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Lo TL, Wang Q, Nickson J, van Denderen BJW, Deveson Lucas D, Chai HX, Knott GJ, Weerasinghe H, Traven A. The C-terminal protein interaction domain of the chromatin reader Yaf9 is critical for pathogenesis of Candida albicans. mSphere 2024; 9:e0069623. [PMID: 38376217 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00696-23] [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: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections cause a large health burden but are treated by only a handful of antifungal drug classes. Chromatin factors have emerged as possible targets for new antifungals. These targets include the reader proteins, which interact with posttranslationally modified histones to influence DNA transcription and repair. The YEATS domain is one such reader recognizing both crotonylated and acetylated histones. Here, we performed a detailed structure/function analysis of the Candida albicans YEATS domain reader Yaf9, a subunit of the NuA4 histone acetyltransferase and the SWR1 chromatin remodeling complex. We have previously demonstrated that the homozygous deletion mutant yaf9Δ/Δ displays growth defects and is avirulent in mice. Here we show that a YEATS domain mutant expected to inactivate Yaf9's chromatin binding does not display strong phenotypes in vitro, nor during infection of immune cells or in a mouse systemic infection model, with only a minor virulence reduction in vivo. In contrast to the YEATS domain mutation, deletion of the C-terminal domain of Yaf9, a protein-protein interaction module necessary for its interactions with SWR1 and NuA4, phenocopies the null mutant. This shows that the C-terminal domain is essential for Yaf9 roles in vitro and in vivo, including C. albicans virulence. Our study informs on the strategies for therapeutic targeting of Yaf9, showing that approaches taken for the mammalian YEATS domains by disrupting their chromatin binding might not be effective in C. albicans, and provides a foundation for studying YEATS proteins in human fungal pathogens.IMPORTANCEThe scarcity of available antifungal drugs and rising resistance demand the development of therapies with new modes of action. In this context, chromatin regulation may be a target for novel antifungal therapeutics. To realize this potential, we must better understand the roles of chromatin regulators in fungal pathogens. Toward this goal, here, we studied the YEATS domain chromatin reader Yaf9 in Candida albicans. Yaf9 uses the YEATS domain for chromatin binding and a C-terminal domain to interact with chromatin remodeling complexes. By constructing mutants in these domains and characterizing their phenotypes, our data indicate that the Yaf9 YEATS domain might not be a suitable therapeutic drug target. Instead, the Yaf9 C-terminal domain is critical for C. albicans virulence. Collectively, our study informs how a class of chromatin regulators performs their cellular and pathogenesis roles in C. albicans and reveals strategies to inhibit them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tricia L Lo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Joshua Nickson
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Bryce J W van Denderen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | | | - Her Xiang Chai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Gavin J Knott
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Harshini Weerasinghe
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Ana Traven
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
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Xiao K, Liu L, He R, Rollins JA, Li A, Zhang G, He X, Wang R, Liu J, Zhang X, Zhang Y, Pan H. The Snf5-Hsf1 transcription module synergistically regulates stress responses and pathogenicity by maintaining ROS homeostasis in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:1794-1812. [PMID: 38135652 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
The SWI/SNF complex is guided to the promoters of designated genes by its co-operator to activate transcription in a timely and appropriate manner to govern development, pathogenesis, and stress responses in fungi. Nevertheless, knowledge of the complexes and their co-operator in phytopathogenic fungi is still fragmented. We demonstrate that the heat shock transcription factor SsHsf1 guides the SWI/SNF complex to promoters of heat shock protein (hsp) genes and antioxidant enzyme genes using biochemistry and pharmacology. This is accomplished through direct interaction with the complex subunit SsSnf5 under heat shock and oxidative stress. This results in the activation of their transcription and mediates histone displacement to maintain reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis. Genetic results demonstrate that the transcription module formed by SsSnf5 and SsHsf1 is responsible for regulating morphogenesis, stress tolerance, and pathogenicity in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, especially by directly activating the transcription of hsp genes and antioxidant enzyme genes counteracting plant-derived ROS. Furthermore, we show that stress-induced phosphorylation of SsSnf5 is necessary for the formation of the transcription module. This study establishes that the SWI/SNF complex and its co-operator cooperatively regulate the transcription of hsp genes and antioxidant enzyme genes to respond to host and environmental stress in the devastating phytopathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunqin Xiao
- College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China
| | - Ling Liu
- College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China
| | - Ruonan He
- College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China
| | - Jeffrey A Rollins
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Anmo Li
- College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China
| | - Guiping Zhang
- College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China
| | - Xiaoyue He
- College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China
| | - Rui Wang
- College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China
| | - Jinliang Liu
- College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China
| | - Xianghui Zhang
- College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China
| | - Yanhua Zhang
- College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China
| | - Hongyu Pan
- College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China
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