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Qiu C, Halterman D, Zhang H, Liu Z. Multifunctionality of AsCFEM6 and AsCFEM12 effectors from the potato early blight pathogen Alternaria solani. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 257:128575. [PMID: 38048930 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Plant pathogens secrete fungal-specific common in several fungal extracellular membrane (CFEM) effectors to manipulate host immunity and contribute to their virulence. Little is known about effectors and their functions in Alternaria solani, the necrotrophic fungal pathogen causing potato early blight. To identify candidate CFEM effector genes, we mined A. solani genome databases. This led to the identification of 12 genes encoding CFEM proteins (termed AsCFEM1-AsCFEM12) and 6 of them were confirmed to be putative secreted effectors. In planta expression revealed that AsCFEM6 and AsCFEM12 have elicitor function that triggers plant defense response including cell death in different botanical families. Targeted gene disruption of AsCFEM6 and AsCFEM12 resulted in a change in spore development, significant reduction of virulence on potato and eggplant susceptible cultivars, increased resistance to fungicide stress, variation in iron acquisition and utilization, and the involvement in 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin biosynthesis pathway. Using maximum likelihood method, we found that positive selection likely caused the polymorphism within AsCFEM6 and AsCFEM12 homologs in different Alternaria spp. Site-directed mutagenesis analysis indicated that positive selection sites within their CFEM domains are required for cell death induction in Nicotiana benthamiana and are critical for response to abiotic stress in yeast. These results demonstrate that AsCFEM effectors possess additional functions beyond their roles in host plant immune response and pathogen virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaodong Qiu
- Department of Plant Pathology, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Dennis Halterman
- U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Vegetable Crops Research Unit, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Huajian Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops, Hefei 230036, China.
| | - Zhenyu Liu
- Department of Plant Pathology, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops, Hefei 230036, China.
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Wang W, Liu Y, Duan S, Bai N, Zhu M, Yang J. Cellular communication and fusion regulate cell fusion, trap morphogenesis, conidiation, and secondary metabolism in Arthrobotrys oligospora. Microbiol Res 2024; 278:127516. [PMID: 37857124 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Signal-mediated cell fusion is vital for colony development in filamentous fungi. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a representative nematode-trapping (NT) fungus that produces adhesive networks (traps) to capture nematodes. Here, we characterized Aoadv-1, Aoso, Aoham-6, and Aoham-5 of A. oligospora, homologs of proteins involved in cellular communication and fusion in the model fungus Neurospora crassa. The deletion of four genes resulted in the complete loss of cell fusion, and traps produced by mutants did not close to form mycelial rings but were still capable of capturing nematodes. The absence of these genes inhibits aerial mycelial extension, slows colony growth, and increases mycelial branching. In addition, the mutants showed reduced sporulation capacity and tolerance to oxidative stress, increased sensitivity to SDS, and disturbed lipid droplet accumulation and autophagy. In addition, transcriptome and metabolomic analyses suggested that Aoadv-1 and Aoso are involved in multiple cellular processes and secondary metabolism. Our results revealed that Aoadv-1, Aoso, Aoham-6, and Aoham-5 regulate mycelial growth and trap morphogenesis through cell fusion, which contributed to elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cellular communication regulating mycelial development and trap morphogenesis in NT fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, and School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Yankun Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, and School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Shipeng Duan
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, and School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Na Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, and School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Meichen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, and School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Jinkui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, and School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China.
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Fernandes C, Casadevall A, Gonçalves T. Mechanisms of Alternaria pathogenesis in animals and plants. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2023; 47:fuad061. [PMID: 37884396 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad061] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternaria species are cosmopolitan fungi darkly pigmented by melanin that infect numerous plant species causing economically important agricultural spoilage of various food crops. Alternaria spp. also infect animals, being described as entomopathogenic fungi but also infecting warm-blooded animals, including humans. Their clinical importance in human health, as infection agents, lay in the growing number of immunocompromised patients. Moreover, Alternaria spp. are considered some of the most abundant and potent sources of airborne sensitizer allergens causing allergic respiratory diseases, as severe asthma. Among the numerous strategies deployed by Alternaria spp. to attack their hosts, the production of toxins, carrying critical concerns to public health as food contaminant, and the production of hydrolytic enzymes such as proteases, can be highlighted. Alternaria proteases also trigger allergic symptoms in individuals with fungal sensitization, acting as allergens and facilitating antigen access to the host subepithelium. Here, we review the current knowledge about the mechanisms of Alternaria pathogenesis in plants and animals, the strategies used by Alternaria to cope with the host defenses, and the involvement Alternaria allergens and mechanisms of sensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal Fernandes
- CNC-UC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Wolfe Street, Room E5132, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Teresa Gonçalves
- CNC-UC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- FMUC - Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
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Liu J, Wang C, Kong L, Yang Y, Cui X, Li K, Nian H. Rho2 involved in development, stress response and pathogenicity of Fusarium oxysporum. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 39:272. [PMID: 37548840 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-023-03720-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Rho GTPases regulate the activity of cell wall biosynthesis, actin assembly and polar cell secretion. However, the function of Rho GTPase in filamentous fungi is poorly understood. To understand the role of Rho2 GTPase in Fusarium oxysporum, which is one of root rot pathogens of Panax notoginseng, △rho2 mutant was constructed. Phenotypes of △rho2, including conidiation, germination of spores, stresses (osmotic-, cell membrane-, cell wall disturbing-, metal-, and high temperature-) tolerance and pathogenicity were analyzed. The results showed that the growth of △rho2 was destroyed under cell wall disturbing stress and high temperature stress, suggesting that Rho2 regulated the response of F. oxysporum to cell wall synthesis inhibitors and high temperature stress. Germination of spores and pathogenicity to P. notoginseng were reduced in △rho2 mutant. Western blot results showed that rho2 deletion increased the phosphorylation level of Mpk1. To identify genes regulated by Rho2, transcriptome sequencing was carried out. 2477 genes were identified as upregulated genes and 2177 genes were identified as downregulated genes after rho2 was deleted. These genes provide clues for further study of rho2 function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Liu
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Chengsong Wang
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Lei Kong
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Ye Yang
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
- Key Laboratory of Panax notoginseng Resources Sustainable Development and Utilization of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Xiuming Cui
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
- Key Laboratory of Panax notoginseng Resources Sustainable Development and Utilization of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Kunzhi Li
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Hongjuan Nian
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China.
- Key Laboratory of Panax notoginseng Resources Sustainable Development and Utilization of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunming, 650500, China.
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Palos-Fernández R, Turrà D, Pietro AD. The Gal4-Type Transcription Factor Pro1 Integrates Inputs from Two Different MAPK Cascades to Regulate Development in the Fungal Pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8121242. [PMID: 36547575 PMCID: PMC9781702 DOI: 10.3390/jof8121242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways control fundamental aspects of growth and development in fungi. In the soil-inhabiting ascomycete Fusarium oxysporum, which causes vascular wilt disease in more than a hundred crops, the MAPKs Fmk1 and Mpk1 regulate an array of developmental and virulence-related processes. The downstream components mediating these disparate functions are largely unknown. Here we find that the GATA-type transcription factor Pro1 integrates signals from both MAPK pathways to control a subset of functions, including quorum sensing, hyphal fusion and chemotropism. By contrast, Pro1 is dispensable for other downstream processes such as invasive hyphal growth and virulence, or response to cell wall stress. We further show that regulation of Pro1 activity by these upstream pathways occurs at least in part at the level of transcription. Besides the MAPK pathways, upstream regulators of Pro1 transcription also include the Velvet regulatory complex, the signaling protein Soft (Fso1) and the transcription factor Ste12 which was previously shown to act downstream of Fmk1. Collectively, our results reveal a role of Pro1 in integrating the outputs from different signaling pathways of F. oxysporum thereby mediating key developmental decisions in this important fungal pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Turrà
- Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Enviromental Technology, Department of Agriculture, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Antonio Di Pietro
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-957-218-981
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Sharma M, Manhas RK. Biocontrol potential of Streptomyces sp. M4 and salvianolic acid B produced by it against Alternaria black leaf spot. Microb Pathog 2022; 173:105869. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Lengyel S, Rascle C, Poussereau N, Bruel C, Sella L, Choquer M, Favaron F. Snf1 Kinase Differentially Regulates Botrytis cinerea Pathogenicity according to the Plant Host. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020444. [PMID: 35208900 PMCID: PMC8877277 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Snf1 kinase of the glucose signaling pathway controls the response to nutritional and environmental stresses. In phytopathogenic fungi, Snf1 acts as a global activator of plant cell wall degrading enzymes that are major virulence factors for plant colonization. To characterize its role in the virulence of the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea, two independent deletion mutants of the Bcsnf1 gene were obtained and analyzed. Virulence of the Δsnf1 mutants was reduced by 59% on a host with acidic pH (apple fruit) and up to 89% on hosts with neutral pH (cucumber cotyledon and French bean leaf). In vitro, Δsnf1 mutants grew slower than the wild type strain at both pH 5 and 7, with a reduction of 20–80% in simple sugars, polysaccharides, and lipidic carbon sources, and these defects were amplified at pH 7. A two-fold reduction in secretion of xylanase activities was observed consequently to the Bcsnf1 gene deletion. Moreover, Δsnf1 mutants were altered in their ability to control ambient pH. Finally, Δsnf1 mutants were impaired in asexual sporulation and did not produce macroconidia. These results confirm the importance of BcSnf1 in pathogenicity, nutrition, and conidiation, and suggest a role in pH regulation for this global regulator in filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szabina Lengyel
- Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (TESAF), University of Padova, Viale dell’Università, 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (S.L.); (F.F.)
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Bayer SAS, INSA Lyon, UMR5240, Microbiologie, Adaptation et Pathogénie, 14 Impasse Pierre Baizet, F-69263 Lyon, France; (C.R.); (N.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Christine Rascle
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Bayer SAS, INSA Lyon, UMR5240, Microbiologie, Adaptation et Pathogénie, 14 Impasse Pierre Baizet, F-69263 Lyon, France; (C.R.); (N.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Nathalie Poussereau
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Bayer SAS, INSA Lyon, UMR5240, Microbiologie, Adaptation et Pathogénie, 14 Impasse Pierre Baizet, F-69263 Lyon, France; (C.R.); (N.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Christophe Bruel
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Bayer SAS, INSA Lyon, UMR5240, Microbiologie, Adaptation et Pathogénie, 14 Impasse Pierre Baizet, F-69263 Lyon, France; (C.R.); (N.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Luca Sella
- Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (TESAF), University of Padova, Viale dell’Università, 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (S.L.); (F.F.)
- Correspondence: (L.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Mathias Choquer
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Bayer SAS, INSA Lyon, UMR5240, Microbiologie, Adaptation et Pathogénie, 14 Impasse Pierre Baizet, F-69263 Lyon, France; (C.R.); (N.P.); (C.B.)
- Correspondence: (L.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Francesco Favaron
- Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (TESAF), University of Padova, Viale dell’Università, 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (S.L.); (F.F.)
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Liao B, Ye X, Chen X, Zhou Y, Cheng L, Zhou X, Ren B. The two-component signal transduction system and its regulation in Candida albicans. Virulence 2021; 12:1884-1899. [PMID: 34233595 PMCID: PMC8274445 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1949883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans, which can cause superficial and life-threatening systemic infections, is the most common opportunistic fungal pathogen in the human microbiome. The two-component system is one of the most important C. albicans signal transduction pathways, regulating the response to oxidative and osmotic stresses, adhesion, morphogenesis, cell wall synthesis, virulence, drug resistance, and the host-pathogen interactions. Notably, some components of this signaling pathway have not been found in the human genome, indicating that the two-component system of C. albicans can be a potential target for new antifungal agents. Here, we summarize the composition, signal transduction, and regulation of the two-component system of C. albicans to emphasize its essential roles in the pathogenesis of C. albicans and the new therapeutic target for antifungal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biaoyou Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases& West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xingchen Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases& West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases& West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yujie Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases& West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lei Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases& West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuedong Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases& West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Biao Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases& West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Chen Y, Cao Y, Gai Y, Ma H, Zhu Z, Chung KR, Li H. Genome-Wide Identification and Functional Characterization of GATA Transcription Factor Gene Family in Alternaria alternata. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7121013. [PMID: 34946995 PMCID: PMC8706292 DOI: 10.3390/jof7121013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we identified six GATA transcription factors (AaAreA, AaAreB, AaLreA, AaLreB, AaNsdD, and AaSreA) and characterized their functions in response to environmental stress and virulence in the tangerine pathotype of Alternaria alternata. The targeted gene knockout of each of the GATA-coding genes decreased the growth to varying degrees. The mutation of AaAreA, AaAreB, AaLreB, or AaNsdD decreased the conidiation. All the GATA transcription factors were found to be required for tolerance to cumyl hydroperoxide and tert-butyl-hydroperoxide (oxidants) and Congo red (a cell-wall-destructing agent). Pathogenicity assays assessed on detached citrus leaves revealed that mutations of AaAreA, AaLreA, AaLreB, or AaNsdD significantly decreased the fungal virulence. A comparative transcriptome analysis between the ∆AreA mutant and the wild-type strain revealed that the inactivation of AaAreA led to alterations in the expression of genes involved in a number of biological processes, including oxidoreductase activity, amino acid metabolism, and secondary metabolite biogenesis. Taken together, our findings revealed that GATA-coding genes play diverse roles in response to environmental stress and are important regulators involved in fungal development, conidiation, ROS detoxification, as well as pathogenesis. This study, for the first time, systemically underlines the critical role of GATA transcription factors in response to environmental stress and virulence in A. alternata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Y.C.); (Y.C.); (Y.G.); (H.M.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Yingzi Cao
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Y.C.); (Y.C.); (Y.G.); (H.M.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Yunpeng Gai
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Y.C.); (Y.C.); (Y.G.); (H.M.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Haijie Ma
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Y.C.); (Y.C.); (Y.G.); (H.M.); (Z.Z.)
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Zengrong Zhu
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Y.C.); (Y.C.); (Y.G.); (H.M.); (Z.Z.)
- Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Kuang-Ren Chung
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan;
| | - Hongye Li
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Y.C.); (Y.C.); (Y.G.); (H.M.); (Z.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-13634190823
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Mohamed RA, Ren K, Mou YN, Ying SH, Feng MG. Genome-Wide Insight into Profound Effect of Carbon Catabolite Repressor (Cre1) on the Insect-Pathogenic Lifecycle of Beauveriabassiana. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7110895. [PMID: 34829184 PMCID: PMC8622151 DOI: 10.3390/jof7110895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbon catabolite repression (CCR) is critical for the preferential utilization of glucose derived from environmental carbon sources and regulated by carbon catabolite repressor A (Cre1/CreA) in filamentous fungi. However, a role of Cre1-mediated CCR in insect-pathogenic fungal utilization of host nutrients during normal cuticle infection (NCI) and hemocoel colonization remains explored insufficiently. Here, we report an indispensability of Cre1 for Beauveriabassiana's utilization of nutrients in insect integument and hemocoel. Deletion of cre1 resulted in severe defects in radial growth on various media, hypersensitivity to oxidative stress, abolished pathogenicity via NCI or intrahemocoel injection (cuticle-bypassing infection) but no change in conidial hydrophobicity and adherence to insect cuticle. Markedly reduced biomass accumulation in the Δcre1 cultures was directly causative of severe defect in aerial conidiation and reduced secretion of various cuticle-degrading enzymes. The majority (1117) of 1881 dysregulated genes identified from the Δcre1 versus wild-type cultures were significantly downregulated, leading to substantial repression of many enriched function terms and pathways, particularly those involved in carbon and nitrogen metabolisms, cuticle degradation, antioxidant response, cellular transport and homeostasis, and direct/indirect gene mediation. These findings offer a novel insight into profound effect of Cre1 on the insect-pathogenic lifestyle of B. bassiana.
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John E, Singh KB, Oliver RP, Tan K. Transcription factor control of virulence in phytopathogenic fungi. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2021; 22:858-881. [PMID: 33973705 PMCID: PMC8232033 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Plant-pathogenic fungi are a significant threat to economic and food security worldwide. Novel protection strategies are required and therefore it is critical we understand the mechanisms by which these pathogens cause disease. Virulence factors and pathogenicity genes have been identified, but in many cases their roles remain elusive. It is becoming increasingly clear that gene regulation is vital to enable plant infection and transcription factors play an essential role. Efforts to determine their regulatory functions in plant-pathogenic fungi have expanded since the annotation of fungal genomes revealed the ubiquity of transcription factors from a broad range of families. This review establishes the significance of transcription factors as regulatory elements in plant-pathogenic fungi and provides a systematic overview of those that have been functionally characterized. Detailed analysis is provided on regulators from well-characterized families controlling various aspects of fungal metabolism, development, stress tolerance, and the production of virulence factors such as effectors and secondary metabolites. This covers conserved transcription factors with either specialized or nonspecialized roles, as well as recently identified regulators targeting key virulence pathways. Fundamental knowledge of transcription factor regulation in plant-pathogenic fungi provides avenues to identify novel virulence factors and improve our understanding of the regulatory networks linked to pathogen evolution, while transcription factors can themselves be specifically targeted for disease control. Areas requiring further insight regarding the molecular mechanisms and/or specific classes of transcription factors are identified, and direction for future investigation is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan John
- Centre for Crop and Disease ManagementCurtin UniversityBentleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
- School of Molecular and Life SciencesCurtin UniversityBentleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Karam B. Singh
- Agriculture and FoodCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationFloreatWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Richard P. Oliver
- School of Molecular and Life SciencesCurtin UniversityBentleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Kar‐Chun Tan
- Centre for Crop and Disease ManagementCurtin UniversityBentleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
- School of Molecular and Life SciencesCurtin UniversityBentleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
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Transcription Factor CfSte12 of Colletotrichum fructicola Is a Key Regulator of Early Apple Glomerella Leaf Spot Pathogenesis. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 87:AEM.02212-20. [PMID: 33067192 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02212-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Glomerella leaf spot (GLS), caused by Colletotrichum fructicola, is a rapidly emerging disease leading to defoliation, fruit spot, and storage fruit rot on apple in China. Little is known about the mechanisms of GLS pathogenesis. Early transcriptome analysis revealed that expression of the zinc finger transcription factor Ste12 gene in C. fructicola (CfSte12) was upregulated in appressoria and leaf infection. To investigate functions of CfSte12 during pathogenesis, we constructed gene deletion mutants (ΔCfSte12) by homologous recombination. Phenotypic analysis revealed that CfSte12 was involved in pathogenesis of nonwounded apple fruit and leaf, as well as wounded apple fruit. Subsequent histological studies revealed that loss of pathogenicity by ΔCfSte12 on apple leaf was expressed as defects of conidium germination, appressorium development, and appressorium-mediated penetration. Further RNA sequencing-based transcriptome comparison revealed that CfSte12 modulates the expression of genes related to appressorium function (e.g., genes for the tetraspanin PLS1, Gas1-like proteins, cutinases, and melanin biosynthesis) and candidate effectors likely involved in plant interaction. In sum, our results demonstrated that CfSte12 is a key regulator of early apple GLS pathogenesis in C. fructicola In addition, CfSte12 is also needed for sexual development of perithecia and ascospores.IMPORTANCE Glomerella leaf spot (GLS) is an emerging fungal disease of apple that causes huge economic losses in Asia, North America, and South America. The damage inflicted by GLS manifests in rapid necrosis of leaves, severe defoliation, and necrotic spot on the fruit surface. However, few studies have addressed mechanisms of GLS pathogenesis. In this study, we identified and characterized a key pathogenicity-related transcription factor, CfSte12, of Colletotrichum fructicola that contributes to GLS pathogenesis. We provide evidence that the CfSte12 protein regulates many important pathogenic processes of GLS, including conidium germination, appressorium formation, appressorium-mediated penetration, and colonization. CfSte12 also impacts development of structures needed for sexual reproduction which are vital for the GLS disease cycle. These results reveal a key pathogenicity-related transcription factor, CfSte12, in C. fructicola that causes GLS.
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Ma H, Zhang B, Gai Y, Sun X, Chung KR, Li H. Cell-Wall-Degrading Enzymes Required for Virulence in the Host Selective Toxin-Producing Necrotroph Alternaria alternata of Citrus. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2514. [PMID: 31824437 PMCID: PMC6883767 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The necrotrophic fungal pathogen Alternaria alternata attacks many citrus species, causing brown spot disease. Its pathogenic capability depends primarily on the production of host-selective ACT toxin. In the current study a Ste12 transcription factor was characterized to be required for conidial formation and the production of cell-wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs) in the tangerine pathotype of A. alternata. The Ste12 deficiency strain (ΔSte12) retained wild-type growth, ACT toxin production, and sensitivity to oxidative and osmotic stress. However, pathogenicity tests assayed on detached Dancy leaves revealed a marked reduction in virulence of ΔSte12. Transcriptome and quantitative RT-PCR analyses revealed that many genes associated with Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes (CAZymes) were downregulated in ΔSte12. Two cutinase-coding genes (AaCut3 and AaCut7) regulated by Ste12 were individually and simultaneously inactivated. The AaCut3 or AaCut7 deficiency strain unchanged in cutinase activities and incited wild-type lesions on Dancy leaves. However, the strain carrying an AaCut3 AaCut7 double mutation produced and secreted significantly fewer cutinases and incited smaller necrotic lesions than wild type. Not only is the host-selective toxin (HST) produced by A. alternata required for fungal penetration and lesion formation, but so too are CWDEs required for full virulence. Overall, this study expands our understanding of how A. alternata overcomes citrus physical barriers to carry out successful penetration and colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijie Ma
- Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yunpeng Gai
- Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xuepeng Sun
- Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kuang-Ren Chung
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hongye Li
- Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Hu J, Zhou Y, Gao T, Geng J, Dai Y, Ren H, Lamour K, Liu X. Resistance risk assessment for fludioxonil in Sclerotinia homoeocarpa in China. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 156:123-128. [PMID: 31027571 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2019.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Sclerotinia homoeocarpa causes dollar spot disease on turfgrass and is a serious problem on many species worldwide. Fludioxonil, a phenylpyrrole fungicide, is not currently registered for dollar spot control in China. In this study, the baseline sensitivity to fludioxonil was established using an in vitro assay for 105 isolates of S. homoeocarpa collected from 10 locations in different regions of China. Results indicate that the frequency distribution of effective concentration for 50% inhibition of mycelial growth (EC50) values of the S. homoeocarpa isolates was unimodal (W = 0.9847, P = .2730). The mean EC50 value was 0.0020 ± 0.0006 μg/ml with a range from 0.0003 to 0.0035 μg/ml. A total of 7 fludioxonil-resistant mutants were obtained in laboratory, the mutants were stable in fludioxonil sensitivity after the 10th transfer, with resistance factor (RF) ranging from 4.320 to >13,901.4. The mutants showed a positive cross-resistance between fludioxonil and the dicarboximide fungicide iprodione, but not propiconazole, fluazinam, and thiophanate-methyl. When mycelial growth rate, pathogenicity and osmotic sensitivity were assessed, the mutants decreased in the fitness compared with their parental isolates. Sequence alignment of the histidine kinase gene Shos1 revealed a 13-bp fragment deletion only in one mutant, no mutations were observed on Shos1 in the rest resistant mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Hu
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China.
| | - Yuxin Zhou
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Tao Gao
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Jiamei Geng
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Yuan Dai
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Haiyan Ren
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Kurt Lamour
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996, USA
| | - Xili Liu
- Department of Plant Pathology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China
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Fischer MS, Glass NL. Communicate and Fuse: How Filamentous Fungi Establish and Maintain an Interconnected Mycelial Network. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:619. [PMID: 31001214 PMCID: PMC6455062 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-to-cell communication and cell fusion are fundamental biological processes across the tree of life. Survival is often dependent upon being able to identify nearby individuals and respond appropriately. Communication between genetically different individuals allows for the identification of potential mating partners, symbionts, prey, or predators. In contrast, communication between genetically similar (or identical) individuals is important for mediating the development of multicellular organisms or for coordinating density-dependent behaviors (i.e., quorum sensing). This review describes the molecular and genetic mechanisms that mediate cell-to-cell communication and cell fusion between cells of Ascomycete filamentous fungi, with a focus on Neurospora crassa. Filamentous fungi exist as a multicellular, multinuclear network of hyphae, and communication-mediated cell fusion is an important aspect of colony development at each stage of the life cycle. Asexual spore germination occurs in a density-dependent manner. Germinated spores (germlings) avoid cells that are genetically different at specific loci, while chemotropically engaging with cells that share identity at these recognition loci. Germlings with genetic identity at recognition loci undergo cell fusion when in close proximity, a fitness attribute that contributes to more rapid colony establishment. Communication and cell fusion also occur between hyphae in a colony, which are important for reinforcing colony architecture and supporting the development of complex structures such as aerial hyphae and sexual reproductive structures. Over 70 genes have been identified in filamentous fungi (primarily N. crassa) that are involved in kind recognition, chemotropic interactions, and cell fusion. While the hypothetical signal(s) and receptor(s) remain to be described, a dynamic molecular signaling network that regulates cell-cell interactions has been revealed, including two conserved MAP-Kinase cascades, a conserved STRIPAK complex, transcription factors, a NOX complex involved in the generation of reactive oxygen species, cell-integrity sensors, actin, components of the secretory pathway, and several other proteins. Together these pathways facilitate the integration of extracellular signals, direct polarized growth, and initiate a transcriptional program that reinforces signaling and prepares cells for downstream processes, such as membrane merger, cell fusion and adaptation to heterokaryon formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika S. Fischer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA, United States
| | - N. Louise Glass
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA, United States
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
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Li J, Zhu F, Li J. Expression of the Histidine Kinase Gene Sshk Correlates with Dimethachlone Resistance in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2019; 109:395-401. [PMID: 30070619 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-05-18-0156-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Histidine kinases (HK) are implicated in virulence, vegetative mycelial growth, and osmotic and oxidative responses in pathogenic fungi. Our previous work showed that transcriptional levels of the group III HK gene Sshk are higher in field dimethachlone-resistant isolates of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum compared with sensitive isolates. However, it is not clear whether the overexpression of Sshk is the major mechanism for resistance to dimethachlone. In this study, we constructed Sshk silencing and overexpression vectors and assessed dimethachlone resistance levels, virulence, mycelial growth, and sensitivity to osmotic stress for the Sshk-silenced and -overexpression transformants. Overexpression of Sshk resulted in resistance to dimethachlone and increased sensitivity to various stresses and to the cell-wall-perturbing agents sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and Congo red (CR). Compared with the parent isolate, Sshk-silenced transformants had reduced resistance to dimethachlone, significantly higher (P < 0.05) mycelial growth and virulence, and lower sclerotium production, and were less sensitive to various exogenous stresses such as sodium chloride. Compared with the parent sensitive isolate HLJMG1, dimethachlone resistance ratios of the three overexpression transformants ∆C101, ∆C21, and ∆C10 increased 168.1-, 189.5-, and 221.2-fold, respectively. The three overexpression transformants were more sensitive to CR and SDS than their parent isolate. These findings suggest that overexpression of Sshk is a major mechanism for dimethachlone resistance in some isolates of S. sclerotiorum, and that Sshk plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of the cell wall. Our findings reveal a novel molecular mechanism for dimethachlone resistance in plant-pathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinli Li
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Fuxing Zhu
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jianhong Li
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
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Integration of Self and Non-self Recognition Modulates Asexual Cell-to-Cell Communication in Neurospora crassa. Genetics 2019; 211:1255-1267. [PMID: 30718271 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells rarely exist alone, which drives the evolution of diverse mechanisms for identifying and responding appropriately to the presence of other nearby cells. Filamentous fungi depend on somatic cell-to-cell communication and fusion for the development and maintenance of a multicellular, interconnected colony that is characteristic of this group of organisms. The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa is a model for investigating the mechanisms of somatic cell-to-cell communication and fusion. N. crassa cells chemotropically grow toward genetically similar cells, which ultimately make physical contact and undergo cell fusion. Here, we describe the development of a Pprm1-luciferase reporter system that differentiates whether genes function upstream or downstream of a conserved MAP kinase (MAPK) signaling complex, by using a set of mutants required for communication and cell fusion. The vast majority of these mutants are deficient for self-fusion and for fusion when paired with wild-type cells. However, the Δham-11 mutant is unique in that it fails to undergo self-fusion, but chemotropic interactions and cell fusion are restored in Δham-11 + wild-type interactions. In genetically dissimilar cells, chemotropic interactions are regulated by genetic differences at doc-1 and doc-2, which regulate prefusion non-self recognition; cells with dissimilar doc-1 and doc-2 alleles show greatly reduced cell-fusion frequencies. Here, we show that HAM-11 functions in parallel with the DOC-1 and DOC-2 proteins to regulate the activity of the MAPK signaling complex. Together, our data support a model of integrated self and non-self recognition processes that modulate somatic cell-to-cell communication in N. crassa.
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18
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Schmitz K, Protzko R, Zhang L, Benz JP. Spotlight on fungal pectin utilization-from phytopathogenicity to molecular recognition and industrial applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:2507-2524. [PMID: 30694345 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-09622-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Pectin is a complex polysaccharide with D-galacturonic acid as its main component that predominantly accumulates in the middle lamella of the plant cell wall. Integrity and depolymerization of pectic structures have long been identified as relevant factors in fungal phytosymbiosis and phytopathogenicity in the context of tissue penetration and carbon source supply. While the pectic content of a plant cell wall can vary significantly, pectin was reported to account for up to 20-25% of the total dry weight in soft and non-woody tissues with non- or mildly lignified secondary cell walls, such as found in citrus peel, sugar beet pulp, and apple pomace. Due to their potential applications in various industrial sectors, pectic sugars from these and similar agricultural waste streams have been recognized as valuable targets for a diverse set of biotechnological fermentations.Recent advances in uncovering the molecular regulation mechanisms for pectinase expression in saprophytic fungi have led to a better understanding of fungal pectin sensing and utilization that could help to improve industrial, pectin-based fermentations. Related research in phytopathogenic fungi has furthermore added to our knowledge regarding the relevance of pectinases in plant cell wall penetration during onset of disease and is therefore highly relevant for agricultural sciences and the agricultural industry. This review therefore aims at summarizing (i) the role of pectinases in phytopathogenicity, (ii) the global regulation patterns for pectinase expression in saprophytic filamentous fungi as a highly specialized class of pectin degraders, and (iii) the current industrial applications in pectic sugar fermentations and transformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Schmitz
- Holzforschung München, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Ryan Protzko
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lisha Zhang
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - J Philipp Benz
- Holzforschung München, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany.
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Tannous J, Kumar D, Sela N, Sionov E, Prusky D, Keller NP. Fungal attack and host defence pathways unveiled in near-avirulent interactions of Penicillium expansum creA mutants on apples. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2018; 19:2635-2650. [PMID: 30047230 PMCID: PMC6638163 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Amongst the universal diseases affecting apples, blue mould caused by Penicillium expansum is a major concern, resulting in yield and quality losses as a result of the production of the mycotoxin patulin. Despite the characterization of the patulin biosynthetic gene cluster at both the molecular and chemical levels, the underlying regulation of patulin biosynthesis in P. expansum and the mechanisms of apple colonization remain largely obscure. Recent work has indicated that sucrose, a carbon catabolite repressive metabolite, is a critical factor in the regulation of patulin synthesis. Here, CreA, the global carbon catabolite regulator, was assessed for virulence both in vitro and in vivo. We showed that loss-of-function creA strains were nearly avirulent and did not produce patulin in apples. On the basis of RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis and physiological experimentation, these mutants were unable to successfully colonize apples for a multitude of potential mechanisms including, on the pathogen side, a decreased ability to produce proteolytic enzymes and to acidify the environment and impaired carbon/nitrogen metabolism and, on the host side, an increase in the oxidative defence pathways. Our study defines CreA and its downstream signalling pathways as promising targets for the development of strategies to fight against the development and virulence of this post-harvest pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Tannous
- Department of Medical Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Wisconsin – MadisonMadison 53706WIUSA
| | - Dilip Kumar
- Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh ProduceAgricultural Research Organization, The Volcani CenterBet Dagan50250Israel
| | - Noa Sela
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed ResearchAgricultural Research Organization, The Volcani CenterBet Dagan50250Israel
| | - Edward Sionov
- Department of Food StorageAgricultural Research Organization, The Volcani CenterBet Dagan50250Israel
| | - Dov Prusky
- Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh ProduceAgricultural Research Organization, The Volcani CenterBet Dagan50250Israel
- College of Food Science and EngineeringGansu Agricultural UniversityYinmencun 1Anning District, Lanzhou730070China
| | - Nancy P. Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Wisconsin – MadisonMadison 53706WIUSA
- Department of BacteriologyUniversity of Wisconsin – MadisonMadison 53706WIUSA
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20
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PaPro1 and IDC4, Two Genes Controlling Stationary Phase, Sexual Development and Cell Degeneration in Podospora anserina. J Fungi (Basel) 2018; 4:jof4030085. [PMID: 29997371 PMCID: PMC6162560 DOI: 10.3390/jof4030085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi frequently undergo bistable phenotypic switches. Crippled Growth of Podospora anserina is one such bistable switch, which seems to rely upon the mis-activation of a self-regulated PaMpk1 MAP kinase regulatory pathway. Here, we identify two new partners of this pathway: PaPro1, a transcription factor orthologous to Sordaria macrospora pro1 and Neurospora crassa ADV-1, and IDC4, a protein with an AIM24 domain. Both PaPro1 and IDC4 regulate stationary phase features, as described for the other actors of the PaMpk1 signaling pathway. However, PaPro1 is also involved in the control of fertilization by activating the transcription of the HMG8 and the mating type transcription factors, as well as the sexual pheromones and receptor genes. The roles of two components of the STRIPAK complex were also investigated by inactivating their encoding genes: PaPro22 and PaPro45. The mutants of these genes were found to have the same phenotypes as PaPro1 and IDC4 mutants as well as additional phenotypes including slow growth, abnormally shaped hyphae, pigment accumulation and blockage of the zygotic tissue development, indicating that the STRIPAK complex regulates, in addition to the PaMpk1 one, other pathways in P. anserina. Overall, the mutants of these four genes confirm the model by which Crippled Growth is due to the abnormal activation of the PaMpk1 MAP kinase cascade.
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Adnan M, Zheng W, Islam W, Arif M, Abubakar YS, Wang Z, Lu G. Carbon Catabolite Repression in Filamentous Fungi. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 19:ijms19010048. [PMID: 29295552 PMCID: PMC5795998 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbon Catabolite Repression (CCR) has fascinated scientists and researchers around the globe for the past few decades. This important mechanism allows preferential utilization of an energy-efficient and readily available carbon source over relatively less easily accessible carbon sources. This mechanism helps microorganisms to obtain maximum amount of glucose in order to keep pace with their metabolism. Microorganisms assimilate glucose and highly favorable sugars before switching to less-favored sources of carbon such as organic acids and alcohols. In CCR of filamentous fungi, CreA acts as a transcription factor, which is regulated to some extent by ubiquitination. CreD-HulA ubiquitination ligase complex helps in CreA ubiquitination, while CreB-CreC deubiquitination (DUB) complex removes ubiquitin from CreA, which causes its activation. CCR of fungi also involves some very crucial elements such as Hexokinases, cAMP, Protein Kinase (PKA), Ras proteins, G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), Adenylate cyclase, RcoA and SnfA. Thorough study of molecular mechanism of CCR is important for understanding growth, conidiation, virulence and survival of filamentous fungi. This review is a comprehensive revision of the regulation of CCR in filamentous fungi as well as an updated summary of key regulators, regulation of different CCR-dependent mechanisms and its impact on various physical characteristics of filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Adnan
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Wenhui Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Waqar Islam
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Muhammad Arif
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Yakubu Saddeeq Abubakar
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Zonghua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Guodong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
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Idnurm A, Urquhart AS, Vummadi DR, Chang S, Van de Wouw AP, López-Ruiz FJ. Spontaneous and CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutation of the osmosensor histidine kinase of the canola pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2017; 4:12. [PMID: 29270298 PMCID: PMC5732519 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-017-0043-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The dicarboximide fungicide iprodione has been used to combat blackleg disease of canola (Brassica napus), caused by the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. For example, in Australia the fungicide was used in the late 1990s but is no longer registered for use against blackleg disease, and therefore the impact of iprodione on L. maculans has not been investigated. Results Resistance to iprodione emerged spontaneously under in vitro conditions at high frequency. A basis for this resistance was mutations in the hos1 gene that encodes a predicted osmosensing histidine kinase. While loss of the homologous histidine kinase in some fungi has deleterious effects on growth and pathogenicity, the L. maculans strains with the hos1 gene mutated had reduced growth under high salt conditions, but were still capable of causing lesions on B. napus. The relative ease to isolate mutants with resistance to iprodione provided a method to develop and then optimize a CRISPR/Cas9 system for gene disruptions in L. maculans, a species that until now has been particularly difficult to manipulate by targeted gene disruptions. Conclusions While iprodione is initially effective against L. maculans in vitro, resistance emerges easily and these strains are able to cause lesions on canola. This may explain the limited efficacy of iprodione in field conditions. Iprodione resistance, such as through mutations of genes like hos1, provides an effective direction for the optimization of gene disruption techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Idnurm
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Building 122, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Andrew S Urquhart
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Building 122, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Dinesh R Vummadi
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Building 122, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Steven Chang
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102 Australia
| | - Angela P Van de Wouw
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Building 122, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Francisco J López-Ruiz
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102 Australia
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Yang J, Yin ZQ, Kang ZT, Liu CJ, Yang JK, Yao JH, Luo YY. Transcriptomic profiling of Alternaria longipes invasion in tobacco reveals pathogenesis regulated by AlHK1, a group III histidine kinase. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16083. [PMID: 29167535 PMCID: PMC5700128 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16401-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Tobacco brown spot, caused by Alternaria species, is a devastating tobacco disease. To explore the role of a group III histidine kinase (AlHK1) on A. longipes pathogenesis, the invasion progress of A. longipes was monitored. We found that the wild-type strain C-00 invaded faster than the AlHK1-disrupted strain HK∆4 in the early and middle infection stages and the reverse trend occurred in the late infection stage. Then, eight invasion transcriptomes were performed using RNA-Seq and 205 shared, 505 C-00 and 222 HK∆4 specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. The annotation results showed seven antioxidant activity genes were specifically identified in the HKΔ4 DEGs. A subsequent experiment confirmed that HKΔ4 was more resistant to low concentrations oxidative stress than C-00. In addition, the results from 1) statistics for the number of DEGs, GO enriched terms, DEGs in clusters with rising trends, and 2) analyses of the expression patterns of some DEGs relevant for osmoadaptation and virulence showed that changes in C-00 infection existed mainly in the early and middle stages, while HKΔ4 infection arose mainly in the late stage. Our results reveal firstly the pathogenesis of A. longipes regulated by AlHK1 and provide useful insights into the fungal-plant interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Yang
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Zhi-Qun Yin
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Zi-Teng Kang
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Chen-Jian Liu
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Jin-Kui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Jian-Hua Yao
- Yunnan Academy of Tobacco Science, Kunming, 650106, China
| | - Yi-Yong Luo
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China.
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Navarro-Arias MJ, Dementhon K, Defosse TA, Foureau E, Courdavault V, Clastre M, Le Gal S, Nevez G, Le Govic Y, Bouchara JP, Giglioli-Guivarc'h N, Noël T, Mora-Montes HM, Papon N. Group X hybrid histidine kinase Chk1 is dispensable for stress adaptation, host–pathogen interactions and virulence in the opportunistic yeast Candida guilliermondii. Res Microbiol 2017; 168:644-654. [DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2017.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2017] [Revised: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Mohanan VC, Chandarana PM, Chattoo BB, Patkar RN, Manjrekar J. Fungal Histidine Phosphotransferase Plays a Crucial Role in Photomorphogenesis and Pathogenesis in Magnaporthe oryzae. Front Chem 2017; 5:31. [PMID: 28580356 PMCID: PMC5437211 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2017.00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Two-component signal transduction (TCST) pathways play crucial roles in many cellular functions such as stress responses, biofilm formation, and sporulation. The histidine phosphotransferase (HPt), which is an intermediate phosphotransfer protein in a two-component system, transfers a phosphate group to a phosphorylatable aspartate residue in the target protein(s), and up-regulates stress-activated MAP kinase cascades. Most fungal genomes carry a single copy of the gene coding for HPt, which are potential antifungal targets. However, unlike the histidine kinases (HK) or the downstream response regulators (RR) in two-component system, the HPts have not been well-studied in phytopathogenic fungi. In this study, we investigated the role of HPt in the model rice-blast fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae. We found that in M. oryzae an additional isoform of the HPT gene YPD1 was expressed specifically in response to light. Further, the expression of light-regulated genes such as those encoding envoy and blue-light-harvesting protein, and PAS domain containing HKs was significantly reduced upon down-regulation of YPD1 in M. oryzae. Importantly, down-regulation of YPD1 led to a significant decrease in the ability to penetrate the host cuticle and in light-dependent conidiation in M. oryzae. Thus, our results indicate that Ypd1 plays an important role in asexual development and host invasion, and suggest that YPD1 isoforms likely have distinct roles to play in the rice-blast pathogen M. oryzae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha C Mohanan
- Bharat Chattoo Genome Research Centre, Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology Centre, Maharaja Sayajirao University of BarodaVadodara, India
| | - Pinal M Chandarana
- Bharat Chattoo Genome Research Centre, Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology Centre, Maharaja Sayajirao University of BarodaVadodara, India
| | - Bharat B Chattoo
- Bharat Chattoo Genome Research Centre, Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology Centre, Maharaja Sayajirao University of BarodaVadodara, India
| | - Rajesh N Patkar
- Bharat Chattoo Genome Research Centre, Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology Centre, Maharaja Sayajirao University of BarodaVadodara, India
| | - Johannes Manjrekar
- Bharat Chattoo Genome Research Centre, Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology Centre, Maharaja Sayajirao University of BarodaVadodara, India.,Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology Centre, Maharaja Sayajirao University of BarodaVadodara, India
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Li J, Kang T, Talab KMA, Zhu F, Li J. Molecular and biochemical characterization of dimethachlone resistant isolates of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 138:15-21. [PMID: 28456299 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2017.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a necrotrophic fungal plant pathogen with a broad host range. The dicarboximide fungicide dimethachlone has been used to control this pathogen for more than a decade and resistance to dimethachlone has recently been reported in China. Compared with sensitive isolates, the three dimethachlone resistant isolates with resistance ratios of 78.3, 85.5, and 94.8 exhibited significantly (P<0.05) higher cell membrane permeability and peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activities. Dimethachlone at 0.25μg/mL significantly increased cell membrane permeability and enhanced activity of the two enzymes in both resistant and sensitive isolates. There were no significant differences in glycerol or oxalate content between the resistant and sensitive isolates. Dimethachlone treatment increased glycerol content in the resistant isolates and reduced in the sensitive isolates (P<0.01). Sequencing of three genes involved in two-component signal pathway and of three genes in mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade demonstrated that the dimethachlone resistant isolates HLJ4 and HLJ6 harbored point mutations of I232T and G1087D, respectively, in the deduce amino acid sequence of the histidine kinase (HK) gene Sshk. HLJ4 had a point mutation of P96L in the deduced amino acid sequence of the MAP kinase-kinase gene SsPbs. The expression levels of the Sshk gene were higher in HLJ4 and HLJ6 than in HLJ3 and the sensitive isolate HLJMG2, and transcription of the Sshk gene was up-regulated by dimethachlone for the three resistant isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinli Li
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Tinghao Kang
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | | | - Fuxing Zhu
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Jianhong Li
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
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Sang H, Popko JT, Chang T, Jung G. Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Qualitative and Quantitative Resistance to the Dicarboximide Fungicide Iprodione in Sclerotinia homoeocarpa Field Isolates. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2017; 107:198-207. [PMID: 27642797 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-05-16-0211-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The dicarboximide fungicide class is commonly used to control Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, the causal agent of dollar spot on turfgrass. Despite frequent occurrences of S. homoeocarpa field resistance to iprodione (dicarboximide active ingredient), the genetic mechanisms of iprodione resistance have not been elucidated. In this study, 15 field isolates (seven suspected dicarboximide resistant, three multidrug resistance (MDR)-like, and five dicarboximide sensitive) were used for sequence comparison of a histidine kinase gene, Shos1, of S. homoeocarpa. The suspected dicarboximide-resistant isolates displayed nonsynonymous polymorphisms in codon 366 (isoleucine to asparagine) in Shos1, while the MDR-like and sensitive isolates did not. Further elucidation of the Shos1 function, using polyethylene glycol-mediated protoplast transformation indicated that S. homoeocarpa mutants (Shos1I366N) from a sensitive isolate gained resistance to dicarboximides but not phenylpyrrole and polyols. The deletion of Shos1 resulted in higher resistance to dicarboximide and phenylpyrrole and higher sensitivity to polyols than Shos1I366N. Levels of dicarboximide sensitivity in the sensitive isolate, Shos1I366N, and Shos1 deletion mutants were negatively correlated to values of iprodione-induced expression of ShHog1, the last kinase in the high-osmolarity glycerol pathway. Increased constitutive and induced expression of the ATP-binding cassette multidrug efflux transporter ShPDR1 was observed in six of seven dicarboximide-resistant isolates. In conclusion, S. homoeocarpa field isolates gained dicarboximide resistance through the polymorphism in Shos1 and the overexpression of ShPDR1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunkyu Sang
- First, second, and fourth authors: Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003; and third author: School of Ecology and Environmental System, College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, 742-711, Korea
| | - James T Popko
- First, second, and fourth authors: Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003; and third author: School of Ecology and Environmental System, College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, 742-711, Korea
| | - Taehyun Chang
- First, second, and fourth authors: Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003; and third author: School of Ecology and Environmental System, College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, 742-711, Korea
| | - Geunhwa Jung
- First, second, and fourth authors: Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003; and third author: School of Ecology and Environmental System, College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, 742-711, Korea
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Benocci T, Aguilar-Pontes MV, Zhou M, Seiboth B, de Vries RP. Regulators of plant biomass degradation in ascomycetous fungi. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:152. [PMID: 28616076 PMCID: PMC5468973 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-017-0841-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Fungi play a major role in the global carbon cycle because of their ability to utilize plant biomass (polysaccharides, proteins, and lignin) as carbon source. Due to the complexity and heterogenic composition of plant biomass, fungi need to produce a broad range of degrading enzymes, matching the composition of (part of) the prevalent substrate. This process is dependent on a network of regulators that not only control the extracellular enzymes that degrade the biomass, but also the metabolic pathways needed to metabolize the resulting monomers. This review will summarize the current knowledge on regulation of plant biomass utilization in fungi and compare the differences between fungal species, focusing in particular on the presence or absence of the regulators involved in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziano Benocci
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Victoria Aguilar-Pontes
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Miaomiao Zhou
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bernhard Seiboth
- Research Area Biochemical Technology, Institute of Chemical and Biological Engineering, TU Wien, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ronald P. de Vries
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Lv B, Zheng L, Liu H, Tang J, Hsiang T, Huang J. Use of Random T-DNA Mutagenesis in Identification of Gene UvPRO1, A Regulator of Conidiation, Stress Response, and Virulence in Ustilaginoidea virens. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:2086. [PMID: 28082958 PMCID: PMC5186764 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.02086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
False smut of rice, caused by Ustilaginoidea virens (Cooke) Takahashi (teleomorph: Villosiclava virens), is one of the most important diseases affecting rice worldwide. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation was used to identify functional genes in U. virens. In this study, we selected a single-copy insertion mutant T133 with deficiency in producing conidia by screening the T-DNA insertion mutant library of U. virens. The UvPRO1-deletion mutant was successfully obtained after cloning the targeted gene by analysis of the T-DNA insert site of mutant T133. Further research showed that the UvPRO1 mutant was reduced in growth rate and could not produce conidia in PSB medium, while sensitivities to sodium dodecyl sulfate, Congo red, and hyperosmotic stress increased. Moreover, the UvPRO1 deletion mutant hyphae could extend along the surface of spikelets at 1-3 dpi, but mycelia became shriveled and completely lost the ability to infect spikelets at 4 dpi. The relative expression level of UvPRO1 at 8 dpi was more than twice as high as that at 1-2 dpi. These results suggest that UvPRO1 plays a critical role in hyphal growth and conidiation, as well as in stress response and pathogenesis. These findings provide a novel mode of action for the PRO1 protein in fungi and improve the understanding of the function of UvPRO1 in the life cycle of U. virens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Lv
- Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Lu Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Hao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Jintian Tang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Tom Hsiang
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, GuelphON, Canada
| | - Jinbin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
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Green KA, Becker Y, Tanaka A, Takemoto D, Fitzsimons HL, Seiler S, Lalucque H, Silar P, Scott B. SymB and SymC, two membrane associated proteins, are required forEpichloë festucaehyphal cell-cell fusion and maintenance of a mutualistic interaction withLolium perenne. Mol Microbiol 2016; 103:657-677. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A. Green
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University; Palmerston North 4442 New Zealand
- Bioprotection Research Centre, Massey University; Palmerston North 4442 New Zealand
| | - Yvonne Becker
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University; Palmerston North 4442 New Zealand
- Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops; Großbeeren 14979 Germany
| | - Aiko Tanaka
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences; Nagoya University; Nagoya 464-8601 Japan
| | - Daigo Takemoto
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences; Nagoya University; Nagoya 464-8601 Japan
| | - Helen L. Fitzsimons
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University; Palmerston North 4442 New Zealand
| | - Stephan Seiler
- Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, Albert-Ludwigs Universität Freiburg; Freiburg Germany
| | - Hervé Lalucque
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Laboratoire des Energies de Demain; Paris 75205 France
| | - Philippe Silar
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Laboratoire des Energies de Demain; Paris 75205 France
| | - Barry Scott
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University; Palmerston North 4442 New Zealand
- Bioprotection Research Centre, Massey University; Palmerston North 4442 New Zealand
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Vilanova L, Teixidó N, Torres R, Usall J, Viñas I, Sánchez-Torres P. Relevance of the transcription factor PdSte12 in Penicillium digitatum conidiation and virulence during citrus fruit infection. Int J Food Microbiol 2016; 235:93-102. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2016.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Revised: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Steffens EK, Becker K, Krevet S, Teichert I, Kück U. Transcription factor PRO1 targets genes encoding conserved components of fungal developmental signaling pathways. Mol Microbiol 2016; 102:792-809. [PMID: 27560538 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The filamentous fungus Sordaria macrospora is a model system to study multicellular development during fruiting body formation. Previously, we demonstrated that this major process in the sexual life cycle is controlled by the Zn(II)2 Cys6 zinc cluster transcription factor PRO1. Here, we further investigated the genome-wide regulatory network controlled by PRO1 by employing chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq) to identify binding sites for PRO1. We identified several target regions that occur in the promoter regions of genes encoding components of diverse signaling pathways. Furthermore, we identified a conserved DNA-binding motif that is bound specifically by PRO1 in vitro. In addition, PRO1 controls in vivo the expression of a DsRed reporter gene under the control of the esdC target gene promoter. Our ChIP-seq data suggest that PRO1 also controls target genes previously shown to be involved in regulating the pathways controlling cell wall integrity, NADPH oxidase and pheromone signaling. Our data point to PRO1 acting as a master regulator of genes for signaling components that comprise a developmental cascade controlling fruiting body formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Katharina Steffens
- Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, Bochum, 44780, Germany
| | - Kordula Becker
- Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, Bochum, 44780, Germany
| | - Sabine Krevet
- Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, Bochum, 44780, Germany
| | - Ines Teichert
- Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, Bochum, 44780, Germany
| | - Ulrich Kück
- Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, Bochum, 44780, Germany
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Xu X, Li J, Shi P, Ji W, Liu B, Zhang Y, Yao B, Fan Y, Zhang W. The use of T-DNA insertional mutagenesis to improve cellulase production by the thermophilic fungus Humicola insolens Y1. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31108. [PMID: 27506519 PMCID: PMC4979032 DOI: 10.1038/srep31108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Humicola insolens is an excellent producer of pH-neutral active, thermostable cellulases that find many industrial applications. In the present study, we developed an efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation system for H. insolens. We transformed plasmids carrying the promoter of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene of H. insolens driving the transcription of genes encoding neomycin phosphotransferase, hygromycin B phosphotransferase, and enhanced green fluorescent protein. We optimized transformation efficiency to obtain over 300 transformants/106 conidia. T-DNA insertional mutagenesis was employed to generate an H. insolens mutant library, and we isolated a transformant termed T4 with enhanced cellulase and hemicellulase activities. The FPase, endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, β-glucosidase, and xylanase activities of T4, measured at the end of fermentation, were 60%, 440%, 320%, 41%, and 81% higher than those of the wild-type strain, respectively. We isolated the sequences flanking the T-DNA insertions and thus identified new genes potentially involved in cellulase and hemicellulase production. Our results show that it is feasible to use T-DNA insertional mutagenesis to identify novel candidate genes involved in cellulase production. This will be valuable when genetic improvement programs seeking to enhance cellulase production are planned, and will also allow us to gain a better understanding of the genetics of the thermophilic fungus H. insolens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Xu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jinyang Li
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Pengjun Shi
- Key Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Wangli Ji
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yuhong Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Bin Yao
- Key Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yunliu Fan
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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Cao H, Huang P, Zhang L, Shi Y, Sun D, Yan Y, Liu X, Dong B, Chen G, Snyder JH, Lin F, Lu J. Characterization of 47 Cys2 -His2 zinc finger proteins required for the development and pathogenicity of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 211:1035-51. [PMID: 27041000 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The Cys2 -His2 (C2H2) zinc finger protein family is the second-largest family of transcription factors (TFs) in Magnaporthe oryzae, the causal fungus responsible for the destructive rice blast disease. However, little is known about the roles of most C2H2 TFs in the development and pathogenicity of M. oryzae. The roles of 47 C2H2 genes in development and pathogenicity were investigated by gene deletion in M. oryzae. The TF-dependent genes in mycelia or appressoria were analyzed with RNA sequencing and quantitative PCR (qPCR). Forty-four C2H2 genes are involved in growth (20 genes), conidiation (28 genes), appressorium formation (four genes) and pathogenicity (22 genes) in M. oryzae. Of these, MGG_14931, named as VRF1, is required for pathogenicity, specifically controlling appressorium maturation by affecting the expression of genes related to appressorial structure and function, including melanin biosynthesis, chitin catabolism, lipid metabolism, proteolysis, transmembrane transport, and response to oxidative stress; MGG_01776, named as VRF2, is required for plant penetration and invasive growth; conidiation-related gene CON7 is required for conidial differentiation; and MoCREA, encoding a carbon catabolite repression protein, is a novel repressor of lipid catabolism when glucose obtainable in M. oryzae. This study provides many insights into the regulation of growth, asexual development, appressorium formation, and pathogenicity by C2H2 TFs in M. oryzae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijuan Cao
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, Biotechnology Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Pengyun Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Lilin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Yongkai Shi
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Dandan Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Yuxin Yan
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Xiaohong Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, Biotechnology Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Bo Dong
- Institute of Virology and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310021, China
| | - Guoqing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 31006, China
| | - John Hugh Snyder
- China Tobacco Gene Research Center, Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute of CNTC, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450001, China
| | - Fucheng Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, Biotechnology Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
| | - Jianping Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310058, China
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John E, Lopez-Ruiz F, Rybak K, Mousley CJ, Oliver RP, Tan KC. Dissecting the role of histidine kinase and HOG1 mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling in stress tolerance and pathogenicity of Parastagonospora nodorum on wheat. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2016; 162:1023-1036. [PMID: 26978567 PMCID: PMC5042077 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The HOG1 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is activated through two-component histidine kinase (HK) signalling. This pathway was first characterized in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a regulator of osmotolerance. The fungus Parastagonospora nodorum is the causal agent of septoria nodorum blotch of wheat. This pathogen uses host-specific effectors in tandem with general pathogenicity mechanisms to carry out its infection process. Genes showing strong sequence homology to S. cerevisiae HOG1 signalling pathway genes have been identified in the genome of P. nodorum. In this study, we examined the role of the pathway in the virulence of P. nodorum on wheat by disrupting putative pathway component genes: HOG1 (SNOG_13296) MAPK and NIK1 (SNOG_11631) hybrid HK. Mutants deleted in NIK1 and HOG1 were insensitive to dicarboximide and phenylpyrrole fungicides, but not a fungicide that targets ergosterol biosynthesis. Furthermore, both Δnik1 and Δhog1 mutants showed increased sensitivity to hyperosmotic stress. However, HOG1, but not NIK1, is required for tolerance to elevated temperatures. HOG1 deletion conferred increased tolerance to 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone, a cereal phytoalexin. This suggests that the HOG1 signalling pathway is not exclusively associated with NIK1. Both Δnik1 and Δhog1 mutants retained the ability to infect and cause necrotic lesions on wheat. However, we observed that the Δhog1 mutation resulted in reduced production of pycnidia, asexual fruiting bodies that facilitate spore dispersal during late infection. Our study demonstrated the overlapping and distinct roles of a HOG1 MAPK and two-component HK signalling in P. nodorum growth and pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan John
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Francisco Lopez-Ruiz
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Kasia Rybak
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Carl J Mousley
- School of Biomedical Sciences, CHIRI Biosciences Research Precinct and Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Richard P Oliver
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Kar-Chun Tan
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
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Zeilinger S, Gupta VK, Dahms TES, Silva RN, Singh HB, Upadhyay RS, Gomes EV, Tsui CKM, Nayak S C. Friends or foes? Emerging insights from fungal interactions with plants. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2016; 40:182-207. [PMID: 26591004 PMCID: PMC4778271 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuv045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi interact with plants in various ways, with each interaction giving rise to different alterations in both partners. While fungal pathogens have detrimental effects on plant physiology, mutualistic fungi augment host defence responses to pathogens and/or improve plant nutrient uptake. Tropic growth towards plant roots or stomata, mediated by chemical and topographical signals, has been described for several fungi, with evidence of species-specific signals and sensing mechanisms. Fungal partners secrete bioactive molecules such as small peptide effectors, enzymes and secondary metabolites which facilitate colonization and contribute to both symbiotic and pathogenic relationships. There has been tremendous advancement in fungal molecular biology, omics sciences and microscopy in recent years, opening up new possibilities for the identification of key molecular mechanisms in plant-fungal interactions, the power of which is often borne out in their combination. Our fragmentary knowledge on the interactions between plants and fungi must be made whole to understand the potential of fungi in preventing plant diseases, improving plant productivity and understanding ecosystem stability. Here, we review innovative methods and the associated new insights into plant-fungal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Zeilinger
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Vijai K Gupta
- Molecular Glycobiotechnology Group, Discipline of Biochemistry, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Tanya E S Dahms
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Regina, SK, Canada
| | - Roberto N Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Harikesh B Singh
- Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, India
| | - Ram S Upadhyay
- Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, India
| | - Eriston Vieira Gomes
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Clement Kin-Ming Tsui
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Chandra Nayak S
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Mysore, Mysore-570001, Karnataka, India
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Randhawa A, Chawla S, Mondal AK. Functional dissection of HAMP domains in NIK1 ortholog from pathogenic yeast Candida lusitaniae. Gene 2016; 577:251-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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A Pectate Lyase-Coding Gene Abundantly Expressed during Early Stages of Infection Is Required for Full Virulence in Alternaria brassicicola. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0127140. [PMID: 25996954 PMCID: PMC4440746 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternaria brassicicola causes black spot disease of Brassica species. The functional importance of pectin digestion enzymes and unidentified phytotoxins in fungal pathogenesis has been suspected but not verified in A. brassicicola. The fungal transcription factor AbPf2 is essential for pathogenicity and induces 106 genes during early pathogenesis, including the pectate lyase-coding gene, PL1332. The aim of this study was to test the importance and roles of PL1332 in pathogenesis. We generated deletion strains of the PL1332 gene, produced heterologous PL1332 proteins, and evaluated their association with virulence. Deletion strains of the PL1332 gene were approximately 30% less virulent than wild-type A. brassicicola, without showing differences in colony expansion on solid media and mycelial growth in nutrient-rich liquid media or minimal media with pectins as a major carbon source. Heterologous PL1332 expressed as fusion proteins digested polygalacturons in vitro. When the fusion proteins were injected into the apoplast between leaf veins of host plants the tissues turned dark brown and soft, resembling necrotic leaf tissue. The PL1332 gene was the first example identified as a general toxin-coding gene and virulence factor among the 106 genes regulated by the transcription factor, AbPf2. It was also the first gene to have its functions investigated among the 19 pectate lyase genes and several hundred putative cell-wall degrading enzymes in A. brassicicola. These results further support the importance of the AbPf2 gene as a key pathogenesis regulator and possible target for agrochemical development.
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Dang HX, Pryor B, Peever T, Lawrence CB. The Alternaria genomes database: a comprehensive resource for a fungal genus comprised of saprophytes, plant pathogens, and allergenic species. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:239. [PMID: 25887485 PMCID: PMC4387663 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1430-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alternaria is considered one of the most common saprophytic fungal genera on the planet. It is comprised of many species that exhibit a necrotrophic phytopathogenic lifestyle. Several species are clinically associated with allergic respiratory disorders although rarely found to cause invasive infections in humans. Finally, Alternaria spp. are among the most well known producers of diverse fungal secondary metabolites, especially toxins. Description We have recently sequenced and annotated the genomes of 25 Alternaria spp. including but not limited to many necrotrophic plant pathogens such as A. brassicicola (a pathogen of Brassicaceous crops like cabbage and canola) and A. solani (a major pathogen of Solanaceous plants like potato and tomato), and several saprophytes that cause allergy in human such as A. alternata isolates. These genomes were annotated and compared. Multiple genetic differences were found in the context of plant and human pathogenicity, notably the pro-inflammatory potential of A. alternata. The Alternaria genomes database was built to provide a public platform to access the whole genome sequences, genome annotations, and comparative genomics data of these species. Genome annotation and comparison were performed using a pipeline that integrated multiple computational and comparative genomics tools. Alternaria genome sequences together with their annotation and comparison data were ported to Ensembl database schemas using a self-developed tool (EnsImport). Collectively, data are currently hosted using a customized installation of the Ensembl genome browser platform. Conclusion Recent efforts in fungal genome sequencing have facilitated the studies of the molecular basis of fungal pathogenicity as a whole system. The Alternaria genomes database provides a comprehensive resource of genomics and comparative data of an important saprophytic and plant/human pathogenic fungal genus. The database will be updated regularly with new genomes when they become available. The Alternaria genomes database is freely available for non-profit use at http://alternaria.vbi.vt.edu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha X Dang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA. .,Current address: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Oncology, and The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Barry Pryor
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA.
| | - Tobin Peever
- Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA.
| | - Christopher B Lawrence
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA. .,Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA.
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Dang HX, Pryor B, Peever T, Lawrence CB. The Alternaria genomes database: a comprehensive resource for a fungal genus comprised of saprophytes, plant pathogens, and allergenic species. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:239. [PMID: 25887485 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1430-7/figures/5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alternaria is considered one of the most common saprophytic fungal genera on the planet. It is comprised of many species that exhibit a necrotrophic phytopathogenic lifestyle. Several species are clinically associated with allergic respiratory disorders although rarely found to cause invasive infections in humans. Finally, Alternaria spp. are among the most well known producers of diverse fungal secondary metabolites, especially toxins. DESCRIPTION We have recently sequenced and annotated the genomes of 25 Alternaria spp. including but not limited to many necrotrophic plant pathogens such as A. brassicicola (a pathogen of Brassicaceous crops like cabbage and canola) and A. solani (a major pathogen of Solanaceous plants like potato and tomato), and several saprophytes that cause allergy in human such as A. alternata isolates. These genomes were annotated and compared. Multiple genetic differences were found in the context of plant and human pathogenicity, notably the pro-inflammatory potential of A. alternata. The Alternaria genomes database was built to provide a public platform to access the whole genome sequences, genome annotations, and comparative genomics data of these species. Genome annotation and comparison were performed using a pipeline that integrated multiple computational and comparative genomics tools. Alternaria genome sequences together with their annotation and comparison data were ported to Ensembl database schemas using a self-developed tool (EnsImport). Collectively, data are currently hosted using a customized installation of the Ensembl genome browser platform. CONCLUSION Recent efforts in fungal genome sequencing have facilitated the studies of the molecular basis of fungal pathogenicity as a whole system. The Alternaria genomes database provides a comprehensive resource of genomics and comparative data of an important saprophytic and plant/human pathogenic fungal genus. The database will be updated regularly with new genomes when they become available. The Alternaria genomes database is freely available for non-profit use at http://alternaria.vbi.vt.edu .
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha X Dang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA.
- Current address: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Oncology, and The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Barry Pryor
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA.
| | - Tobin Peever
- Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA.
| | - Christopher B Lawrence
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA.
- Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA.
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How the necrotrophic fungus Alternaria brassicicola kills plant cells remains an enigma. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2015; 14:335-44. [PMID: 25681268 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00226-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Alternaria species are mainly saprophytic fungi, but some are plant pathogens. Seven pathotypes of Alternaria alternata use secondary metabolites of host-specific toxins as pathogenicity factors. These toxins kill host cells prior to colonization. Genes associated with toxin synthesis reside on conditionally dispensable chromosomes, supporting the notion that pathogenicity might have been acquired several times by A. alternata. Alternaria brassicicola, however, seems to employ a different mechanism. Evidence on the use of host-specific toxins as pathogenicity factors remains tenuous, even after a diligent search aided by full-genome sequencing and efficient reverse-genetics approaches. Similarly, no individual genes encoding lipases or cell wall-degrading enzymes have been identified as strong virulence factors, although these enzymes have been considered important for fungal pathogenesis. This review describes our current understanding of toxins, lipases, and cell wall-degrading enzymes and their roles in the pathogenesis of A. brassicicola compared to those of other pathogenic fungi. It also describes a set of genes that affect pathogenesis in A. brassicicola. They are involved in various cellular functions that are likely important in most organisms and probably indirectly associated with pathogenesis. Deletion or disruption of these genes results in weakly virulent strains that appear to be sensitive to the defense mechanisms of host plants. Finally, this review discusses the implications of a recent discovery of three important transcription factors associated with pathogenesis and the putative downstream genes that they regulate.
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43
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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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Gu Q, Zhang C, Liu X, Ma Z. A transcription factor FgSte12 is required for pathogenicity in Fusarium graminearum. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2015; 16:1-13. [PMID: 24832137 PMCID: PMC6638345 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
A conserved mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade homologous to the yeast Fus3/Kss1 mating/filamentation pathway is involved in the regulation of vegetative development and pathogenicity in Fusarium graminearum. However, little is known about the downstream transcription factors of this pathway. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the homeodomain protein Ste12 is a key transcription factor activated by Fus3/Kss1. In this study, we characterized a Ste12 orthologue FgSte12 in F. graminearum. The FgSTE12 deletion mutant (ΔFgSte12) was impaired in virulence and in the secretion of cellulase and protease, although it did not show recognizable phenotype changes in hyphal growth, conidiation or deoxynivalenol (DON) biosynthesis. In addition, ΔFgSte12 and the FgGPMK1 (a FUS3/KSS1-related MAPK gene) mutant shared several phenotypic traits. Furthermore, we found that FgGpmk1 controls the nuclear localization of FgSte12. Yeast two-hybrid and affinity capture assays indicated that FgSte12 interacts with the FgSte11-Ste7-Gpmk1 complex. Taken together, these results indicate that FgSte12 is a downstream target of FgSte11-Ste7-Gpmk1 and plays an important role in pathogenicity in F. graminearum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Gu
- Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
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Transcriptional responses of the Bdtf1-deletion mutant to the phytoalexin brassinin in the necrotrophic fungus Alternaria brassicicola. Molecules 2014; 19:10717-32. [PMID: 25061722 PMCID: PMC6270968 DOI: 10.3390/molecules190810717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2014] [Revised: 07/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Brassica species produce the antifungal indolyl compounds brassinin and its derivatives, during microbial infection. The fungal pathogen Alternaria brassicicola detoxifies brassinin and possibly its derivatives. This ability is an important property for the successful infection of brassicaceous plants. Previously, we identified a transcription factor, Bdtf1, essential for the detoxification of brassinin and full virulence. To discover genes that encode putative brassinin-digesting enzymes, we compared gene expression profiles between a mutant strain of the transcription factor and wild-type A. brassicicola under two different experimental conditions. A total of 170 and 388 genes were expressed at higher levels in the mutants than the wild type during the infection of host plants and saprophytic growth in the presence of brassinin, respectively. In contrast, 93 and 560 genes were expressed, respectively, at lower levels in the mutant than the wild type under the two conditions. Fifteen of these genes were expressed at lower levels in the mutant than in the wild type under both conditions. These genes were assumed to be important for the detoxification of brassinin and included Bdtf1 and 10 putative enzymes. This list of genes provides a resource for the discovery of enzyme-coding genes important in the chemical modification of brassinin.
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Feng J, Zhang H, Strelkov SE, Hwang SF. The LmSNF1 gene is required for pathogenicity in the canola blackleg pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans. PLoS One 2014; 9:e92503. [PMID: 24638039 PMCID: PMC3956939 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptosphaeria maculans is a fungal pathogen causing blackleg in canola. Its virulence has been attributed, among other factors, to the activity of hydrolytic cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs). Studies on the pathogenicity function of CWDEs in plant pathogenic fungi have been difficult due to gene redundancy. In microorganisms many CWDE genes are repressed by glucose and derepressed by the function of the sucrose non-fermenting protein kinase 1 gene (SNF1). To address the molecular function of SNF1 in L. maculans, the ortholog of SNF1 (LmSNF1) was cloned and functionally characterized using a gene knockout strategy. Growth of the LmSNF1 knockout strains was severely disrupted, as was sporulation, spore germination and the ability to attach on the plant surface. When inoculated on canola cotyledons, the LmSNF1 knockout strains could not cause any symptoms, indicating the loss of pathogenicity. The expression of 11 selected CWDE genes and a pathogenicity gene (LopB) was significantly down-regulated in the LmSNF1 knockout strains. In conclusion, knockout of LmSNF1 prevents L. maculans from properly derepressing the production of CWDEs, compromises the utilization of certain carbon sources, and impairs fungal pathogenicity on canola.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Feng
- Crop Diversification Centre North, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Hui Zhang
- The Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Stephen E. Strelkov
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sheau-Fang Hwang
- Crop Diversification Centre North, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Luo Z, Qin Y, Pei Y, Keyhani NO. Ablation of thecreAregulator results in amino acid toxicity, temperature sensitivity, pleiotropic effects on cellular development and loss of virulence in the filamentous fungusBeauveria bassiana. Environ Microbiol 2014; 16:1122-36. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2013] [Accepted: 12/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhibing Luo
- Biotechnology Research Center; Southwest University; Chongqing China
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science; University of Florida; Bldg 981, Museum Rd. Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - Yuqi Qin
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science; University of Florida; Bldg 981, Museum Rd. Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - Yan Pei
- Biotechnology Research Center; Southwest University; Chongqing China
| | - Nemat O. Keyhani
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science; University of Florida; Bldg 981, Museum Rd. Gainesville FL 32611 USA
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Turrà D, Segorbe D, Di Pietro A. Protein kinases in plant-pathogenic fungi: conserved regulators of infection. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2014; 52:267-88. [PMID: 25090477 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-102313-050143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Phytopathogenic fungi have evolved an amazing diversity of infection modes and nutritional strategies, yet the signaling pathways that govern pathogenicity are remarkably conserved. Protein kinases (PKs) catalyze the reversible phosphorylation of proteins, regulating a variety of cellular processes. Here, we present an overview of our current understanding of the different classes of PKs that contribute to fungal pathogenicity on plants and of the mechanisms that regulate and coordinate PK activity during infection-related development. In addition to the well-studied PK modules, such as MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) and cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate)-PKA (protein kinase A) cascades, we also discuss new PK pathways that have emerged in recent years as key players of pathogenic development and disease. Understanding how conserved PK signaling networks have been recruited during the evolution of fungal pathogenicity not only advances our knowledge of the highly elaborate infection process but may also lead to the development of novel strategies for the control of plant disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Turrà
- Departamento de Genética and Campus de Excelencia Agroalimentario (ceiA3), Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain; , ,
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Fernandez J, Marroquin-Guzman M, Wilson RA. Mechanisms of nutrient acquisition and utilization during fungal infections of leaves. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2014; 52:155-74. [PMID: 24848414 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-102313-050135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Foliar fungal pathogens challenge global food security, but how they optimize growth and development during infection is understudied. Despite adopting several lifestyles to facilitate nutrient acquisition from colonized cells, little is known about the genetic underpinnings governing pathogen adaption to host-derived nutrients. Homologs of common global and pathway-specific gene regulatory elements are likely to be involved, but their contribution to pathogenicity, and how they are connected to broader genetic networks, is largely unspecified. Here, we focus on carbon and nitrogen metabolism in foliar pathogens and consider what is known, and what is not known, about fungal exploitation of host nutrient and ask how common metabolic regulators have been co-opted to the plant-pathogenic lifestyle as well as how nutrients are utilized to drive infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Fernandez
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583; , ,
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50
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Kubicek CP, Starr TL, Glass NL. Plant cell wall-degrading enzymes and their secretion in plant-pathogenic fungi. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2014; 52:427-51. [PMID: 25001456 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-102313-045831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 424] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Approximately a tenth of all described fungal species can cause diseases in plants. A common feature of this process is the necessity to pass through the plant cell wall, an important barrier against pathogen attack. To this end, fungi possess a diverse array of secreted enzymes to depolymerize the main structural polysaccharide components of the plant cell wall, i.e., cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin. Recent advances in genomic and systems-level studies have begun to unravel this diversity and have pinpointed cell wall-degrading enzyme (CWDE) families that are specifically present or enhanced in plant-pathogenic fungi. In this review, we discuss differences between the CWDE arsenal of plant-pathogenic and non-plant-pathogenic fungi, highlight the importance of individual enzyme families for pathogenesis, illustrate the secretory pathway that transports CWDEs out of the fungal cell, and report the transcriptional regulation of expression of CWDE genes in both saprophytic and phytopathogenic fungi.
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