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Prescott TAK, Hill R, Mas-Claret E, Gaya E, Burns E. Fungal Drug Discovery for Chronic Disease: History, New Discoveries and New Approaches. Biomolecules 2023; 13:986. [PMID: 37371566 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060986] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal-derived drugs include some of the most important medicines ever discovered, and have proved pivotal in treating chronic diseases. Not only have they saved millions of lives, but they have in some cases changed perceptions of what is medically possible. However, now the low-hanging fruit have been discovered it has become much harder to make the kind of discoveries that have characterised past eras of fungal drug discovery. This may be about to change with new commercial players entering the market aiming to apply novel genomic tools to streamline the discovery process. This review examines the discovery history of approved fungal-derived drugs, and those currently in clinical trials for chronic diseases. For key molecules, we discuss their possible ecological functions in nature and how this relates to their use in human medicine. We show how the conservation of drug receptors between fungi and humans means that metabolites intended to inhibit competitor fungi often interact with human drug receptors, sometimes with unintended benefits. We also plot the distribution of drugs, antimicrobial compounds and psychoactive mushrooms onto a fungal tree and compare their distribution to those of all fungal metabolites. Finally, we examine the phenomenon of self-resistance and how this can be used to help predict metabolite mechanism of action and aid the drug discovery process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rowena Hill
- Earlham Institute, Norwich NR4 7UZ, Norfolk, UK
| | | | - Ester Gaya
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AB, Surrey, UK
| | - Edie Burns
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AB, Surrey, UK
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2
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Yılmaz TM, Mungan MD, Berasategui A, Ziemert N. FunARTS, the Fungal bioActive compound Resistant Target Seeker, an exploration engine for target-directed genome mining in fungi. Nucleic Acids Res 2023:7173779. [PMID: 37207330 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need to diversify the pipeline for discovering novel natural products due to the increase in multi-drug resistant infections. Like bacteria, fungi also produce secondary metabolites that have potent bioactivity and rich chemical diversity. To avoid self-toxicity, fungi encode resistance genes which are often present within the biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) of the corresponding bioactive compounds. Recent advances in genome mining tools have enabled the detection and prediction of BGCs responsible for the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. The main challenge now is to prioritize the most promising BGCs that produce bioactive compounds with novel modes of action. With target-directed genome mining methods, it is possible to predict the mode of action of a compound encoded in an uncharacterized BGC based on the presence of resistant target genes. Here, we introduce the 'fungal bioactive compound resistant target seeker' (FunARTS) available at https://funarts.ziemertlab.com. This is a specific and efficient mining tool for the identification of fungal bioactive compounds with interesting and novel targets. FunARTS rapidly links housekeeping and known resistance genes to BGC proximity and duplication events, allowing for automated, target-directed mining of fungal genomes. Additionally, FunARTS generates gene cluster networking by comparing the similarity of BGCs from multi-genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Turgut Mesut Yılmaz
- Translational Genome Mining for Natural Products, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Interfaculty Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBMI), University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mehmet Direnç Mungan
- Translational Genome Mining for Natural Products, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Interfaculty Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBMI), University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Aileen Berasategui
- University of Tübingen, Cluster of Excellence 'Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections', Auf der Morgenstelle 28, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Nadine Ziemert
- Translational Genome Mining for Natural Products, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Interfaculty Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBMI), University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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3
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Men P, Zhou Y, Xie L, Zhang X, Zhang W, Huang X, Lu X. Improving the production of the micafungin precursor FR901379 in an industrial production strain. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:44. [PMID: 36879280 PMCID: PMC9987125 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02050-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Micafungin is an echinocandin-type antifungal agent used for the clinical treatment of invasive fungal infections. It is semisynthesized from the sulfonated lipohexapeptide FR901379, a nonribosomal peptide produced by the filamentous fungus Coleophoma empetri. However, the low fermentation efficiency of FR901379 increases the cost of micafungin production and hinders its widespread clinical application. RESULTS Here, a highly efficient FR901379-producing strain was constructed via systems metabolic engineering in C. empetri MEFC09. First, the biosynthesis pathway of FR901379 was optimized by overexpressing the rate-limiting enzymes cytochrome P450 McfF and McfH, which successfully eliminated the accumulation of unwanted byproducts and increased the production of FR901379. Then, the functions of putative self-resistance genes encoding β-1,3-glucan synthase were evaluated in vivo. The deletion of CEfks1 affected growth and resulted in more spherical cells. Additionally, the transcriptional activator McfJ for the regulation of FR901379 biosynthesis was identified and applied in metabolic engineering. Overexpressing mcfJ markedly increased the production of FR901379 from 0.3 g/L to 1.3 g/L. Finally, the engineered strain coexpressing mcfJ, mcfF, and mcfH was constructed for additive effects, and the FR901379 titer reached 4.0 g/L under fed-batch conditions in a 5 L bioreactor. CONCLUSIONS This study represents a significant improvement for the production of FR901379 and provides guidance for the establishment of efficient fungal cell factories for other echinocandins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Men
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Institute for Smart Materials & Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, China
| | - Li Xie
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China.,State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330096, China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China.,Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xuenian Huang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China. .,Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China. .,Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China.
| | - Xuefeng Lu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China. .,Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, 266101, China. .,Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. .,Marine Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China.
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4
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Kochkina GA, Ivanushkina NE, Pinchuk IP, Ozerskaya SM. Endophytic Fungi Pezicula radicicola in the Root Nodules of Actinorhizal Plants. Microbiology (Reading) 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026261722601622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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5
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Men P, Geng C, Zhang X, Zhang W, Xie L, Feng D, Du S, Wang M, Huang X, Lu X. Biosynthesis mechanism, genome mining and artificial construction of echinocandin O-sulfonation. Metab Eng 2022; 74:160-167. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2022.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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6
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Yuan Z, Wu Q, Xu L, Druzhinina IS, Stukenbrock EH, Nieuwenhuis BPS, Zhong Z, Liu ZJ, Wang X, Cai F, Kubicek CP, Shan X, Wang J, Shi G, Peng L, Martin FM. Genomic landscape of a relict fir-associated fungus reveals rapid convergent adaptation towards endophytism. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:1294-1305. [PMID: 34916613 PMCID: PMC9038928 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01176-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Comparative and pan-genomic analyses of the endophytic fungus Pezicula neosporulosa (Helotiales, Ascomycota) from needles of the relict fir, Abies beshanzuensis, showed expansions of carbohydrate metabolism and secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes characteristic for unrelated plant-beneficial helotialean, such as dark septate endophytes and ericoid mycorrhizal fungi. The current species within the relatively young Pliocene genus Pezicula are predominantly saprotrophic, while P. neosporulosa lacks such features. To understand the genomic background of this putatively convergent evolution, we performed population analyses of 77 P. neosporulosa isolates. This revealed a mosaic structure of a dozen non-recombining and highly genetically polymorphic subpopulations with a unique mating system structure. We found that one idiomorph of a probably duplicated mat1-2 gene was found in putatively heterothallic isolates, while the other co-occurred with mat1-1 locus suggesting homothallic reproduction for these strains. Moreover, 24 and 81 genes implicated in plant cell-wall degradation and secondary metabolite biosynthesis, respectively, showed signatures of the balancing selection. These findings highlight the evolutionary pattern of the two gene families for allowing the fungus a rapid adaptation towards endophytism and facilitating diverse symbiotic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091, Beijing, China. .,Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, 311400, China.
| | - Qi Wu
- grid.458488.d0000 0004 0627 1442State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Liangxiong Xu
- grid.411411.00000 0004 0644 5457School of Life Sciences, Huizhou University, Huizhou, 516007 China
| | - Irina S. Druzhinina
- grid.27871.3b0000 0000 9750 7019Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Fungal Genomics Laboratory (FungiG), College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China ,grid.5329.d0000 0001 2348 4034Institute of Chemical, Environmental & Bioscience Engineering (ICEBE), TU Wien, Vienna, A1060 Austria
| | - Eva H. Stukenbrock
- grid.9764.c0000 0001 2153 9986Botanical Institute, Christian-Albrechts Universität zu Kiel, 24118 Kiel, Germany ,grid.419520.b0000 0001 2222 4708Environmental Genomics Research Group, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Bart P. S. Nieuwenhuis
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XDivision of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Zhenhui Zhong
- grid.256111.00000 0004 1760 2876State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002 China ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Zhong-Jian Liu
- grid.256111.00000 0004 1760 2876Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization at College of Landscape Architecture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002 China
| | - Xinyu Wang
- grid.509676.bResearch Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, 311400 China
| | - Feng Cai
- grid.27871.3b0000 0000 9750 7019Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Fungal Genomics Laboratory (FungiG), College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China
| | - Christian P. Kubicek
- grid.5329.d0000 0001 2348 4034Institute of Chemical, Environmental & Bioscience Engineering (ICEBE), TU Wien, Vienna, A1060 Austria
| | - Xiaoliang Shan
- grid.216566.00000 0001 2104 9346State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091 Beijing, China ,grid.509676.bResearch Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, 311400 China
| | - Jieyu Wang
- grid.458495.10000 0001 1014 7864Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650 China
| | - Guohui Shi
- grid.458488.d0000 0004 0627 1442State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Long Peng
- grid.216566.00000 0001 2104 9346State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091 Beijing, China ,grid.509676.bResearch Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, 311400 China
| | - Francis M. Martin
- grid.29172.3f0000 0001 2194 6418Université de Lorraine, INRAe, UMR 1136 Interactions Arbres/Microorganismes, INRAe-Grand Est-Nancy, 54280 Champenoux, France
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Abstract
A new species, Pezicula endophytica, was isolated from roots and stems of two Dendrobium species in northern Thailand. Evidence to support the new species is based on morphology and phylogenetic analysis of the combined ITS, LSU, and RPB2 DNA sequence dataset. Pezicula
endophytica, which constituted a clade independent from other Pezicula species, has 4% distinct base pair differences in all genes. Pezicula endophytica has larger macroconidia and longer conidiophores compared with phylogenetically neighboring species. This is the first
report of an endophytic Pezicula species from Dendrobium in Thailand.
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8
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Curto MÁ, Butassi E, Ribas JC, Svetaz LA, Cortés JCG. Natural products targeting the synthesis of β(1,3)-D-glucan and chitin of the fungal cell wall. Existing drugs and recent findings. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2021; 88:153556. [PMID: 33958276 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the last three decades systemic fungal infections associated to immunosuppressive therapies have become a serious healthcare problem. Clinical development of new antifungals is an urgent requirement. Since fungal but not mammalian cells are encased in a carbohydrate-containing cell wall, which is required for the growth and viability of fungi, the inhibition of cell wall synthesizing machinery, such as β(1,3)-D-glucan synthases (GS) and chitin synthases (CS) that catalyze the synthesis of β(1-3)-D-glucan and chitin, respectively, represent an ideal mode of action of antifungal agents. Although the echinocandins anidulafungin, caspofungin and micafungin are clinically well-established GS inhibitors for the treatment of invasive fungal infections, much effort must still be made to identify inhibitors of other enzymes and processes involved in the synthesis of the fungal cell wall. PURPOSE Since natural products (NPs) have been the source of several antifungals in clinical use and also have provided important scaffolds for the development of semisynthetic analogues, this review was devoted to investigate the advances made to date in the discovery of NPs from plants that showed capacity of inhibiting cell wall synthesis targets. The chemical characterization, specific target, discovery process, along with the stage of development are provided here. METHODS An extensive systematic search for NPs against the cell wall was performed considering all the articles published until the end of 2020 through the following scientific databases: NCBI PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar and using the combination of the terms "natural antifungals" and "plant extracts" with "fungal cell wall". RESULTS The first part of this review introduces the state of the art of the structure and biosynthesis of the fungal cell wall and considers exclusively those naturally produced GS antifungals that have given rise to both existing semisynthetic approved drugs and those derivatives currently in clinical trials. According to their chemical structure, natural GS inhibitors can be classified as 1) cyclic lipopeptides, 2) glycolipids and 3) acidic terpenoids. We also included nikkomycins and polyoxins, NPs that inhibit the CS, which have traditionally been considered good candidates for antifungal drug development but have finally been discarded after enduring unsuccessful clinical trials. Finally, the review focuses in the most recent findings about the growing field of plant-derived molecules and extracts that exhibit activity against the fungal cell wall. Thus, this search yielded sixteen articles, nine of which deal with pure compounds and seven with plant extracts or fractions with proven activity against the fungal cell wall. Regarding the mechanism of action, seven (44%) produced GS inhibition while five (31%) inhibited CS. Some of them (56%) interfered with other components of the cell wall. Most of the analyzed articles refer to tests carried out in vitro and therefore are in early stages of development. CONCLUSION This report delivers an overview about both existing natural antifungals targeting GS and CS activities and their mechanisms of action. It also presents recent discoveries on natural products that may be used as starting points for the development of potential selective and non-toxic antifungal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ángeles Curto
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica and Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)/Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Estefanía Butassi
- Área Farmacognosia, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000 Rosario, Argentina
| | - Juan C Ribas
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica and Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)/Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Laura A Svetaz
- Área Farmacognosia, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000 Rosario, Argentina.
| | - Juan C G Cortés
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica and Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)/Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
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9
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David F, Davis AM, Gossing M, Hayes MA, Romero E, Scott LH, Wigglesworth MJ. A Perspective on Synthetic Biology in Drug Discovery and Development-Current Impact and Future Opportunities. SLAS DISCOVERY 2021; 26:581-603. [PMID: 33834873 DOI: 10.1177/24725552211000669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The global impact of synthetic biology has been accelerating, because of the plummeting cost of DNA synthesis, advances in genetic engineering, growing understanding of genome organization, and explosion in data science. However, much of the discipline's application in the pharmaceutical industry remains enigmatic. In this review, we highlight recent examples of the impact of synthetic biology on target validation, assay development, hit finding, lead optimization, and chemical synthesis, through to the development of cellular therapeutics. We also highlight the availability of tools and technologies driving the discipline. Synthetic biology is certainly impacting all stages of drug discovery and development, and the recognition of the discipline's contribution can further enhance the opportunities for the drug discovery and development value chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian David
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Division of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Andrew M Davis
- Discovery Sciences, Biopharmaceutical R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michael Gossing
- Discovery Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Martin A Hayes
- Discovery Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elvira Romero
- Discovery Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Louis H Scott
- Discovery Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
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10
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Peng J, Rojas JA, Sang H, Proffer TJ, Outwater CA, Vilgalys R, Sundin GW. Draft Genome Sequence Resource for Blumeriella jaapii, the Cherry Leaf Spot Pathogen. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2020; 110:1507-1510. [PMID: 32338196 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-03-20-0082-a] [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] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Blumeriella jaapii is the causal agent of cherry leaf spot (CLS), the most important disease of tart cherry in the Midwestern United States. Infection of leaves by B. jaapii leads to premature defoliation, which places trees at heightened risk of winter injury and death. Current management of CLS relies primarily on the application of three important fungicide classes, quinone outside inhibitors, sterol demethylation inhibitors, and succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors. Here, we present the first high-quality genome of B. jaapii through a hybrid assembly of PacBio long reads and Illumina short reads. The assembled draft genome of B. jaapii is 47.4 Mb and consists of 95 contigs with a N50 value of 1.5 Mb. The genomic information of B. jaapii, representing the most complete sequenced genome of the family Dermateaceae (Ascomycota) to date, provides a valuable resource for identifying fungicide resistance mechanisms of this pathogen and expands our knowledge of the phytopathogenic fungi in this family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyu Peng
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A
| | - J Alejandro Rojas
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, U.S.A
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, U.S.A
| | - Hyunkyu Sang
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Tyre J Proffer
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A
| | - Cory A Outwater
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A
| | - Rytas Vilgalys
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, U.S.A
| | - George W Sundin
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A
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11
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Lan N, Perlatti B, Kvitek DJ, Wiemann P, Harvey CJB, Frisvad J, An Z, Bills GF. Acrophiarin (antibiotic S31794/F-1) from Penicillium arenicola shares biosynthetic features with both Aspergillus- and Leotiomycete-type echinocandins. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:2292-2311. [PMID: 32239586 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The antifungal echinocandin lipopeptide, acrophiarin, was circumscribed in a patent in 1979. We confirmed that the producing strain NRRL 8095 is Penicillium arenicola and other strains of P. arenicola produced acrophiarin and acrophiarin analogues. Genome sequencing of NRRL 8095 identified the acrophiarin gene cluster. Penicillium arenicola and echinocandin-producing Aspergillus species belong to the family Aspergillaceae of the Eurotiomycetes, but several features of acrophiarin and its gene cluster suggest a closer relationship with echinocandins from Leotiomycete fungi. These features include hydroxy-glutamine in the peptide core instead of a serine or threonine residue, the inclusion of a non-heme iron, α-ketoglutarate-dependent oxygenase for hydroxylation of the C3 of the glutamine, and a thioesterase. In addition, P. arenicola bears similarity to Leotiomycete echinocandin-producing species because it exhibits self-resistance to exogenous echinocandins. Phylogenetic analysis of the genes of the echinocandin biosynthetic family indicated that most of the predicted proteins of acrophiarin gene cluster exhibited higher similarity to the predicted proteins of the pneumocandin gene cluster of the Leotiomycete Glarea lozoyensis than to those of the echinocandin B gene cluster from A. pachycristatus. The fellutamide gene cluster and related gene clusters are recognized as relatives of the echinocandins. Inclusion of the acrophiarin gene cluster into a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of echinocandin gene clusters indicated the divergent evolutionary lineages of echinocandin gene clusters are descendants from a common ancestral progenitor. The minimal 10-gene cluster may have undergone multiple gene acquisitions or losses and possibly horizontal gene transfer after the ancestral separation of the two lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Lan
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77054, USA
| | - Bruno Perlatti
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77054, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jens Frisvad
- Center for Microbial Biotechnology, Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Zhiqiang An
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77054, USA
| | - Gerald F Bills
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77054, USA
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12
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Untereiner WA, Yue Q, Chen L, Li Y, Bills GF, Štěpánek V, Réblová M. PhialophorasectionCatenulataedisassembled: New genera, species, and combinations and a new family encompassing taxa with cleistothecial ascomata and phialidic asexual states. Mycologia 2019; 111:998-1027. [DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2019.1663106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Qun Yue
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, 1881 East Road, Houston, Texas 77054
| | - Li Chen
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, 1881 East Road, Houston, Texas 77054
| | - Yan Li
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, 1881 East Road, Houston, Texas 77054
| | - Gerald F. Bills
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, 1881 East Road, Houston, Texas 77054
| | - Václav Štěpánek
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague 142 20, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Réblová
- Department of Taxonomy, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
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Greco C, Keller NP, Rokas A. Unearthing fungal chemodiversity and prospects for drug discovery. Curr Opin Microbiol 2019; 51:22-29. [PMID: 31071615 PMCID: PMC6832774 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Natural products have drastically improved our lives by providing an excellent source of molecules to fight cancer, pathogens, and cardiovascular diseases that have revolutionized medicine. Fungi are prolific producers of diverse natural products and several recent advances in synthetic biology, genetics, bioinformatics, and natural product chemistry have greatly enhanced our ability to efficiently mine their genomes for the discovery of novel drugs. In this article, we provide an overview of improved heterologous expression platforms for targeted production of fungal secondary metabolites, of advances in chemical and bioinformatics dereplication, and of novel bioinformatic platforms to discover biosynthetic genes involved in the production of metabolites with specific bioactivities. These advances, coupled with the presence of vast numbers of biosynthetic gene clusters in fungal genomes whose natural products remain unknown, have revitalized efforts to mine the fungal treasure chest and renewed the promise of discovering new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Greco
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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14
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Functional genetic analysis of the leucinostatin biosynthesis transcription regulator lcsL in Purpureocillium lilacinum using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:6187-6194. [PMID: 31175427 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-09945-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Purpureocillium lilacinum is a promising commercial agent for controlling plant-parasitic nematodes and plant pathogens. Leucinostatins are a family of lipopeptides produced by P. lilacinum that are synthesized, modified, and regulated by a gene cluster consisting of 20 genes. Sequence analyses have indicated that lcsL, a gene in the lcs cluster, is a putative bZIP transcription factor. In this study, the CRISPR-Cas9 system was introduced to increase the efficiency of homologous recombination for the disruption of lcsL. The expression of genes in the cluster was significantly reduced in lcsL disruption mutants, and the output of leucinostatins was decreased to undetectable levels. In the lcsL overexpression strain, the expression of genes in the cluster and the yield of leucinostatins were all increased. The antagonism of both the wild type and mutant against Phytophthora infestans was also consistent with the gene expression and the output of leucinostatins. These results indicate that the gene lcsL is crucial for the regulating the synthesis of leucinostatins.
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Abstract
One of the exciting movements in microbial sciences has been a refocusing and revitalization of efforts to mine the fungal secondary metabolome. The magnitude of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in a single filamentous fungal genome combined with the historic number of sequenced genomes suggests that the secondary metabolite wealth of filamentous fungi is largely untapped. Mining algorithms and scalable expression platforms have greatly expanded access to the chemical repertoire of fungal-derived secondary metabolites. In this Review, I discuss new insights into the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of BGCs and the ecological roles of fungal secondary metabolites in warfare, defence and development. I also explore avenues for the identification of new fungal metabolites and the challenges in harvesting fungal-derived secondary metabolites.
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16
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Biosynthesis of pneumocandin lipopeptides and perspectives for its production and related echinocandins. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:9881-9891. [PMID: 30255232 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9382-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Fungal diseases are a global public health problem. Invasive fungal infections pose a serious threat to patients with compromised immune systems, such as those undergoing organ or bone marrow transplants, cancer, or HIV/AIDS. Pneumocandins are antifungal lipohexapeptides of the echinocandin family that noncompetitively inhibit of 1,3-β-glucan synthase of fungal cell wall and provide the precursor for the semisynthesis of caspofungin, which is widely used as first-line therapy for invasive fungal infections. Recently, the biosynthetic steps leading to formation of pneumocandin B0 and echinocandin B have been elucidated, and thus, provide a framework and attractive model for further design new antifungal therapeutics around natural variations in echinocandin structural diversities via genetic and chemical tools. In this article, we analyze the biosynthetic pathway of pneumocandins and other echinocandins, provide an update on the array of pneumocandin analogues generated by genetic manipulation, and summarize advances in the enhancement of pneumocandin B0 production by random mutagenesis and fermentation optimization. We also give offer advice on the development of improved pneumocandin drug candidates and more efficient production of pneumocandin B0.
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17
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Wingfield BD, Bills GF, Dong Y, Huang W, Nel WJ, Swalarsk-Parry BS, Vaghefi N, Wilken PM, An Z, de Beer ZW, De Vos L, Chen L, Duong TA, Gao Y, Hammerbacher A, Kikkert JR, Li Y, Li H, Li K, Li Q, Liu X, Ma X, Naidoo K, Pethybridge SJ, Sun J, Steenkamp ET, van der Nest MA, van Wyk S, Wingfield MJ, Xiong C, Yue Q, Zhang X. IMA Genome-F 9: Draft genome sequence of Annulohypoxylon stygium, Aspergillus mulundensis, Berkeleyomyces basicola (syn. Thielaviopsis basicola), Ceratocystis smalleyi, two Cercospora beticola strains, Coleophoma cylindrospora, Fusarium fracticaudum, Phialophora cf . hyalina, and Morchella septimelata. IMA Fungus 2018; 9:199-223. [PMID: 30018880 PMCID: PMC6048567 DOI: 10.5598/imafungus.2018.09.01.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Draft genomes of the species Annulohypoxylon stygium, Aspergillus mulundensis, Berkeleyomyces basicola (syn. Thielaviopsis basicola), Ceratocystis smalleyi, two Cercospora beticola strains, Coleophoma cylindrospora, Fusarium fracticaudum, Phialophora cf. hyalina and Morchella septimelata are presented. Both mating types (MAT1-1 and MAT1-2) of Cercospora beticola are included. Two strains of Coleophoma cylindrospora that produce sulfated homotyrosine echinocandin variants, FR209602, FR220897 and FR220899 are presented. The sequencing of Aspergillus mulundensis, Coleophoma cylindrospora and Phialophora cf. hyalina has enabled mapping of the gene clusters encoding the chemical diversity from the echinocandin pathways, providing data that reveals the complexity of secondary metabolism in these different species. Overall these genomes provide a valuable resource for understanding the molecular processes underlying pathogenicity (in some cases), biology and toxin production of these economically important fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda D. Wingfield
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Gerald F. Bills
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Yang Dong
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
- Key Laboratory for Agro-biodiversity and Pest Control of Ministry of Education, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
- College of Biological Big Data, Yunnan Agriculture University, Kunming 650504, Yunnan, China
| | - Wenli Huang
- Biotechnology and Nuclear Technology Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, China
| | - Wilma J. Nel
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Benedicta S. Swalarsk-Parry
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Niloofar Vaghefi
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology Section, Cornell University, Geneva, NY 14456, USA
| | - P. Markus Wilken
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Zhiqiang An
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Z. Wilhelm de Beer
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Lieschen De Vos
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Li Chen
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Tuan A. Duong
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Yun Gao
- Nowbio Biotechnology Company, Kunming, 650201,Yunnan, China
| | - Almuth Hammerbacher
- Department of Zoology Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | | | - Yan Li
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Huiying Li
- Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Kuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Biotechnology and Nuclear Technology Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, China
| | - Xingzhong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiao Ma
- Yunnan Plateau Characteristic Agricultural Industry Research Institute, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Kershney Naidoo
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Sarah J. Pethybridge
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology Section, Cornell University, Geneva, NY 14456, USA
| | - Jingzu Sun
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Emma T. Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Magriet A. van der Nest
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Stephanie van Wyk
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Michael J. Wingfield
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Chuan Xiong
- Biotechnology and Nuclear Technology Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, China
| | - Qun Yue
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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