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Liu F, Zeng M, Zhou X, Huang F, Song Z. Aspergillus fumigatus escape mechanisms from its harsh survival environments. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:53. [PMID: 38175242 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12952-z] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous pathogenic mold and causes several diseases, including mycotoxicosis, allergic reactions, and systemic diseases (invasive aspergillosis), with high mortality rates. In its ecological niche, the fungus has evolved and mastered many reply strategies to resist and survive against negative threats, including harsh environmental stress and deficiency of essential nutrients from natural environments, immunity responses and drug treatments in host, and competition from symbiotic microorganisms. Hence, treating A. fumigatus infection is a growing challenge. In this review, we summarized A. fumigatus reply strategies and escape mechanisms and clarified the main competitive or symbiotic relationships between A. fumigatus, viruses, bacteria, or fungi in host microecology. Additionally, we discussed the contemporary drug repertoire used to treat A. fumigatus and the latest evidence of potential resistance mechanisms. This review provides valuable knowledge which will stimulate further investigations and clinical applications for treating and preventing A. fumigatus infections. KEY POINTS: • Harsh living environment was a great challenge for A. fumigatus survival. • A. fumigatus has evolved multiple strategies to escape host immune responses. • A. fumigatus withstands antifungal drugs via intrinsic escape mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyan Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng Zeng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 402160, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Zhou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
| | - Fujiao Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhangyong Song
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
- Molecular Biotechnology Platform, Public Center of Experimental Technology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
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Martin-Vicente A, Souza ACO, Guruceaga X, Thorn HI, Xie J, Nywening AV, Ge W, Fortwendel JR. A conserved fungal morphogenetic kinase regulates pathogenic growth in response to carbon source diversity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:8945. [PMID: 39414804 PMCID: PMC11484838 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53358-3] [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: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2024] [Indexed: 10/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Fungal pathogens must exhibit strong nutritional plasticity, effectively sensing and utilizing diverse nutrients to support virulence. How the signals generated by nutritional sensing are efficiently translated to the morphogenetic machinery for optimal growth and support of virulence remains incompletely understood. Here, we show that the conserved morphogenesis-related kinase, CotA, imparts isoform-specific control over Aspergillus fumigatus invasive growth in host-mimicking environments and during infection. CotA-mediated invasive growth is responsive to exogenous carbon source quality, with only preferred carbon sources supporting hyphal morphogenesis in a mutant lacking one of two identified protein isoforms. Strikingly, we find that the CotA protein does not regulate, nor is cotA gene expression regulated by, the carbon catabolite repression system. Instead, we show that CotA partially mediates invasive growth in specific carbon sources and virulence through the conserved downstream effector and translational repressor, SsdA. Therefore, A. fumigatus CotA accomplishes its conserved morphogenetic functions to drive pathogenic growth by translating host-relevant carbon source quality signals into morphogenetic outputs for efficient tissue invasive growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adela Martin-Vicente
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | - Ana Camila Oliveira Souza
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Xabier Guruceaga
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | - Harrison I Thorn
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
- Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Graduate Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
| | - Jinhong Xie
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
- Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Graduate Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
| | - Ashley V Nywening
- Integrated Program in Biomedical Sciences, College of Graduate Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
| | - Wenbo Ge
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jarrod R Fortwendel
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA.
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Ohsawa S, Schwaiger M, Iesmantavicius V, Hashimoto R, Moriyama H, Matoba H, Hirai G, Sodeoka M, Hashimoto A, Matsuyama A, Yoshida M, Yashiroda Y, Bühler M. Nitrogen signaling factor triggers a respiration-like gene expression program in fission yeast. EMBO J 2024; 43:4604-4624. [PMID: 39256560 PMCID: PMC11480445 DOI: 10.1038/s44318-024-00224-z] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbes have evolved intricate communication systems that enable individual cells of a population to send and receive signals in response to changes in their immediate environment. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the oxylipin nitrogen signaling factor (NSF) is part of such communication system, which functions to regulate the usage of different nitrogen sources. Yet, the pathways and mechanisms by which NSF acts are poorly understood. Here, we show that NSF physically interacts with the mitochondrial sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase Hmt2 and that it prompts a change from a fermentation- to a respiration-like gene expression program without any change in the carbon source. Our results suggest that NSF activity is not restricted to nitrogen metabolism alone and that it could function as a rheostat to prepare a population of S. pombe cells for an imminent shortage of their preferred nutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Ohsawa
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Fabrikstrasse 24, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michaela Schwaiger
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Fabrikstrasse 24, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Vytautas Iesmantavicius
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Fabrikstrasse 24, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rio Hashimoto
- Chemical Genomics Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, 183-8538, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiromitsu Moriyama
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, 183-8538, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Matoba
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi Higashi-ku, 812-8582, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Go Hirai
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi Higashi-ku, 812-8582, Fukuoka, Japan
- Catalysis and Integrated Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
| | - Mikiko Sodeoka
- Catalysis and Integrated Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hashimoto
- Chemical Genomics Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
| | - Akihisa Matsuyama
- Chemical Genomics Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
- Molecular Ligand Target Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
| | - Minoru Yoshida
- Chemical Genomics Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
- Office of University Professors, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, 113-8657, Tokyo, Japan
- Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, 113-8657, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoko Yashiroda
- Chemical Genomics Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan.
- Molecular Ligand Target Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan.
| | - Marc Bühler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Fabrikstrasse 24, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4003, Basel, Switzerland.
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Weerasinghe H, Stölting H, Rose AJ, Traven A. Metabolic homeostasis in fungal infections from the perspective of pathogens, immune cells, and whole-body systems. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2024; 88:e0017122. [PMID: 39230301 PMCID: PMC11426019 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00171-22] [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] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYThe ability to overcome metabolic stress is a major determinant of outcomes during infections. Pathogens face nutrient and oxygen deprivation in host niches and during their encounter with immune cells. Immune cells require metabolic adaptations for producing antimicrobial compounds and mounting antifungal inflammation. Infection also triggers systemic changes in organ metabolism and energy expenditure that range from an enhanced metabolism to produce energy for a robust immune response to reduced metabolism as infection progresses, which coincides with immune and organ dysfunction. Competition for energy and nutrients between hosts and pathogens means that successful survival and recovery from an infection require a balance between elimination of the pathogen by the immune systems (resistance), and doing so with minimal damage to host tissues and organs (tolerance). Here, we discuss our current knowledge of pathogen, immune cell and systemic metabolism in fungal infections, and the impact of metabolic disorders, such as obesity and diabetes. We put forward the idea that, while our knowledge of the use of metabolic regulation for fungal proliferation and antifungal immune responses (i.e., resistance) has been growing over the years, we also need to study the metabolic mechanisms that control tolerance of fungal pathogens. A comprehensive understanding of how to balance resistance and tolerance by metabolic interventions may provide insights into therapeutic strategies that could be used adjunctly with antifungal drugs to improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harshini Weerasinghe
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Helen Stölting
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Metabolism, Diabetes and Obesity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Adam J Rose
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Metabolism, Diabetes and Obesity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ana Traven
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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Miao J, Williams DL, Kruppa MD, Peters BM. Glycogen synthase activity in Candida albicans is partly controlled by the functional ortholog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Gac1p. mSphere 2024:e0057524. [PMID: 39315809 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00575-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
To adapt to various host microenvironments, the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans possesses the capacity to accumulate and store glycogen as an internal carbohydrate source. In the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ScGlc7p and ScGac1p are the serine/threonine type 1 protein phosphatase catalytic and regulatory subunits that control glycogen synthesis by altering the phosphorylation state of the glycogen synthase Gsy2p. Despite recent delineation of the glycogen synthesis pathway in C. albicans, the molecular events driving synthase activation are currently undefined. In this study, using a combination of microbiologic and genetic techniques, we determined that the protein encoded by uncharacterized gene C1_01140C, and not the currently annotated C. albicans Gac1p, is the major regulatory subunit involved in glycogen synthesis. C1_01140Cp contains a conserved GVNK motif observed across multiple starch/glycogen-binding proteins in various species, and alanine substitution of each residue in this motif significantly impaired glycogen accumulation in C. albicans. Fluorescent protein tagging and microscopy indicated that C1_01140Cp-GFPy colocalized with CaGlc7p-tdTomato and CaGsy1p-tdTomato accordingly. Co-immunoprecipitation assays further confirmed that C1_01140Cp associates with CaGlc7p and CaGsy1p during glycogen synthesis. Lastly, c1_01140cΔ/Δ exhibited colonization defects in a murine model of vulvovaginal candidiasis. Collectively, our data indicate that uncharacterized C1_01140Cp is the functional ortholog of the PPP1R subunit ScGac1p in C. albicans.IMPORTANCEThe capacity to synthesize glycogen offers microbes metabolic flexibility, including the fungal pathogen Candida albicans. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, dephosphorylation of glycogen synthase by the ScGlc7p-containing phosphatase is a critical rate-limiting step in glycogen synthesis. Subunits, including ScGac1p, target ScGlc7p to α-1,4-glucosyl primers for efficient ScGsy2p synthase activation. However, this process in C. albicans had not been delineated. Here, we show that the C. albicans genome encodes for two homologous phosphatase-binding subunits, annotated CaGac1p and uncharacterized C1_01140Cp, both containing a GVNK motif required for polysaccharide affinity. Surprisingly, loss of CaGac1p only moderately reduced glycogen accumulation, whereas loss of C1_01140Cp ablated it. Fluorescence microscopy and co-immunoprecipitation approaches revealed that C1_01140Cp associates with CaGlc7p and CaGsy1p during glycogen synthesis. Moreover, C1_01140Cp contributed to fungal fitness at the vaginal mucosa during murine vaginitis. Therefore, this work demonstrates that glycogen synthase regulation is conserved in C. albicans and C1_01140Cp is the functional ortholog of ScGac1p.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Miao
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Program, College of Graduate Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - David L Williams
- Department of Surgery, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease, and Immunity, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
| | - Michael D Kruppa
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease, and Immunity, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
| | - Brian M Peters
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
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Pereira ED, Moreira TR, Cruz-Leite VRM, Tomazett MV, Souza Silva LO, Graziani D, Martins JA, Amaral AC, Weber SS, Parente-Rocha JA, Soares CMDA, Borges CL. Paracoccidioides lutzii Infects Galleria mellonella Employing Formamidase as a Virulence Factor. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012452. [PMID: 39226308 PMCID: PMC11398694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2024] [Revised: 09/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The formamidase (FMD) enzyme plays an important role in fungal thriving by releasing a secondary nitrogen source as a product of its activity. In Paracoccidioides species, previous studies have demonstrated the upregulation of this enzyme in a wide range of starvation and infective-like conditions. However, Paracoccidioides lutzii formamidase has not yet been defined as a virulence factor. Here, by employing in vivo infections using an fmd-silenced strain in Galleria mellonella larvae model, we demonstrate the influence of formamidase in P. lutzii's immune stimulation and pathogenicity. The formamidase silencing resulted in improper arrangement of the nodules, poor melanogenesis and decreased fungal burden. Thus, we suggest that formamidase may be a piece composing the process of molecular recognition by Galleria immune cells. Furthermore, formamidase silencing doubled the observed survival rate of the larvae, demonstrating its importance in fungal virulence in vivo. Therefore, our findings indicate that formamidase contributes to Galleria's immune incitement and establishes the role of this enzyme as a P. lutzii virulence factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Dias Pereira
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Thalison Rodrigues Moreira
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | | | - Mariana Vieira Tomazett
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Lana O'Hara Souza Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Daniel Graziani
- Multiuser Laboratory for the Evaluation of Molecules, Cells and Tissues, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Juliana Assis Martins
- Laboratory of Nano&Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - André Corrêa Amaral
- Laboratory of Nano&Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Simone Schneider Weber
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Juliana Alves Parente-Rocha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Clayton Luiz Borges
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
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Folorunso OS, Sebolai OM. A Limited Number of Amino Acid Permeases Are Crucial for Cryptococcus neoformans Survival and Virulence. Int J Microbiol 2024; 2024:5566438. [PMID: 39148675 PMCID: PMC11326883 DOI: 10.1155/2024/5566438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
One unique attribute of Cryptococcus neoformans is its ability to procure essential monomers from its surroundings to survive in diverse environments. Preferentially, sugars are the energy sources for this opportunistic pathogenic fungus under the carbon catabolite repression (CCR); however, sugar restriction induces alternative use of low molecular weight alcohol, organic acids, and amino acids. The expression of transmembrane amino acid permeases (Aaps) allows C. neoformans to utilize different amino acids and their conjugates, notwithstanding under the nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR). Being referred to as global permeases, there is a notion that all cryptococcal Aaps are important to survival and virulence. This functional divergence makes alternative drug targeting against Cryptococcus a challenge. We examine the functions and regulations of C. neoformans Aap variants with the aim of rationalizing their relevance to cryptococcal cell survival and virulence. Based on nutrient bioavailability, we linked the Cac1 pathway to Ras1 activation for thermotolerance that provides a temperature cushion for Aap activity under physiological conditions. Lastly, mutants of Aaps are examined for significant phenotypic deficiencies/advantages, which buttress the specific importance of limited numbers of Aaps involved in cryptococcal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olufemi S Folorunso
- Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry University of the Free State, 205 Nelson Mandela Drive, Park West, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa
| | - Olihile M Sebolai
- Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry University of the Free State, 205 Nelson Mandela Drive, Park West, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa
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Lim SJ, Noor NDM, Sabri S, Ali MSM, Salleh AB, Oslan SN. Extracellular BSA-degrading SAPs in the rare pathogen Meyerozyma guilliermondii strain SO as potential virulence factors in candidiasis. Microb Pathog 2024; 193:106773. [PMID: 38960213 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2024.106773] [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: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Meyerozyma guilliermondii (Candida guilliermondii) is one of the Candida species associated with invasive candidiasis. With the potential for expressing industrially important enzymes, M. guilliermondii strain SO possessed 99 % proteome similarity with the clinical ATCC 6260 isolate and showed pathogenicity towards zebrafish embryos. Recently, three secreted aspartyl proteinases (SAPs) were computationally identified as potential virulence factors in this strain without in vitro verification of SAP activity. The quantification of Candida SAPs activity in liquid broth were also scarcely reported. Thus, this study aimed to characterize M. guilliermondii strain SO's ability to produce SAPs (MgSAPs) in different conditions (morphology and medium) besides analyzing its growth profile. MgSAPs' capability to cleave bovine serum albumin (BSA) was also determined to propose that MgSAPs as the potential virulence factors compared to the avirulent Saccharomyces cerevisiae. M. guilliermondii strain SO produced more SAPs (higher activity) in yeast nitrogen base-BSA-dextrose broth compared to yeast extract-BSA-dextrose broth despite insignificantly different SAP activity in both planktonic and biofilm cells. FeCl3 supplementation significantly increased the specific protein activity (∼40 %). The BSA cleavage by MgSAPs at an acidic pH was proven through semi-quantitative SDS-PAGE, sharing similar profile with HIV-1 retropepsin. The presented work highlighted the MgSAPs on fungal cell wall and extracellular milieu during host infection could be corroborated to the quantitative production in different growth modes presented herein besides shedding lights on the potential usage of retropepsin's inhibitors in treating candidiasis. Molecular and expression analyses of MgSAPs and their deletion should be further explored to attribute their respective virulence effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Jie Lim
- Enzyme Technology and X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, VacBio 5, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Enzyme and Microbial Technology (EMTech) Research Centre, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Noor Dina Muhd Noor
- Enzyme and Microbial Technology (EMTech) Research Centre, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Suriana Sabri
- Enzyme and Microbial Technology (EMTech) Research Centre, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Mohd Shukuri Mohamad Ali
- Enzyme Technology and X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, VacBio 5, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Enzyme and Microbial Technology (EMTech) Research Centre, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Abu Bakar Salleh
- Enzyme and Microbial Technology (EMTech) Research Centre, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Siti Nurbaya Oslan
- Enzyme Technology and X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, VacBio 5, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Enzyme and Microbial Technology (EMTech) Research Centre, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
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9
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Sun W, Zhao L, Zhou J, Feng H, Zhang Y, Feng Z, Zhu H, Wei F. VdP5CDH is involved in melanin formation, stress resistance and play a regulatory role in virulence of Verticillium dahliae. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1429755. [PMID: 39113834 PMCID: PMC11303183 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1429755] [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: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Verticillium dahliae, a soil-borne fungal pathogen, can cause cotton Verticillium wilt. In this study, VdP5CDH, the member of the ALDH_F4-17 family of carboxylate dehydrogenases, was identified in the genome of V. dahliae and investigated function in regulating virulence by generating gene deletion mutants and complementary mutants. Methods Homologous recombination method was used to construct mutants, transcriptome sequencing revealed gene-related metabolic pathways, and disease degree of cotton was observed through pathogen infection experiments. Results The conidial surface of VdP5CDH deletion strains was dented and shriveled, and the number of conidial spores increased. Compared with the wild-type (WT), the mycelial diameter of deletion mutants increased by 10.59%-11.16%, the mycelial growth showed irregular branching patterns, and misaligned arrangement. Although capable of penetrating cellophane, deletion mutants were unable to produce melanin. VdP5CDH was mainly associated with glucose metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, ABC transporter activity as well as various amino acid metabolic processes. After gene knockout, raffinose and pectin were used as the main carbon sources to promote the growth of strains and the growth rate of deletion strains in the medium containing raffinose was higher than that of WT. Consequently, the deletion mutant strains decreased utilization efficiency with which they utilized various nitrogen sources. The deletion mutants maintain responsiveness to osmotic stress and oxidative stress stimuli. Additionally, compared to WT strains, the deletion mutant strains exhibited differences in culture temperature tolerance, UV exposure response, and fungicide sensitivity. After cotton was infected with deletion strains conidial suspension, its disease index increased dramatically, while it gradually decreased after spraying with 2 mM glutamate in batches. With the increase of spraying times, the effect was more significant, and the disease index decreased by 18.95%-19.66% at 26 dpi. Discussion These results indicated that VdP5CDH regulates the pathogenicity of fungi and controls mycelia growth, melanin formation, conidia morphology, abiotic stress resistance, and the expression of infecting structure-related genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanqing Sun
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lihong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, Xinjiang, China
| | - Jinglong Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, Xinjiang, China
| | - Hongjie Feng
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yalin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, Xinjiang, China
| | - Zili Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, Xinjiang, China
| | - Heqin Zhu
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, Xinjiang, China
| | - Feng Wei
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, Xinjiang, China
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10
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Jung KW, Lee SH, Lee KT, Bahn YS. Sensing and responding to host-derived stress signals: lessons from fungal meningitis pathogen. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 80:102514. [PMID: 39024914 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The sophisticated ability of living organisms to sense and respond to external stimuli is critical for survival. This is particularly true for fungal pathogens, where the capacity to adapt and proliferate within a host is essential. To this end, signaling pathways, whether evolutionarily conserved or unique, have been refined through interactions with the host. Cryptococcus neoformans, an opportunistic fungal pathogen, is responsible for over 190,000 cases and an estimated 147,000 annual deaths globally. Extensive research over the past decades has shed light on the signaling pathways underpinning the pathogenicity of C. neoformans, as well as the host's responses during infection. In this context, we delineate the regulatory mechanisms employed by C. neoformans to detect and react to stresses derived from the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang-Woo Jung
- Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Heon Lee
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Tae Lee
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yong-Sun Bahn
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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11
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Lima VH, Matugawa AT, Mascarin GM, Fernandes ÉKK. Complex nitrogen sources from agro-industrial byproducts: impact on production, multi-stress tolerance, virulence, and quality of Beauveria bassiana blastospores. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0404023. [PMID: 38700331 PMCID: PMC11237575 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04040-23] [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: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
We investigated the impact of various complex organic nitrogen sources on the submerged liquid fermentation of Beauveria bassiana, a versatile entomopathogenic fungus known for producing hydrophilic yeast-like single cells called blastospores. Specifically, we examined yeast extract, autolyzed yeast, inactive yeast, cottonseed flour, corn bran, and corn gluten meal as nitrogen compounds with different carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratios. Our comprehensive analysis encompassed blastospore production, tolerance to abiotic stresses, shelf stability after drying, and virulence against mealworm larvae, crucial attributes for developing effective blastospore-based biopesticides. Notably, cottonseed flour emerged as the optimal nitrogen source, yielding up to 2.5 × 109 blastospores/mL within 3 days in a bioreactor. These blastospores exhibited the highest tolerance to heat stress and UV-B radiation exposure. The endogenous C:N ratio in blastospore composition was also impacted by nitrogen sources. Bioassays with mealworm larvae demonstrated that blastospores from cottonseed flour were the most virulent, achieving faster lethality (lower LT50) and requiring a lower inoculum (LC50). Importantly, blastospores produced with cottonseed flour displayed extended viability during storage, surpassing the retention of viability compared to those from autolyzed yeast over 180 days at 4°C. Despite differences in storage viability, both nitrogen sources conferred similar long-term blastospore bioactivity against mealworms. In summary, this research advances our understanding of the crucial impact of complex organic nitrogen selection on the phenotypic traits of blastospores in association with their intracellular C:N ratio, contributing to the production of ecologically fit, shelf-stable, and virulent propagules for effective pest biocontrol programs. IMPORTANCE Biological control through entomopathogenic fungi provides essential ecological services in the integrated management of agricultural pests. In the context of submerged liquid fermentation, the nutritional composition significantly influences the ecological fitness, virulence and quality of these fungi. This study specifically explores the impact of various complex organic nitrogen sources derived from agro-industrial byproducts on the submerged liquid fermentation of Beauveria bassiana, a versatile entomopathogenic fungus known for producing hydrophilic yeast-like blastospores. Notably, manipulating the nitrogen source during submerged cultivation can influence the quality, fitness, and performance of blastospores. This research identifies cottonseed flour as the optimal low-cost nitrogen source, contributing to increased production yields, enhanced multi-stress tolerance, heightened virulence with extended shelf life and long-term bioactivity. These findings deepen our understanding of the critical role of nitrogen compound selection in liquid media formulation, facilitating the production of ecologically fit and virulent blastospores for more effective pest biocontrol programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valesca Henrique Lima
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | | | - Gabriel Moura Mascarin
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Ambiental, Embrapa Meio Ambiente, Jaguariúna, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Éverton Kort Kamp Fernandes
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
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12
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Zhu C, Sun J, Tian F, Tian X, Liu Q, Pan Y, Zhang Y, Luo Z. The Bbotf1 Zn(Ⅱ) 2Cys 6 transcription factor contributes to antioxidant response, fatty acid assimilation, peroxisome proliferation and infection cycles in insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. J Invertebr Pathol 2024; 204:108083. [PMID: 38458350 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2024.108083] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
The abilities to withstand oxidation and assimilate fatty acids are critical for successful infection by many pathogenic fungi. Here, we characterized a Zn(II)2Cys6 transcription factor Bbotf1 in the insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, which links oxidative response and fatty acid assimilation via regulating peroxisome proliferation. The null mutant ΔBbotf1 showed impaired resistance to oxidants, accompanied by decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes including CATs, PODs and SODs, and down-regulated expression of many antioxidation-associated genes under oxidative stress condition. Meanwhile, Bbotf1 acts as an activator to regulate fatty acid assimilation, lipid and iron homeostasis as well as peroxisome proliferation and localization, and the expressions of some critical genes related to glyoxylate cycle and peroxins were down-regulated in ΔBbotf1 in presence of oleic acid. In addition, ΔBbotf1 was more sensitive to osmotic stressors, CFW, SDS and LDS. Insect bioassays revealed that insignificant changes in virulence were seen between the null mutant and parent strain when conidia produced on CZP plates were used for topical application. However, propagules recovered from cadavers killed by ΔBbotf1 exhibited impaired virulence as compared with counterparts of the parent strain. These data offer a novel insight into fine-tuned aspects of Bbotf1 concerning multi-stress responses, lipid catabolism and infection cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenhua Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jingxin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Fangfang Tian
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xinting Tian
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Qi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yunxia Pan
- College of Engineering and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yongjun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Zhibing Luo
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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13
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Liu JJ, Hou YK, Wang X, He WW, Huang XJ, Yin JY, Nie SP. Dynamics of α-glucan from Agrocybe cylindracea water extract at different developmental stages and its structure characteristics. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 269:131799. [PMID: 38677677 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131799] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Polysaccharides are the important bioactive macromolecules in Agrocybe cylindracea, but their changes are as yet elusive during developmental process. This study investigated the dynamic changes of polysaccharides from A. cylindracea fruiting body water extract at four developmental stages and its structure characteristics. Results revealed that the polysaccharides from A. cylindracea water extract significantly increased at the pileus expansion stage and the increased fraction could be α-glucan. The further purification and identification indicated that this α-glucan was a glycogen. It had typical morphology of β particles with a molecular weight of 1375 kDa. Its backbone comprised α-D-(1 → 4)-Glcp and α-D-(1 → 4,6)-Glcp residues at a ratio of 5:1, terminated by α-D-Glcp residue. Rheological behavior suggested that it was a Newtonian fluid at the concentration of 1 %. In addition, despite both the glycogen and natural starch were composed of D-glucose, they exhibited the entirely distinct Maltese cross characteristic and unique crystalline structure. This study is the first to demonstrate the presence of abundant glycogen in the pileus expansion stage of A. cylindracea, which provides new insights on the change patterns of fungal polysaccharides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Jin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330047, China
| | - Yu-Ke Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330047, China
| | - Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330047, China
| | - Wei-Wei He
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330047, China
| | - Xiao-Jun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330047, China
| | - Jun-Yi Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330047, China.
| | - Shao-Ping Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330047, China; Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Luo he 462300, Henan, China.
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14
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Sekeresova Kralova J, Donic C, Dassa B, Livyatan I, Jansen PM, Ben-Dor S, Fidel L, Trzebanski S, Narunsky-Haziza L, Asraf O, Brenner O, Dafni H, Jona G, Boura-Halfon S, Stettner N, Segal E, Brunke S, Pilpel Y, Straussman R, Zeevi D, Bacher P, Hube B, Shlezinger N, Jung S. Competitive fungal commensalism mitigates candidiasis pathology. J Exp Med 2024; 221:e20231686. [PMID: 38497819 PMCID: PMC10949073 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20231686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The mycobiota are a critical part of the gut microbiome, but host-fungal interactions and specific functional contributions of commensal fungi to host fitness remain incompletely understood. Here, we report the identification of a new fungal commensal, Kazachstania heterogenica var. weizmannii, isolated from murine intestines. K. weizmannii exposure prevented Candida albicans colonization and significantly reduced the commensal C. albicans burden in colonized animals. Following immunosuppression of C. albicans colonized mice, competitive fungal commensalism thereby mitigated fatal candidiasis. Metagenome analysis revealed K. heterogenica or K. weizmannii presence among human commensals. Our results reveal competitive fungal commensalism within the intestinal microbiota, independent of bacteria and immune responses, that could bear potential therapeutic value for the management of C. albicans-mediated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Catalina Donic
- Departments of Immunology and Regenerative Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Bareket Dassa
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ilana Livyatan
- Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Paul Mathias Jansen
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knoell Institute Jena (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Shifra Ben-Dor
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Lena Fidel
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Sébastien Trzebanski
- Departments of Immunology and Regenerative Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - Omer Asraf
- Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ori Brenner
- Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Hagit Dafni
- Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ghil Jona
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Sigalit Boura-Halfon
- Departments of Immunology and Regenerative Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Noa Stettner
- Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eran Segal
- Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Sascha Brunke
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knoell Institute Jena (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Yitzhak Pilpel
- Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ravid Straussman
- Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - David Zeevi
- Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Petra Bacher
- Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrecht-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrecht-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knoell Institute Jena (HKI), Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Neta Shlezinger
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Steffen Jung
- Departments of Immunology and Regenerative Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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15
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Opulente DA, LaBella AL, Harrison MC, Wolters JF, Liu C, Li Y, Kominek J, Steenwyk JL, Stoneman HR, VanDenAvond J, Miller CR, Langdon QK, Silva M, Gonçalves C, Ubbelohde EJ, Li Y, Buh KV, Jarzyna M, Haase MAB, Rosa CA, Čadež N, Libkind D, DeVirgilio JH, Hulfachor AB, Kurtzman CP, Sampaio JP, Gonçalves P, Zhou X, Shen XX, Groenewald M, Rokas A, Hittinger CT. Genomic factors shape carbon and nitrogen metabolic niche breadth across Saccharomycotina yeasts. Science 2024; 384:eadj4503. [PMID: 38662846 PMCID: PMC11298794 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj4503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Organisms exhibit extensive variation in ecological niche breadth, from very narrow (specialists) to very broad (generalists). Two general paradigms have been proposed to explain this variation: (i) trade-offs between performance efficiency and breadth and (ii) the joint influence of extrinsic (environmental) and intrinsic (genomic) factors. We assembled genomic, metabolic, and ecological data from nearly all known species of the ancient fungal subphylum Saccharomycotina (1154 yeast strains from 1051 species), grown in 24 different environmental conditions, to examine niche breadth evolution. We found that large differences in the breadth of carbon utilization traits between yeasts stem from intrinsic differences in genes encoding specific metabolic pathways, but we found limited evidence for trade-offs. These comprehensive data argue that intrinsic factors shape niche breadth variation in microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana A. Opulente
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Biology Department Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
| | - Abigail Leavitt LaBella
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- North Carolina Research Center (NCRC), Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 150 Research Campus Drive, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA
| | - Marie-Claire Harrison
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - John F. Wolters
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Chao Liu
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology and Centre for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yonglin Li
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jacek Kominek
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- LifeMine Therapeutics, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02140, USA
| | - Jacob L. Steenwyk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Howards Hughes Medical Institute and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Hayley R. Stoneman
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Jenna VanDenAvond
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Caroline R. Miller
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Quinn K. Langdon
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Margarida Silva
- UCIBIO, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Carla Gonçalves
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- UCIBIO, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Emily J. Ubbelohde
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Yuanning Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Kelly V. Buh
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Martin Jarzyna
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Department of Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Max A. B. Haase
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Carlos A. Rosa
- Departamento de Microbiologia, ICB, C.P. 486, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Neža Čadež
- Food Science and Technology Department, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Diego Libkind
- Centro de Referencia en Levaduras y Tecnología Cervecera (CRELTEC), Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales (IPATEC), Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, CRUB, Quintral 1250, San Carlos de Bariloche, 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Jeremy H. DeVirgilio
- Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Peoria, IL 61604, USA
| | - Amanda Beth Hulfachor
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Cletus P. Kurtzman
- Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Peoria, IL 61604, USA
| | - José Paulo Sampaio
- UCIBIO, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Paula Gonçalves
- UCIBIO, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Xiaofan Zhou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xing-Xing Shen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology and Centre for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | | | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Chris Todd Hittinger
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
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16
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Ma X, Li Z, Cai L, Xiao M, He F, Liu Z, Chen D, Wang Y, Shen L, Gu Y. Analysis of fungal diversity in the gut feces of wild takin ( Budorcas taxicolor). Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1364486. [PMID: 38699479 PMCID: PMC11063333 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1364486] [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: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The composition of the intestinal microbiome correlates significantly with an animal's health status. Hence, this indicator is highly important and sensitive for protecting endangered animals. However, data regarding the fungal diversity of the wild Budorcas taxicolor (takin) gut remain scarce. Therefore, this study analyzes the fungal diversity, community structure, and pathogen composition in the feces of wild B. taxicolor. Methods To ensure comprehensive data analyses, we collected 82 fecal samples from five geographical sites. Amplicon sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA was used to assess fecal core microbiota and potential pathogens to determine whether the microflora composition is related to geographical location or diet. We further validated the ITS rRNA sequencing results via amplicon metagenomic sequencing and culturing of fecal fungi. Results and discussion The fungal diversity in the feces of wild Budorcas taxicolor primarily comprised three phyla (99.69%): Ascomycota (82.19%), Fungi_unclassified (10.37%), and Basidiomycota (7.13%). At the genus level, the predominant fungi included Thelebolus (30.93%), Functional_unclassified (15.35%), and Ascomycota_unclassified (10.37%). Within these genera, certain strains exhibit pathogenic properties, such as Thelebolus, Cryptococcus, Trichosporon, Candida, Zopfiella, and Podospora. Collectively, this study offers valuable information for evaluating the health status of B. taxicolor and formulating protective strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoping Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhiguo Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lijun Cai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Management Office of Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, Qingchuan, China
| | - Mei Xiao
- Management Office of Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, Qingchuan, China
| | - Fang He
- Management Office of Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, Qingchuan, China
| | - Zhen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Dong Chen
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Chengdu, China
| | - Ya Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Limin Shen
- Management Office of Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, Qingchuan, China
| | - Yu Gu
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
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17
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Li W, Li S, Tang C, Klosterman SJ, Wang Y. Kss1 of Verticillium dahliae regulates virulence, microsclerotia formation, and nitrogen metabolism. Microbiol Res 2024; 281:127608. [PMID: 38241914 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127608] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Verticillium dahliae causes destructive vascular wilt diseases on more than 200 plant species, including economically important crops and ornamental trees worldwide. The melanized microsclerotia (MS) enable V. dahliae to survive for years in soil, thus the fungus is especially difficult to control once it has become established. Previously, we found that the mitogen activated protein kinase VdSte11 (MAPKKK) plays key roles in MS formation, penetration, and virulence in V. dahliae. In this study, two MAPK homologs of the yeast Ste7p and Kss1p were identified and characterized in V. dahliae. Deletion of VdSte7 or VdKss1 reuslted in severe defects in melaninized MS formation and virulence. Furthermore, phosphorylation assays demonstrated that VdSte11 and VdSte7 can phosphorylate VdKss1 in V. dahliae. Proteomic analysis revealed a significant change in sterol biosynthesis with a fold change of ≥ 1.2 after the deletion of VdKss1. In addition, phosphoproteomic analysis showed that VdKss1 was involved in the regulation of nitrogen metabolism. Finally, we identified VdRlm1 as a potentially downstream target of VdKss1, which is involved in regulating ammonium nitrogen utilization. This study sheds light on the network of regulatory proteins in V. dahliae that affect MS formation and nitrogen metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Sa Li
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Steven J Klosterman
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Salinas, CA, USA
| | - Yonglin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
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18
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Kerkaert JD, Huberman LB. Regulation of nutrient utilization in filamentous fungi. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:5873-5898. [PMID: 37540250 PMCID: PMC10983054 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12680-4] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Organisms must accurately sense and respond to nutrients to survive. In filamentous fungi, accurate nutrient sensing is important in the establishment of fungal colonies and in continued, rapid growth for the exploitation of environmental resources. To ensure efficient nutrient utilization, fungi have evolved a combination of activating and repressing genetic networks to tightly regulate metabolic pathways and distinguish between preferred nutrients, which require minimal energy and resources to utilize, and nonpreferred nutrients, which have more energy-intensive catabolic requirements. Genes necessary for the utilization of nonpreferred carbon sources are activated by transcription factors that respond to the presence of the specific nutrient and repressed by transcription factors that respond to the presence of preferred carbohydrates. Utilization of nonpreferred nitrogen sources generally requires two transcription factors. Pathway-specific transcription factors respond to the presence of a specific nonpreferred nitrogen source, while another transcription factor activates genes in the absence of preferred nitrogen sources. In this review, we discuss the roles of transcription factors and upstream regulatory genes that respond to preferred and nonpreferred carbon and nitrogen sources and their roles in regulating carbon and nitrogen catabolism. KEY POINTS: • Interplay of activating and repressing transcriptional networks regulates catabolism. • Nutrient-specific activating transcriptional pathways provide metabolic specificity. • Repressing regulatory systems differentiate nutrients in mixed nutrient environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Kerkaert
- Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Lori B Huberman
- Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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19
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Opulente DA, Leavitt LaBella A, Harrison MC, Wolters JF, Liu C, Li Y, Kominek J, Steenwyk JL, Stoneman HR, VanDenAvond J, Miller CR, Langdon QK, Silva M, Gonçalves C, Ubbelohde EJ, Li Y, Buh KV, Jarzyna M, Haase MAB, Rosa CA, Čadež N, Libkind D, DeVirgilio JH, Beth Hulfachor A, Kurtzman CP, Sampaio JP, Gonçalves P, Zhou X, Shen XX, Groenewald M, Rokas A, Hittinger CT. Genomic and ecological factors shaping specialism and generalism across an entire subphylum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.19.545611. [PMID: 37425695 PMCID: PMC10327049 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.19.545611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Organisms exhibit extensive variation in ecological niche breadth, from very narrow (specialists) to very broad (generalists). Paradigms proposed to explain this variation either invoke trade-offs between performance efficiency and breadth or underlying intrinsic or extrinsic factors. We assembled genomic (1,154 yeast strains from 1,049 species), metabolic (quantitative measures of growth of 843 species in 24 conditions), and ecological (environmental ontology of 1,088 species) data from nearly all known species of the ancient fungal subphylum Saccharomycotina to examine niche breadth evolution. We found large interspecific differences in carbon breadth stem from intrinsic differences in genes encoding specific metabolic pathways but no evidence of trade-offs and a limited role of extrinsic ecological factors. These comprehensive data argue that intrinsic factors driving microbial niche breadth variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana A. Opulente
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA; Biology Department Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
| | - Abigail Leavitt LaBella
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232 USA; Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte NC 28223
| | - Marie-Claire Harrison
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - John F. Wolters
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Chao Liu
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology and Centre for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yonglin Li
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jacek Kominek
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA; LifeMine Therapeutics, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02140, USA
| | - Jacob L. Steenwyk
- Howards Hughes Medical Institute and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Hayley R. Stoneman
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Jenna VanDenAvond
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Caroline R. Miller
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Quinn K. Langdon
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Margarida Silva
- UCIBIO, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal; Associate Laboratory i4HB, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Carla Gonçalves
- UCIBIO, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal; Associate Laboratory i4HB, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal; Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of WisconsinMadison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Emily J. Ubbelohde
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Yuanning Li
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Kelly V. Buh
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Martin Jarzyna
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Department of Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Max A. B. Haase
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA; Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Carlos A. Rosa
- Departamento de Microbiologia, ICB, C.P. 486, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Neža Čadež
- Food Science and Technology Department, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Diego Libkind
- Centro de Referencia en Levaduras y Tecnología Cervecera (CRELTEC), Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales (IPATEC), Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, CRUB, Quintral 1250, San Carlos de Bariloche, 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Jeremy H. DeVirgilio
- Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Peoria, IL 61604, USA
| | - Amanda Beth Hulfachor
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Cletus P. Kurtzman
- Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Peoria, IL 61604, USA
| | - José Paulo Sampaio
- UCIBIO, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal; Associate Laboratory i4HB, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Paula Gonçalves
- UCIBIO, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal; Associate Laboratory i4HB, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Xiaofan Zhou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xing-Xing Shen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; College of Agriculture and Biotechnology and Centre for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | | | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Chris Todd Hittinger
- Laboratory of Genetics, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
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20
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Chen L, Zhang L, Xie Y, Wang Y, Tian X, Fang W, Xue X, Wang L. Confronting antifungal resistance, tolerance, and persistence: Advances in drug target discovery and delivery systems. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 200:115007. [PMID: 37437715 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.115007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Human pathogenic fungi pose a serious threat to human health and safety. Unfortunately, the limited number of antifungal options is exacerbated by the continuous emergence of drug-resistant variants, leading to frequent drug treatment failures. Recent studies have also highlighted the clinical importance of other modes of fungal survival of antifungal treatment, including drug tolerance and persistence, pointing to the complexity of the fungal response to antifungal drugs. A lack of understanding of the fungal drug response has hampered the identification of new targets, the development of alternative antifungal strategies and the design of appropriate delivery systems. In this review we summarize recent advances in the study of antifungal resistance, tolerance and persistence, with an emphasis on promising drug targets and drug delivery systems that may yield important insights into the development of new or improved antifungal therapies against fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lanyue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuyan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiting Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China
| | - Xiuyun Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenxia Fang
- Institute of Biological Science and Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning, 530007, Guangxi, China
| | - Xinying Xue
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University; Peking University Ninth School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing 100038, China; Department of Respiratory and Critical Care, Weifang Medical College, 261053, Weifang, Shandong, China.
| | - Linqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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21
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Alotaibi NM, Saeed M, Alshammari N, Alabdallah NM, Mahfooz S. Comparative genomics reveals the presence of simple sequence repeats in genes related to virulence in plant pathogenic Pythium ultimum and Pythium vexans. Arch Microbiol 2023; 205:256. [PMID: 37270724 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03595-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we evaluated the occurrence, relative abundance (RA), and density (RD) of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) in the complete genome and transcriptomic sequences of the plant pathogenic species of Pythium to acquire a better knowledge of their genome structure and evolution. Among the species, P. ultimum had the highest RA and RD of SSRs in the genomic sequences, whereas P. vexans had the highest RA and RD in the transcriptomic sequences. The genomic and transcriptomic sequences of P. aphanidermatum showed the lowest RA and RD of SSRs. Trinucleotide SSRs were the most prevalent class in both genomic and transcriptomic sequences, while dinucleotide SSRs were the least prevalent. The G + C content of the transcriptomic sequences was found to be positively correlated with the number (r = 0.601) and RA (r = 0.710) of SSRs. A motif conservation study revealed the highest number of unique motifs in P. vexans (9.9%). Overall, a low conservation of motifs was observed among the species (25.9%). A gene enrichment study revealed P. vexans and P. ultimum carry SSRs in their genes that are directly connected to virulence, whereas the remaining two species, P. aphanidermatum and P. arrhenomanes, harbour SSRs in genes involved in transcription, translation, and ATP binding. In an effort to enhance the genomic resources, a total of 11,002 primers from the transcribed regions were designed for the pathogenic Pythium species. Furthermore, the unique motifs identified in this work could be employed as molecular probes for species identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahaa M Alotaibi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohd Saeed
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Hail, Hail, 2440, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nawaf Alshammari
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Hail, Hail, 2440, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nadiyah M Alabdallah
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia
- Basic and Applied Scientific Research Centre, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sahil Mahfooz
- Department of Biotechnology, V.B.S. Purvanchal University, Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, 222003, India.
- , The Academic Editors, Saryu Enclave, Awadh Vikas Yojna, Lucknow, 226002, India.
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22
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Miao J, Regan J, Cai C, Palmer GE, Williams DL, Kruppa MD, Peters BM. Glycogen Metabolism in Candida albicans Impacts Fitness and Virulence during Vulvovaginal and Invasive Candidiasis. mBio 2023; 14:e0004623. [PMID: 36840583 PMCID: PMC10127583 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00046-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The polymorphic fungus Candida albicans remains a leading cause of both invasive and superficial mycoses, including vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). Metabolic plasticity, including carbohydrate catabolism, confers fitness advantages at anatomical site-specific host niches. C. albicans possesses the capacity to accumulate and store carbohydrates as glycogen and can consume intracellular glycogen stores when nutrients become limited. In the vaginal environment, estrogen promotes epithelial glycogen accumulation and C. albicans colonization. However, whether these factors are mechanistically linked is unexplored. Here, we characterized the glycogen metabolism pathways in C. albicans and investigated whether these impact the long-term survival of C. albicans, both in vitro and in vivo during murine VVC, or virulence during systemic infection. SC5314 and 6 clinical isolates demonstrated impaired growth when glycogen was used as the sole carbon source, suggesting that environmental glycogen acquisition is limited. The genetic deletion and complementation of key genes involved in glycogen metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae confirmed that GSY1 and GLC3, as well as GPH1 and GDB1, are essential for glycogen synthesis and catabolism in C. albicans, respectively. Potential compensatory roles for a glucoamylase encoded by SGA1 were also explored. Competitive survival assays revealed that gsy1Δ/Δ, gph1Δ/Δ, and gph1Δ/Δ sga1Δ/Δ mutants exhibited long-term survival defects in vitro under starvation conditions and in vivo during vaginal colonization. A complete inability to catabolize glycogen (gph1Δ/Δ sga1Δ/Δ) also rendered C. albicans significantly less virulent during disseminated infections. This is the first study fully validating the glycogen metabolism pathways in C. albicans, and the results further suggest that intracellular glycogen catabolism positively impacts the long-term fitness of C. albicans in nutrient deficient environments and is important for full virulence. IMPORTANCE Glycogen is a highly branched polymer of glucose and is used across the tree of life as an efficient and compact form of energy storage. Whereas glycogen metabolism pathways have been studied in model yeasts, they have not been extensively explored in pathogenic fungi. Using a combination of microbiologic, molecular genetic, and biochemical approaches, we reveal orthologous functions of glycogen metabolism genes in the fungal pathogen Candida albicans. We also provide evidence that extracellular glycogen poorly supports growth across the Candida species and clinical isolates. Competitive fitness assays reveal that the loss of glycogen synthesis or catabolism significantly impacts survival during both in vitro starvation and the colonization of the mouse vagina. Moreover, a global glycogen catabolism mutant is rendered less virulent during murine invasive candidiasis. Therefore, this work demonstrates that glycogen metabolism in C. albicans contributes to survival and virulence in the mammalian host and may be a novel antifungal target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Miao
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Program, College of Graduate Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jessica Regan
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Program, College of Graduate Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Chun Cai
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Glen E. Palmer
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - David L. Williams
- Department of Surgery, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease, and Immunity, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
| | - Michael D. Kruppa
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease, and Immunity, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
| | - Brian M. Peters
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
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23
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Luo Y, Yan X, Xia Y, Cao Y. Tetracarboxylic acid transporter regulates growth, conidiation, and carbon utilization in Metarhizium acridum. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:2969-2982. [PMID: 36941435 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12471-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Carbon sources and their utilization are vital for fungal growth and development. C4-dicarboxylic acids are important carbon and energy sources that function as intermediate products of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Transport and regulation of C4-dicarboxylic acid uptake are mainly dependent on tetracarboxylic acid transporters (Dcts) in many microbes, although the roles of Dct genes in fungi have only been partially characterized. Here, we report on the functions of two Dct genes (Dct1 and Dct2) in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum. Our data showed that loss of the MaDct1 gene affected utilization of tetracarboxylic acids and other carbon sources. ΔMaDct1 mutants showed larger colony sizes with extensive mycelial growth but were delayed in conidiation with decreased conidia yield as compared to the wild-type parental strain. On the nutrient-deficient medium, SYA, the wild-type strain produced microcycle conidia, whereas the ΔMaDct1 mutant produced (normal) aerial conidia. In addition, ΔMaDct1 had decreased tolerance to cell wall perturbing agents, but increased tolerances to UV-B radiation and osmotic stress. Insect bioassays indicated that loss of MaDct1 did not affect pathogenicity. In contrast, no distinct phenotypic change was observed for the MaDct2 mutant in terms of growth and biocontrol characteristics. Transcriptomic profiling between wild type and ΔMaDct1 showed that differentially expressed genes were enriched in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, transport and catabolism, and signal transduction. These results demonstrate that MaDct1 regulates the conidiation pattern shift and mycelial growth by affecting utilization of carbon sources. These findings are helpful for better understanding the effect of intermediates of carbon metabolism on fungal growth and conidiation. KEY POINTS: • MaDct1 influences fungal growth and conidiation by affecting carbon source utilization. • MaDct1 regulates conidiation pattern shift under nutrient deficiency condition. • MaDct1 is involved in stress tolerance and has no effect on virulence. • MaDct2 has no effect on growth and biocontrol characteristic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunxiao Luo
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, People's Republic of China
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticides, Chongqing, 401331, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, China
| | - Xi Yan
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, People's Republic of China
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticides, Chongqing, 401331, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuxian Xia
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, People's Republic of China.
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticides, Chongqing, 401331, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, China.
| | - Yueqing Cao
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, People's Republic of China.
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticides, Chongqing, 401331, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, China.
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24
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Xiong Z, Zhang N, Xu L, Deng Z, Limwachiranon J, Guo Y, Han Y, Yang W, Scharf DH. Urease of Aspergillus fumigatus Is Required for Survival in Macrophages and Virulence. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0350822. [PMID: 36916906 PMCID: PMC10100864 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03508-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of patients suffering from fungal diseases has constantly increased during the last decade. Among the fungal pathogens, the airborne filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus can cause chronic and fatal invasive mold infections. So far, only three major classes of drugs (polyenes, azoles, and echinocandins) are available for the treatment of life-threatening fungal infections, and all present pharmacological drawbacks (e.g., low solubility or toxicity). Meanwhile, clinical antifungal-resistant isolates are continuously emerging. Therefore, there is a high demand for novel antifungal drugs, preferentially those that act on new targets. We studied urease and the accessory proteins in A. fumigatus to determine their biochemical roles and their influence on virulence. Urease is crucial for the growth on urea as the sole nitrogen source, and the transcript and protein levels are elevated on urea media. The urease deficient mutant displays attenuated virulence, and its spores are more susceptible to macrophage-mediated killing. We demonstrated that this observation is associated with an inability to prevent the acidification of the phagosome. Furthermore, we could show that a nickel-chelator inhibits growth on urea. The nickel chelator is also able to reverse the effects of urease on macrophage killing and phagosome acidification, thereby reducing virulence in systemic and trachea infection models. IMPORTANCE The development of antifungal drugs is an urgent task, but it has proven to be difficult due to many similarities between fungal and animal cells. Here, we characterized the urease system in A. fumigatus, which depends on nickel for activity. Notably, nickel is not a crucial element for humans. Therefore, we went further to explore the role of nickel-dependent urease in host-pathogen interactions. We were able to show that urease is important in preventing the acidification of the phagosome and therefore reduces the killing of conidia by macrophages. Furthermore, the deletion of urease shows reduced virulence in murine infection models. Taken together, we identified urease as an essential virulence factor of A. fumigatus. We were able to show that the application of the nickel-chelator dimethylglyoxime is effective in both in vitro and in vivo infection models. This suggests that nickel chelators or urease inhibitors are potential candidates for the development of novel antifungal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Xiong
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liru Xu
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhiduo Deng
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jarukitt Limwachiranon
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yaojie Guo
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Han
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Biophysics and Department of Neurosurgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Daniel H. Scharf
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammatory Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
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25
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Samalova M, Flamant P, Beau R, Bromley M, Moya-Nilges M, Fontaine T, Latgé JP, Mouyna I. The New GPI-Anchored Protein, SwgA, Is Involved in Nitrogen Metabolism in the Pathogenic Filamentous Fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:256. [PMID: 36836370 PMCID: PMC9960506 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
GPI-anchored proteins display very diverse biological (biochemical and immunological) functions. An in silico analysis has revealed that the genome of Aspergillus fumigatus contains 86 genes coding for putative GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs). Past research has demonstrated the involvement of GPI-APs in cell wall remodeling, virulence, and adhesion. We analyzed a new GPI-anchored protein called SwgA. We showed that this protein is mainly present in the Clavati of Aspergillus and is absent from yeasts and other molds. The protein, localized in the membrane of A. fumigatus, is involved in germination, growth, and morphogenesis, and is associated with nitrogen metabolism and thermosensitivity. swgA is controlled by the nitrogen regulator AreA. This current study indicates that GPI-APs have more general functions in fungal metabolism than cell wall biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marketa Samalova
- Unité des Aspergillus, Département de Mycologie Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, CEDEX 15, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Patricia Flamant
- Unité des Aspergillus, Département de Mycologie Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, CEDEX 15, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Rémi Beau
- Unité des Aspergillus, Département de Mycologie Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, CEDEX 15, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Mike Bromley
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, CTF Building, Grafton Street, Manchester M13 9NT, UK
| | - Maryse Moya-Nilges
- Unité Technologie et Service Bioimagerie Ultrastructurale (UTechS UBI), Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Thierry Fontaine
- Unité des Aspergillus, Département de Mycologie Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, CEDEX 15, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Paul Latgé
- Unité des Aspergillus, Département de Mycologie Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, CEDEX 15, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Mouyna
- Unité des Aspergillus, Département de Mycologie Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, CEDEX 15, 75724 Paris, France
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26
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Luo Z, Chen Q, Su Y, Hu S, Keyhani NO, Wang J, Zhu C, Zhou T, Pan Y, Bidochka MJ, Zhang Y. The AreA Nitrogen Catabolite Repression Activator Balances Fungal Nutrient Utilization and Virulence in the Insect Fungal Pathogen Beauveria bassiana. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:646-659. [PMID: 36584226 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c07047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In many fungi, the AreA GATA-type transcription factor mediates nitrogen catabolite repression affecting fungal development and, where applicable, virulence. Here, we investigated the functions of AreA in the fungal entomopathogen and plant endophyte Beauveria bassiana using knockdown of gene expression. The antiAreA mutants were impaired in nitrogen utilization and showed increased sensitivities to osmotic stressors but increased tolerances to oxidative/hypoxia stresses. Repression of BbAreA caused overall minimal effects on fungal virulence. The minor effects on virulence appeared to be due in part to competing secondary effects where host defense phenoloxidase activity was significantly decreased, but production of the fungal metabolite oosporein was increased and hyphal body development was impaired. Knockdown of BbAreA expression also resulted in impairment in ability of the fungus to associate with host plants. These data implicate that BbAreA likely acts as a regulator to balance fungal nutrient utilization, pathogenicity, and mutualism, facilitating the fungal occupation of host niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhibing Luo
- Biotechnology Research Center, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Qiyan Chen
- Biotechnology Research Center, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Yufeng Su
- Biotechnology Research Center, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Shasha Hu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Nemat O Keyhani
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Junyao Wang
- Biotechnology Research Center, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Chenhua Zhu
- Biotechnology Research Center, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Teng Zhou
- Biotechnology Research Center, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Yunxia Pan
- College of Engineering and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Michael J Bidochka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Yongjun Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Center, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
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27
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Silva LDC, Silva KSFE, Rocha OB, Barbosa KLB, Rozada AMF, Gauze GDF, Soares CMDA, Pereira M. Proteomic Response of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis Exposed to the Antifungal 4-Methoxynaphthalene-N-acylhydrazone Reveals Alteration in Metabolism. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 9:jof9010066. [PMID: 36675887 PMCID: PMC9865261 DOI: 10.3390/jof9010066] [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: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Paracoccidioidomycosis is a neglected mycosis with a high socioeconomic impact that requires long-term treatment with antifungals that have limitations in their use. The development of antifungals targeting essential proteins that are present exclusively in the fungus points to a potentially promising treatment. Methods: The inhibitor of the enzyme homoserine dehydrogenase drove the synthesis of N'-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)-4-methoxy-1-naphthohydrazide (AOS). This compound was evaluated for its antifungal activity in different species of Paracoccidioides and the consequent alteration in the proteomic profile of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Results: The compound showed a minimal inhibitory concentration ranging from 0.75 to 6.9 μM with a fungicidal effect on Paracoccidioides spp. and high selectivity index. AOS differentially regulated proteins related to glycolysis, TCA, the glyoxylate cycle, the urea cycle and amino acid metabolism, including homoserine dehydrogenase. In addition, P. brasiliensis inhibited protein synthesis and stimulated reactive oxygen species in the presence of AOS. Conclusions: AOS is a promising antifungal agent for the treatment of PCM, targeting important metabolic processes of the fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lívia do Carmo Silva
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiás 74690-900, Brazil
- Correspondence: (L.d.C.S.); (M.P.); (K.S.F.e.S.); Tel.: +55-6235211110 (K.S.F.e.S.)
| | - Kleber Santiago Freitas e Silva
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiás 74690-900, Brazil
- Correspondence: (L.d.C.S.); (M.P.); (K.S.F.e.S.); Tel.: +55-6235211110 (K.S.F.e.S.)
| | - Olívia Basso Rocha
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiás 74690-900, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiás 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Maristela Pereira
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiás 74690-900, Brazil
- Correspondence: (L.d.C.S.); (M.P.); (K.S.F.e.S.); Tel.: +55-6235211110 (K.S.F.e.S.)
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28
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Systematic Metabolic Profiling Identifies De Novo Sphingolipid Synthesis as Hypha Associated and Essential for Candida albicans Filamentation. mSystems 2022; 7:e0053922. [PMID: 36264075 PMCID: PMC9765226 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00539-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The yeast-to-hypha transition is a key virulence attribute of the opportunistic human fungal pathogen Candida albicans, since it is closely tied to infection-associated processes such as tissue invasion and escape from phagocytes. While the nature of hypha-associated gene expression required for fungal virulence has been thoroughly investigated, potential morphotype-dependent activity of metabolic pathways remained unclear. Here, we combined global transcriptome and metabolome analyses for the wild-type SC5314 and the hypha-defective hgc1Δ and cph1Δefg1Δ strains under three hypha-inducing (human serum, N-acetylglucosamine, and alkaline pH) and two yeast-promoting conditions to identify metabolic adaptions that accompany the filamentation process. We identified morphotype-related activities of distinct pathways and a metabolic core signature of 26 metabolites with consistent depletion or enrichment during the yeast-to-hypha transition. Most strikingly, we found a hypha-associated activation of de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis, indicating a connection of this pathway and filamentous growth. Consequently, pharmacological inhibition of this partially fungus-specific pathway resulted in strongly impaired filamentation, verifying the necessity of de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis for proper hypha formation. IMPORTANCE The reversible switch of Candida albicans between unicellular yeast and multicellular hyphal growth is accompanied by a well-studied hypha-associated gene expression, encoding virulence factors like adhesins, toxins, or nutrient scavengers. The investigation of this gene expression consequently led to fundamental insights into the pathogenesis of this fungus. In this study, we applied this concept to hypha-associated metabolic adaptations and identified morphotype-dependent activities of distinct pathways and a stimulus-independent metabolic signature of hyphae. Most strikingly, we found the induction of de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis as hypha associated and essential for the filamentation of C. albicans. These findings verified the presence of morphotype-specific metabolic traits in the fungus, which appear connected to the fungal virulence. Furthermore, the here-provided comprehensive description of the fungal metabolome will help to foster future research and lead to a better understanding of fungal physiology.
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29
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Chiu PC, Nakamura Y, Nishimura S, Tabuchi T, Yashiroda Y, Hirai G, Matsuyama A, Yoshida M. Ferrichrome, a fungal-type siderophore, confers high ammonium tolerance to fission yeast. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17411. [PMID: 36302945 PMCID: PMC9613971 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22108-0] [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: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms and plants produce siderophores, which function to transport environmental iron into cells as well as participate in cellular iron use and deposition. Their biological functions are diverse although their role in primary metabolism is poorly understood. Ferrichrome is a fungal-type siderophore synthesized by nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS). Herein we show that ferrichrome induces adaptive growth of fission yeast on high ammonium media. Ammonium is a preferred nitrogen source as it suppresses uptake and catabolism of less preferred nitrogen sources such as leucine through a mechanism called nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR). Therefore, the growth of fission yeast mutant cells with leucine auxotrophy is suppressed in the presence of high concentrations of ammonium. This growth suppression was canceled by ferrichrome in a manner dependent on the amino acid transporter Cat1. Additionally, growth retardation of wild-type cells by excess ammonium was exacerbated by deleting the NRPS gene sib1, which is responsible for the biosynthesis of ferrichrome, suggesting that intrinsically produced ferrichrome functions in suppressing the metabolic action of ammonium. Furthermore, ferrichrome facilitated the growth of both wild-type and sib1-deficient cells under low glucose conditions. These results suggest that intracellular iron regulates primary metabolism, including NCR, which is mediated by siderophores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Chang Chiu
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657 Japan
| | - Yuri Nakamura
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657 Japan
| | - Shinichi Nishimura
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657 Japan ,grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XCollaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657 Japan
| | - Toshitsugu Tabuchi
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657 Japan
| | - Yoko Yashiroda
- grid.509461.f0000 0004 1757 8255RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198 Japan
| | - Go Hirai
- grid.509461.f0000 0004 1757 8255RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198 Japan ,grid.177174.30000 0001 2242 4849Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582 Japan
| | - Akihisa Matsuyama
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657 Japan ,grid.509461.f0000 0004 1757 8255RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198 Japan
| | - Minoru Yoshida
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657 Japan ,grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XCollaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657 Japan ,grid.509461.f0000 0004 1757 8255RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198 Japan
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30
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Neethu CS, Saravanakumar C, Purvaja R, Robin RS, Ramesh R. Arsenic resistance and horizontal gene transfer are associated with carbon and nitrogen enrichment in bacteria. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 311:119937. [PMID: 35977641 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Coastal waters are confluences receiving large amounts of point and non-point sources of pollution. An attempt was made to explore microbial community interactions in response to carbon, nitrogen and metal pollution. Additionally, experiments were designed to analyze the influence of these factors on horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Shift in bacterial diversity dynamics by arsenic stress and nutrient addition in coastal waters was explored by metagenomics of microcosm setups. Phylogenetic analysis revealed equal distribution of Gammaproteobacteria (29%) and Betaproteobacteria (28%) in control microcosm. This proportional diversity from control switched to unique distribution of Gammaproteobacteria (44.5%)> Flavobacteria (17.7%)> Bacteriodia (11.92%)> Betaproteobacteria (11.52%) in microcosm supplemented with carbon, nitrogen and metal (C + N + M). Among metal-stressed systems, alpha diversity analysis indicated highest diversity of genera in C + N + M followed by N + M > C+M> metal alone. Arsenic and ampicillin sensitive E. coli XL1 blue and environmental strains (Vibrio tubiashii W85 and E. coli W101) were tested for efficiency of uptake of plasmid (P) pUCminusMCS (arsBRampR) under varying stress conditions. Transformation experiments revealed that combined effect of carbon, nitrogen and metal on horizontal gene transfer (HGT) was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than individual factors. The effect of carbon on HGT was proved to be superior to nitrogen under metal stressed conditions. Presence of arsenic in experimental setups (P + M, P + N + M and P + C + M) enhanced the HGT compared to non-metal counterparts supplemented with carbon or nitrogen. Arsenic resistant bacterial isolates (n = 200) were tested for the ability to utilize various carbon and nitrogen substrates and distinct positive correlation (p < 0.001) was found between arsenic resistance and utilization of urea and nitrate. However, evident positive correlation was not found between carbon sources and arsenic resistance. Our findings suggest that carbon and nitrogen pollution in aquatic habitats under arsenic stress determine the microbial community dynamics and critically influence uptake of genetic material from the surrounding environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Neethu
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Chennai 600025, India
| | - C Saravanakumar
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Chennai 600025, India
| | - R Purvaja
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Chennai 600025, India
| | - R S Robin
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Chennai 600025, India
| | - R Ramesh
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Chennai 600025, India.
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31
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Silva LOS, Moreira TR, Gonçales RA, Tomazett MV, Parente-Rocha JA, Mattos K, Paccez JD, Ruiz OH, Pereira M, Soares CMDA, Weber SS, Cruz-Leite VRM, Borges CL. Paracoccidioides lutzii Formamidase Contributes to Fungal Survival in Macrophages. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10102011. [PMID: 36296287 PMCID: PMC9608497 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10102011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for microorganisms that compose essential biomolecules. However, hosts limit this nutrient as a strategy to counter infections, therefore, pathogens use adaptive mechanisms to uptake nitrogen from alternative sources. In fungi, nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR) activates transcription factors to acquire nitrogen from alternative sources when preferential sources are absent. Formamidase has been related to nitrogen depletion in Aspergillus nidulans through formamide degradation to use the released ammonia as a nitrogen source. In Paracoccidioides spp., formamidase is highly expressed in transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. Here, we aim to investigate the importance of formamidase to Paracoccidioides lutzii. Thereby, we developed a P. lutzii silenced strain of fmd gene (AsFmd) by antisense RNA technology using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT). The AsFmd strain led to increased urease expression, an enzyme related to nitrogen assimilation in other fungi, suggesting that P. lutzii might explore urease as an alternative route for ammonia metabolism as a nitrogen source. Moreover, formamidase was important for fungal survival inside macrophages, as fungal recovery after macrophage infection was lower in AsFmd compared to wild-type (WT) strain. Our findings suggest potential alternatives of nitrogen acquisition regulation in P. lutzii, evidencing formamidase influence in fungal virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana O’Hara Souza Silva
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Thalison Rodrigues Moreira
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Relber Aguiar Gonçales
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4700-000 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4800-000 Braga, Portugal
| | - Mariana Vieira Tomazett
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Juliana Alves Parente-Rocha
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Karine Mattos
- Bioscience Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Juliano Domiraci Paccez
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Orville Hernandez Ruiz
- MICROBA Research Group—Cellular and Molecular Biology Unit—CIB, School of Microbiology, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - Maristela Pereira
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Simone Schneider Weber
- Bioscience Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Rafaela Milhomem Cruz-Leite
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
- Correspondence: (V.R.M.C.-L.); (C.L.B.); Tel.: +55-62-3521-1110 (C.L.B.)
| | - Clayton Luiz Borges
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
- Correspondence: (V.R.M.C.-L.); (C.L.B.); Tel.: +55-62-3521-1110 (C.L.B.)
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32
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Borin GP, Oliveira JVDC. Assessing the intracellular primary metabolic profile of Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus niger grown on different carbon sources. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2022; 3:998361. [PMID: 37746225 PMCID: PMC10512294 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2022.998361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus niger are efficient biological platforms for the production of various industrial products, including cellulases and organic acids. Nevertheless, despite the extensive research on these fungi, integrated analyses of omics-driven approaches are still missing. In this study, the intracellular metabolic profile of T. reesei RUT-C30 and A. niger N402 strains grown on glucose, lactose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), and steam-exploded sugarcane bagasse (SEB) as carbon sources for 48 h was analysed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance. The aim was to verify the changes in the primary metabolism triggered by these substrates and use transcriptomics data from the literature to better understand the dynamics of the observed alterations. Glucose and CMC induced higher fungal growth whereas fungi grown on lactose showed the lowest dry weight. Metabolic profile analysis revealed that mannitol, trehalose, glutamate, glutamine, and alanine were the most abundant metabolites in both fungi regardless of the carbon source. These metabolites are of particular interest for the mobilization of carbon and nitrogen, and stress tolerance inside the cell. Their concomitant presence indicates conserved mechanisms adopted by both fungi to assimilate carbon sources of different levels of recalcitrance. Moreover, the higher levels of galactose intermediates in T. reesei suggest its better adaptation in lactose, whereas glycolate and malate in CMC might indicate activation of the glyoxylate shunt. Glycerol and 4-aminobutyrate accumulated in A. niger grown on CMC and lactose, suggesting their relevant role in these carbon sources. In SEB, a lower quantity and diversity of metabolites were identified compared to the other carbon sources, and the metabolic changes and higher xylanase and pNPGase activities indicated a better utilization of bagasse by A. niger. Transcriptomic analysis supported the observed metabolic changes and pathways identified in this work. Taken together, we have advanced the knowledge about how fungal primary metabolism is affected by different carbon sources, and have drawn attention to metabolites still unexplored. These findings might ultimately be considered for developing more robust and efficient microbial factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Pagotto Borin
- Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory (LNBR), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), São Paulo, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Velasco de Castro Oliveira
- Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory (LNBR), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), São Paulo, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil
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Co CM, Mulgaonkar A, Zhou N, Harris S, Öz OK, Tang L, Sun X. PET Imaging of Active Invasive Fungal Infections with d-[5- 11C]-Glutamine. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:1663-1673. [PMID: 35869564 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The increasing prevalence and severity of invasive fungal infections (IFIs), especially in immunocompromised populations, has amplified the need for rapid diagnosis of fungal pathogens. Radiotracers derived from d-amino acids (DAAs) show promise as bacterial-specific positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agents due to their preferential consumption by bacteria and largely nonutilization by hosts. Unlike mammals, fungi can utilize external DAAs including d-glutamine for their growth by rapidly upregulating DAA oxidases. Additionally, glutamine is essential for fungal nitrogen assimilation, survival, and virulence. We previously validated d-[5-11C]-glutamine (d-[5-11C]-Gln) as an efficient radiotracer targeting live bacterial soft-tissue infections. Here, we further expanded this investigation to evaluate its translational potential for PET imaging of IFIs in immunocompetent mouse models subcutaneously (SubQ) and intramuscularly (IM) infected with Candida albicans (C. albicans), using its l-isomer counterpart (l-[5-11C]-Gln) as a control. Comparative studies between pathogens showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher uptake in fungi (C. albicans and C. tropicalis) versus tested bacterial species for d-[5-11C]-Gln, suggesting that it could potentially serve as a more sensitive radiotracer for detection of fungal infections. Additionally, comparative PET imaging studies in immunocompetent infected mice demonstrated significantly higher infection-to-background ratios for d- versus l-[5-11C]-Gln in both SubQ (ratio = 1.97, p = 0.043) and IM (ratio = 1.97, p = 0.028) infections. Fungal infection imaging specificity was confirmed with no significant difference observed between localized inflammation sites versus untreated muscle background (heat-killed injection site/untreated muscle: ∼1.1). Taken together, this work demonstrates the translational potential of d-[5-11C]-Gln for noninvasive PET imaging of IFIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia M Co
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, United States
| | - Aditi Mulgaonkar
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
| | - Ning Zhou
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
| | - Shelby Harris
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
| | - Orhan K Öz
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
| | - Liping Tang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, United States
| | - Xiankai Sun
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
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Wu R, Cui G, Cao Y, Zhao W, Lin H. Streptococcus Mutans Membrane Vesicles Enhance Candida albicans Pathogenicity and Carbohydrate Metabolism. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:940602. [PMID: 35959374 PMCID: PMC9361861 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.940602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans, as the most common bacterium and fungus in the oral cavity respectively, are considered microbiological risk markers of early childhood caries.
S. mutans
membrane vesicles (MVs) contain virulence proteins, which play roles in biofilm formation and disease progression. Our previous research found that S. mutans MVs harboring glucosyltransferases augment C. albicans biofilm formation by increasing exopolysaccharide production, but the specific impact of S. mutans MVs on C. albicans virulence and pathogenicity is still unknown. In the present study, we developed C. albicans biofilms on the surface of cover glass, hydroxyapatite discs and bovine dentin specimens. The results showed that C. albicans can better adhere to the tooth surface with the effect of S. mutans MVs. Meanwhile, we employed C. albicans biofilm-bovine dentin model to evaluate the influence of S. mutans MVs on C. albicans biofilm cariogenicity. In the S. mutans MV-treated group, the bovine dentin surface hardness loss was significantly increased and the surface morphology showed more dentin tubule exposure and broken dentin tubules. Subsequently, integrative proteomic and metabolomic approaches were used to identify the differentially expressed proteins and metabolites of C. albicans when cocultured with S. mutans MVs. The combination of proteomics and metabolomics analysis indicated that significantly regulated proteins and metabolites were involved in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism. In summary, the results of the present study proved that S. mutans MVs increase bovine dentin demineralization provoked by C. albicans biofilms and enhance the protein and metabolite expression of C. albicans related to carbohydrate metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixue Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guxin Cui
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Preventive Dentistry, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yina Cao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Preventive Dentistry, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Zhao, ; Huancai Lin,
| | - Huancai Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Preventive Dentistry, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Zhao, ; Huancai Lin,
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Recent advances in metabolic regulation and bioengineering of gibberellic acid biosynthesis in Fusarium fujikuroi. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 38:131. [PMID: 35689127 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-022-03324-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The plant growth hormone gibberellic acid (GA3), as one of the representative secondary metabolites, is widely used in agriculture, horticulture and brewing industry. GA3 is detected in both plants and several fungi with the ability to stimulate plant growth. Currently, the main mode of industrial production of GA3 is depended on the microbial fermentation via long-period submerged fermentation using Fusarium fujikuroi as the only producing strain, qualified for its natural productivity. However, the demand of large-sale industrialization of GA3 was still restricted by the low productivity. The biosynthetic route of GA3 in F. fujikuroi is now well-defined. Furthermore, the multi-level regulation mechanisms involved in the whole network of GA3 production have also been gradually unveiled by the past two decades based on the identification and characterization of several global regulators and their mutual functions. Combined with the quick development of genetic manipulation techniques, the rational modification of producing strain F. fujikuroi development become practical for higher productivity achievement. Herein, we review the latest advances in the molecular regulation of GA3 biosynthesis in F. fujikuroi and conclude a comprehensive network involving nitrogen depression, global regulator, histone modification and G protein signaling pathway. Correspondingly, the bioengineering strategies covering conventional random mutation, genetic manipulating platform development, metabolic edition and fermentation optimization were also systematically proposed.
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The Pathogenic Yeast Candida parapsilosis Forms Pseudohyphae through Different Signaling Pathways Depending on the Available Carbon Source. mSphere 2022; 7:e0002922. [PMID: 35766504 PMCID: PMC9241547 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00029-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida parapsilosis is an emerging fungal pathogen that primarily affects immunocompromised patients in hospitals. A significant risk factor is the use of implanted medical devices, which support the growth of biofilms composed of a mixture of individual yeast cells and chains of elongated pseudohyphal cells. The morphological switch between these two forms is triggered by cues from the environment, including nutrient availability and temperature. We examined how different nutrient sources affect the balance between yeast and pseudohyphae and found that cells grown in the presence of five- or six-carbon sugars form more pseudohyphae at 30°C than at 37°C. Conversely, cells grown on glycerol, a three-carbon polyalcohol, form more pseudohyphae at 37°C. Furthermore, we found that different regulators influence pseudohyphal growth on glucose at 30°C compared with those on glycerol at 37°C. In particular, cAMP signaling and the sirtuin deacetylase Hst1 were required for pseudohyphal growth on glycerol at 37°C but not on glucose at 30°C. Finally, we found that the carbon source on which C. parapsilosis is grown can influence its ability to establish an infection in a wax moth model. Overall, this study reveals that environmental conditions affect not only the extent of pseudohyphal growth but also which pathways and regulators govern pseudohyphal formation. IMPORTANCECandida parapsilosis is one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired yeast infections and poses a significant risk to immunocompromised people. Two of its properties that contribute to infection are metabolic flexibility, to use a range of nutrients available in the host, and cellular dimorphism, to switch between round yeast cells and chains of elongated pseudohyphal cells. Uncovering the molecular mechanisms that regulate these processes could reveal new targets for antifungal drugs. We found that for C. parapsilosis, the balance between yeast and pseudohyphal cells depends on the nutrients available and the growth temperature. Moreover, these environmental changes can affect its ability to cause infections. Finally, we found that a potential sensor of the cell’s metabolic state, the sirtuin Hst1, contributes to pseudohyphal growth for cells grown on glycerol. These findings indicate that the shape and virulence of C. parapsilosis likely vary depending on its location in the host.
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Yan Q, Han L, Liu X, You C, Zhou S, Zhou Z. Development of an auto-inducible expression system by nitrogen sources switching based on the nitrogen catabolite repression regulation. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:73. [PMID: 35484589 PMCID: PMC9047365 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01794-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The construction of protein expression systems is mainly focused on carbon catabolite repression and quorum-sensing systems. However, each of these regulatory modes has an inherent flaw, which is difficult to overcome. Organisms also prioritize using different nitrogen sources, which is called nitrogen catabolite repression. To date, few gene regulatory systems based on nitrogen catabolite repression have been reported. RESULTS In this study, we constructed a nitrogen switching auto-inducible expression system (NSAES) based on nitrogen catabolite regulation and nitrogen utilization in Aspergillus nidulans. The PniaD promoter that is highly induced by nitrate and inhibition by ammonia was used as the promoter. Glucuronidase was the reporter protein. Glucuronidase expression occurred after ammonium was consumed in an ammonium and nitrate compounding medium, achieving stage auto-switching for cell growth and gene expression. This system maintained a balance between cell growth and protein production to maximize stress products. Expressions of glycosylated and secretory proteins were successfully achieved using this auto-inducible system. CONCLUSIONS We described an efficient auto-inducible protein expression system based on nitrogen catabolite regulation. The system could be useful for protein production in the laboratory and industrial applications. Simultaneously, NSAES provides a new auto-inducible expression regulation mode for other filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Yan
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology (Ministry of Education), School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Laichuang Han
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology (Ministry of Education), School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinyue Liu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology (Ministry of Education), School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Cuiping You
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology (Ministry of Education), School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shengmin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
| | - Zhemin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology (Ministry of Education), School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China.
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Kerkaert JD, Le Mauff F, Wucher BR, Beattie SR, Vesely EM, Sheppard DC, Nadell CD, Cramer RA. An Alanine Aminotransferase Is Required for Biofilm-Specific Resistance of Aspergillus fumigatus to Echinocandin Treatment. mBio 2022; 13:e0293321. [PMID: 35254131 PMCID: PMC9040767 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02933-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alanine metabolism has been suggested as an adaptation strategy to oxygen limitation in organisms ranging from plants to mammals. Within the pulmonary infection microenvironment, Aspergillus fumigatus forms biofilms with steep oxygen gradients defined by regions of oxygen limitation. An alanine aminotransferase, AlaA, was observed to function in alanine catabolism and is required for several aspects of A. fumigatus biofilm physiology. Loss of alaA, or its catalytic activity, results in decreased adherence of biofilms through a defect in the maturation of the extracellular matrix polysaccharide galactosaminogalactan (GAG). Additionally, exposure of cell wall polysaccharides is also impacted by loss of alaA, and loss of AlaA catalytic activity confers increased biofilm susceptibility to echinocandin treatment, which is correlated with enhanced fungicidal activity. The increase in echinocandin susceptibility is specific to biofilms, and chemical inhibition of alaA by the alanine aminotransferase inhibitor β-chloro-l-alanine is sufficient to sensitize A. fumigatus biofilms to echinocandin treatment. Finally, loss of alaA increases susceptibility of A. fumigatus to in vivo echinocandin treatment in a murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Our results provide insight into the interplay of metabolism, biofilm formation, and antifungal drug resistance in A. fumigatus and describe a mechanism of increasing susceptibility of A. fumigatus biofilms to the echinocandin class of antifungal drugs. IMPORTANCE Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous filamentous fungus that causes an array of diseases depending on the immune status of an individual, collectively termed aspergillosis. Antifungal therapy for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) or chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is limited and too often ineffective. This is in part due to A. fumigatus biofilm formation within the infection environment and the resulting emergent properties, particularly increased antifungal resistance. Thus, insights into biofilm formation and mechanisms driving increased antifungal drug resistance are critical for improving existing therapeutic strategies and development of novel antifungals. In this work, we describe an unexpected observation where alanine metabolism, via the alanine aminotransferase AlaA, is required for several aspects of A. fumigatus biofilm physiology, including resistance of A. fumigatus biofilms to the echinocandin class of antifungal drugs. Importantly, we observed that chemical inhibition of alanine aminotransferases is sufficient to increase echinocandin susceptibility and that loss of alaA increases susceptibility to echinocandin treatment in a murine model of IPA. AlaA is the first gene discovered in A. fumigatus that confers resistance to an antifungal drug specifically in a biofilm context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D. Kerkaert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - François Le Mauff
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Infectious Disease and Immunity in Global Health, Research Institute of McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Benjamin R. Wucher
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Sarah R. Beattie
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Elisa M. Vesely
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Donald C. Sheppard
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Infectious Disease and Immunity in Global Health, Research Institute of McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Carey D. Nadell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Robert A. Cramer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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Characterization of Two Fusarium solani Species Complex Isolates from the Ambrosia Beetle Xylosandrus morigerus. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8030231. [PMID: 35330233 PMCID: PMC8956061 DOI: 10.3390/jof8030231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ambrosia beetles are insect vectors of important plant diseases and have been considered as a threat to forest ecosystems, agriculture, and the timber industry. Several factors have been suggested as promoters of the pathogenic behavior of ambrosia beetles; one of them is the nature of the fungal mutualist and its ability to establish an infectious process. In Mexico, Xylosandrus morigerus is an invasive ambrosia beetle that damages many agroecosystems. Herein, two different isolates from the X. morigerus ambrosia beetle belonging to the Fusarium genus are reported. Both isolates belong to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) but not to the Ambrosia Fusarium clade (AFC). The two closely related Fusarium isolates are pathogenic to different forest and agronomic species, and the morphological differences between them and the extracellular protease profile suggest intraspecific variability. This study shows the importance of considering these beetles as vectors of different species of fungal plant pathogens, with some of them even being phylogenetically closely related and having different pathogenic abilities, highlighting the relevance of the fungal mutualist as a factor for the ambrosia complex becoming a pest.
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Study of the Effect of Nutrient Environment on the Biological Characteristics of Fusarium solani Clinical Corneal Isolates. J Ophthalmol 2021; 2021:6666303. [PMID: 34608418 PMCID: PMC8487384 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6666303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The biological characteristics of Fusarium solani clinical corneal isolates growing in different nutritional conditions in vitro were studied in order to find out the key point of pathogenicity. Methods Five kinds of media with different glucose and nitrogen concentrations were prepared as the liquid and solid forms. The clinical isolates were as follows: 2 Fusarium solani strains. The clinical corneal isolates and the standard strains were inoculated in the solid and liquid media. They were all incubated at 296 for 96 h and observed at defined time points. The optical density was recorded to generate the growth curves in liquid media. Morphologic changes of colonies in the solid media were determined under the light microscope. Results The clinical isolates of Fusarium solani showed stronger reproductive capacity in the abominable nutritional condition. Besides, when the glucose concentration in the medium was consistent with the glucose concentration of aqueous in diabetic patients, the clinical isolates would show the biological features of quicker growth rate and stronger reproductive capacity. Conclusions Nitrogen source is essential for fungus reproduction. The clinical isolates showed stronger environmental adaptability under different nutritional conditions and more sensitive to environmental changes.
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Arastehfar A, Carvalho A, Houbraken J, Lombardi L, Garcia-Rubio R, Jenks J, Rivero-Menendez O, Aljohani R, Jacobsen I, Berman J, Osherov N, Hedayati M, Ilkit M, Armstrong-James D, Gabaldón T, Meletiadis J, Kostrzewa M, Pan W, Lass-Flörl C, Perlin D, Hoenigl M. Aspergillus fumigatus and aspergillosis: From basics to clinics. Stud Mycol 2021; 100:100115. [PMID: 34035866 PMCID: PMC8131930 DOI: 10.1016/j.simyco.2021.100115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The airborne fungus Aspergillus fumigatus poses a serious health threat to humans by causing numerous invasive infections and a notable mortality in humans, especially in immunocompromised patients. Mould-active azoles are the frontline therapeutics employed to treat aspergillosis. The global emergence of azole-resistant A. fumigatus isolates in clinic and environment, however, notoriously limits the therapeutic options of mould-active antifungals and potentially can be attributed to a mortality rate reaching up to 100 %. Although specific mutations in CYP 51A are the main cause of azole resistance, there is a new wave of azole-resistant isolates with wild-type CYP 51A genotype challenging the efficacy of the current diagnostic tools. Therefore, applications of whole-genome sequencing are increasingly gaining popularity to overcome such challenges. Prominent echinocandin tolerance, as well as liver and kidney toxicity posed by amphotericin B, necessitate a continuous quest for novel antifungal drugs to combat emerging azole-resistant A. fumigatus isolates. Animal models and the tools used for genetic engineering require further refinement to facilitate a better understanding about the resistance mechanisms, virulence, and immune reactions orchestrated against A. fumigatus. This review paper comprehensively discusses the current clinical challenges caused by A. fumigatus and provides insights on how to address them.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Arastehfar
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
| | - A. Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães/Braga, Portugal
| | - J. Houbraken
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - L. Lombardi
- UCD Conway Institute and School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - R. Garcia-Rubio
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
| | - J.D. Jenks
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA
- Clinical and Translational Fungal-Working Group, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - O. Rivero-Menendez
- Medical Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Center for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, 28222, Spain
| | - R. Aljohani
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - I.D. Jacobsen
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - J. Berman
- Research Group Microbial Immunology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - N. Osherov
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - M.T. Hedayati
- Invasive Fungi Research Center/Department of Medical Mycology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - M. Ilkit
- Division of Mycology, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, 01330, Adana, Turkey
| | | | - T. Gabaldón
- Life Sciences Programme, Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), Jordi Girona, Barcelona, 08034, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Programme, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J. Meletiadis
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - W. Pan
- Medical Mycology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200003, China
| | - C. Lass-Flörl
- Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - D.S. Perlin
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
| | - M. Hoenigl
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA
- Section of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8036, Graz, Austria
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
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Tang C, Li W, Klosterman SJ, Wang Y. Transcriptome Variations in Verticillium dahliae in Response to Two Different Inorganic Nitrogen Sources. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:712701. [PMID: 34394062 PMCID: PMC8355529 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.712701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The fungus Verticillium dahliae causes vascular wilt disease on hundreds of plant species. The main focus of the research to control this fungus has been aimed at infection processes such as penetration peg formation and effector secretion, but the ability of the fungus to acquire and utilize nutrients are often overlooked and may hold additional potential to formulate new disease control approaches. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms of nitrogen acquisition and assimilation processes in V. dahliae. In this present study, RNA sequencing and gene expression analysis were used to examine differentially expressed genes in response to the different nitrogen sources, nitrate and ammonium, in V. dahliae. A total of 3244 and 2528 differentially expressed genes were identified in response to nitrate and ammonium treatments, respectively. The data indicated nitrate metabolism requires additional energy input while ammonium metabolism is accompanied by reductions in particular cellular processes. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses of DEGs during nitrate metabolism revealed that many of the genes encoded those involved in protein biosynthetic and metabolic processes, especially ribosome and RNA polymerase biosynthesis, but also other processes including transport and organonitrogen compound metabolism. Analysis of DEGs in the ammonium treatment indicated that cell cycle, oxidoreductase, and certain metabolic activities were reduced. In addition, DEGs participating in the utilization of both nitrate and ammonium were related to L-serine biosynthesis, energy-dependent multidrug efflux pump activity, and glycerol transport. We further showed that the mutants of three differentially expressed transcription factors (VdMcm1, VdHapX, and VDAG_08640) exhibited abnormal phenotypes under nitrate and ammonium treatment compared with the wild type strain. Deletion of VdMcm1 displayed slower growth when utilizing both nitrogen sources, while deletion of VdHapX and VDAG_08640 only affected nitrate metabolism, inferring that nitrogen assimilation required regulation of bZIP transcription factor family and participation of cell cycle. Taken together, our findings illustrate the convergent and distinctive regulatory mechanisms between preferred (ammonium) and alternative nitrogen (nitrate) metabolism at the transcriptome level, leading to better understanding of inorganic nitrogen metabolism in V. dahliae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Tang
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenwen Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Steven J Klosterman
- Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Salinas, CA, United States
| | - Yonglin Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a major opportunistic fungal pathogen of immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. To successfully establish an infection, A. fumigatus needs to use host carbon sources, such as acetate, present in the body fluids and peripheral tissues. However, utilization of acetate as a carbon source by fungi in the context of infection has not been investigated. This work shows that acetate is metabolized via different pathways in A. fumigatus and that acetate utilization is under the regulatory control of a transcription factor (TF), FacB. A. fumigatus acetate utilization is subject to carbon catabolite repression (CCR), although this is only partially dependent on the TF and main regulator of CCR CreA. The available extracellular carbon source, in this case glucose and acetate, significantly affected A. fumigatus virulence traits such as secondary metabolite secretion and cell wall composition, with the latter having consequences for resistance to oxidative stress, antifungal drugs, and human neutrophil-mediated killing. Furthermore, deletion of facB significantly impaired the in vivo virulence of A. fumigatus in both insect and mammalian models of invasive aspergillosis. This is the first report on acetate utilization in A. fumigatus, and this work further highlights the importance of available host-specific carbon sources in shaping fungal virulence traits and subsequent disease outcome, and a potential target for the development of antifungal strategies. IMPORTANCE Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic fungal pathogen in humans. During infection, A. fumigatus is predicted to use host carbon sources, such as acetate, present in body fluids and peripheral tissues, to sustain growth and promote colonization and invasion. This work shows that A. fumigatus metabolizes acetate via different pathways, a process that is dependent on the transcription factor FacB. Furthermore, the type and concentration of the extracellular available carbon source were determined to shape A. fumigatus virulence determinants such as secondary metabolite secretion and cell wall composition. Subsequently, interactions with immune cells are altered in a carbon source-specific manner. FacB is required for A. fumigatus in vivo virulence in both insect and mammalian models of invasive aspergillosis. This is the first report that characterizes acetate utilization in A. fumigatus and highlights the importance of available host-specific carbon sources in shaping virulence traits and potentially subsequent disease outcome.
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Nair A, Sarma SJ. The impact of carbon and nitrogen catabolite repression in microorganisms. Microbiol Res 2021; 251:126831. [PMID: 34325194 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2021.126831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Organisms have cellular machinery that is focused on optimum utilization of resources to maximize growth and survival depending on various environmental and developmental factors. Catabolite repression is a strategy utilized by various species of bacteria and fungi to accommodate changes in the environment such as the depletion of resources, or an abundance of less-favored nutrient sources. Catabolite repression allows for the rapid use of certain substrates like glucose over other carbon sources. Effective handling of carbon and nitrogen catabolite repression in microorganisms is crucial to outcompete others in nutrient limiting conditions. Investigations into genes and proteins linked to preferential uptake of different nutrients under various environmental conditions can aid in identifying regulatory mechanisms that are crucial for optimum growth and survival of microorganisms. The exact time and way bacteria and fungi switch their utilization of certain nutrients is of great interest for scientific, industrial, and clinical reasons. Catabolite repression is of great significance for industrial applications that rely on microorganisms for the generation of valuable bio-products. The impact catabolite repression has on virulence of pathogenic bacteria and fungi and disease progression in hosts makes it important area of interest in medical research for the prevention of diseases and developing new treatment strategies. Regulatory networks under catabolite repression exemplify the flexibility and the tremendous diversity that is found in microorganisms and provides an impetus for newer insights into these networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhinav Nair
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Bennett University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Saurabh Jyoti Sarma
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Bennett University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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Nitrogen, Iron and Zinc Acquisition: Key Nutrients to Aspergillus fumigatus Virulence. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7070518. [PMID: 34203370 PMCID: PMC8303583 DOI: 10.3390/jof7070518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous soil decomposer and an opportunistic pathogen that is characterized by its large metabolic machinery for acquiring nutrients from media. Lately, an ever-increasing number of genes involved in fungal nutrition has been associated with its virulence. Of these, nitrogen, iron, and zinc metabolism-related genes are particularly noteworthy, since 78% of them have a direct implication in virulence. In this review, we describe the sensing, uptake and regulation process of the acquisition of these nutrients, the connections between pathways and the virulence-implicated genes. Nevertheless, only 40% of the genes mentioned in this review have been assayed for roles in virulence, leaving a wide field of knowledge that remains uncertain and might offer new therapeutic and diagnostic targets.
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Liboro K, Yu SR, Lim J, So YS, Bahn YS, Eoh H, Park H. Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analysis Revealed Roles of Yck2 in Carbon Metabolism and Morphogenesis of Candida albicans. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:636834. [PMID: 33796481 PMCID: PMC8008151 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.636834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is a part of the normal microbiome of human mucosa and is able to thrive in a wide range of host environments. As an opportunistic pathogen, the virulence of C. albicans is tied to its ability to switch between yeast and hyphal morphologies in response to various environmental cues, one of which includes nutrient availability. Thus, metabolic flexibility plays an important role in the virulence of the pathogen. Our previous study has shown that C. albicans Yeast Casein Kinase 2 (CaYck2) regulates the yeast-to-hyphal switch, but its regulatory mechanisms remain unknown. This study further elucidated the role of Yck2 in governing morphology and carbon metabolism by analyzing the transcriptome and metabolome of the C. albicans YCK2 deletion mutant strain (yck2Δ strain) in comparison to the wild type strain. Our study revealed that loss of CaYck2 perturbs carbon metabolism, leading to a transcriptional response that resembles a transcriptional response to glucose starvation with coinciding intracellular accumulation of glucose and depletion of TCA cycle metabolites. This shift in the metabolome is likely mediated by derepression of glucose-repressed genes in the Mig1/2-mediated glucose sensing pathway and by downregulation of glycolytic genes, possibly through the Rgt1-mediated SRR pathway. In addition, genes involved in beta-oxidation, glyoxylate cycle, oxidative stress response, and arginine biosynthesis were upregulated in the yck2Δ strain, which is highly reminiscent of C. albicans engulfment by macrophages. This coincides with an increase in arginine degradation intermediates in the yck2Δ strain, suggesting arginine catabolism as a potential mechanism of CaYck2-mediated filamentation as seen during C. albicans escape from macrophages. Transcriptome analysis also shows differential expression of hyphal transcriptional regulators Nrg1 and Ume6. This suggests dysregulation of hyphal initiation and elongation in the yck2Δ strain which may lead to the constitutive pseudohyphal phenotype of this strain. Metabolome analysis also detected a high abundance of methyl citrate cycle intermediates in the yck2Δ strain, suggesting the importance of CaYck2 in this pathway. Taken together, we discovered that CaYck2 is an integral piece of carbon metabolism and morphogenesis of C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Liboro
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Seong-Ryong Yu
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Juhyeon Lim
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yee-Seul So
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yong-Sun Bahn
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyungjin Eoh
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Hyunsook Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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O’Brien CE, Oliveira-Pacheco J, Ó Cinnéide E, Haase MAB, Hittinger CT, Rogers TR, Zaragoza O, Bond U, Butler G. Population genomics of the pathogenic yeast Candida tropicalis identifies hybrid isolates in environmental samples. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009138. [PMID: 33788904 PMCID: PMC8041210 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida tropicalis is a human pathogen that primarily infects the immunocompromised. Whereas the genome of one isolate, C. tropicalis MYA-3404, was originally sequenced in 2009, there have been no large-scale, multi-isolate studies of the genetic and phenotypic diversity of this species. Here, we used whole genome sequencing and phenotyping to characterize 77 isolates of C. tropicalis from clinical and environmental sources from a variety of locations. We show that most C. tropicalis isolates are diploids with approximately 2-6 heterozygous variants per kilobase. The genomes are relatively stable, with few aneuploidies. However, we identified one highly homozygous isolate and six isolates of C. tropicalis with much higher heterozygosity levels ranging from 36-49 heterozygous variants per kilobase. Our analyses show that the heterozygous isolates represent two different hybrid lineages, where the hybrids share one parent (A) with most other C. tropicalis isolates, but the second parent (B or C) differs by at least 4% at the genome level. Four of the sequenced isolates descend from an AB hybridization, and two from an AC hybridization. The hybrids are MTLa/α heterozygotes. Hybridization, or mating, between different parents is therefore common in the evolutionary history of C. tropicalis. The new hybrids were predominantly found in environmental niches, including from soil. Hybridization is therefore unlikely to be associated with virulence. In addition, we used genotype-phenotype correlation and CRISPR-Cas9 editing to identify a genome variant that results in the inability of one isolate to utilize certain branched-chain amino acids as a sole nitrogen source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caoimhe E. O’Brien
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - João Oliveira-Pacheco
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Eoin Ó Cinnéide
- School of Medicine, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Max A. B. Haase
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, Wisconsin Energy Institute, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, J.F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Chris Todd Hittinger
- Laboratory of Genetics, Center for Genomic Science Innovation, Wisconsin Energy Institute, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, J.F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Thomas R. Rogers
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Department of Microbiology, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Oscar Zaragoza
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Carretera Majadahonda-Pozuelo, Km2, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ursula Bond
- Department of Microbiology, School of Genetics and Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Geraldine Butler
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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Stovall AK, Knowles CM, Kalem MC, Panepinto JC. A Conserved Gcn2-Gcn4 Axis Links Methionine Utilization and the Oxidative Stress Response in Cryptococcus neoformans. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2021; 2:640678. [PMID: 34622246 PMCID: PMC8494424 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2021.640678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans relies on post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene regulation to adapt to stressors it encounters in the human host, such as oxidative stress and nutrient limitation. The kinase Gcn2 regulates translation in response to stress by phosphorylating the initiation factor eIF2, and it is a crucial factor in withstanding oxidative stress in C. neoformans, and amino acid limitation in many fungal species. However, little is known about the role of Gcn2 in nitrogen limitation in C. neoformans. In this study, we demonstrate that Gcn2 is required for C. neoformans to utilize methionine as a source of nitrogen, and that the presence of methionine as a sole nitrogen source induces eIF2 phosphorylation. The stress imposed by methionine leads to an oxidative stress response at both the levels of transcription and translation, as seen through polysome profiling as well as increased abundance of select oxidative stress response transcripts. The transcription factor Gcn4 is also required for methionine utilization and oxidative stress resistance, and RT-qPCR data suggests that it regulates expression of certain transcripts in response to oxidative stress. The results of this study suggest a connection between nitrogen metabolism and oxidative stress in C. neoformans that is mediated by Gcn4, possibly indicating the presence of a compound stress response in this clinically important fungal pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - John C. Panepinto
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, United States
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49
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Zhang C, Gu H, Ren Y, Lu L. GlcA-mediated glycerol-3-phosphate synthesis contributes to the oxidation resistance of Aspergillus fumigatus via decreasing the cellular ROS. Fungal Genet Biol 2021; 149:103531. [PMID: 33581364 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2021.103531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Fungi activate corresponding metabolic pathways in response to different carbon sources to adapt to different environments. Previous studies have shown that the glycerol kinase GlcA that phosphorylates glycerol to the intermediate glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) is required for the growth of Aspergillus fumigatus when glycerol is used as the sole carbon source. The present study identified there were two putative glycerol kinases, GlcA and GlcB, in A. fumigatus but glycerol activated only glcA promoter but not glcB promoter, although both glcA and glcB could encode glycerol kinase. Under normal culture conditions, the absence of glcA caused no detectable colony phenotypes on glucose and other tested carbon sources except glycerol, indicating dissimilation of glucose and these tested carbon sources bypassed requirement of glcA. Notably, the oxidative stress agent H2O2 on the background of glucose medium clearly induced GlcA expression and promoted G3P synthesis. Deletion and overexpression of glcA elicited sensitivity and resistance to oxidative stress agent H2O2, respectively, accompanied by decrease and increase of G3P production. In addition, the sensitivity to oxidative stress in the glcA mutant was probably associated with dysfunction of mitochondria with a decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and an abnormal accumulation of the cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, overexpressing the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase GfdA thatcatalyzes the reduction of dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) to G3P rescued phenotypes of the glcA null mutant to H2O2. Therefore, the present study suggests that GlcA-involved G3P synthesis participates in oxidative stress tolerance of A. fumigatus via regulating the cellular ROS level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Huiyu Gu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yiran Ren
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Ling Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
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50
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Gao J, Xu X, Huang K, Liang Z. Fungal G-Protein-Coupled Receptors: A Promising Mediator of the Impact of Extracellular Signals on Biosynthesis of Ochratoxin A. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:631392. [PMID: 33643259 PMCID: PMC7907439 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.631392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are transmembrane receptors involved in transducing signals from the external environment inside the cell, which enables fungi to coordinate cell transport, metabolism, and growth to promote their survival, reproduction, and virulence. There are 14 classes of GPCRs in fungi involved in sensing various ligands. In this paper, the synthesis of mycotoxins that are GPCR-mediated is discussed with respect to ligands, environmental stimuli, and intra-/interspecific communication. Despite their apparent importance in fungal biology, very little is known about the role of ochratoxin A (OTA) biosynthesis by Aspergillus ochraceus and the ligands that are involved. Fortunately, increasing evidence shows that the GPCR that involves the AF/ST (sterigmatocystin) pathway in fungi belongs to the same genus. Therefore, we speculate that GPCRs play an important role in a variety of environmental signals and downstream pathways in OTA biosynthesis. The verification of this inference will result in a more controllable GPCR target for control of fungal contamination in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Gao
- Beijing Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, Beijing, China
| | - Xinge Xu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Kunlun Huang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhihong Liang
- Beijing Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, Beijing, China.,College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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