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Aureli L, Coleine C, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Ahren D, Cemmi A, Di Sarcina I, Onofri S, Selbmann L. Geography and environmental pressure are predictive of class-specific radioresistance in black fungi. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2931-2942. [PMID: 37775957 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Black fungi are among the most resistant organisms to ionizing radiation on Earth. However, our current knowledge is based on studies on a few isolates, while the overall radioresistance limits across this microbial group and the relationship with local environmental conditions remain largely undetermined. To address this knowledge gap, we assessed the survival of 101 strains of black fungi isolated across a worldwide spatial distribution to gamma radiation doses up to 100 kGy. We found that intra and inter-specific taxonomy, UV radiation, and precipitation levels primarily influence the radioresistance in black fungi. Altogether, this study provides insights into the adaptive mechanisms of black fungi to extreme environments and highlights the role of local adaptation in shaping the survival capabilities of these extreme-tolerant organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Aureli
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Claudia Coleine
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Unidad Asociada CSIC-UPO (BioFun), Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
- Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Funcionamiento Ecosistémico, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Dag Ahren
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Biology, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS), Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Alessia Cemmi
- Fusion and Technology for Nuclear Safety and Security Department, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA FSN-FISS-SNI), Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Di Sarcina
- Fusion and Technology for Nuclear Safety and Security Department, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA FSN-FISS-SNI), Rome, Italy
| | - Silvano Onofri
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Laura Selbmann
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
- Mycological Section, Italian Antarctic National Museum (MNA), Genoa, Italy
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2
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Yuzon JD, Schultzhaus Z, Wang Z. Transcriptomic and genomic effects of gamma-radiation exposure on strains of the black yeast Exophiala dermatitidis evolved to display increased ionizing radiation resistance. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0221923. [PMID: 37676019 PMCID: PMC10581076 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02219-23] [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: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanized fungi thrive in extreme environments, including those with high levels of ionizing radiation. To understand the role that melanin may play in ionizing radiation resistance, we previously performed an adaptive laboratory evolution experiment in which we used melanized and non-melanized strains of the yeast Exophiala dermatitidis to develop evolved lines that exhibit increased ionizing radiation resistance. In this study, we further characterized these evolved lines by analyzing their response to ionizing radiation at the transcriptomic and genomic levels. RNA sequencing showed that the response to gamma irradiation in both unevolved and evolved strains involved the induction of DNA repair genes. However, in the melanized lines evolved to exhibit increased ionizing radiation resistance, DNA-associated genes were constitutively expressed, compared to their expression levels in wild type. Non-melanized lines that were evolved to be resistant to ionizing radiation, on the other hand, exhibited upregulation of genes involved in redox homeostasis, even under non-irradiated conditions. Additionally, we characterized genome-wide mutations induced by a single high dose of gamma radiation in these evolved lines and observed that while melanin did not directly affect survival after gamma radiation exposure, melanized lines that evolved to exhibit higher ionizing radiation resistance experienced fewer mutations, whereas similarly evolved, non-melanized lines accumulated more mutations, similar to the parent, non-melanized strain. These results underscore the complex yet measurable role of melanin in the response to ionizing radiation in E. dermatitidis. Furthermore, this study enhances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the recovery after ionizing radiation exposure in melanized fungi and offers insights into the potential therapeutic applications of melanin and other redox molecules for protecting against ionizing radiation-induced damage. IMPORTANCE Ionizing radiation poses a significant threat to living organisms and human health, given its destructive nature and widespread use in fields such as medicine and the potential for nuclear disasters. Melanized fungi exhibit remarkable survival capabilities, enduring doses up to 1,000-fold higher than mammals. Through adaptive laboratory evolution, we validated the protective role of constitutive upregulation of DNA repair genes in the black yeast Exophiala dermatitidis, enhancing survival after radiation exposure. Surprisingly, we found that evolved strains lacking melanin still achieved high levels of radioresistance. Our study unveiled the significance of robust activation and enhancement of redox homeostasis, as evidenced by the profound transcriptional changes and increased accumulation of mutations, in substantially improving ionizing radiation resistance in the absence of melanin. These findings underscore the delicate balance between DNA repair and redox homeostasis for an organism's ability to endure and recover from radiation exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer D. Yuzon
- National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, USA
| | - Zachary Schultzhaus
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, USA
| | - Zheng Wang
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, USA
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3
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Li C, Du Y, Zhang T, Wang H, Hou Z, Zhang Y, Cui W, Chen W. "Genetic scissors" CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing cutting-edge biocarrier technology for bone and cartilage repair. Bioact Mater 2022; 22:254-273. [PMID: 36263098 PMCID: PMC9554751 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary genome editing technology with the tremendous advantages such as precisely targeting/shearing ability, low cost and convenient operation, becoming an efficient and indispensable tool in biological research. As a disruptive technique, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has a great potential to realize a future breakthrough in the clinical bone and cartilage repairing as well. This review highlights the research status of CRISPR/Cas9 system in bone and cartilage repair, illustrates its mechanism for promoting osteogenesis and chondrogenesis, and explores the development tendency of CRISPR/Cas9 in bone and cartilage repair to overcome the current limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Li
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Orthopaedic Research Institution of Hebei Province, NHC Key Laboratory of Intelligent Orthopaedic Equipment, No.139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, PR China,Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, PR China
| | - Yawei Du
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, PR China
| | - Tongtong Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Orthopaedic Research Institution of Hebei Province, NHC Key Laboratory of Intelligent Orthopaedic Equipment, No.139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, PR China
| | - Haoran Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Orthopaedic Research Institution of Hebei Province, NHC Key Laboratory of Intelligent Orthopaedic Equipment, No.139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, PR China,Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, PR China
| | - Zhiyong Hou
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Orthopaedic Research Institution of Hebei Province, NHC Key Laboratory of Intelligent Orthopaedic Equipment, No.139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, PR China
| | - Yingze Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Orthopaedic Research Institution of Hebei Province, NHC Key Laboratory of Intelligent Orthopaedic Equipment, No.139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, PR China
| | - Wenguo Cui
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, PR China,Corresponding author.
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Orthopaedic Research Institution of Hebei Province, NHC Key Laboratory of Intelligent Orthopaedic Equipment, No.139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang, 050051, PR China,Corresponding author.
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Romsdahl J, Schultzhaus Z, Cuomo CA, Dong H, Abeyratne-Perera H, Hervey WJ, Wang Z. Phenotypic Characterization and Comparative Genomics of the Melanin-Producing Yeast Exophiala lecanii-corni Reveals a Distinct Stress Tolerance Profile and Reduced Ribosomal Genetic Content. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:1078. [PMID: 34947060 PMCID: PMC8709033 DOI: 10.3390/jof7121078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The black yeast Exophiala lecanii-corni of the order Chaetothyriales is notable for its ability to produce abundant quantities of DHN-melanin. While many other Exophiala species are frequent causal agents of human infection, E. lecanii-corni CBS 102400 lacks the thermotolerance requirements that enable pathogenicity, making it appealing for use in targeted functional studies and biotechnological applications. Here, we report the stress tolerance characteristics of E. lecanii-corni, with an emphasis on the influence of melanin on its resistance to various forms of stress. We find that E. lecanii-corni has a distinct stress tolerance profile that includes variation in resistance to temperature, osmotic, and oxidative stress relative to the extremophilic and pathogenic black yeast Exophiala dermatitidis. Notably, the presence of melanin substantially impacts stress resistance in E. lecanii-corni, while this was not found to be the case in E. dermatitidis. The cellular context, therefore, influences the role of melanin in stress protection. In addition, we present a detailed analysis of the E. lecanii-corni genome, revealing key differences in functional genetic content relative to other ascomycetous species, including a significant decrease in abundance of genes encoding ribosomal proteins. In all, this study provides insight into how genetics and physiology may underlie stress tolerance and enhances understanding of the genetic diversity of black yeasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian Romsdahl
- National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA;
| | - Zachary Schultzhaus
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Engineering, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA; (Z.S.); (W.J.H.IV)
| | - Christina A. Cuomo
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA;
| | - Hong Dong
- Biotechnology Branch, CCDC Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, MD 20783, USA;
| | - Hashanthi Abeyratne-Perera
- American Society for Engineering Education Postdoctoral Research Associate, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA;
| | - W. Judson Hervey
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Engineering, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA; (Z.S.); (W.J.H.IV)
| | - Zheng Wang
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Engineering, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA; (Z.S.); (W.J.H.IV)
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Experimental evolution of extremophile resistance to ionizing radiation. Trends Genet 2021; 37:830-845. [PMID: 34088512 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2021.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
A growing number of known species possess a remarkable characteristic - extreme resistance to the effects of ionizing radiation (IR). This review examines our current understanding of how organisms can adapt to and survive exposure to IR, one of the most toxic stressors known. The study of natural extremophiles such as Deinococcus radiodurans has revealed much. However, the evolution of Deinococcus was not driven by IR. Another approach, pioneered by Evelyn Witkin in 1946, is to utilize experimental evolution. Contributions to the IR-resistance phenotype affect multiple aspects of cell physiology, including DNA repair, removal of reactive oxygen species, the structure and packaging of DNA and the cell itself, and repair of iron-sulfur centers. Based on progress to date, we overview the diversity of mechanisms that can contribute to biological IR resistance arising as a result of either natural or experimental evolution.
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6
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Schultzhaus Z, Chen A, Shuryak I, Wang Z. The Transcriptomic and Phenotypic Response of the Melanized Yeast Exophiala dermatitidis to Ionizing Particle Exposure. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:609996. [PMID: 33510728 PMCID: PMC7835796 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.609996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungi can tolerate extremely high doses of ionizing radiation compared with most other eukaryotes, a phenomenon encompassing both the recovery from acute exposure and the growth of melanized fungi in chronically contaminated environments such as nuclear disaster sites. This observation has led to the use of fungi in radiobiology studies, with the goal of finding novel resistance mechanisms. However, it is still not entirely clear what underlies this phenomenon, as genetic studies have not pinpointed unique responses to ionizing radiation in the most resistant fungi. Additionally, little work has been done examining how fungi (other than budding yeast) respond to irradiation by ionizing particles (e.g., protons, α-particles), although particle irradiation may cause distinct cellular damage, and is more relevant for human risks. To address this paucity of data, in this study we have characterized the phenotypic and transcriptomic response of the highly radioresistant yeast Exophiala dermatitidis to irradiation by three separate ionizing radiation sources: protons, deuterons, and α-particles. The experiment was performed with both melanized and non-melanized strains of E. dermatitidis, to determine the effect of this pigment on the response. No significant difference in survival was observed between these strains under any condition, suggesting that melanin does not impart protection to acute irradiation to these particles. The transcriptomic response during recovery to particle exposure was similar to that observed after γ-irradiation, with DNA repair and replication genes upregulated, and genes involved in translation and ribosomal biogenesis being heavily repressed, indicating an attenuation of cell growth. However, a comparison of global gene expression showed clear clustering of particle and γ-radiation groups. The response elicited by particle irradiation was, in total, more complex. Compared to the γ-associated response, particle irradiation resulted in greater changes in gene expression, a more diverse set of differentially expressed genes, and a significant induction of gene categories such as autophagy and protein catabolism. Additionally, analysis of individual particle responses resulted in identification of the first unique expression signatures and individual genes for each particle type that could be used as radionuclide discrimination markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Schultzhaus
- Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Amy Chen
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, United States
| | - Igor Shuryak
- Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Zheng Wang
- Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
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