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Liu F, Chou T, Wang W, Xie B. Homeodomain 1 Genes of the Different HD Subloci of Flammulina velutipes Can Activate the HD Pathway and Are Involved in Mating, Clamp Cell Formation, and Upregulation of FvClp1. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:9915-9922. [PMID: 38530934 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c07853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Flammulina velutipes has two independent and functional mating type factors, HD and PR. The HD locus contains two separate subloci: HD-a and HD-b. In this study, we investigated the roles of Hd1 genes of the HD-a and HD-b subloci in the process of mating, clamp cell formation, and regulation of FvClp1 (F. velutipes clampless1 gene) gene expression in F. velutipes. To this end, we introduced Hd1 genes from mating compatible strains into F. velutipes monokaryon L11. Overexpression of Hd1 gene FvHd-a1-1 of the HD-a sublocus resulted in the formation of pseudoclamps in L11 monokaryons. L11 mutants overexpressing the Hd1 gene FvHd-b1-2 of the HD-b sublocus also similarly developed pseudoclamps in the L11 monokaryons. Moreover, these mutant L11 monokaryons produced complete clamps when crossed with monokaryotic strains that differed at the PR loci, i.e., when selective activation of the PR pathway was obtained through crossing. Thus, Hd1 genes of the two different HD subloci in F. velutipes can activate the HD mating type pathway and induce clamp cell formation. In addition, activation of the HD pathway resulted in upregulation of the FvClp1 gene. Finally, to complete clamp cell formation, activation of the PR pathway appears to be essential. Overall, these findings were beneficial for deepening our understanding of sexual reproduction and fruiting body development of edible fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Liu
- Mycological Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, People's Republic of China
| | - Tiansheng Chou
- National Medical Metabolomics International Collaborative Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271000, People's Republic of China
| | - Baogui Xie
- Mycological Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, People's Republic of China
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Sankaranarayanan S, Kwon S, Heimel K, Feldbrügge M. The RNA world of fungal pathogens. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011762. [PMID: 38032970 PMCID: PMC10688622 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Srimeenakshi Sankaranarayanan
- Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Institute for Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Seomun Kwon
- Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Institute for Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kai Heimel
- Georg-August University Göttingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Feldbrügge
- Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Institute for Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Yu C, Qi J, Han H, Wang P, Liu C. Progress in pathogenesis research of Ustilago maydis, and the metabolites involved along with their biosynthesis. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2023; 24:495-509. [PMID: 36808861 PMCID: PMC10098057 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Ustilago maydis is a pathogenic fungus that causes corn smut. Because of its easy cultivation and genetic transformation, U. maydis has become an important model organism for plant-pathogenic basidiomycetes. U. maydis is able to infect maize by producing effectors and secreted proteins as well as surfactant-like metabolites. In addition, the production of melanin and iron carriers is also associated with its pathogenicity. Here, advances in our understanding of the pathogenicity of U. maydis, the metabolites involved in the pathogenic process, and the biosynthesis of these metabolites, are reviewed and discussed. This summary will provide new insights into the pathogenicity of U. maydis and the functions of associated metabolites, as well as new clues for deciphering the biosynthesis of metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Yu
- Key Laboratory for Enzyme and Enzyme‐Like Material Engineering of Heilongjiang, College of Life ScienceNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
| | - Jianzhao Qi
- Key Laboratory for Enzyme and Enzyme‐Like Material Engineering of Heilongjiang, College of Life ScienceNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry & PharmacyNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Haiyan Han
- Key Laboratory for Enzyme and Enzyme‐Like Material Engineering of Heilongjiang, College of Life ScienceNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
| | - Pengchao Wang
- Key Laboratory for Enzyme and Enzyme‐Like Material Engineering of Heilongjiang, College of Life ScienceNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
| | - Chengwei Liu
- Key Laboratory for Enzyme and Enzyme‐Like Material Engineering of Heilongjiang, College of Life ScienceNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
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Transcriptome Comparison between Two Strains of Ustilago esculenta during the Mating. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 9:jof9010032. [PMID: 36675853 PMCID: PMC9862937 DOI: 10.3390/jof9010032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Ustilago esculenta is a smut fungus that obligately infects Zizania latifolia and stimulates tissue swelling to form galls. Unlike T-type, MT-type U. esculenta can only proliferate within plant tissues and infect the offspring of their host. Production of telispores, haploid life, and plant cuticle penetration are not essential for it, which may lead to the degeneration in these processes. Transcriptome changes during the mating of T- and MT-type U. esculenta were studied. The functions of several secreted proteins were further confirmed by knock-out mutants. Our results showed that MT-type U. esculenta can receive environmental signals in mating and circumstance sensing as T-type does. However, MT-type U. esculenta takes a longer time for conjunction tube formation and cytoplasmic fusion. A large number of genes encoding secreted proteins are enriched in the purple co-expression module. They are significantly up-regulated in the late stage of mating in T-type U. esculenta, indicating their relationship with infecting. The knock-out of g6161 (xylanase) resulted in an attenuated symptom. The knock-out of g943 or g4344 (function unidentified) completely blocked the infection at an early stage. This study provides a comprehensive comparison between T- and MT-type during mating and identifies two candidate effectors for further study.
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Soberanes-Gutiérrez CV, Castillo-Jiménez A, Pérez-Rueda E, Galán-Vásquez E. Construction and analysis of gene co-expression network in the pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1048694. [PMID: 36569046 PMCID: PMC9767968 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1048694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Biological systems respond to environmental disturbances and a wide range of compounds through complex gene interaction networks. The enormous growth of experimental information obtained using large-scale genomic techniques such as microarrays and RNA sequencing led to the construction of a wide variety of gene co-expression networks in recent years. These networks allow the discovery of clusters of co-expressed genes that potentially work in the same process linking them to biological processes often of interest to industrial, medicinal, and academic research. Methods In this study, we built the gene co-expression network of Ustilago maydis from the gene expression data of 168 samples belonging to 19 series, which correspond to the GPL3681 platform deposited in the NCBI using WGCNA software. This network was analyzed to identify clusters of co-expressed genes, gene hubs and Gene Ontology terms. Additionally, we identified relevant modules through a hypergeometric approach based on a predicted set of transcription factors and virulence genes. Results and Discussion We identified 13 modules in the gene co-expression network of U. maydis. The TFs enriched in the modules of interest belong to the superfamilies of Nucleic acid-binding proteins, Winged helix DNA-binding, and Zn2/Cys6 DNA-binding. On the other hand, the modules enriched with virulence genes were classified into diseases related to corn smut, Invasive candidiasis, among others. Finally, a large number of hypothetical, a large number of hypothetical genes were identified as highly co-expressed with virulence genes, making them possible experimental targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinthia V. Soberanes-Gutiérrez
- Laboratorio de Ciencias Agrogenómicas, de la Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad León, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, León, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Alfredo Castillo-Jiménez
- Licenciatura en Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ernesto Pérez-Rueda
- Unidad Académica Yucatán, Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mérida, Mexico
| | - Edgardo Galán-Vásquez
- Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas Computacionales y Automatización, Instituto de Investigación en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, Mexico,*Correspondence: Edgardo Galán-Vásquez,
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Zuo W, Depotter JRL, Gupta DK, Thines M, Doehlemann G. Cross-species analysis between the maize smut fungi Ustilago maydis and Sporisorium reilianum highlights the role of transcriptional change of effector orthologs for virulence and disease. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:719-733. [PMID: 34270791 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The constitution and regulation of effector repertoires shape host-microbe interactions. Ustilago maydis and Sporisorium reilianum are two closely related smut fungi, which both infect maize but cause distinct disease symptoms. Understanding how effector orthologs are regulated in these two pathogens can therefore provide insights into the evolution of different infection strategies. We tracked the infection progress of U. maydis and S. reilianum in maize leaves and used two distinct infection stages for cross-species RNA-sequencing analyses. We identified 207 of 335 one-to-one effector orthologs as differentially regulated during host colonization, which might reflect the distinct disease development strategies. Using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene conversion, we identified two differentially expressed effector orthologs with conserved function between two pathogens. Thus, differential expression of functionally conserved genes might contribute to species-specific adaptation and symptom development. Interestingly, another differentially expressed orthogroup (UMAG_05318/Sr10075) showed divergent protein function, providing a possible case for neofunctionalization. Collectively, we demonstrated that the diversification of effector genes in related pathogens can be caused both by alteration on the transcriptional level and through functional diversification of the encoded effector proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiliang Zuo
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| | - Jasper R L Depotter
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| | - Deepak K Gupta
- Department for Biological Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
- Integrative Fungal Research Cluster (IPF), Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
| | - Marco Thines
- Department for Biological Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
- Integrative Fungal Research Cluster (IPF), Frankfurt am Main, 60325, Germany
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, Cologne, 50674, Germany
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Boontawon T, Nakazawa T, Horii M, Tsuzuki M, Kawauchi M, Sakamoto M, Honda Y. Functional analyses of Pleurotus ostreatus pcc1 and clp1 using CRISPR/Cas9. Fungal Genet Biol 2021; 154:103599. [PMID: 34153439 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2021.103599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling dikaryon formation in Agaricomycetes, which is basically controlled by A and B mating-type loci, contributes to improving mushroom cultivation and breeding. In Coprinopsis cinerea, various mutations in the SRY-type high mobility group protein-encoding gene, pcc1, were shown to activate the A-regulated pathway to induce pseudoclamp (clamp cells without clamp connection) and fruiting body formation in monokaryons. The formation of clamp cells was blocked in AmutBmut strain 326 with clp1-1 mutation in C. cinerea. However, considering the diverse mechanisms of sexual development among Agaricomycetes, it remains unclear whether similar phenotypes are also observed in clp1 or pcc1 mutants in cultivated mushrooms. Therefore, phenotypic analyses of Pleurotus ostreatus pcc1 or clp1 (Popcc1 or Poclp1) mutants generated using CRISPR/Cas9 were performed in this study. Plasmids with Cas9 expression cassette and different single guide RNAs targeting Popcc1 or Poclp1 were individually introduced into a monokaryotic P. ostreatus strain PC9 to obtain the mutants. Unlike in C. cinerea, the pseudoclamp cell was not observed in monokaryotic Popcc1 mutants, but it was observed after crossing two compatible strains with Popcc1 mutations. In Poclp1 mutants, dikaryosis was impaired as clamp cells were not observed after crossing, suggesting that Poclp1 functions may be essential for clamp cell formation, like in C. cinerea. These results provided a clue with respect to conserved and diverse mechanisms underlying sexual development in Agaricomycetes (at least between C. cinerea and P. ostreatus).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatpong Boontawon
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Takehito Nakazawa
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
| | - Masato Horii
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Masami Tsuzuki
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Moriyuki Kawauchi
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Masahiro Sakamoto
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yoichi Honda
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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Kijpornyongpan T, Aime MC. Comparative transcriptomics reveal different mechanisms for hyphal growth across four plant-associated dimorphic fungi. Fungal Genet Biol 2021; 152:103565. [PMID: 33991665 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2021.103565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Fungal dimorphism is a phenomenon by which a fungus can grow both as a yeast form and a hyphal form. It is frequently related to pathogenicity as different growth forms are more suitable for different functions during a life cycle. Among dimorphic plant pathogens, the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis serves as a model organism to understand fungal dimorphism and its effect on pathogenicity. However, there is a lack of data on whether mechanisms elucidated from model species are broadly applicable to other fungi. In this study, two non-model plant-associated species in the smut fungus subphylum (Ustilaginomycotina), Tilletiopsis washingtonensis and Meira miltonrushii, were selected to compare dimorphic mechanisms in these to those in U. maydis. We sequenced transcriptomic profiles during both yeast and hyphal growth in these two species using Tween40, a lipid mimic, as a trigger for hyphal growth. We then compared our data with previously published data from U. maydis and a fourth but unrelated dimorphic phytopathogen, Ophiostoma novo-ulmi. Comparative transcriptomics was performed to identify common genes upregulated during hyphal growth in all four dimorphic species. Intriguingly, T. washingtonensis shares the least similarities of transcriptomic alteration (hyphal growth versus yeast growth) with the others, although it is closely related to M. miltonrushii and U. maydis. This suggests that phylogenetic relatedness is not correlated with transcriptomic similarity under the same biological phenomenon. Among commonly expressed genes in the four species, genes in cell energy production and conversion, amino acid transport and metabolism and cytoskeleton are significantly enriched. Considering dimorphism genes characterized in U. maydis, as well as hyphal tip-associated genes from the literature, we found only genes encoding the cell end marker Tea4/TeaC and the kinesin motor protein Kin3 concordantly expressed in all four species. This suggests a divergence in species-specific mechanisms for dimorphic transition and hyphal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teeratas Kijpornyongpan
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, 915 W State St, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054, USA
| | - M Catherine Aime
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, 915 W State St, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054, USA.
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Starke J, Harting R, Maurus I, Leonard M, Bremenkamp R, Heimel K, Kronstad JW, Braus GH. Unfolded Protein Response and Scaffold Independent Pheromone MAP Kinase Signaling Control Verticillium dahliae Growth, Development, and Plant Pathogenesis. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7040305. [PMID: 33921172 PMCID: PMC8071499 DOI: 10.3390/jof7040305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Differentiation, growth, and virulence of the vascular plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae depend on a network of interconnected cellular signaling cascades. The transcription factor Hac1 of the endoplasmic reticulum-associated unfolded protein response (UPR) is required for initial root colonization, fungal growth, and vascular propagation by conidiation. Hac1 is essential for the formation of microsclerotia as long-time survival resting structures in the field. Single endoplasmic reticulum-associated enzymes for linoleic acid production as precursors for oxylipin signal molecules support fungal growth but not pathogenicity. Microsclerotia development, growth, and virulence further require the pheromone response mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, but without the Ham5 scaffold function. The MAPK phosphatase Rok1 limits resting structure development of V.dahliae, but promotes growth, conidiation, and virulence. The interplay between UPR and MAPK signaling cascades includes several potential targets for fungal growth control for supporting disease management of the vascular pathogen V.dahliae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Starke
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (J.S.); (R.H.); (I.M.); (M.L.); (R.B.); (K.H.)
| | - Rebekka Harting
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (J.S.); (R.H.); (I.M.); (M.L.); (R.B.); (K.H.)
| | - Isabel Maurus
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (J.S.); (R.H.); (I.M.); (M.L.); (R.B.); (K.H.)
| | - Miriam Leonard
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (J.S.); (R.H.); (I.M.); (M.L.); (R.B.); (K.H.)
| | - Rica Bremenkamp
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (J.S.); (R.H.); (I.M.); (M.L.); (R.B.); (K.H.)
| | - Kai Heimel
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (J.S.); (R.H.); (I.M.); (M.L.); (R.B.); (K.H.)
| | - James W. Kronstad
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada;
| | - Gerhard H. Braus
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (J.S.); (R.H.); (I.M.); (M.L.); (R.B.); (K.H.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(0)551-39-33771
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Wallen RM, Richardson K, Furnish M, Mendoza H, Dentinger A, Khanal S, Perlin MH. Hungry for Sex: Differential Roles for Ustilago maydisb Locus Components in Haploid Cells vis à vis Nutritional Availability. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7020135. [PMID: 33673296 PMCID: PMC7918651 DOI: 10.3390/jof7020135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating-types allow single-celled eukaryotic organisms to distinguish self from non-self in preparation for sexual reproduction. The components of mating-type loci provide initial self/non-self-recognition through pheromone and receptor interactions that control early cell fusion events. However, they may also provide a second level of scrutiny that requires differences in alleles leading to production of a transcription factor required for successful downstream developmental pathways after initial cell fusion. Interestingly, the protein subunits of these transcription factors have not been thoroughly examined for their roles, if any, in the haploid cells themselves. In Ustilago maydis, the causative agent of galls in maize plants, the b locus, encoding bEast (bE) and bWest (bW), components of the eventual requisite transcription factor, has been extensively studied for its role in formation of the stable dikaryon after mating and subsequent pathogenic program. Little is known, however, about any roles for bE or bW in haploid cells. Since mating in fungi is often induced under conditions of nitrogen starvation, we have explored connections between the b locus and the nitrogen-sensing and response pathways in U. maydis. We previously identified a connection in haploid cells between the b locus and Ump2, the high-affinity transceptor, a protein that both transports ammonium and triggers filamentous growth as a response to nitrogen starvation. Deletion of the entire b locus abrogates the filamentous response to low ammonium, a phenotype that is rescued by overexpression of Ump2. Here we further investigated the individual roles of bE and bW in haploid cells. We show that bE and bW are expressed differentially in haploid cells starved for ammonium. Their respective deletion elicits different effects on transcription of mating and pathogenic-related genes and, importantly, on the degree of pathogenic development in host plants. This is the first demonstration of a role for these mating locus components on haploid development and the first to demonstrate a connection to the ammonium transceptors.
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Pérez-Rodríguez F, González-Prieto JM, Vera-Núñez JA, Ruiz-Medrano R, Peña-Cabriales JJ, Ruiz-Herrera J. Wide distribution of the Ustilago maydis-bacterium endosymbiosis in naturally infected maize plants. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2021; 16:1855016. [PMID: 33356903 PMCID: PMC7849723 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2020.1855016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We have previously described that laboratory strains of Ustilago maydis, a fungal pathogen of maize and its ancestor teosinte, harbor an intracellular bacterium that enables the fungus to fix nitrogen. However, it is not clear whether other strains isolated from nature also harbor endosymbiotic bacteria, and whether these fix nitrogen for its host. In the present study, we isolated U. maydis strains from naturally infected maize. All the isolated strains harbored intracellular bacteria as determined by PCR amplification of the 16S rRNA gene, and some of them showed capacity to fix nitrogen. That these are truly bacterial endosymbionts were shown by the fact that, after thorough treatments with CuSO4 followed by serial incubations with antibiotics, the aforementioned bacterial gene was still amplified in treated fungi. In all, these data support the notion that U. maydis-bacterium endosymbiosis is a general phenomenon in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Pérez-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional Unidad Irapuato, Irapuato Gto, México
| | | | - José Antonio Vera-Núñez
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional Unidad Irapuato, Irapuato Gto, México
| | - Roberto Ruiz-Medrano
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Zacatenco, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Juan José Peña-Cabriales
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional Unidad Irapuato, Irapuato Gto, México
| | - José Ruiz-Herrera
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional Unidad Irapuato, Irapuato Gto, México
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Zhang Y, Hu Y, Cao Q, Yin Y, Xia W, Cui H, Yu X, Ye Z. Functional Properties of the MAP Kinase UeKpp2 in Ustilago esculenta. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1053. [PMID: 32582058 PMCID: PMC7295950 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ustilago esculenta undergoes an endophytic life cycle in Zizania latifolia. It induces the stem of its host to swell, forming the edible galls called jiaobai in China, which are the second most commonly cultivated aquatic vegetable in China. Z. latifolia raised for jiaobai can only reproduce asexually because the U. esculenta infection completely inhibits flowering. The infection and proliferation in the host plants during the formation of edible gall differ from those of conventional pathogens. Previous studies have shown a close relationship between mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and fungal pathogenesis. In this study, we explored the functional properties of the MAPK UeKpp2. Cross-species complementation assays were carried out, which indicated a functional complementation between the UeKpp2 of U. esculenta and the Kpp2 of Ustilago maydis. Next, UeKpp2 mutants of the UeT14 and the UeT55 sporidia background were generated; these showed an aberrant morphology of budding cells, and attenuated mating and filamentous growth in vitro, in the context of normal pathogenicity. Interestingly, we identified another protein kinase, UeUkc1, which acted downstream of UeKpp2 and may participate in the regulation of cell shape. We also found a defect of filamentous growth in UeKpp2 mutants that was not related to a defect of the induction of mating-type genes but was directly related to a defect in UeRbf1 induction. Overall, our results indicate an important role for UeKpp2 in U. esculenta that is slightly different from those reported for other smut fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafen Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yingli Hu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qianchao Cao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yumei Yin
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenqiang Xia
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haifeng Cui
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoping Yu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zihong Ye
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
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13
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Schmitz L, Kronstad JW, Heimel K. Conditional gene expression reveals stage-specific functions of the unfolded protein response in the Ustilago maydis-maize pathosystem. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2020; 21:258-271. [PMID: 31802604 PMCID: PMC6988420 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Ustilago maydis is a model organism for the study of biotrophic plant-pathogen interactions. The sexual and pathogenic development of the fungus are tightly connected since fusion of compatible haploid sporidia is prerequisite for infection of the host plant, maize (Zea mays). After plant penetration, the unfolded protein response (UPR) is activated and required for biotrophic growth. The UPR is continuously active throughout all stages of pathogenic development in planta. However, since development of UPR deletion mutants stops directly after plant penetration, the role of an active UPR at later stages of development remained to be determined. Here, we established a gene expression system for U. maydis that uses endogenous, conditionally active promoters to either induce or repress expression of a gene of interest during different stages of plant infection. Integration of the expression constructs into the native genomic locus and removal of resistance cassettes were required to obtain a wild-type-like expression pattern. This indicates that genomic localization and chromatin structure are important for correct promoter activity and gene expression. By conditional expression of the central UPR regulator, Cib1, in U. maydis, we show that a functional UPR is required for continuous plant defence suppression after host infection and that U. maydis relies on a robust control system to prevent deleterious UPR hyperactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Schmitz
- Institute for Microbiology and GeneticsDepartment of Molecular Microbiology and GeneticsGöttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB)University of GöttingenGrisebachstr. 8D‐37077GöttingenGermany
- International Research Training Group 2172 PRoTECTGöttingen, VancouverGermany
| | - James W. Kronstad
- International Research Training Group 2172 PRoTECTGöttingen, VancouverGermany
- Michael Smith LaboratoriesDepartment of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCV6T 1Z4Canada
| | - Kai Heimel
- Institute for Microbiology and GeneticsDepartment of Molecular Microbiology and GeneticsGöttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB)University of GöttingenGrisebachstr. 8D‐37077GöttingenGermany
- International Research Training Group 2172 PRoTECTGöttingen, VancouverGermany
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14
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The Unfolded Protein Response Regulates Pathogenic Development of Ustilago maydis by Rok1-Dependent Inhibition of Mating-Type Signaling. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.02756-19. [PMID: 31848283 PMCID: PMC6918084 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02756-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The unfolded protein response (UPR) is crucial for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis and disease development in fungal pathogens. In the plant-pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis, the UPR supports fungal proliferation in planta and effector secretion for plant defense suppression. In this study, we uncovered that UPR activity, which is normally restricted to the biotrophic stage in planta, inhibits mating and the formation of infectious filaments by Rok1-dependent dephosphorylation of the pheromone responsive mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) Kpp2. This observation is relevant for understanding how the fungal virulence program is regulated by cellular physiology. UPR-mediated control of mating-type signaling pathways predicts that effector gene expression and the virulence potential are controlled by ER stress levels. Fungal pathogens require the unfolded protein response (UPR) to maintain protein homeostasis of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during pathogenic development. In the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis, pathogenic development is controlled by the a and b mating-type loci. The UPR is specifically activated after plant penetration and required for efficient secretion of effectors and suppression of the plant defense response. The interaction between the UPR regulator Cib1 and the central developmental regulator Clp1 modulates the pathogenic program and triggers fungal colonization of the host plant. By contrast, when activated before plant penetration, the UPR interferes with fungal virulence by reducing expression of bE and bW, the central regulators of pathogenic development encoded by the b mating-type locus. Here, we show that this inhibitory effect results from UPR-mediated suppression of the pheromone response pathway upstream of the b regulatory network. UPR activity prompts dephosphorylation of the pheromone-responsive mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) Kpp2, reducing activity of the pheromone response factor Prf1 that regulates expression of bE and bW. Deletion of the dual specificity phosphatase rok1 fully suppressed UPR-dependent inhibition of Kpp2 phosphorylation, formation of infectious filaments, and fungal virulence. Rok1 determines the activity of mating-type signaling pathways and thus the degree of fungal virulence. We propose that UPR-dependent regulation of Rok1 aligns ER physiology with fungal aggressiveness and effector gene expression during biotrophic growth of U. maydis in the host plant.
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15
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Pinter N, Hach CA, Hampel M, Rekhter D, Zienkiewicz K, Feussner I, Poehlein A, Daniel R, Finkernagel F, Heimel K. Signal peptide peptidase activity connects the unfolded protein response to plant defense suppression by Ustilago maydis. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007734. [PMID: 30998787 PMCID: PMC6490947 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis requires the unfolded protein response (UPR) to maintain homeostasis of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during the biotrophic interaction with its host plant Zea mays (maize). Crosstalk between the UPR and pathways controlling pathogenic development is mediated by protein-protein interactions between the UPR regulator Cib1 and the developmental regulator Clp1. Cib1/Clp1 complex formation results in mutual modification of the connected regulatory networks thereby aligning fungal proliferation in planta, efficient effector secretion with increased ER stress tolerance and long-term UPR activation in planta. Here we address UPR-dependent gene expression and its modulation by Clp1 using combinatorial RNAseq/ChIPseq analyses. We show that increased ER stress resistance is connected to Clp1-dependent alterations of Cib1 phosphorylation, protein stability and UPR gene expression. Importantly, we identify by deletion screening of UPR core genes the signal peptide peptidase Spp1 as a novel key factor that is required for establishing a compatible biotrophic interaction between U. maydis and its host plant maize. Spp1 is dispensable for ER stress resistance and vegetative growth but requires catalytic activity to interfere with the plant defense, revealing a novel virulence specific function for signal peptide peptidases in a biotrophic fungal/plant interaction. Biotrophic pathogens establish compatible interactions with their host to cause disease. A critical step in this process is the suppression of plant defense responses by secreted effector proteins. In the maize infecting fungus Ustilago maydis expression of effector encoding genes is coordinately upregulated at defined stages of pathogenic development in so-called effector waves. Efficient secretion of the multitude of effectors relies on the unfolded protein response (UPR) to maintain homeostasis of the endoplasmic reticulum. Activation of the UPR is connected to the control of fungal proliferation through direct protein-protein interactions between the UPR regulator Cib1 and the developmental regulator Clp1. Here, we show that this interaction leads to functional modification of Cib1 and modulation of UPR gene expression to adapt the UPR for long-term activity in the plant. Within a core set of UPR regulated genes we identify the signal peptide peptidase Spp1 as a key factor for fungal virulence. We show that Spp1 requires its conserved catalytic activity to suppress the plant defense and cause disease. The virulence specific function of Spp1 does not involve pathways previously known to be associated with Spp1-like proteins or plant defense suppression, suggesting a novel role for Spp1 substrates in biotrophic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niko Pinter
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christina Andrea Hach
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Martin Hampel
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dmitrij Rekhter
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Krzysztof Zienkiewicz
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anja Poehlein
- Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology & Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rolf Daniel
- Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology & Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Florian Finkernagel
- Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology (ZTI), Institute of Molecular Biology and Tumor Research (IMT), Marburg, Germany
| | - Kai Heimel
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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16
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Schmitz L, McCotter S, Kretschmer M, Kronstad JW, Heimel K. Transcripts and tumors: regulatory and metabolic programming during biotrophic phytopathogenesis. F1000Res 2018; 7. [PMID: 30519451 PMCID: PMC6248262 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.16404.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Biotrophic fungal pathogens of plants must sense and adapt to the host environment to complete their life cycles. Recent transcriptome studies of the infection of maize by the biotrophic pathogen
Ustilago maydis are providing molecular insights into an ordered program of changes in gene expression and the deployment of effectors as well as key features of nutrient acquisition. In particular, the transcriptome data provide a deeper appreciation of the complexity of the transcription factor network that controls the biotrophic program of invasion, proliferation, and sporulation. Additionally, transcriptome analysis during tumor formation, a key late stage in the life cycle, revealed features of the remodeling of host and pathogen metabolism that may support the formation of tremendous numbers of spores. Transcriptome studies are also appearing for other smut species during interactions with their hosts, thereby providing opportunities for comparative approaches to understand biotrophic adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Schmitz
- Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University-Göttingen, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, D-37077, Germany
| | - Sean McCotter
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Matthias Kretschmer
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - James W Kronstad
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Kai Heimel
- Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University-Göttingen, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, D-37077, Germany
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17
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Ye Z, Pan Y, Zhang Y, Cui H, Jin G, McHardy AC, Fan L, Yu X. Comparative whole-genome analysis reveals artificial selection effects on Ustilago esculenta genome. DNA Res 2018; 24:635-648. [PMID: 28992048 PMCID: PMC5726479 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsx031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Ustilago esculenta, infects Zizania latifolia, and induced host stem swollen to be a popular vegetable called Jiaobai in China. It is the long-standing artificial selection that maximizes the occurrence of favourable Jiaobai, and thus maintaining the plant-fungi interaction and modulating the fungus evolving from plant pathogen to entophyte. In this study, whole genome of U. esculenta was sequenced and transcriptomes of the fungi and its host were analysed. The 20.2 Mb U. esculenta draft genome of 6,654 predicted genes including mating, primary metabolism, secreted proteins, shared a high similarity to related Smut fungi. But U. esculenta prefers RNA silencing not repeat-induced point in defence and has more introns per gene, indicating relatively slow evolution rate. The fungus also lacks some genes in amino acid biosynthesis pathway which were filled by up-regulated host genes and developed distinct amino acid response mechanism to balance the infection-resistance interaction. Besides, U. esculenta lost some surface sensors, important virulence factors and host range-related effectors to maintain the economic endophytic life. The elucidation of the U. esculenta genomic information as well as expression profiles can not only contribute to more comprehensive insights into the molecular mechanism underlying artificial selection but also into smut fungi-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihong Ye
- Department of Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yao Pan
- Department of Algorithmic Bioinformatics, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Yafen Zhang
- Department of Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haifeng Cui
- Department of Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Gulei Jin
- Department of Agronomy & Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Resources, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Alice C McHardy
- Department of Algorithmic Bioinformatics, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Longjiang Fan
- Department of Agronomy & Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Resources, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoping Yu
- Department of Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
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18
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Riquelme M, Aguirre J, Bartnicki-García S, Braus GH, Feldbrügge M, Fleig U, Hansberg W, Herrera-Estrella A, Kämper J, Kück U, Mouriño-Pérez RR, Takeshita N, Fischer R. Fungal Morphogenesis, from the Polarized Growth of Hyphae to Complex Reproduction and Infection Structures. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2018; 82:e00068-17. [PMID: 29643171 PMCID: PMC5968459 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00068-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi constitute a large group of eukaryotic microorganisms that grow by forming simple tube-like hyphae that are capable of differentiating into more-complex morphological structures and distinct cell types. Hyphae form filamentous networks by extending at their tips while branching in subapical regions. Rapid tip elongation requires massive membrane insertion and extension of the rigid chitin-containing cell wall. This process is sustained by a continuous flow of secretory vesicles that depends on the coordinated action of the microtubule and actin cytoskeletons and the corresponding motors and associated proteins. Vesicles transport cell wall-synthesizing enzymes and accumulate in a special structure, the Spitzenkörper, before traveling further and fusing with the tip membrane. The place of vesicle fusion and growth direction are enabled and defined by the position of the Spitzenkörper, the so-called cell end markers, and other proteins involved in the exocytic process. Also important for tip extension is membrane recycling by endocytosis via early endosomes, which function as multipurpose transport vehicles for mRNA, septins, ribosomes, and peroxisomes. Cell integrity, hyphal branching, and morphogenesis are all processes that are largely dependent on vesicle and cytoskeleton dynamics. When hyphae differentiate structures for asexual or sexual reproduction or to mediate interspecies interactions, the hyphal basic cellular machinery may be reprogrammed through the synthesis of new proteins and/or the modification of protein activity. Although some transcriptional networks involved in such reprogramming of hyphae are well studied in several model filamentous fungi, clear connections between these networks and known determinants of hyphal morphogenesis are yet to be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meritxell Riquelme
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Jesús Aguirre
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Salomon Bartnicki-García
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Gerhard H Braus
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Michael Feldbrügge
- Institute for Microbiology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ursula Fleig
- Institute for Functional Genomics of Microorganisms, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Wilhelm Hansberg
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alfredo Herrera-Estrella
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Irapuato, Mexico
| | - Jörg Kämper
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology-South Campus, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Ulrich Kück
- Ruhr University Bochum, Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik, Bochum, Germany
| | - Rosa R Mouriño-Pérez
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Norio Takeshita
- University of Tsukuba, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Reinhard Fischer
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology-South Campus, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Karlsruhe, Germany
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19
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Kijpornyongpan T, Mondo SJ, Barry K, Sandor L, Lee J, Lipzen A, Pangilinan J, LaButti K, Hainaut M, Henrissat B, Grigoriev IV, Spatafora JW, Aime MC. Broad Genomic Sampling Reveals a Smut Pathogenic Ancestry of the Fungal Clade Ustilaginomycotina. Mol Biol Evol 2018; 35:1840-1854. [DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen J Mondo
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA
| | - Kerrie Barry
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA
| | - Laura Sandor
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA
| | - Juna Lee
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA
| | - Anna Lipzen
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA
| | | | - Kurt LaButti
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA
| | - Matthieu Hainaut
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
- INRA, USC 1408 AFMB, Marseille, France
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
- INRA, USC 1408 AFMB, Marseille, France
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Joseph W Spatafora
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
| | - M Catherine Aime
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
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20
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Lanver D, Müller AN, Happel P, Schweizer G, Haas FB, Franitza M, Pellegrin C, Reissmann S, Altmüller J, Rensing SA, Kahmann R. The Biotrophic Development of Ustilago maydis Studied by RNA-Seq Analysis. THE PLANT CELL 2018; 30:300-323. [PMID: 29371439 PMCID: PMC5868686 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.17.00764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The maize smut fungus Ustilago maydis is a model organism for elucidating host colonization strategies of biotrophic fungi. Here, we performed an in depth transcriptional profiling of the entire plant-associated development of U. maydis wild-type strains. In our analysis, we focused on fungal metabolism, nutritional strategies, secreted effectors, and regulatory networks. Secreted proteins were enriched in three distinct expression modules corresponding to stages on the plant surface, establishment of biotrophy, and induction of tumors. These modules are likely the key determinants for U. maydis virulence. With respect to nutrient utilization, we observed that expression of several nutrient transporters was tied to these virulence modules rather than being controlled by nutrient availability. We show that oligopeptide transporters likely involved in nitrogen assimilation are important virulence factors. By measuring the intramodular connectivity of transcription factors, we identified the potential drivers for the virulence modules. While known components of the b-mating type cascade emerged as inducers for the plant surface and biotrophy module, we identified a set of yet uncharacterized transcription factors as likely responsible for expression of the tumor module. We demonstrate a crucial role for leaf tumor formation and effector gene expression for one of these transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Lanver
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Abteilung Organismische Interaktionen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - André N Müller
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Abteilung Organismische Interaktionen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Petra Happel
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Abteilung Organismische Interaktionen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Gabriel Schweizer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Abteilung Organismische Interaktionen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Fabian B Haas
- Philipps Universität Marburg, Fb17 Biologie, AG Zellbiologie der Pflanzen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Marek Franitza
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Clément Pellegrin
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Abteilung Organismische Interaktionen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Reissmann
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Abteilung Organismische Interaktionen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Janine Altmüller
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Stefan A Rensing
- Philipps Universität Marburg, Fb17 Biologie, AG Zellbiologie der Pflanzen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, Abteilung Organismische Interaktionen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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21
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van der Does HC, Rep M. Adaptation to the Host Environment by Plant-Pathogenic Fungi. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2017; 55:427-450. [PMID: 28645233 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-080516-035551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Many fungi can live both saprophytically and as endophyte or pathogen inside a living plant. In both environments, complex organic polymers are used as sources of nutrients. Propagation inside a living host also requires the ability to respond to immune responses of the host. We review current knowledge of how plant-pathogenic fungi do this. First, we look at how fungi change their global gene expression upon recognition of the host environment, leading to secretion of effectors, enzymes, and secondary metabolites; changes in metabolism; and defense against toxic compounds. Second, we look at what is known about the various cues that enable fungi to sense the presence of living plant cells. Finally, we review literature on transcription factors that participate in gene expression in planta or are suspected to be involved in that process because they are required for the ability to cause disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martijn Rep
- Molecular Plant Pathology, University of Amsterdam, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
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Abstract
Biotrophic fungal plant pathogens establish an intimate relationship with their host to support the infection process. Central to this strategy is the secretion of a range of protein effectors that enable the pathogen to evade plant immune defences and modulate host metabolism to meet its needs. In this Review, using the smut fungus Ustilago maydis as an example, we discuss new insights into the effector repertoire of smut fungi that have been gained from comparative genomics and discuss the molecular mechanisms by which U. maydis effectors change processes in the plant host. Finally, we examine how the expression of effector genes and effector secretion are coordinated with fungal development in the host.
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Toh SS, Chen Z, Schultz DJ, Cuomo CA, Perlin MH. Transcriptional analysis of mating and pre-infection stages of the anther smut, Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2017; 163:410-420. [PMID: 28100297 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae is an obligate biotrophic parasite of the wildflower species Silene latifolia. This dikaryotic fungus, commonly known as an anther smut, requires that haploid, yeast-like sporidia of opposite mating types fuse and differentiate into dikaryotic hyphae that penetrate host tissue as part of the fungal life cycle. Mating occurs under conditions of cool temperatures and limited nutrients. Further development requires host cues or chemical mimics, including a variety of lipids, e.g. phytols. To identify global changes in transcription associated with developmental shifts, RNA-Seq was conducted at several in vitro stages of fungal propagation, i.e. haploid cells grown independently on rich and nutrient-limited media, mated cells on nutrient-limited media as well as a time course of such mated cells exposed to phytol. Comparison of haploid cells grown under rich and nutrient-limited conditions identified classes of genes probably associated with general nutrient availability, including components of the RNAi machinery. Some gene enrichment patterns comparing the nutrient-limited and mated transcriptomes suggested gene expression changes associated with the mating programme (e.g. homeodomain binding proteins, secreted proteins, proteins unique to M. lychnidis-dioicae¸ multicopper oxidases and RhoGEFs). Analysis for phytol treatment compared with mated cells alone allowed identification of genes likely to be involved in the dikaryotic switch (e.g. oligopeptide transporters). Gene categories of particular note in all three conditions included those in the major facilitator superfamily, proteins containing PFAM domains of the secretory lipase family as well as proteins predicted to be secreted, many of which have the hallmarks of fungal effectors with potential roles in pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su San Toh
- Department of Biology, Program on Disease Evolution, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.,Present address: DSO National Laboratories, Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute, Singapore
| | - Zehua Chen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Present address: WuXi NextCODE, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David J Schultz
- Department of Biology, Program on Disease Evolution, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | | | - Michael H Perlin
- Department of Biology, Program on Disease Evolution, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
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24
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Sesma A. RNA metabolism and regulation of virulence programs in fungi. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 57:120-127. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Mead ME, Hull CM. Transcriptional control of sexual development in Cryptococcus neoformans. J Microbiol 2016; 54:339-46. [PMID: 27095452 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-016-6080-1] [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: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 03/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Developmental processes are essential for the normal life cycles of many pathogenic fungi, and they can facilitate survival in challenging environments, including the human host. Sexual development of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans not only produces infectious particles (spores) but has also enabled the evolution of new disease-related traits such as drug resistance. Transcription factor networks are essential to the development and pathogenesis of C. neoformans, and a variety of sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins control both key developmental transitions and virulence by regulating the expression of their target genes. In this review we discuss the roles of known transcription factors that harbor important connections to both development and virulence. Recent studies of these transcription factors have identified a common theme in which metabolic, stress, and other responses that are required for sexual development appear to have been co-opted for survival in the human host, thus facilitating pathogenesis. Future work elucidating the connection between development and pathogenesis will provide vital insights into the evolution of complex traits in eukaryotes as well as mechanisms that may be used to combat fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Mead
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Christina M Hull
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA. .,Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
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Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) Regulator Cib1 Controls Expression of Genes Encoding Secreted Virulence Factors in Ustilago maydis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153861. [PMID: 27093436 PMCID: PMC4836707 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The unfolded protein response (UPR), a conserved eukaryotic signaling pathway to ensure protein homeostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), coordinates biotrophic development in the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis. Exact timing of UPR activation is required for virulence and presumably connected to the elevated expression of secreted effector proteins during infection of the host plant Zea mays. In the baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, expression of UPR target genes is induced upon binding of the central regulator Hac1 to unfolded protein response elements (UPREs) in their promoters. While a role of the UPR in effector secretion has been described previously, we investigated a potential UPR-dependent regulation of genes encoding secreted effector proteins. In silico prediction of UPREs in promoter regions identified the previously characterized effector genes pit2 and tin1-1, as bona fide UPR target genes. Furthermore, direct binding of the Hac1-homolog Cib1 to the UPRE containing promoter fragments of both genes was confirmed by quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation (qChIP) analysis. Targeted deletion of the UPRE abolished Cib1-dependent expression of pit2 and significantly affected virulence. Furthermore, ER stress strongly increased Pit2 expression and secretion. This study expands the role of the UPR as a signal hub in fungal virulence and illustrates, how biotrophic fungi can coordinate cellular physiology, development and regulation of secreted virulence factors.
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Brych A, Mascarenhas J, Jaeger E, Charkiewicz E, Pokorny R, Bölker M, Doehlemann G, Batschauer A. White collar 1-induced photolyase expression contributes to UV-tolerance of Ustilago maydis. Microbiologyopen 2015; 5:224-43. [PMID: 26687452 PMCID: PMC4831468 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Revised: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ustilago maydis is a phytopathogenic fungus causing corn smut disease. It also is known for its extreme tolerance to UV‐ and ionizing radiation. It has not been elucidated whether light‐sensing proteins, and in particular photolyases play a role in its UV‐tolerance. Based on homology analysis, U. maydis has 10 genes encoding putative light‐responsive proteins. Four amongst these belong to the cryptochrome/photolyase family (CPF) and one represents a white collar 1 ortholog (wco1). Deletion mutants in the predicted cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer CPD‐ and (6–4)‐photolyase were impaired in photoreactivation. In line with this, in vitro studies with recombinant CPF proteins demonstrated binding of the catalytic FAD cofactor, its photoreduction to fully reduced FADH− and repair activity for cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) or (6–4)‐photoproducts, respectively. We also investigated the role of Wco1. Strikingly, transcriptional profiling showed 61 genes differentially expressed upon blue light exposure of wild‐type, but only eight genes in the Δwco1 mutant. These results demonstrate that Wco1 is a functional blue light photoreceptor in U. maydis regulating expression of several genes including both photolyases. Finally, we show that the Δwco1 mutant is less tolerant against UV‐B due to its incapability to induce photolyase expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Brych
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Plant Physiology and Photobiology, Philipps-University, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, Marburg, 35032, Germany
| | - Judita Mascarenhas
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Plant Physiology and Photobiology, Philipps-University, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, Marburg, 35032, Germany
| | - Elaine Jaeger
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Genetics, Philipps-University, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, Marburg, 35032, Germany
| | - Elzbieta Charkiewicz
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Plant Physiology and Photobiology, Philipps-University, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, Marburg, 35032, Germany
| | - Richard Pokorny
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Plant Physiology and Photobiology, Philipps-University, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, Marburg, 35032, Germany
| | - Michael Bölker
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Genetics, Philipps-University, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, Marburg, 35032, Germany
| | - Gunther Doehlemann
- Department of Organismic Interactions, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 10, Marburg, 35043, Germany
| | - Alfred Batschauer
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Plant Physiology and Photobiology, Philipps-University, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, Marburg, 35032, Germany
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Langner T, Göhre V. Fungal chitinases: function, regulation, and potential roles in plant/pathogen interactions. Curr Genet 2015; 62:243-54. [PMID: 26527115 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-015-0530-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Revised: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In the past decades our knowledge about fungal cell wall architecture increased tremendously and led to the identification of many enzymes involved in polysaccharide synthesis and remodeling, which are also of biotechnological interest. Fungal cell walls play an important role in conferring mechanic stability during cell division and polar growth. Additionally, in phytopathogenic fungi the cell wall is the first structure that gets into intimate contact with the host plant. A major constituent of fungal cell walls is chitin, a homopolymer of N-acetylglucosamine units. To ensure plasticity, polymeric chitin needs continuous remodeling which is maintained by chitinolytic enzymes, including lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases N-acetylglucosaminidases, and chitinases. Depending on the species and lifestyle of fungi, there is great variation in the number of encoded chitinases and their function. Chitinases can have housekeeping function in plasticizing the cell wall or can act more specifically during cell separation, nutritional chitin acquisition, or competitive interaction with other fungi. Although chitinase research made huge progress in the last decades, our knowledge about their role in phytopathogenic fungi is still scarce. Recent findings in the dimorphic basidiomycete Ustilago maydis show that chitinases play different physiological functions throughout the life cycle and raise questions about their role during plant-fungus interactions. In this work we summarize these functions, mechanisms of chitinase regulation and their putative role during pathogen/host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Langner
- Institute for Microbiology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Vera Göhre
- Institute for Microbiology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Elías-Villalobos A, Fernández-Álvarez A, Moreno-Sánchez I, Helmlinger D, Ibeas JI. The Hos2 Histone Deacetylase Controls Ustilago maydis Virulence through Direct Regulation of Mating-Type Genes. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1005134. [PMID: 26317403 PMCID: PMC4552784 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphological changes are critical for host colonisation in plant pathogenic fungi. These changes occur at specific stages of their pathogenic cycle in response to environmental signals and are mediated by transcription factors, which act as master regulators. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play crucial roles in regulating gene expression, for example by locally modulating the accessibility of chromatin to transcriptional regulators. It has been reported that HDACs play important roles in the virulence of plant fungi. However, the specific environment-sensing pathways that control fungal virulence via HDACs remain poorly characterised. Here we address this question using the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis. We find that the HDAC Hos2 is required for the dimorphic switch and pathogenic development in U. maydis. The deletion of hos2 abolishes the cAMP-dependent expression of mating type genes. Moreover, ChIP experiments detect Hos2 binding to the gene bodies of mating-type genes, which increases in proportion to their expression level following cAMP addition. These observations suggest that Hos2 acts as a downstream component of the cAMP-PKA pathway to control the expression of mating-type genes. Interestingly, we found that Clr3, another HDAC present in U. maydis, also contributes to the cAMP-dependent regulation of mating-type gene expression, demonstrating that Hos2 is not the only HDAC involved in this control system. Overall, our results provide new insights into the role of HDACs in fungal phytopathogenesis. Many pathogenic fungi need to undergo morphological changes in order to infect their hosts. Typically, pathogenic fungi switch from a non-pathogenic yeast-like form to a polarised pathogenic filament. This morphological switch is regulated genetically and is triggered by specific environmental conditions. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are important regulators of chromatin structure and gene expression. In this study, we investigate the role of HDACs as targets of the signalling pathways that activate fungal virulence programs in response to specific external signals. We identify two specific HDACs, Hos2 and Clr3, that are required for the virulence of the corn smut fungus, Ustilago maydis. Our results reveal that Hos2 and Clr3 function in the cAMP-PKA cascade, a nutrient-sensing pathway conserved between all eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Elías-Villalobos
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, de Sevilla-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Junta de Andalucía, Sevilla, Spain
- Centre de Recherche de Biochimie Macromoléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR5237-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- * E-mail: (AEV); (JII)
| | - Alfonso Fernández-Álvarez
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, de Sevilla-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Junta de Andalucía, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ismael Moreno-Sánchez
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, de Sevilla-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Junta de Andalucía, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Dominique Helmlinger
- Centre de Recherche de Biochimie Macromoléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR5237-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - José I. Ibeas
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, de Sevilla-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Junta de Andalucía, Sevilla, Spain
- * E-mail: (AEV); (JII)
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Heimel K. Unfolded protein response in filamentous fungi-implications in biotechnology. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 99:121-32. [PMID: 25384707 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-014-6192-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Revised: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The unfolded protein response (UPR) represents a mechanism to preserve endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis that is conserved in eukaryotes. ER stress caused by the accumulation of potentially toxic un- or misfolded proteins in the ER triggers UPR activation and the induction of genes important for protein folding in the ER, ER expansion, and transport from and to the ER. Along with this adaptation, the overall capacity for protein secretion is markedly increased by the UPR. In filamentous fungi, various approaches to employ the UPR for improved production of homologous and heterologous proteins have been investigated. As the effects on protein production were strongly dependent on the expressed protein, generally applicable strategies have to be developed. A combination of transcriptomic approaches monitoring secretion stress and basic research on the UPR mechanism provided novel and important insight into the complex regulatory cross-connections between UPR signalling, cellular physiology, and developmental processes. It will be discussed how this increasing knowledge on the UPR might stimulate the development of novel strategies for using the UPR as a tool in biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Heimel
- Institut für Mikrobiologie & Genetik, Georg-August-Universität, Grisebachstr. 8, 37077, Göttingen, Germany,
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Abstract
Morphogenesis in fungi is often induced by extracellular factors and executed by fungal genetic factors. Cell surface changes and alterations of the microenvironment often accompany morphogenetic changes in fungi. In this review, we will first discuss the general traits of yeast and hyphal morphotypes and how morphogenesis affects development and adaptation by fungi to their native niches, including host niches. Then we will focus on the molecular machinery responsible for the two most fundamental growth forms, yeast and hyphae. Last, we will describe how fungi incorporate exogenous environmental and host signals together with genetic factors to determine their morphotype and how morphogenesis, in turn, shapes the fungal microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaorong Lin
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3258
| | - J Andrew Alspaugh
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Haoping Liu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Steven Harris
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588
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Gene expression associated with intersterility in Heterobasidion. Fungal Genet Biol 2014; 73:104-19. [PMID: 25459536 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2014.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Intersterility (IS) is thought to prevent mating compatibility between homokaryons that belong to different species. Although IS in Heterobasidion is regulated by the genes located at the IS loci, it is not yet known how the IS genes influence sexual compatibility and heterokaryon formation. To increase our understanding of the molecular events underlying IS, we studied mRNA abundance changes during IS compatible and incompatible interactions over time. The clustering of the transcripts into expression profiles, followed by the application of Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment pathway analysis of each of the clusters, allowed inference of biological processes participating in IS. These analyses identified events involved in mating and sexual development (i.e., linked with IS compatibility), which included processes associated with cell-cell adhesion and recognition, cell cycle control and signal transduction. We also identified events potentially involved in overriding mating between individuals belonging to different species (i.e., linked with IS incompatibility), which included reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, responses to stress (especially to oxidative stress), signal transduction and metabolic biosynthesis. Our findings thus enabled detection and characterization of gene expression changes associated with IS in Heterobasidion, as well as identification of important processes and pathways associated with this phenomenon. Overall, the results of this study increase current knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms underpinning IS in Heterobasidion and allowed for the establishment of a vital baseline for further studies.
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Perez-Nadales E, Nogueira MFA, Baldin C, Castanheira S, El Ghalid M, Grund E, Lengeler K, Marchegiani E, Mehrotra PV, Moretti M, Naik V, Oses-Ruiz M, Oskarsson T, Schäfer K, Wasserstrom L, Brakhage AA, Gow NAR, Kahmann R, Lebrun MH, Perez-Martin J, Di Pietro A, Talbot NJ, Toquin V, Walther A, Wendland J. Fungal model systems and the elucidation of pathogenicity determinants. Fungal Genet Biol 2014; 70:42-67. [PMID: 25011008 PMCID: PMC4161391 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2014.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Fungi have the capacity to cause devastating diseases of both plants and animals, causing significant harvest losses that threaten food security and human mycoses with high mortality rates. As a consequence, there is a critical need to promote development of new antifungal drugs, which requires a comprehensive molecular knowledge of fungal pathogenesis. In this review, we critically evaluate current knowledge of seven fungal organisms used as major research models for fungal pathogenesis. These include pathogens of both animals and plants; Ashbya gossypii, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Fusarium oxysporum, Magnaporthe oryzae, Ustilago maydis and Zymoseptoria tritici. We present key insights into the virulence mechanisms deployed by each species and a comparative overview of key insights obtained from genomic analysis. We then consider current trends and future challenges associated with the study of fungal pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Perez-Nadales
- Department of Genetics, Edificio Gregor Mendel, Planta 1. Campus de Rabanales, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain.
| | | | - Clara Baldin
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Beutembergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Sónia Castanheira
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y GenómicaCSIC, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Mennat El Ghalid
- Department of Genetics, Edificio Gregor Mendel, Planta 1. Campus de Rabanales, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
| | - Elisabeth Grund
- Functional Genomics of Plant Pathogenic Fungi, UMR 5240 CNRS-UCB-INSA-Bayer SAS, Bayer CropScience, 69263 Lyon, France
| | - Klaus Lengeler
- Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark
| | - Elisabetta Marchegiani
- Evolution and Genomics of Plant Pathogen Interactions, UR 1290 INRA, BIOGER-CPP, Campus AgroParisTech, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | - Pankaj Vinod Mehrotra
- Aberdeen Fungal Group, School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Marino Moretti
- Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 10, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Vikram Naik
- Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 10, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Miriam Oses-Ruiz
- School of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Therese Oskarsson
- Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark
| | - Katja Schäfer
- Department of Genetics, Edificio Gregor Mendel, Planta 1. Campus de Rabanales, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
| | - Lisa Wasserstrom
- Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Beutembergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Neil A R Gow
- Aberdeen Fungal Group, School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 10, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Marc-Henri Lebrun
- Evolution and Genomics of Plant Pathogen Interactions, UR 1290 INRA, BIOGER-CPP, Campus AgroParisTech, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France
| | - José Perez-Martin
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y GenómicaCSIC, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Antonio Di Pietro
- Department of Genetics, Edificio Gregor Mendel, Planta 1. Campus de Rabanales, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
| | - Nicholas J Talbot
- School of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Valerie Toquin
- Biochemistry Department, Bayer SAS, Bayer CropScience, CRLD, 69263 Lyon, France
| | - Andrea Walther
- Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark
| | - Jürgen Wendland
- Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark
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Wang L, Tian X, Gyawali R, Upadhyay S, Foyle D, Wang G, Cai JJ, Lin X. Morphotype transition and sexual reproduction are genetically associated in a ubiquitous environmental pathogen. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004185. [PMID: 24901238 PMCID: PMC4047104 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual reproduction in an environmental pathogen helps maximize its lineage fitness to changing environment and the host. For the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, sexual reproduction is proposed to have yielded hyper virulent and drug resistant variants. The life cycle of this pathogen commences with mating, followed by the yeast-hypha transition and hyphal growth, and it concludes with fruiting body differentiation and sporulation. How these sequential differentiation events are orchestrated to ensure developmental continuality is enigmatic. Here we revealed the genetic network of the yeast-to-hypha transition in Cryptococcus by analyzing transcriptomes of populations with a homogeneous morphotype generated by an engineered strain. Among this network, we found that a Pumilio-family protein Pum1 and the matricellular signal Cfl1 represent two major parallel circuits directing the yeast-hypha transition. Interestingly, only Pum1 coordinates the sequential morphogenesis events during a-α bisexual and α unisexual reproduction. Pum1 initiates the yeast-to-hypha transition, partially through a novel filament-specific secretory protein Fas1; Pum1 is also required to sustain hyphal growth after the morphological switch. Furthermore, Pum1 directs subsequent differentiation of aerial hyphae into fruiting bodies in both laboratory and clinical isolates. Pum1 exerts its control on sexual reproduction partly through regulating the temporal expression of Dmc1, the meiosis-specific recombinase. Therefore, Pum1 serves a pivotal role in bridging post-mating morphological differentiation events with sexual reproduction in Cryptococcus. Our findings in Cryptococcus illustrate how an environmental pathogen can ensure the completion of its life cycle to safeguard its long-term lineage success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linqi Wang
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (LW); (XL)
| | - Xiuyun Tian
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Rachana Gyawali
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Srijana Upadhyay
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Dylan Foyle
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Gang Wang
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - James J. Cai
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Xiaorong Lin
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (LW); (XL)
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The SPF27 homologue Num1 connects splicing and kinesin 1-dependent cytoplasmic trafficking in Ustilago maydis. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004046. [PMID: 24391515 PMCID: PMC3879195 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 10/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The conserved NineTeen protein complex (NTC) is an integral subunit of the spliceosome and required for intron removal during pre-mRNA splicing. The complex associates with the spliceosome and participates in the regulation of conformational changes of core spliceosomal components, stabilizing RNA-RNA- as well as RNA-protein interactions. In addition, the NTC is involved in cell cycle checkpoint control, response to DNA damage, as well as formation and export of mRNP-particles. We have identified the Num1 protein as the homologue of SPF27, one of NTC core components, in the basidiomycetous fungus Ustilago maydis. Num1 is required for polarized growth of the fungal hyphae, and, in line with the described NTC functions, the num1 mutation affects the cell cycle and cell division. The num1 deletion influences splicing in U. maydis on a global scale, as RNA-Seq analysis revealed increased intron retention rates. Surprisingly, we identified in a screen for Num1 interacting proteins not only NTC core components as Prp19 and Cef1, but several proteins with putative functions during vesicle-mediated transport processes. Among others, Num1 interacts with the motor protein Kin1 in the cytoplasm. Similar phenotypes with respect to filamentous and polar growth, vacuolar morphology, as well as the motility of early endosomes corroborate the genetic interaction between Num1 and Kin1. Our data implicate a previously unidentified connection between a component of the splicing machinery and cytoplasmic transport processes. As the num1 deletion also affects cytoplasmic mRNA transport, the protein may constitute a novel functional interconnection between the two disparate processes of splicing and trafficking. In eukaryotic cells, nascent mRNA is processed by splicing to remove introns and to join the exon sequences. The processed mRNA is then transported out of the nucleus and employed by ribosomes to synthesize proteins. Splicing is achieved by the spliceosome and associated protein complexes, among them the so-called NineTeen complex (NTC). We have identified the Num1 protein as one of the core components of the NTC in the fungus Ustilago maydis, and could show that it is required for polarized growth of the filamentous fungal cells. Consistent with the NTC function, cells with a num1-deletion show reduced splicing of mRNA. Moreover, we uncover a novel cytoplasmic function of the Num1 protein: It physically interacts with the microtubule-associated Kinesin 1 motor protein, and phenotypic analyses corroborate that both proteins are functionally connected. Our findings reveal a yet unidentified role of a global splicing factor during intracellular trafficking processes. A possible connection between these disparate mechanisms presumably resides in mRNA-export out of the nucleus and/or the transport of mRNA within the cytoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Göhre
- Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Institute for Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Carl Haag
- Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Institute for Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Michael Feldbrügge
- Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Institute for Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Heimel K, Freitag J, Hampel M, Ast J, Bölker M, Kämper J. Crosstalk between the unfolded protein response and pathways that regulate pathogenic development in Ustilago maydis. THE PLANT CELL 2013; 25:4262-77. [PMID: 24179126 PMCID: PMC3877826 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.113.115899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a conserved eukaryotic signaling pathway regulating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis during ER stress, which results, for example, from an increased demand for protein secretion. Here, we characterize the homologs of the central UPR regulatory proteins Hac1 (for Homologous to ATF/CREB1) and Inositol Requiring Enzyme1 in the plant pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis and demonstrate that the UPR is tightly interlinked with the b mating-type-dependent signaling pathway that regulates pathogenic development. Exact timing of UPR is required for virulence, since premature activation interferes with the b-dependent switch from budding to filamentous growth. In addition, we found crosstalk between UPR and the b target Clampless1 (Clp1), which is essential for cell cycle release and proliferation in planta. The unusual C-terminal extension of the U. maydis Hac1 homolog, Cib1 (for Clp1 interacting bZIP1), mediates direct interaction with Clp1. The interaction between Clp1 and Cib1 promotes stabilization of Clp1, resulting in enhanced ER stress tolerance that prevents deleterious UPR hyperactivation. Thus, the interaction between Cib1 and Clp1 constitutes a checkpoint to time developmental progression and increased secretion of effector proteins at the onset of biotrophic development. Crosstalk between UPR and the b mating-type regulated developmental program adapts ER homeostasis to the changing demands during biotrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Heimel
- Georg-August-University Göttingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Bioscience, Department of Genetics, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Johannes Freitag
- Philipps-University Marburg, Department of Biology, 35032 Marburg, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Martin Hampel
- Georg-August-University Göttingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ast
- Philipps-University Marburg, Department of Biology, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Michael Bölker
- Philipps-University Marburg, Department of Biology, 35032 Marburg, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), 35032 Marburg, Germany
- Address correspondence to
| | - Jörg Kämper
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Bioscience, Department of Genetics, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany
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Systematic deletion of homeobox genes in Podospora anserina uncovers their roles in shaping the fruiting body. PLoS One 2012; 7:e37488. [PMID: 22662159 PMCID: PMC3360767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2012] [Accepted: 04/20/2012] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Higher fungi, which comprise ascomycetes and basidiomycetes, play major roles in the biosphere. Their evolutionary success may be due to the extended dikaryotic stage of their life cycle, which is the basis for their scientific name: the Dikarya. Dikaryosis is maintained by similar structures, the clamp in basidiomycetes and the crozier in ascomycetes. Homeodomain transcription factors are required for clamp formation in all basidiomycetes studied. We identified all the homeobox genes in the filamentous ascomycete fungus Podospora anserina and constructed deletion mutants for each of these genes and for a number of gene combinations. Croziers developed normally in these mutants, including those with up to six deleted homeogenes. However, some mutants had defects in maturation of the fruiting body, an effect that could be rescued by providing wild-type maternal hyphae. Analysis of mutants deficient in multiple homeogenes revealed interactions between the genes, suggesting that they operate as a complex network. Similar to their role in animals and plants, homeodomain transcription factors in ascomycetes are involved in shaping multicellular structures.
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Dean R, Van Kan JAL, Pretorius ZA, Hammond-Kosack KE, Di Pietro A, Spanu PD, Rudd JJ, Dickman M, Kahmann R, Ellis J, Foster GD. The Top 10 fungal pathogens in molecular plant pathology. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2012. [PMID: 22471698 DOI: 10.1111/j.1364-3703.2012.2011.00783.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this review was to survey all fungal pathologists with an association with the journal Molecular Plant Pathology and ask them to nominate which fungal pathogens they would place in a 'Top 10' based on scientific/economic importance. The survey generated 495 votes from the international community, and resulted in the generation of a Top 10 fungal plant pathogen list for Molecular Plant Pathology. The Top 10 list includes, in rank order, (1) Magnaporthe oryzae; (2) Botrytis cinerea; (3) Puccinia spp.; (4) Fusarium graminearum; (5) Fusarium oxysporum; (6) Blumeria graminis; (7) Mycosphaerella graminicola; (8) Colletotrichum spp.; (9) Ustilago maydis; (10) Melampsora lini, with honourable mentions for fungi just missing out on the Top 10, including Phakopsora pachyrhizi and Rhizoctonia solani. This article presents a short resumé of each fungus in the Top 10 list and its importance, with the intent of initiating discussion and debate amongst the plant mycology community, as well as laying down a bench-mark. It will be interesting to see in future years how perceptions change and what fungi will comprise any future Top 10.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph Dean
- Department of Plant Pathology, Fungal Genomics Laboratory, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
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Dean R, Van Kan JAL, Pretorius ZA, Hammond-Kosack KE, Di Pietro A, Spanu PD, Rudd JJ, Dickman M, Kahmann R, Ellis J, Foster GD. The Top 10 fungal pathogens in molecular plant pathology. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2012; 13:414-30. [PMID: 22471698 PMCID: PMC6638784 DOI: 10.1111/j.1364-3703.2011.00783.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2149] [Impact Index Per Article: 179.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this review was to survey all fungal pathologists with an association with the journal Molecular Plant Pathology and ask them to nominate which fungal pathogens they would place in a 'Top 10' based on scientific/economic importance. The survey generated 495 votes from the international community, and resulted in the generation of a Top 10 fungal plant pathogen list for Molecular Plant Pathology. The Top 10 list includes, in rank order, (1) Magnaporthe oryzae; (2) Botrytis cinerea; (3) Puccinia spp.; (4) Fusarium graminearum; (5) Fusarium oxysporum; (6) Blumeria graminis; (7) Mycosphaerella graminicola; (8) Colletotrichum spp.; (9) Ustilago maydis; (10) Melampsora lini, with honourable mentions for fungi just missing out on the Top 10, including Phakopsora pachyrhizi and Rhizoctonia solani. This article presents a short resumé of each fungus in the Top 10 list and its importance, with the intent of initiating discussion and debate amongst the plant mycology community, as well as laying down a bench-mark. It will be interesting to see in future years how perceptions change and what fungi will comprise any future Top 10.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph Dean
- Department of Plant Pathology, Fungal Genomics Laboratory, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
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Pérez-Martín J, de Sena-Tomás C. Dikaryotic cell cycle in the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis is controlled by the DNA damage response cascade. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2011; 6:1574-7. [PMID: 21918381 PMCID: PMC3256387 DOI: 10.4161/psb.6.10.17055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2011] [Accepted: 06/27/2011] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
In a large group of fungi, mating results in a dikaryon, a cell in which the two nuclei--one from each parent cell--share a single cytoplasm for a period of time without undergoing nuclear fusion. The dikaryon stage is typical in the life cycles of many fungal species primarily in the Basidiomycota, a large group that includes mushrooms, bracket fungi and many phytopathogenic fungi, such as the corn pathogen Ustilago maydis. Recently, we described that in U. maydis two conserved DNA-damage checkpoint kinases, Chk1 and Atr1, work together to control the dikaryon formation. However, how this pathway is activated during the dikaryon formation and how its activation/deactivation is coordinated with the different cell cycle phases is unknown. Here we propose and discuss several hypothesis to address these questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Pérez-Martín
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
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Vollmeister E, Schipper K, Baumann S, Haag C, Pohlmann T, Stock J, Feldbrügge M. Fungal development of the plant pathogen Ustilago maydis. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2011; 36:59-77. [PMID: 21729109 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2011.00296.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The maize pathogen Ustilago maydis has to undergo various morphological transitions for the completion of its sexual life cycle. For example, haploid cells respond to pheromone by forming conjugation tubes that fuse at their tips. The resulting dikaryon grows filamentously, expanding rapidly at the apex and inserting retraction septa at the basal pole. In this review, we present progress on the underlying mechanisms regulating such defined developmental programmes. The key findings of the postgenomic era are as follows: (1) endosomes function not only during receptor recycling, but also as multifunctional transport platforms; (2) a new transcriptional master regulator for pathogenicity is part of an intricate transcriptional network; (3) determinants for uniparental mitochondrial inheritance are encoded at the a2 mating-type locus; (4) microtubule-dependent mRNA transport is important in determining the axis of polarity; and (5) a battery of fungal effectors encoded in gene clusters is crucial for plant infection. Importantly, most processes are tightly controlled at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational levels, resulting in a complex regulatory network. This intricate system is crucial for the timing of the correct order of developmental phases. Thus, new insights from all layers of regulation have substantially advanced our understanding of fungal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Vollmeister
- Institute for Microbiology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Freitag J, Lanver D, Böhmer C, Schink KO, Bölker M, Sandrock B. Septation of infectious hyphae is critical for appressoria formation and virulence in the smut fungus Ustilago maydis. PLoS Pathog 2011; 7:e1002044. [PMID: 21625538 PMCID: PMC3098242 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2010] [Accepted: 03/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Differentiation of hyphae into specialized infection structures, known as appressoria, is a common feature of plant pathogenic fungi that penetrate the plant cuticle. Appressorium formation in U. maydis is triggered by environmental signals but the molecular mechanism of this hyphal differentiation is largely unknown. Infectious hyphae grow on the leaf surface by inserting regularly spaced retraction septa at the distal end of the tip cell leaving empty sections of collapsed hyphae behind. Here we show that formation of retraction septa is critical for appressorium formation and virulence in U. maydis. We demonstrate that the diaphanous-related formin Drf1 is necessary for actomyosin ring formation during septation of infectious hyphae. Drf1 acts as an effector of a Cdc42 GTPase signaling module, which also consists of the Cdc42-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor Don1 and the Ste20-like kinase Don3. Deletion of drf1, don1 or don3 abolished formation of retraction septa resulting in reduced virulence. Appressorium formation in these mutants was not completely blocked but infection structures were found only at the tip of short filaments indicating that retraction septa are necessary for appressorium formation in extended infectious hyphae. In addition, appressoria of drf1 mutants penetrated the plant tissue less frequently. Pathogens exhibit various developmental stages during the process of infection and proliferation. The basidiomycete Ustilago maydis is a model organism for plant pathogenic fungi. On the plant surface U. maydis grows as a cell-cycle arrested filament. Growth of infectious hyphae involves regular formation of retraction septa leaving empty sections behind. The tip cell forms an appressorium and penetrates the cuticle. In this study we identified for the first time a signaling module regulating formation of retraction septa in fungal hyphae. The module consists of the highly conserved small GTPase Cdc42, its activator Don1 and the actin-organizing formin Drf1. After penetration of the plant, cell cycle arrest is released and hyphal septation is resumed in planta but was found to be independent of Cdc42 and Drf1. Thus, during infection Cdc42 signaling and Drf1 coordinate hyphal septation events specifically in infectious hyphae in U. maydis. The inability to form retraction septa affects filament elongation and appressorium formation resulting in significantly reduced virulence. We observed a threshold size of the cytoplasm filled tip compartment above which appressorium formation is blocked. These findings highlight that formation of retraction septa, a common feature of filamentous fungi, is an important virulence determinant of U. maydis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Freitag
- Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Lanver
- Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Marburg, Germany
| | - Christian Böhmer
- Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kay Oliver Schink
- Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Michael Bölker
- Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Björn Sandrock
- Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Vollmeister E, Feldbrügge M. Posttranscriptional control of growth and development in Ustilago maydis. Curr Opin Microbiol 2010; 13:693-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2010.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2010] [Accepted: 08/31/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Kruzel EK, Hull CM. Establishing an unusual cell type: how to make a dikaryon. Curr Opin Microbiol 2010; 13:706-11. [PMID: 21036099 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2010.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2010] [Revised: 09/25/2010] [Accepted: 09/28/2010] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The dikaryons of basidiomycete fungi represent an unusual cell type required for complete sexual development. Dikaryon formation occurs via the activities of cell type-specific homeodomain transcription factors, which form regulatory complexes to establish the dikaryotic state. Decades of classical genetic and cell biological studies in mushrooms have provided a foundation for more recent molecular studies in the pathogenic species Ustilago maydis and Cryptococcus neoformans. Studies in these systems have revealed novel mechanisms of regulation that function downstream of classic homeodomain complexes to ensure that dikaryons are established and propagated. Comparisons of these dikaryon-specific networks promise to reveal the nature of regulatory network evolution and the adaptations responsible for driving complex eukaryotic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia K Kruzel
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53706, United States
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