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Sun T, Li Y, Li J, Gao J, Zhang J, Fischer R, Shen Q, Yu Z. Red and far-red light improve the antagonistic ability of Trichoderma guizhouense against phytopathogenic fungi by promoting phytochrome-dependent aerial hyphal growth. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011282. [PMID: 38768261 PMCID: PMC11142658 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Light as a source of information regulates morphological and physiological processes of fungi, including development, primary and secondary metabolism, or the circadian rhythm. Light signaling in fungi depends on photoreceptors and downstream components that amplify the signal to govern the expression of an array of genes. Here, we investigated the effects of red and far-red light in the mycoparasite Trichoderma guizhouense on its mycoparasitic potential. We show that the invasion strategy of T. guizhouense depends on the attacked species and that red and far-red light increased aerial hyphal growth and led to faster overgrowth or invasion of the colonies. Molecular experiments and transcriptome analyses revealed that red and far-red light are sensed by phytochrome FPH1 and further transmitted by the downstream MAPK HOG pathway and the bZIP transcription factor ATF1. Overexpression of the red- and far-red light-induced fluffy gene fluG in the dark resulted in abundant aerial hyphae formation and thereby improvement of its antagonistic ability against phytopathogenic fungi. Hence, light-induced fluG expression is important for the mycoparasitic interaction. The increased aggressiveness of fluG-overexpressing strains was phenocopied by four random mutants obtained after UV mutagenesis. Therefore, aerial hyphae formation appears to be a trait for the antagonistic potential of T. guizhouense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Sun
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yifan Li
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jie Li
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jia Gao
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - South Campus, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jian Zhang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Reinhard Fischer
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - South Campus, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Qirong Shen
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhenzhong Yu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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Hatfield BM, LaSarre B, Liu M, Dong H, Nettleton D, Beattie GA. Light cues induce protective anticipation of environmental water loss in terrestrial bacteria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2309632120. [PMID: 37695906 PMCID: PMC10515139 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309632120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The ecological significance of light perception in nonphotosynthetic bacteria remains largely elusive. In terrestrial environments, diurnal oscillations in light are often temporally coupled to other environmental changes, including increased temperature and evaporation. Here, we report that light functions as an anticipatory cue that triggers protective adaptations to tolerate a future rapid loss of environmental water. We demonstrate this photo-anticipatory stress tolerance in leaf-associated Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Pss) and other plant- and soil-associated pseudomonads. We found that light influences the expression of 30% of the Pss genome, indicating that light is a global regulatory signal, and this signaling occurs almost entirely via a bacteriophytochrome photoreceptor that senses red, far-red, and blue wavelengths. Bacteriophytochrome-mediated light control disproportionally up-regulates water-stress adaptation functions and confers enhanced fitness when cells encounter light prior to water limitation. Given the rapid speed at which water can evaporate from leaf surfaces, such anticipatory activation of a protective response enhances fitness beyond that of a reactive stress response alone, with recurring diurnal wet-dry cycles likely further amplifying the fitness advantage over time. These findings demonstrate that nonphotosynthetic bacteria can use light as a cue to mount an adaptive anticipatory response against a physiologically unrelated but ecologically coupled stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget M. Hatfield
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA50011
| | - Breah LaSarre
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA50011
| | - Meiling Liu
- Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA50011
| | - Haili Dong
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA50011
| | - Dan Nettleton
- Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA50011
| | - Gwyn A. Beattie
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA50011
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Vrabl P, Zottele M, Colleselli L, Schinagl CW, Mayerhofer L, Siewert B, Strasser H. Light in the box-photobiological examination chamber with light trap ventilation system for studying fungal surface cultures illustrated with Metarhizium brunneum and Beauveria brongniartii. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2023; 10:11. [PMID: 37248509 PMCID: PMC10228068 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-023-00159-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to their versatile way of life as saprophytes, endophytes, and entomopathogens, fungi of the genera Metarhizium and Beauveria are exposed to varying illumination conditions in their natural habitats, which makes a thorough adaptation to light very likely. While the few available studies for these genera support this assumption, research in this field is still in its infancy and the data material restricted to only a few fungal species. Thus, the aim of this work was to explore how light influences growth, conidial production and secondary metabolite formation of two industrial relevant strains of M. brunneum (MA 43, formerly M. anisopliae var. anisopliae BIPESCO 5/F52) and B. brongniartii (BIPESCO 2). To achieve this, we constructed an easily adjustable illumination device for highly standardized photophysiological studies of fungi on Petri dishes, the so-called LIGHT BOX. With the aid of this device, M. brunneum and B. brongniartii were grown on S4G or S2G agar at 25 °C for 14 days either in complete darkness or under constant illumination with red light (λpeak = 635 nm), green light (λpeak = 519 nm) or blue light (λpeak = 452 nm). In addition, for each wavelength the effect of different illumination intensities was tested, i.e., intensities of red light ranging from 22.1 ± 0.1 to 136.5 ± 0.3 µW cm-2, green light from 16.5 ± 0.1 to 96.2 ± 0.1 µW cm-2, and blue light from 56.1 ± 0.2 to 188.9 ± 0.6 µW cm-2. Both fungi strongly responded in terms of growth, conidial production, pigmentation and morphology to changes in the wavelength and irradiation intensity. The wavelength-dependent production of the well-known secondary metabolite oosporein which is secreted by the genus Beauveria in particular, was also increased under green and blue light exposure. The established LIGHT BOX system allows not only to optimize conidial production yields with these biotechnologically relevant fungi, but also allows the photobiological exploration of other fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Vrabl
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Maria Zottele
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lucia Colleselli
- Department of Biotechnology & Food Engineering, MCI-The Entrepreneurial School, Maximilianstraße 2, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christoph Walter Schinagl
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Biotechnology & Food Engineering, MCI-The Entrepreneurial School, Maximilianstraße 2, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Laura Mayerhofer
- Institute of Pharmacy/Pharmacognosy, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Bianka Siewert
- Institute of Pharmacy/Pharmacognosy, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hermann Strasser
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
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Liu JH, Dong JC, Gao JJ, Li XP, Hu SJ, Li J, Hu WX, Zhao XY, Wang JJ, Qiu L. Three Chitin Deacetylase Family Members of Beauveria bassiana Modulate Asexual Reproduction and Virulence of Fungi by Mediating Chitin Metabolism and Affect Fungal Parasitism and Saprophytic Life. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0474822. [PMID: 36786652 PMCID: PMC10101055 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04748-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
As an important chitin-modifying enzyme, chitin deacetylase (CDA) has been characterized in many fungi, but its function in the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana remains unclear. Three CDAs with conserved domains of the carbohydrate esterase 4 (CE-4) family were identified in B. bassiana. Disruption of CDA1 resulted in growth restriction of the fungus on medium with chitin as a carbon source or without a carbon source. Deletion of CDA1 and CDA2 led to defects in fungal conidial formation and conidial vitality compared with those of the wild type (WT), and the conidial yield decreased by 25.81% to 47.68%. Inactivation of three CDA genes resulted in a decrease of 20.23% to 27% in the blastospore yield. ΔCDA1 and ΔCDA3 showed 29.33% and 23.34% reductions in cuticular infection virulence, respectively. However, the CDA family may not contribute to hemocoel infection virulence. Additionally, the sporulation of the insect carcass showed that the three gene deletion mutants were 68.45%, 63.84%, and 56.65% less than WT. Penetration experiments with cicada wings and enzyme activity assays were used to further explore the effect of the fungus on chitin metabolism after gene deletion. Although the three gene deletion mutants penetrated the cicada wings successfully and continued to grow on the underlying medium, their colony sizes were reduced by 29.12% to 47.76%. The CDA enzyme activity of ΔCDA1 and ΔCDA3 decreased by 84.76% and 83.04%, respectively. These data showed that members of the CDA family play a different role in fungal growth, conidial quality, and virulence. IMPORTANCE In this study, we report the roles of CDA family in entomopathogenic fungus B. bassiana. Our results indicated that CDA modulates asexual development and regulates fungal virulence by altering chitin deacetylation and metabolic capacity. CDA affected the biological control potential and life history of B. bassiana by affecting its parasitic and saprophytic life. These findings provide novel insights into the roles of multiple CDA paralogues existing in fungal biocontrol agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Hua Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Jing-Chong Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Jun-Jie Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Xin-Peng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Shun-Juan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Juan Li
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, China
| | - Wen-Xiao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Xian-Yan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Juan-Juan Wang
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, China
| | - Lei Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
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Cerón-Bustamante M, Balducci E, Beccari G, Nicholson P, Covarelli L, Benincasa P. Effect of light spectra on cereal fungal pathogens, a review. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2022.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Current developments in the resistance, quality, and production of entomopathogenic fungi. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 38:115. [PMID: 35581403 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-022-03301-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
There is a worldwide concern to achieve food security with a sustainable approach, including the generation and implementation of techniques for the production of high-quality chemical-free crops. This food revolution has promoted the development and consolidation of programmes for integrated pest management. Some of those programmes include the use of diverse organisms (biological control agents) to suppress populations of pests potentially harmful to the crops. Among these biological control agents are entomopathogenic fungi that are highly effective in suppressing a diversity of insects and have, therefore, been produced and marketed throughout the world. However, the bottleneck for applying entomopathogenic fungi is the production of propagules (blastospores and conidia) with resistance to environment conditions and abiotic factors, maintaining high quality in terms of virulence. Therefore, this manuscript presents recent studies related to increasing resistance and quality using different bioreactors to produce conidia. The above presents a global panorama related to current developments that contribute to improving the resistance, quality, and production of entomopathogenic fungal propagules.
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In-on A, Thananusak R, Ruengjitchatchawalya M, Vongsangnak W, Laomettachit T. Construction of Light-Responsive Gene Regulatory Network for Growth, Development and Secondary Metabolite Production in Cordyceps militaris. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11010071. [PMID: 35053069 PMCID: PMC8773263 DOI: 10.3390/biology11010071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Cordyceps militaris is an edible fungus that produces many beneficial compounds, including cordycepin and carotenoid. In many fungi, growth, development and secondary metabolite production are controlled by crosstalk between light-signaling pathways and other regulatory cascades. However, little is known about the gene regulation upon light exposure in C. militaris. This study aims to construct a gene regulatory network (GRN) that responds to light in C. militaris. First, a genome-scale GRN was built based on transcription factor (TF)-target gene interactions predicted from the Regulatory Sequence Analysis Tools (RSAT). Then, a light-responsive GRN was extracted by integrating the transcriptomic data onto the genome-scale GRN. The light-responsive network contains 2689 genes and 6837 interactions. From the network, five TFs, Snf21 (CCM_04586), an AT-hook DNA-binding motif TF (CCM_08536), a homeobox TF (CCM_07504), a forkhead box protein L2 (CCM_02646) and a heat shock factor Hsf1 (CCM_05142), were identified as key regulators that co-regulate a large group of growth and developmental genes. The identified regulatory network and expression profiles from our analysis suggested how light may induce the growth and development of C. militaris into a sexual cycle. The light-mediated regulation also couples fungal development with cordycepin and carotenoid production. This study leads to an enhanced understanding of the light-responsive regulation of growth, development and secondary metabolite production in the fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammarin In-on
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10150, Thailand; (A.I.-o.); (M.R.)
- School of Information Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10150, Thailand
| | - Roypim Thananusak
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand;
| | - Marasri Ruengjitchatchawalya
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10150, Thailand; (A.I.-o.); (M.R.)
- Biotechnology Program, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10150, Thailand
| | - Wanwipa Vongsangnak
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food and Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Correspondence: (W.V.); (T.L.)
| | - Teeraphan Laomettachit
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10150, Thailand; (A.I.-o.); (M.R.)
- Theoretical and Computational Physics (TCP) Group, Center of Excellence in Theoretical and Computational Science (TaCS-CoE), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10150, Thailand
- Correspondence: (W.V.); (T.L.)
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Dias LP, Souza RKF, Pupin B, Rangel DEN. Conidiation under illumination enhances conidial tolerance of insect-pathogenic fungi to environmental stresses. Fungal Biol 2021; 125:891-904. [PMID: 34649676 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2021.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Light is an important signal for fungi in the environment and induces many genes with roles in stress and virulence responses. Conidia of the entomopathogenic fungi Aschersonia aleyrodis, Beauveria bassiana, Cordyceps fumosorosea, Lecanicillium aphanocladii, Metarhizium anisopliae, Metarhizium brunneum, Metarhizium robertsii, Simplicillium lanosoniveum, Tolypocladium cylindrosporum, and Tolypocladium inflatum were produced on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium under continuous white light, on PDA medium in the dark, or under nutritional stress (= Czapek medium without sucrose = MM) in the dark. The conidial tolerance of these species produced under these different conditions were evaluated in relation to heat stress, oxidative stress (menadione), osmotic stress (KCl), UV radiation, and genotoxic stress caused by 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4-NQO). Several fungal species demonstrated greater stress tolerance when conidia were produced under white light than in the dark; for instance white light induced higher tolerance of A. aleyrodis to KCl and 4-NQO; B. bassiana to KCl and 4-NQO; C. fumosorosea to UV radiation; M. anisopliae to heat and menadione; M. brunneum to menadione, KCl, UV radiation, and 4-NQO; M. robertsii to heat, menadione, KCl, and UV radiation; and T. cylindrosporum to menadione and KCl. However, conidia of L. aphanocladii, S. lanosoniveum, and T. inflatum produced under white light exhibited similar tolerance as conidia produced in the dark. When conidia were produced on MM, a much stronger stress tolerance was found for B. bassiana to menadione, KCl, UV radiation, and 4-NQO; C. fumosorosea to KCl and 4-NQO; Metarhizium species to heat, menadione, KCl, and UV radiation; T. cylindrosporum to menadione and UV radiation; and T. inflatum to heat and UV radiation. Again, conidia of L. aphanocladii and S. lanosoniveum produced on MM had similar tolerance to conidia produced on PDA medium in the dark. Therefore, white light is an important factor that induces higher stress tolerance in some insect-pathogenic fungi, but growth in nutritional stress always provides in conidia with stronger stress tolerance than conidia produced under white light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana P Dias
- Escola de Engenharia de Lorena da Universidade de São Paulo (EEL/USP), Lorena, SP, 12602-810, Brazil
| | | | - Breno Pupin
- Centro de Ciência do Sistema Terrestre, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais - INPE, São José dos Campos, SP, 12227-010, Brazil
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The N-mannosyltransferase gene BbAlg9 contributes to cell wall integrity, fungal development and the pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana. Fungal Biol 2021; 125:776-784. [PMID: 34537173 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2021.04.011] [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: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The mannosyltransferase Alg9 plays a vital role in N-linked protein glycosylation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but its function in most filamentous fungi is not clear. The present study characterized BbAlg9 (an ortholog of S. cerevisiae Alg9) in Beauveria bassiana to determine the roles of N-mannosyltransferase in biological control potential of the filamentous entomopathogenic fungus. The disruption of BbAlg9 led to slower fungal growth in media with various nutrition compositions. The conidiation of ΔBbAlg9 was less than that of the wild type from the third to the fifth day but showed no significant difference on the sixth day, suggesting that BbAlg9 affects the development of conidia rather than conidial yield of late stage. ΔBbAlg9 showed defects in conidial germination, multiple stress tolerances and the yield of blastospores, with altered size and density, and virulence in hosts infected via the immersion and injection methods. The deletion of BbAlg9 resulted in defects in cell wall integrity, including increased mannoprotein and glucan content and decreased chitin content, which were accompanied by transcriptional activation or suppression of genes related to cell wall component biosynthesis. Notably, deletion of the N-mannosyltransferase BbAlg9 altered the transcription levels of O-mannosyltransferase genes (Pmt and Ktr family). These data show that BbAlg9 is involved in the fungal development, conidial stress tolerance, cell wall integrity and virulence of B. bassiana.
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Wang JJ, Yin YP, Song JZ, Hu SJ, Cheng W, Qiu L. A p53-like transcription factor, BbTFO1, contributes to virulence and oxidative and thermal stress tolerances in the insect pathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249350. [PMID: 33788872 PMCID: PMC8011754 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The p53-like transcription factor (TF) NDT80 plays a vital role in the regulation of pathogenic mechanisms and meiosis in certain fungi. However, the effects of NDT80 on entomopathogenic fungi are still unknown. In this paper, the NDT80 orthologue BbTFO1 was examined in Beauveria bassiana, a filamentous entomopathogenic fungus, to explore the role of an NDT80-like protein for fungal pest control potential. Disruption of BbTFO1 resulted in impaired resistance to oxidative stress (OS) in a growth assay under OS and a 50% minimum inhibitory concentration experiment. Intriguingly, the oxidation resistance changes were accompanied by transcriptional repression of the two key antioxidant enzyme genes cat2 and cat5. ΔBbTFO1 also displayed defective conidial germination, virulence and heat resistance. The specific supplementation of BbTFO1 reversed these phenotypic changes. As revealed by this work, BbTFO1 can affect the transcription of catalase genes and play vital roles in the maintenance of phenotypes associated with the biological control ability of B. bassiana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan-Juan Wang
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, China
- * E-mail: (JJW); (LQ)
| | - Ya-Ping Yin
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, China
| | - Ji-Zheng Song
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
- Maize Research Institute, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Shun-Juan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Wen Cheng
- Maize Research Institute, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Lei Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
- * E-mail: (JJW); (LQ)
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Losi A, Gärtner W. A light life together: photosensing in the plant microbiota. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2021; 20:451-473. [PMID: 33721277 DOI: 10.1007/s43630-021-00029-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria and fungi of the plant microbiota can be phytopathogens, parasites or symbionts that establish mutually advantageous relationships with plants. They are often rich in photoreceptors for UVA-Visible light, and in many cases, they exhibit light regulation of growth patterns, infectivity or virulence, reproductive traits, and production of pigments and of metabolites. In addition to the light-driven effects, often demonstrated via the generation of photoreceptor gene knock-outs, microbial photoreceptors can exert effects also in the dark. Interestingly, some fungi switch their attitude towards plants in dependence of illumination or dark conditions in as much as they may be symbiotic or pathogenic. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the roles of light and photoreceptors in plant-associated bacteria and fungi aiming at the identification of common traits and general working ideas. Still, reports on light-driven infection of plants are often restricted to the description of macroscopically observable phenomena, whereas detailed information on the molecular level, e.g., protein-protein interaction during signal transduction or induction mechanisms of infectivity/virulence initiation remains sparse. As it becomes apparent from still only few molecular studies, photoreceptors, often from the red- and the blue light sensitive groups interact and mutually modulate their individual effects. The topic is of great relevance, even in economic terms, referring to plant-pathogen or plant-symbionts interactions, considering the increasing usage of artificial illumination in greenhouses, the possible light-regulation of the synthesis of plant-growth stimulating substances or herbicides by certain symbionts, and the biocontrol of pests by selected fungi and bacteria in a sustainable agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aba Losi
- Department of Mathematical, Physical and Computer Sciences, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 7/A, 43124, Parma, Italy.
| | - Wolfgang Gärtner
- Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Linnéstrasse 3, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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Qiu L, Nie SX, Hu SJ, Wang SJ, Wang JJ, Guo K. Screening of Beauveria bassiana with high biocontrol potential based on ARTP mutagenesis and high-throughput FACS. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 171:104732. [PMID: 33357554 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2020.104732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Beauveria bassiana is a promising biocontrol agent due to its entomopathogenic activities and residue-free characteristics. However, its susceptibility to abiotic stresses and naturally low virulence limit the effective application of this fungus. To effectively obtain fungal strains with high biocontrol potential, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) was used to screen mutant libraries generated by atmospheric and room temperature plasma (ARTP). Among about 8000 mutants obtained by ARTP mutagenesis, six candidate mutants were selected according to the forward scatter (FSC) signal readings of FACS. B6, with a 37.4% higher FSC reading than wild-type (WT), showed a 32.6% increase in virulence. It also presented a 13.5% decrease in median germinating time (GT50) and a 12.1% increase in blastospore production. Comparative analysis between insect transcriptional responses to B6 and WT infection showed that the immune response coupled with protein digestion and absorption progress was highly activated in B6-infected Galleria mellonella larvae, while fatty acid synthesis was suppressed after 3 days of infection. Our results confirmed the feasibility of sorting B. bassiana with high biocontrol potential via the combination of ARTP and FACS and facilitated the understanding of insect-pathogen interactions, highlighting a new strategy for modifying entomopathogenic fungi to improve the efficiency of biological control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China.
| | - Sheng-Xin Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Shun-Juan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Shou-Juan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Juan-Juan Wang
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, China.
| | - Kai Guo
- Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
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Zhu Z, Yang M, Bai Y, Ge F, Wang S. Antioxidant-related catalase CTA1 regulates development, aflatoxin biosynthesis, and virulence in pathogenic fungus Aspergillus flavus. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:2792-2810. [PMID: 32250030 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) induce the synthesis of a myriad of secondary metabolites, including aflatoxins. It raises significant concern as it is a potent environmental contaminant. In Aspergillus flavus., antioxidant enzymes link ROS stress response with coordinated gene regulation of aflatoxin biosynthesis. In this study, we characterized the function of a core component of the antioxidant enzyme catalase (CTA1) of A. flavus. Firstly, we verified the presence of cta1 corresponding protein (CTA1) by Western blot analysis and mass-spectrometry based analysis. Then, the functional study revealed that the growth, sporulation and sclerotia formation significantly increased, while aflatoxins production and virulence were decreased in the cta1 deletion mutant as compared with the WT and complementary strains. Furthermore, the absence of the cta1 gene resulted in a significant rise in the intracellular ROS level, which in turn added to the oxidative stress level of cells. A further quantitative proteomics investigation hinted that in vivo, CTA1 might maintain the ROS level to facilitate the aflatoxin synthesis. All in all, the pleiotropic phenotype of A. flavus CTA1 deletion mutant revealed that the antioxidant system plays a crucial role in fungal development, aflatoxins biosynthesis and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Mingkun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.,State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Youhuang Bai
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Feng Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Shihua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
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Tong SM, Wang DY, Cai Q, Ying SH, Feng MG. Opposite Nuclear Dynamics of Two FRH-Dominated Frequency Proteins Orchestrate Non-Rhythmic Conidiation in Beauveria bassiana. Cells 2020; 9:cells9030626. [PMID: 32151014 PMCID: PMC7140403 DOI: 10.3390/cells9030626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-rhythmic conidiation favors large-scale production of conidia serving as active ingredients of fungal insecticides, but its regulatory mechanism is unknown. Here, we report that two FREQUENCY (FRQ) proteins (Frq1/2) governed by a unique FRQ-interacting RNA helicase (FRH) orchestrate this valuable trait in Beauveria bassiana, an asexual insect-pathogenic fungus. Frq1 (964 aa) and Frq2 (583 aa) exhibited opposite expression dynamics (rhythms) in nucleus and steadily high expression levels in cytoplasm under light or in darkness no matter whether one of them was present or absent. Such opposite nuclear dynamics presented a total FRQ (pooled Frq1/2) level sufficient to persistently activate central developmental pathway in daytime and nighttime and supports continuous (non-rhythmic) conidiation for rapid maximization of conidial production in a fashion independent of photoperiod change. Importantly, both nuclear dynamics and cytoplasmic stability of Frq1 and Frq2 were abolished in the absence of the FRH-coding gene nonessential for the fungal viability, highlighting an indispensability of FRH for the behaviors of Frq1 and Frq2 in both nucleus and cytoplasm. These findings uncover a novel circadian system more complicated than the well-known Neurospora model that controls rhythmic conidiation, and provide a novel insight into molecular control of non-rhythmic conidiation in B. bassiana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen-Miao Tong
- College of Agricultural and Food Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin’an 311300, Zhejiang, China
- Correspondence: (S.M.T.); (M.G.F.)
| | - Ding-Yi Wang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qing Cai
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Sheng-Hua Ying
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ming-Guang Feng
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
- Correspondence: (S.M.T.); (M.G.F.)
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15
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Dias LP, Pedrini N, Braga GUL, Ferreira PC, Pupin B, Araújo CAS, Corrochano LM, Rangel DEN. Outcome of blue, green, red, and white light on Metarhizium robertsii during mycelial growth on conidial stress tolerance and gene expression. Fungal Biol 2019; 124:263-272. [PMID: 32389288 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Fungi sense light and utilize it as a source of environmental information to prepare against many stressful conditions in nature. In this study, Metarhizium robertsii was grown on: 1) potato dextrose agar medium (PDA) in the dark (control); 2) under nutritive stress in the dark; and 3) PDA under continuous (A) white light; (B) blue light lower irradiance = LI; (C) blue light higher irradiance = HI; (D) green light; and (E) red light. Conidia produced under these treatments were tested against osmotic stress and UV radiation. In addition, a suite of genes usually involved in different stress responses were selected to study their expression patterns. Conidia produced under nutritive stress in the dark were the most tolerant to both osmotic stress and UV radiation, and the majority of their stress- and virulence-related genes were up-regulated. For osmotic stress tolerance, conidia produced under white, blue LI, and blue HI lights were the second most tolerant, followed by conidia produced under green light. Conidia produced under red light were the least tolerant to osmotic stress and less tolerant than conidia produced on PDA medium in the dark. For UV tolerance, conidia produced under blue light LI were the second most tolerant to UV radiation, followed by the UV tolerances of conidia produced under white light. Conidia produced under blue HI, green, and red lights were the least UV tolerant and less tolerant than conidia produced in the dark. The superoxide dismutases (sod1 and sod2), photolyases (6-4phr and CPDphr), trehalose-phosphate synthase (tps), and protease (pr1) genes were highly up-regulated under white light condition, suggesting a potential role of these proteins in stress protection as well as virulence after fungal exposure to visible spectrum components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana P Dias
- Escola de Engenharia de Lorena, Universidade de São Paulo (EEL/USP), Lorena, SP, 12602-810, Brazil
| | - Nicolás Pedrini
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (CCT La Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional de La Plata), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, La Plata, 1900, Argentina
| | - Gilberto U L Braga
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-903, Brazil
| | - Paulo C Ferreira
- Universidade do Vale do Paraíba, São José dos Campos, SP, 12244-000, Brazil
| | - Breno Pupin
- Universidade do Vale do Paraíba, São José dos Campos, SP, 12244-000, Brazil
| | | | - Luis M Corrochano
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avenida Reina Mercedes 6, Apartado 1095, 41080, Seville, Spain
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Red- and Blue-Light Sensing in the Plant Pathogen Alternaria alternata Depends on Phytochrome and the White-Collar Protein LreA. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.00371-19. [PMID: 30967462 PMCID: PMC6456751 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00371-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Light controls many processes in filamentous fungi. The study of light regulation in a number of model organisms revealed an unexpected complexity. Although the molecular components for light sensing appear to be widely conserved in fungal genomes, the regulatory circuits and the sensitivity of certain species toward specific wavelengths seem different. In N. crassa, most light responses are triggered by blue light, whereas in A. nidulans, red light plays a dominant role. In Alternaria alternata, both blue and red light appear to be important. In A. alternata, photoreceptors control morphogenetic pathways, the homeostasis of reactive oxygen species, and the production of secondary metabolites. On the other hand, high-osmolarity sensing required FphA and LreA, indicating a sophisticated cross talk between light and stress signaling. The filamentous fungus Alternaria alternata is a common postharvest contaminant of food and feed, and some strains are plant pathogens. Many processes in A. alternata are triggered by light. Interestingly, blue light inhibits sporulation, and red light reverses the effect, suggesting interactions between light-sensing systems. The genome encodes a phytochrome (FphA), a white collar 1 (WC-1) orthologue (LreA), an opsin (NopA), and a cryptochrome (CryA) as putative photoreceptors. Here, we investigated the role of FphA and LreA and the interplay with the high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway. We created loss-of function mutations for fphA, lreA, and hogA using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Sporulation was reduced in all three mutant strains already in the dark, suggesting functions of the photoreceptors FphA and LreA independent of light perception. Germination of conidia was delayed in red, blue, green, and far-red light. We found that light induction of ccgA (clock-controlled gene in Neurospora crassa and light-induced gene in Aspergillus nidulans) and the catalase gene catA depended on FphA, LreA, and HogA. Light induction of ferA (a putative ferrochelatase gene) and bliC (bli-3, light regulated, unknown function) required LreA and HogA but not FphA. Blue- and green-light stimulation of alternariol formation depended on LreA. A lack of FphA or LreA led to enhanced resistance toward oxidative stress due to the upregulation of catalases and superoxide dismutases. Light activation of FphA resulted in increased phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation of HogA. Our results show that germination, sporulation, and secondary metabolism are light regulated in A. alternata with distinct and overlapping roles of blue- and red-light photosensors.
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17
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Wang DY, Tong SM, Guan Y, Ying SH, Feng MG. The velvet protein VeA functions in asexual cycle, stress tolerance and transcriptional regulation of Beauveria bassiana. Fungal Genet Biol 2019; 127:1-11. [PMID: 30807832 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
VeA is a key velvet protein that regulates sexual/asexual development and secondary metabolism in filamentous fungi, particularly Aspergilli, but has not been explored yet in asexual insect mycopathogens, such as Beauveria bassiana. Here, we report a localization of B. bassiana VeA in the cytoplasm of hyphal cells exposed to either light or dark cue and its migration to the nucleus only in darkness. Deletion of veA resulted in facilitated hyphal growth and decreased cell length on rich media, light growth defects on scant media, and increased sensitivities to oxidation, high osmolarity and prolonged heat shock during colony growth. Compared to wild-type, the deletion mutant was much more triggered in conidiation at optimal 25 °C in darkness than in a light/dark (L:D) cycle of 12:12, indicating the role of VeA acting as a negative regulator of conidiation in a light-dependent manner. The mutant conidia produced at L:D 12:12 showed defects in germination, thermotolerance and UVB resistance but no change in virulence, contrasting to attenuated virulence for the mutant conidia produced in darkness. Intriguingly, fungal outgrowth and conidiation were markedly suppressed on the surfaces of the mutant-mummified insect cadavers, suggesting a significant role of VeA in fungal survival, dispersal and prevalence in host habitats. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 1248 and 1183 differentially expressed genes in the deletion mutant versus wild-type grown at L:D 0:24 and 12:12 respectively, including those involved in central developmental pathway and secondary metabolism. Altogether, VeA is functionally involved in asexual cycle, stress tolerance and transcriptional regulation of B. bassiana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ding-Yi Wang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Sen-Miao Tong
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; College of Agricultural and Food Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Zhejiang 311300, China.
| | - Yi Guan
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Enzyme Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China
| | - Sheng-Hua Ying
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Ming-Guang Feng
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
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19
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Beattie GA, Hatfield BM, Dong H, McGrane RS. Seeing the Light: The Roles of Red- and Blue-Light Sensing in Plant Microbes. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2018; 56:41-66. [PMID: 29768135 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-080417-045931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Plants collect, concentrate, and conduct light throughout their tissues, thus enhancing light availability to their resident microbes. This review explores the role of photosensing in the biology of plant-associated bacteria and fungi, including the molecular mechanisms of red-light sensing by phytochromes and blue-light sensing by LOV (light-oxygen-voltage) domain proteins in these microbes. Bacteriophytochromes function as major drivers of the bacterial transcriptome and mediate light-regulated suppression of virulence, motility, and conjugation in some phytopathogens and light-regulated induction of the photosynthetic apparatus in a stem-nodulating symbiont. Bacterial LOV proteins also influence light-mediated changes in both symbiotic and pathogenic phenotypes. Although red-light sensing by fungal phytopathogens is poorly understood, fungal LOV proteins contribute to blue-light regulation of traits, including asexual development and virulence. Collectively, these studies highlight that plant microbes have evolved to exploit light cues and that light sensing is often coupled with sensing other environmental signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwyn A Beattie
- Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA;
| | - Bridget M Hatfield
- Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA;
| | - Haili Dong
- Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA;
| | - Regina S McGrane
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford, Oklahoma 73096, USA
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20
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Oliveira AS, Braga GUL, Rangel DEN. Metarhizium robertsii illuminated during mycelial growth produces conidia with increased germination speed and virulence. Fungal Biol 2017; 122:555-562. [PMID: 29801800 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2017.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Light conditions during fungal growth are well known to cause several physiological adaptations in the conidia produced. In this study, conidia of the entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium robertsii were produced on: 1) potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium in the dark; 2) PDA medium under white light (4.98 W m-2); 3) PDA medium under blue light (4.8 W m-2); 4) PDA medium under red light (2.8 W m-2); and 5) minimum medium (Czapek medium without sucrose) supplemented with 3 % lactose (MML) in the dark. The conidial production, the speed of conidial germination, and the virulence to the insect Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) were evaluated. Conidia produced on MML or PDA medium under white or blue light germinated faster than conidia produced on PDA medium in the dark. Conidia produced under red light germinated slower than conidia produced on PDA medium in the dark. Conidia produced on MML were the most virulent, followed by conidia produced on PDA medium under white light. The fungus grown under blue light produced more conidia than the fungus grown in the dark. The quantity of conidia produced for the fungus grown in the dark, under white, and red light was similar. The MML afforded the least conidial production. In conclusion, white light produced conidia that germinated faster and killed the insects faster; in addition, blue light afforded the highest conidial production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel S Oliveira
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74605-050, Brazil
| | - Gilberto U L Braga
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14040-903, Brazil
| | - Drauzio E N Rangel
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74605-050, Brazil; Instituto de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Brasil, São Paulo, SP 08230-030, Brazil.
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Tong SM, Zhang AX, Guo CT, Ying SH, Feng MG. Daylight length-dependent translocation of VIVID photoreceptor in cells and its essential role in conidiation and virulence of Beauveria bassiana. Environ Microbiol 2017; 20:169-185. [PMID: 28967173 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The fungal insect pathogen Beauveria bassiana has the blue-light photoreceptor VIVID (VVD) but lacks a pigmentation pattern to trace its light responses. Here, we show that the fungal vvd is transcriptionally expressed, and linked to other blue/red photoreceptor genes, in a daylight length-dependent manner. GFP-tagged VVD fusion protein was localized to periphery, cytoplasm and vacuoles of hyphal cells in light/dark (L:D) cycles of 24:0 and 16:8 and aggregated in cytoplasm with shortening daylight until transfer into nuclei in full darkness. Deletion of vvd caused more reduced (91%) conidiation capacity in L:D 12:12 cycle of blue light (450/480 nm) than of yellow-to-red (540-760 nm) and white lights (∼70%). The conidiation defect worsened with shortened daylight in different L:D cycles of white light, coinciding well with drastic repression of key activator genes in central development pathway. Intriguingly, the deletion mutant displayed blocked secretion of cuticle-degrading Pr1 proteases, retarded dimorphic transition in insect haemocoel, and hence a lethal action twice longer than those for control strains against Galleria mellonella regardless of the infection passing or bypassing insect cuticle. Conclusively, VVD sustains normal conidiation in a daylight length-dependent manner and acts as a vital virulence factor in B. bassiana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen-Miao Tong
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - An-Xue Zhang
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Chong-Tao Guo
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Sheng-Hua Ying
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming-Guang Feng
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
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Liu J, Tong SM, Qiu L, Ying SH, Feng MG. Two histidine kinases can sense different stress cues for activation of the MAPK Hog1 in a fungal insect pathogen. Environ Microbiol 2017; 19:4091-4102. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2017] [Revised: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liu
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University; Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058 China
| | - Sen-Miao Tong
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University; Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058 China
| | - Lei Qiu
- School of Bioengineering; Qilu University of Technology; Jinan, Shandong 250353 China
| | - Sheng-Hua Ying
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University; Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058 China
| | - Ming-Guang Feng
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University; Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058 China
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
Life, as we know it, would not be possible without light. Light is not only a primary source of energy, but also an important source of information for many organisms. To sense light, only a few photoreceptor systems have developed during evolution. They are all based on an organic molecule with conjugated double bonds that allows energy transfer from visible (or UV) light to its cognate protein to translate the primary physical photoresponse to cell-biological actions. The three main classes of receptors are flavin-based blue-light, retinal-based green-light (such as rhodopsin), and linear tetrapyrrole-based red-light sensors. Light not only controls the behavior of motile organisms, but is also important for many sessile microorganisms including fungi. In fungi, light controls developmental decisions and physiological adaptations as well as the circadian clock. Although all major classes of photoreceptors are found in fungi, a good level of understanding of the signaling processes at the molecular level is limited to some model fungi. However, current knowledge suggests a complex interplay between light perception systems, which goes far beyond the simple sensing of light and dark. In this article we focus on recent results in several fungi, which suggest a strong link between light-sensing and stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinases.
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The Fast-Evolving phy-2 Gene Modulates Sexual Development in Response to Light in the Model Fungus Neurospora crassa. mBio 2016; 7:e02148. [PMID: 26956589 PMCID: PMC4810495 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02148-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid responses to changes in incident light are critical to the guidance of behavior and development in most species. Phytochrome light receptors in particular play key roles in bacterial physiology and plant development, but their functions and regulation are less well understood in fungi. Nevertheless, genome-wide expression measurements provide key information that can guide experiments that reveal how genes respond to environmental signals and clarify their role in development. We performed functional genomic and phenotypic analyses of the two phytochromes in Neurospora crassa, a fungal model adapted to a postfire environment that experiences dramatically variable light conditions. Expression of phy-1 and phy-2 was low in early sexual development and in the case of phy-2 increased in late sexual development. Under light stimulation, strains with the phytochromes deleted exhibited increased expression of sexual development-related genes. Moreover, under red light, the phy-2 knockout strain commenced sexual development early. In the evolution of phytochromes within ascomycetes, at least two duplications have occurred, and the faster-evolving phy-2 gene has frequently been lost. Additionally, the three key cysteine sites that are critical for bacterial and plant phytochrome function are not conserved within fungal phy-2 homologs. Through the action of phytochromes, transitions between asexual and sexual reproduction are modulated by light level and light quality, presumably as an adaptation for fast asexual growth and initiation of sexual reproduction of N. crassa in exposed postfire ecosystems. Environmental signals, including light, play critical roles in regulating fungal growth and pathogenicity, and balance of asexual and sexual reproduction is critical in fungal pathogens’ incidence, virulence, and distribution. Red light sensing by phytochromes is well known to play critical roles in bacterial physiology and plant development. Homologs of phytochromes were first discovered in the fungal model Neurospora crassa and then subsequently in diverse other fungi, including many plant pathogens. Our study investigated the evolution of red light sensors in ascomycetes and confirmed—using the model fungus Neurospora crassa—their roles in modulating the asexual-sexual reproduction balance in fungi. Our findings also provide a key insight into one of the most poorly understood aspects of fungal biology, suggesting that further study of the function of phytochromes in fungi is critical to reveal the genetic basis of the asexual-sexual switch responsible for fungal growth and distribution, including diverse and destructive plant pathogens.
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Fungi use the SakA (HogA) pathway for phytochrome-dependent light signalling. Nat Microbiol 2016; 1:16019. [PMID: 27572639 DOI: 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Stress-sensing in fungi depends on a signalling cascade comprised of a two-component phosphorylation relay plus a subsequent MAP kinase cascade to trigger gene expression. Besides osmotic or oxidative stress, fungi sense many other environmental factors, one of which is light(1,2). Light controls morphogenetic pathways but also the production of secondary metabolites such as penicillin. Here we show that phytochrome-dependent light signalling in Aspergillus nidulans involves the stress-sensing and osmosensing signalling pathway. In a screening for 'blind' mutants, the MAP kinase SakA (also known as HogA) was identified by whole-genome sequencing. The phytochrome FphA physically interacted with the histidine-containing phosphotransfer protein YpdA and caused light-dependent phosphorylation of the MAP kinase SakA and its shuttling into nuclei. In the absence of phytochrome, SakA still responded to osmotic stress but not to light. The SakA pathway thus integrates several stress factors and can be considered to be a hub for environmental signals.
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Zhu J, Ying SH, Feng MG. The Pal pathway required for ambient pH adaptation regulates growth, conidiation, and osmotolerance of Beauveria bassiana in a pH-dependent manner. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2016; 100:4423-33. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-016-7282-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Revised: 12/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Molecular Genetics of Beauveria bassiana Infection of Insects. ADVANCES IN GENETICS 2016; 94:165-249. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.adgen.2015.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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Fuller K, Dunlap J, Loros J. Fungal Light Sensing at the Bench and Beyond. ADVANCES IN GENETICS 2016; 96:1-51. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.adgen.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Defosse TA, Sharma A, Mondal AK, Dugé de Bernonville T, Latgé JP, Calderone R, Giglioli-Guivarc'h N, Courdavault V, Clastre M, Papon N. Hybrid histidine kinases in pathogenic fungi. Mol Microbiol 2015; 95:914-24. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A. Defosse
- Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales; EA 2106; Université François-Rabelais de Tours; Tours France
| | | | - Alok K. Mondal
- Institute of Microbial Technology; Chandigarh India
- School of Life Sciences; Jawaharlal Nehru University; New Delhi India
| | | | | | - Richard Calderone
- Georgetown University Medical Center; Department of Microbiology & Immunology; Washington DC USA
| | | | - Vincent Courdavault
- Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales; EA 2106; Université François-Rabelais de Tours; Tours France
| | - Marc Clastre
- Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales; EA 2106; Université François-Rabelais de Tours; Tours France
| | - Nicolas Papon
- Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales; EA 2106; Université François-Rabelais de Tours; Tours France
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