola during the substrate colonization, allowing their presence during primordial formation of A. bisporus. In the basidiocarp, germ tubes form within 16h of infection with L. fungicola and the beginning of penetration takes place within 18h, both without the formation of specialized structures.

CONCLUSIONS

Scanning electron microscopy enabled the process of colonization and reproduction to be observed within the formation of phialides, conidiophores and verticils of L. fungicola. The formation of calcium oxalate crystals by the pathogen was also visible using the X-ray microanalysis, both at the hyphae in the Petri plate and at basidiocarp infection site.

Transcriptomic analysis of the interactions between Agaricus bisporus and Lecanicillium fungicola

Agaricus bisporus is susceptible to a number of diseases, particularly those caused by fungi, with Lecanicillium fungicola being the most serious. Control of this disease is important for the security of crop production, however given the lack of knowledge about fungal-fungal interactions, such disease control is rather limited. Exploiting the recently released genome sequence of A. bisporus, here we report studies simultaneously investigating both the host and the pathogen, focussing on transcriptional changes associated with the cap spotting lesions typically seen in this interaction. Forward-suppressive subtractive hybridisation (SSH) analysis identified 68 A. bisporus unigenes induced during infection. Chitin deacetylase showed the strongest response, with almost 1000-fold up-regulation during infection, so was targeted for down-regulation by silencing to see if it was involved in defence against L. fungicola. Transgenic lines were made expressing hairpin RNAi constructs, however no changes in susceptibility to L. fungicola were observed. Amongst the other up-regulated genes there were none with readily apparent roles in resisting infection in this susceptible interaction. Reverse-SSH identified 72 unigenes from A. bisporus showing reduced expression, including two tyrosinases, several genes involved in nitrogen metabolism and a hydrophobin. The forward-SSH analysis of infected mushrooms also yielded 64 unigenes which were not of A. bisporus origin and thus derived from L. fungicola. An EST analysis of infection-mimicking conditions generated an additional 623 unigenes from L. fungicola including several oxidoreductases, cell wall degrading enzymes, ABC and MFS transporter proteins and various other genes believed to play roles in other pathosystems. Together, this analysis shows how both the pathogen and the host modify their gene expression during an infection-interaction, shedding some light on the disease process, although we note that some 40% of unigenes from both organisms encode hypothetical proteins with no ascribed function which highlights how much there is still to discover about this interaction.

Lecanicillium fungicola: causal agent of dry bubble disease in white-button mushroom

Lecanicillium fungicola causes dry bubble disease in commercially cultivated mushroom. This review summarizes current knowledge on the biology of the pathogen and the interaction between the pathogen and its most important host, the white-button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus. The ecology of the pathogen is discussed with emphasis on host range, dispersal and primary source of infection. In addition, current knowledge on mushroom defence mechanisms is reviewed.

TAXONOMY

Lecanicillium fungicola (Preuss) Zare and Gams: Kingdom Fungi; Phylum Ascomycota; Subphylum Pezizomycotina; Class Sordariomycetes; Subclass Hypocreales; Order Hypocreomycetidae; Family Cordycipitaceae; genus Lecanicillium.

HOST RANGE

Agaricus bisporus, Agaricus bitorquis and Pleurotus ostreatus. Although its pathogenicity for other species has not been established, it has been isolated from numerous other basidiomycetes.

DISEASE SYMPTOMS

Disease symptoms vary from small necrotic lesions on the caps of the fruiting bodies to partially deformed fruiting bodies, called stipe blow-out, or totally deformed and undifferentiated masses of mushroom tissue, called dry bubble. The disease symptoms and severity depend on the time point of infection. Small necrotic lesions result from late infections on the fruiting bodies, whereas stipe blow-out and dry bubble are the result of interactions between the pathogen and the host in the casing layer.

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

Lecanicillium fungicola is a devastating pathogen in the mushroom industry and causes significant losses in the commercial production of its main host, Agaricus bisporus. Annual costs for mushroom growers are estimated at 2-4% of total revenue. Reports on the disease originate mainly from North America and Europe. Although China is the main producer of white-button mushrooms in the world, little is known in the international literature about the impact of dry bubble disease in this region.

CONTROL

The control of L. fungicola relies on strict hygiene and the use of fungicides. Few chemicals can be used for the control of dry bubble because the host is also sensitive to fungicides. Notably, the development of resistance of L. fungicola has been reported against the fungicides that are used to control dry bubble disease. In addition, some of these fungicides may be banned in the near future.

USEFUL WEBSITES

http://www.mycobank.org; http://www.isms.biz; http://www.cbs.knaw.nl.

Microbially induced diseases of Agaricus bisporus: biochemical mechanisms and impact on commercial mushroom production

The button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Imbach, the most common cultivated mushroom, is susceptible to a wide range of virus, bacterial, and fungal diseases. However, only some diseases were studied for the mechanisms involved in the host-microorganism interaction. This review deals with biochemical mechanisms related to cavity disease (Burkholderia gladioli) and to the interaction between A. bisporus and the causal agents responsible for the most severe diseases, namely the bacteria Pseudomonas tolaasii and Pseudomonas reactans and the fungi Trichoderma aggressivum and Lecanicillium fungicola.

The pmk1-like mitogen-activated protein kinase from Lecanicillium (Verticillium) fungicola is not required for virulence on Agaricus bisporus

In plant-pathogenic fungi, the pmk1 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway plays an essential role in regulating the development of penetration structures and the sensing of host-derived cues, but its role in other pathosystems such as fungal-fungal interactions is less clear. We report the use of a gene disruption strategy to investigate the pmk1-like MAPK, Lf pmk1 in the development of Lecanicillium fungicola (formerly Verticillium fungicola) infection on the cultivated mushroom Agaricus bisporus. Lf pmk1 was isolated using a degenerate PCR-based approach and was shown to be present in a single copy by Southern blot analysis. Quantitative RT-PCR showed the transcript to be fivefold upregulated in cap lesions compared with pure culture. Agrobacterium-mediated targeted disruption was used to delete a central portion of the Lf pmk1 gene. The resulting mutants showed normal symptom development as assessed by A. bisporus mushroom cap assays, sporulation patterns were normal and there were no apparent changes in overall growth rates. Our results indicate that, unlike the situation in fungal-plant pathogens, the pmk1-like MAPK pathway is not required for virulence in the fungal-fungal interaction between the L. fungicola pathogen and A. bisporus host. This observation may be of wider significance in other fungal-fungal and/or fungal-invertebrate interactions.

Cloning and characterization ofbgn16·3, coding for a β-1,6-glucanase expressed duringTrichoderma harzianummycoparasitism

AIMS

To clone and characterize the gene coding for BGN16.3, a beta-1,6-glucanase putatively implicated in mycoparasitism by Trichoderma harzianum, a biocontrol agent used against plant pathogenic fungi.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Using degenerate primed PCR and cDNA library screening, we have cloned the cDNA coding BGN16.3. bgn16.3 showed a significant sequence identity (50%) to bgn16.1; however, they both have low identity to the previously cloned bgn16.2, allowing the identification of amino acid sequences putatively involved in the common catalytic activity of the three proteins. bgn16.3 is a single-copy gene and highly homologous sequences are present in all tested Trichoderma species. bgn16.3 expression pattern is analysed by Northern blot, finding that it is expressed during the interaction of T. harzianum CECT 2413 with Botrytis cinerea, supporting the implication of the enzyme in the mycoparasitic process.

CONCLUSIONS

The cloned bgn16.3 completes the knowledge on the beta-1,6-glucanase isozyme system from T. harzianum CECT 2413. A highly homologous gene is present in all analysed Trichoderma strains. bgn16.3 is expressed under few specific conditions, including the mycoparasitic process.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study contributes to the knowledge of beta-1,6-glucanases. It implicates this group of enzymes in the mycoparasitism by some biocontrol agents such as T. harzianum.

Biochemistry and molecular biology of exocellular fungal beta-(1,3)- and beta-(1,6)-glucanases

Many fungi produce exocellular beta-glucan-degrading enzymes, the beta-glucanases including the noncellulolytic beta-(1,3)- and beta-(1,6)-glucanases, degrading beta-(1,3)- and beta-(1,6)-glucans. An ability to purify several exocellular beta-glucanases attacking the same linkage type from a single fungus is common, although unlike the beta-1,3-glucanases, production of multiple beta-1,6-glucanases is quite rare in fungi. Reasons for this multiplicity remain unclear and the multiple forms may not be genetically different but arise by posttranslational glycosylation or proteolytic degradation of the single enzyme. How their synthesis is regulated, and whether each form is regulated differentially also needs clarifying. Their industrial potential will only be realized when the genes encoding them are cloned and expressed in large quantities. This review considers what is known in molecular terms about their multiplicity of occurrence, regulation of synthesis and phylogenetic diversity. It discusses how this information assists in understanding their functions in the fungi producing them. It deals largely with exocellular beta-glucanases which here refers to those recoverable after the cells are removed, since those associated with fungal cell walls have been reviewed recently by Adams (2004). It also updates the earlier review by Pitson et al. (1993).

BGN16.3, a novel acidic β-1,6-glucanase from mycoparasitic fungus Trichoderma harzianum CECT 2413

A new component of the beta-1,6-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.75) multienzymatic complex secreted by Trichoderma harzianum has been identified and fully characterized. The protein, namely BGN16.3, is the third isozyme displaying endo-beta-1,6-glucanase activity described up to now in T. harzianum CECT 2413. BGN16.3 is an acidic beta-1,6-glucanase that is specifically induced by the presence of fungal cell walls in T. harzianum growth media. The protein was purified to electrophoretical homogenity using its affinity to beta-1,6-glucan as first purification step, followed by chomatofocusing and gel filtration. BGN16.3 has a molecular mass of 46 kDa in SDS/PAGE and a pI of 4.5. The enzyme only showed activity against substrates with beta-1,6-glycosidic linkages, and it has an endohydrolytic mode of action as shown by HPLC analysis of the products of pustulan hydrolysis. The expression profile analysis of BGN16.3 showed a carbon source control of the accumulation of the enzyme, which is fast and strongly induced by fungal cell walls, a condition often regarded as mycoparasitic simulation. The likely involvement beta-1,6-glucanases in this process is discussed.

Verticillium disease or "dry bubble" of cultivated mushrooms: theAgaricus bisporuslectin recognizes and binds theVerticillium fungicolacell wall glucogalactomannan

The step of recognition and (or) binding for the development of the disease of the cultivated mushroom Agaricus bisporus by the mycoparasite Verticillium fungicola was studied by several approaches: agglutination of V. fungicola germinated spores by an A. bisporus extract from fruit body cell walls, immunofluorescence microscopy of A. bisporus hyphae from fruit bodies and vegetative mycelia pretreated with purified V. fungicola cell wall glucogalactomannan, and finally, by hemagglutination experiments carried out with an A. bisporus fruit body lectin in the presence and absence of the same glucogalactomannan. Hemagglutinating activity of the purified A. bisporus fruit body lectin was clearly inhibited by the V. fungicola glucogalactomannan, whereas in the A. bisporus vegetative mycelium such lectin was not encountered. All the results obtained make evident the recognition and binding of the A. bisporus fruit body lectin to the V. fungicola cell wall glucogalactomannan, clarifying why the mushrooms, but not the vegetative mycelium, become diseased.Key words: Agaricus bisporus lectin, Verticillium fungicola glucogalactomannan, mycoparasitism.

Investigating the role of a Verticillium fungicola beta-1,6-glucanase during infection of Agaricus bisporus using targeted gene disruption

Studies on the mycopathogen Verticillium fungicola have shown the up-regulation of beta-1,6-glucanases when grown in the presence of host cell walls and host cell wall components including chitin. These cell-wall-degrading enzymes are hypothesized to contribute to the pathogenic ability of mycopathogens. A beta-1,6-glucanase gene, VfGlu1, showing high similarity to beta-1,6-glucanase genes from Hypocrea virens, Neotyphodium sp., and Trichoderma harzianum, was isolated using degenerate PCR from V. fungicola, a serious mycopathogen of the cultivated mushroom Agaricus bisporus. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of V. fungicola using homologous DNA from VfGlu1 resulted in homologous integration at the VfGlu1 locus in 75% of transformants, generating mutants disrupted in the VfGlu1 gene. VfGlu1 mutants displayed reduced virulence and diminished ability to utilize chitin as a carbon source, implicating VfGlu1 in the disease process. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation affords an efficient technique for the disruption of genes associated with disease symptom development in the complex V. fungicola-A. bisporus interaction.

Chemical components and their locations in the Verticillium fungicola cell wall

The chemical structure of cell walls and fractions of Verticillium fungicola, a pathogen of Agaricus bisporus, as well as their corresponding ultrastructures were studied. There are at least three chemically distinct types of carbohydrate polymers: one yielding mannose with lower amounts of galactose and glucose (glucogalactomannan), another one composed mainly of glucose (glucan), and a third one containing only N-acetylglucosamine (chitin). Attempts were made to locate these materials in situ by comparing electron micrographs of shadowed and sectioned cell walls, and also by indirect immunofluorescence. It was shown that none of these polymers constituted a completely physically distinct layer, but there seem to be different solubility properties in the outer, inner, and intermediate layers. It was also shown that fibrillar material (chitin) embedded in cementing glucan constituted the residual inner fraction of the original wall material. Indirect immunofluorescence showed the location of a significant amount of glucogalactomannan on the surface of the walls in which rodlet structures were visualized by electron microscopy.

Kinetic study of the activation process of a latent mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) tyrosinase by serine proteases

Latent mushroom tyrosinase can be considered as a zymogen when activated by proteases because the activation process fulfilled all of the kinetic dependencies predicted by a theoretical zymogen activation model previously reported. The activation was studied under two assay conditions: high and low ratio of latent tyrosinase/serine protease (trypsin and subtilisin Carlsberg) concentrations, in the presence and in the absence of a serine protease inhibitor (aprotinin). The size of the latent enzyme was 67 kDa, determined by denaturing SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and Western blot assays. After proteolytic activation, the size was 43 kDa, with an intermediate band of 58 kDa. The values of the catalytic () and Michaelis () constants for the active forms of tyrosinase resulting from the activation by subtilisin, trypsin, or sodium dodecyl sulfate on the substrate tert-butylcatechol were slightly different, which could support the idea of "one activator-one different active tyrosinase". Vacuum infiltration experiments tried to reproduce in vivo the role of mushroom serine proteases in the activation of latent tyrosinase. The use of serine protease inhibitors is proposed as a new alternative tool to prevent melanin formation.