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Li F, Zhang J, Zhong H, Yu K, Chen J. Comprehensive Insights into the Remarkable Function and Regulatory Mechanism of FluG during Asexual Development in Beauveria bassiana. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6261. [PMID: 38892450 PMCID: PMC11173134 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116261] [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: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Asexual development is the main propagation and transmission mode of Beauveria bassiana and the basis of its pathogenicity. The regulation mechanism of conidiation and the key gene resources for utilization are key links to improving the conidia yield and quality of Beauveria bassiana. Their clarification may promote the industrialization of fungal pesticides. Here, we compared the regulation of morphology, resistance to external stress, virulence, and nutrient utilization capacity between the upstream developmental regulatory gene fluG and the key genes brlA, abaA, and wetA in the central growth and development pathway. The results showed that the ΔbrlA and ΔabaA mutants completely lost the capacity to conidiate and that the ΔwetA mutant had seriously reduced conidiation capacity. Although the deletion of fluG did not reduce the conidiation ability as much as deletions of brlA, abaA, and wetA, it significantly reduced the fungal response to external stress, virulence, and nutrient utilization, while the deletion of the three other genes had little effect. Via transcriptome analysis and screening the yeast nuclear system library, we found that the differentially expressed genes in the ΔfluG mutants were concentrated in the signaling pathways of ABC transporters, propionate metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, DNA replication, mismatch repair, and fatty acid metabolism. FluG directly acted on 40 proteins that were involved in various signaling pathways such as metabolism, oxidative stress, and cell homeostasis. The analysis indicated that the regulatory function of fluG was mainly involved in DNA replication, cell homeostasis, fungal growth and metabolism, and the response to external stress. Our results revealed the biological function of fluG in asexual development and the responses to several environmental stresses as well as its influence on the asexual development regulatory network in B. bassiana.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juefeng Zhang
- Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China; (F.L.); (H.Z.); (K.Y.)
| | | | | | - Jianming Chen
- Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China; (F.L.); (H.Z.); (K.Y.)
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Shin S, Park J, Yang L, Kim H, Choi GJ, Lee YW, Kim JE, Son H. Con7 is a key transcription regulator for conidiogenesis in the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. mSphere 2024; 9:e0081823. [PMID: 38591889 PMCID: PMC11237738 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00818-23] [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: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The mycelium of the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum exhibits distinct structures for vegetative growth, asexual sporulation, sexual development, virulence, and chlamydospore formation. These structures are vital for the survival and pathogenicity of the fungus, necessitating precise regulation based on environmental cues. Initially identified in Magnaporthe oryzae, the transcription factor Con7p regulates conidiation and infection-related morphogenesis, but not vegetative growth. We characterized the Con7p ortholog FgCon7, and deletion of FgCON7 resulted in severe defects in conidium production, virulence, sexual development, and vegetative growth. The mycelia of the deletion mutant transformed into chlamydospore-like structures with high chitin level accumulation. Notably, boosting FgABAA expression partially alleviated developmental issues in the FgCON7 deletion mutant. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis confirmed a direct genetic link between FgABAA and FgCON7. Furthermore, the chitin synthase gene Fg6550 (FGSG_06550) showed significant upregulation in the FgCON7 deletion mutant, and altering FgCON7 expression affected cell wall integrity. Further research will focus on understanding the behavior of the chitin synthase gene and its regulation by FgCon7 in F. graminearum. This study contributes significantly to our understanding of the genetic pathways that regulate hyphal differentiation and conidiation in this plant pathogenic fungus. IMPORTANCE The ascomycete fungus Fusarium graminearum is the primary cause of head blight disease in wheat and barley, as well as ear and stalk rot in maize. Given the importance of conidia and ascospores in the disease cycle of F. graminearum, precise spatiotemporal regulation of these biological processes is crucial. In this study, we characterized the Magnaporthe oryzae Con7p ortholog and discovered that FgCon7 significantly influences various crucial aspects of fungal development and pathogenicity. Notably, overexpression of FgABAA partially restored developmental defects in the FgCON7 deletion mutant. ChIP-qPCR analysis confirmed a direct genetic link between FgABAA and FgCON7. Furthermore, our research revealed a clear correlation between FgCon7 and chitin accumulation and the expression of chitin synthase genes. These findings offer valuable insights into the genetic mechanisms regulating conidiation and the significance of mycelial differentiation in this plant pathogenic fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soobin Shin
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jiyeun Park
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Lin Yang
- The Provincial Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hun Kim
- Eco-friendly New Materials Research Group, Research Center for Biobased Chemistry, Division of Convergence Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Gyung Ja Choi
- Eco-friendly New Materials Research Group, Research Center for Biobased Chemistry, Division of Convergence Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Yin-Won Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jung-Eun Kim
- Research Institute of Climate Change and Agriculture, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, Jeju, South Korea
| | - Hokyoung Son
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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Huang Y, Jia L, Chen F. Effects of MrwetA on Sexual Reproduction and Secondary Metabolism of Monascus ruber M7 Based on Transcriptome Analysis. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:338. [PMID: 38786694 PMCID: PMC11122622 DOI: 10.3390/jof10050338] [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: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
wetA, one of the conidiation center regulatory genes in many filamentous fungi, plays an important role in promoting asexual spores (conidia) maturation. Our recent research has found that knocking out or overexpressing MrwetA (a homolog of wetA) in Monascus ruber M7 does not affect the development of its asexual spores like other fungi, but both repress the development of its sexual spores (ascospores). However, the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the function of MrwetA on sexual reproduction and secondary metabolism in M. ruber M7 was confirmed by a complementary experiment. Moreover, the regulatory roles of MrwetA in modulating the expression of genes involved in sexual reproduction, meiosis, and biosynthesis of Monascus pigment and citrinin were analyzed based on the transcriptional data. These results not only contribute to clarifying the regulation of the reproduction and secondary metabolism of Monascus spp., but also to enriching the regulation molecular mechanism of reproduction in filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyun Huang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented Foods, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lili Jia
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented Foods, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Fusheng Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Traditional Fermented Foods, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
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Chen S, Li P, Abubakar YS, Lü P, Li Y, Mao X, Zhang C, Zheng W, Wang Z, Lu GD, Zheng H. A feedback regulation of FgHtf1-FgCon7 loop in conidiogenesis and development of Fusarium graminearum. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 261:129841. [PMID: 38309401 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
The transcription factor FgHtf1 is important for conidiogenesis in Fusarium graminearum and it positively regulates the expression of the sporulation-related gene FgCON7. However, the regulatory mechanism underlying its functions is still unclear. The present study intends to uncover the functional mechanism of FgHtf1 in relation to FgCon7 in F. graminearum. We demonstrated that FgCON7 serves as a target gene for FgHtf1. Interestingly, FgCon7 also binds the promoter region of FgHTF1 to negatively regulate its expression, thus forming a negative-feedback loop. We demonstrated that FgHtf1 and FgCon7 have functional redundancy in fungal development. FgCon7 localizes in the nucleus and has transcriptional activation activity. Deletion of FgCON7 significantly reduces conidia production. 4444 genes were regulated by FgCon7 in ChIP-Seq, and RNA-Seq revealed 4430 differentially expressed genes in FgCON7 deletion mutant, with CCAAT serving as a consensus binding motif of FgCon7 to the target genes. FgCon7 directly binds the promoter regions of FgMSN2, FgABAA, FgVEA and FgSMT3 genes and regulates their expression. These genes were found to be important for conidiogenesis. To our knowledge, this is the first study that unveiled the mutual regulatory functions of FgCON7 and FgHTF1 to form a negative-feedback loop, and how the loop mediates sporulation in F. graminearum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China; Fujian Key Laboratory on Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Marine Biodiversity, Fuzhou Institute of Oceanography, College of Geography and Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Pengfang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Yakubu Saddeeq Abubakar
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810281, Nigeria
| | - Peitao Lü
- College of Horticulture, Center for Plant Metabolomics, Haixia lnstitute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China; Fujian Key Laboratory on Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Marine Biodiversity, Fuzhou Institute of Oceanography, College of Geography and Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Xuzhao Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China; Fujian Key Laboratory on Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Marine Biodiversity, Fuzhou Institute of Oceanography, College of Geography and Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Chengkang Zhang
- College of Life Science, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 352100, China
| | - Wenhui Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Zonghua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China; Fujian Key Laboratory on Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Marine Biodiversity, Fuzhou Institute of Oceanography, College of Geography and Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Guo-Dong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China.
| | - Huawei Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China; Fujian Key Laboratory on Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Marine Biodiversity, Fuzhou Institute of Oceanography, College of Geography and Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China.
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5
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Sridhar PS, Vasquez V, Monteil-Rivera F, Allingham JS, Loewen MC. A peroxidase-derived ligand that induces Fusarium graminearum Ste2 receptor-dependent chemotropism. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 13:1287418. [PMID: 38239502 PMCID: PMC10794396 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1287418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The fungal G protein-coupled receptors Ste2 and Ste3 are vital in mediating directional hyphal growth of the agricultural pathogen Fusarium graminearum towards wheat plants. This chemotropism is induced by a catalytic product of peroxidases secreted by the wheat. Currently, the identity of this product, and the substrate it is generated from, are not known. Methods and results We provide evidence that a peroxidase substrate is derived from F. graminearum conidia and report a simple method to extract and purify the FgSte2-activating ligand for analyses by mass spectrometry. The mass spectra arising from t he ligand extract are characteristic of a 400 Da carbohydrate moiety. Consistent with this type of molecule, glycosidase treatment of F. graminearum conidia prior to peroxidase treatment significantly reduced the amount of ligand extracted. Interestingly, availability of the peroxidase substrate appears to depend on the presence of both FgSte2 and FgSte3, as knockout of one or the other reduces the chemotropism-inducing effect of the extracts. Conclusions While further characterization is necessary, identification of the F. graminearum-derived peroxidase substrate and the FgSte2-activating ligand will unearth deeper insights into the intricate mechanisms that underlie fungal pathogenesis in cereal crops, unveiling novel avenues for inhibitory interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja S. Sridhar
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Vinicio Vasquez
- National Research Council of Canada, Aquatic and Crop Resources Development, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Fanny Monteil-Rivera
- National Research Council of Canada, Aquatic and Crop Resources Development, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - John S. Allingham
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Michele C. Loewen
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- National Research Council of Canada, Aquatic and Crop Resources Development, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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6
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Bai N, Xie M, Liu Q, Zhu Y, Yang X, Zhang KQ, Yang J. AoMedA has a complex regulatory relationship with AoBrlA, AoAbaA, and AoWetA in conidiation, trap formation, and secondary metabolism in the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0098323. [PMID: 37655869 PMCID: PMC10537773 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00983-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The asexual sporulation of filamentous fungi is an important mechanism for their reproduction, survival, and pathogenicity. In Aspergillus and several filamentous fungi, BrlA, AbaA, and WetA are the key elements of a central regulatory pathway controlling conidiation, and MedA is a developmental modifier that regulates temporal expression of central regulatory genes; however, their roles are largely unknown in nematode-trapping (NT) fungi. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a representative NT fungus, which can capture nematodes by producing adhesive networks (traps). Here, we characterized the function of AoMedA and three central developmental regulators (AoBrlA, AoAbaA, and AoWetA) in A. oligospora by gene disruption, phenotypic comparison, and multi-omics analyses, as these regulators are required for conidiation and play divergent roles in mycelial development, trap formation, lipid droplet accumulation, vacuole assembly, and secondary metabolism. A combined analysis of phenotypic traits and transcriptome showed that AoMedA and AoWetA are involved in the regulation of peroxisome, endocytosis, and autophagy. Moreover, yeast one-hybrid analysis showed that AoBrlA can regulate AoMedA, AoAbaA, and AoWetA, whereas AoMedA and AoAbaA can regulate AoWetA. Our results highlight the important roles of AoMedA, AoBrlA, AoAbaA, and AoWetA in conidiation, mycelia development, trap formation, and pathogenicity of A. oligospora and provide a basis for elucidating the relationship between conidiation and trap formation of NT fungi. IMPORTANCE Conidiation is the most common reproductive mode for many filamentous fungi and plays an essential role in the pathogenicity of fungal pathogens. Nematode-trapping (NT) fungi are a special group of filamentous fungi owing to their innate abilities to capture and digest nematodes by producing traps (trapping devices). Sporulation plays an important role in the growth and reproduction of NT fungi, and conidia are the basic components of biocontrol reagents for controlling diseases caused by plant-parasitic nematodes. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a well-known NT fungus and is a routinely used model fungus for probing the interaction between fungi and nematodes. In this study, the functions of four key regulators (AoMedA, AoBrlA, AoAbaA, and AoWetA) involved in conidiation were characterized in A. oligospora. A complex interaction between AoMedA and three central regulators was noted; these regulators are required for conidiation and trap formation and play a pleiotropic role in multiple intracellular activities. Our study first revealed the role of AoMedA and three central regulators in conidiation, trap formation, and pathogenicity of A. oligospora, which contributed to elucidating the regulatory mechanism of conidiation in NT fungi and helped in developing effective reagents for biocontrol of nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Bai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Meihua Xie
- School of Resource, Environment and Chemistry, Chuxiong Normal University, Chuxiong, China
| | - Qianqian Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yingmei Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Xuewei Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Jinkui Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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7
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Carreras-Villaseñor N, Martínez-Rodríguez LA, Ibarra-Laclette E, Monribot-Villanueva JL, Rodríguez-Haas B, Guerrero-Analco JA, Sánchez-Rangel D. The biological relevance of the FspTF transcription factor, homologous of Bqt4, in Fusarium sp. associated with the ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus morigerus. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1224096. [PMID: 37520351 PMCID: PMC10375492 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1224096] [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: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors in phytopathogenic fungi are key players due to their gene expression regulation leading to fungal growth and pathogenicity. The KilA-N family encompasses transcription factors unique to fungi, and the Bqt4 subfamily is included in it and is poorly understood in filamentous fungi. In this study, we evaluated the role in growth and pathogenesis of the homologous of Bqt4, FspTF, in Fusarium sp. isolated from the ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus morigerus through the characterization of a CRISPR/Cas9 edited strain in Fsptf. The phenotypic analysis revealed that TF65-6, the edited strain, modified its mycelia growth and conidia production, exhibited affectation in mycelia and culture pigmentation, and in the response to certain stress conditions. In addition, the plant infection process was compromised. Untargeted metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis, clearly showed that FspTF may regulate secondary metabolism, transmembrane transport, virulence, and diverse metabolic pathways such as lipid metabolism, and signal transduction. These data highlight for the first time the biological relevance of an orthologue of Bqt4 in Fusarium sp. associated with an ambrosia beetle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nohemí Carreras-Villaseñor
- Laboratorios de Biología Molecular y Fitopatología, Instituto de Ecología A.C. (INECOL), Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados (REMAv), Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Luis A. Martínez-Rodríguez
- Laboratorios de Biología Molecular y Fitopatología, Instituto de Ecología A.C. (INECOL), Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados (REMAv), Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Enrique Ibarra-Laclette
- Laboratorio de Genómica y Transcriptómica, Instituto de Ecología A.C. (INECOL), Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados (REMAv), Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Juan L. Monribot-Villanueva
- Laboratorio de Química de Productos Naturales, Instituto de Ecología A.C. (INECOL), Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados (REMAv), Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Benjamín Rodríguez-Haas
- Laboratorios de Biología Molecular y Fitopatología, Instituto de Ecología A.C. (INECOL), Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados (REMAv), Xalapa, Mexico
| | - José A. Guerrero-Analco
- Laboratorio de Química de Productos Naturales, Instituto de Ecología A.C. (INECOL), Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados (REMAv), Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Diana Sánchez-Rangel
- Laboratorios de Biología Molecular y Fitopatología, Instituto de Ecología A.C. (INECOL), Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados (REMAv), Xalapa, Mexico
- Investigadora Por Mexico-CONAHCyT, Xalapa, Mexico
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8
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Yang C, Sun J, Wu Z, Jiang M, Li D, Wang X, Zhou C, Liu X, Ren Z, Wang J, Sun M, Sun W, Gao J. FoRSR1 Is Important for Conidiation, Fusaric Acid Production, and Pathogenicity in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ginseng. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2023; 113:1244-1253. [PMID: 36706002 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-10-22-0372-r] [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: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The root rot disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ginseng is one of the most destructive diseases of ginseng, an economically important herb. However, little is known about the pathogen's toxin biosynthesis or the molecular mechanisms regulating infection of ginseng. In this study we identified and functionally characterized the FoRSR1 gene that encodes a Ras-related (RSR) small GTPase homologous to yeast Rsr1 in F. oxysporum f. sp. ginseng. Disruption of FoRSR1 resulted in a significant reduction in mycelial dry weight in liquid cultures, although vegetative growth rate was not affected on culture plates. Notably, the Forsr1 mutant exhibited blunted and swollen hyphae with multi-nucleated compartments. It produced fewer and morphologically abnormal conidia and was defective in chlamydospore formation. In infection assays with ginseng roots, the Forsr1 mutant was significantly less virulent and caused only limited necrosis at the wounding sites. Deletion of FoRSR1 also affected pigmentation, autophagy, and production of fusaric acid. Furthermore, the expression of many candidate genes involved in secondary metabolism was significantly downregulated in the mutant, suggesting that FoRSR1 is also important for secondary metabolism. Overall, our results indicated that FoRSR1 plays important roles in conidiation, vacuolar morphology, secondary metabolism, and pathogenesis in F. oxysporum f. sp. ginseng.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui Yang
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, 071000, China
| | - Jing Sun
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Zhaoqun Wu
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Maozhu Jiang
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Dayong Li
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Xinjie Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Chunxiang Zhou
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Xuecheng Liu
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Zhiguo Ren
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, 071000, China
| | - Jun Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Manli Sun
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, 071000, China
| | - Wenxian Sun
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
- College of Plant Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jie Gao
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
- State-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Ginseng Breeding and Application, Changchun, 130118, China
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Zhang JG, Zhang K, Xu SY, Ying SH, Feng MG. Essential Role of WetA, but No Role of VosA, in Asexual Development, Conidial Maturation and Insect Pathogenicity of Metarhizium robertsii. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0007023. [PMID: 36916980 PMCID: PMC10100841 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00070-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Conidial maturation, which is crucial for conidial quality, is controlled by the asexual development activator WetA and the downstream, velvety protein VosA in Aspergillus. Their orthologs have proved functional in conidial quality control of Beauveria bassiana, as seen in Aspergillus, but are functionally unexplored, in Metarhizium robertsii, another hypocrealean insect pathogen. Here, WetA and VosA prove essential and nonessential for M. robertsii's life cycle, respectively. Disruption of wetA increased hyphal sensitivity to oxidative stress and Congo red-induced cell wall stress, but had little impact on radial growth. The ΔwetA mutant was severely compromised in conidiation capacity and conidial quality, which was featured by slower germination, decreased UV resistance, reduced hydrophobicity, and deformed hydrophobin rodlet bundles that were assembled onto conidial coat. The mutant's virulence was greatly attenuated via normal infection due to a blockage of infection-required cellular processes. All examined phenotypes were unaffected for the ΔvosA mutant. Intriguingly, mannitol was much less accumulated in the 7- and 15-day-old cultures of ΔwetA and ΔvosA than of control strains, while accumulated trehalose was not detectable at all, revealing little a link of intracellular polyol accumulation to conidial maturation. Transcriptomic analysis revealed differential regulation of 160 genes (up/down ratio: 72:88) in ΔwetA. These genes were mostly involved in cellular component, biological process, and molecular function but rarely associated with asexual development. Conclusively, WetA plays a relatively conserved role in M. robertsii's spore surface structure, and also a differentiated role in some other cellular processes associated with conidial maturation. VosA is functionally redundant in M. robertsii unlike its ortholog in B. bassiana. IMPORTANCE WetA and VosA regulate conidiation and conidial maturation required for the life cycle of Beauveria bassiana, like they do in Aspergillus, but remain functionally unexplored in Metarhizium robertsii, another hypocrealean pathogen considered to have evolved insect pathogenicity ~130 million years later than B. bassiana. This study reveals a similar role of WetA ortholog in asexual development, conidial maturation, and insect pathogenicity, and also its distinctive role in mediating some other conidial maturation-related cellular events, but has functional redundancy of VosA in M. robertsii. The maturation process vital for conidial quality proves dependent on a role of WetA in spore wall assembly but is independent of its role in intracellular polyol accumulation. Transcriptomic analysis reveals a link of WetA to 160 genes involved in cellular component, biological process, and molecular function. Our study unveils that M. robertsii WetA or VosA is functionally differential or different from those learned in B. bassiana and other ascomycetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Guan Zhang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ke Zhang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Si-Yuan Xu
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Sheng-Hua Ying
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ming-Guang Feng
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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10
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Ajmal M, Hussain A, Ali A, Chen H, Lin H. Strategies for Controlling the Sporulation in Fusarium spp. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 9:jof9010010. [PMID: 36675831 PMCID: PMC9861637 DOI: 10.3390/jof9010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Fusarium species are the most destructive phytopathogenic and toxin-producing fungi, causing serious diseases in almost all economically important plants. Sporulation is an essential part of the life cycle of Fusarium. Fusarium most frequently produces three different types of asexual spores, i.e., macroconidia, chlamydospores, and microconidia. It also produces meiotic spores, but fewer than 20% of Fusaria have a known sexual cycle. Therefore, the asexual spores of the Fusarium species play an important role in their propagation and infection. This review places special emphasis on current developments in artificial anti-sporulation techniques as well as features of Fusarium's asexual sporulation regulation, such as temperature, light, pH, host tissue, and nutrients. This description of sporulation regulation aspects and artificial anti-sporulation strategies will help to shed light on the ways to effectively control Fusarium diseases by inhibiting the production of spores, which eventually improves the production of food plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Ajmal
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Adil Hussain
- Department of Entomology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | - Asad Ali
- Department of Entomology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | - Hongge Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Hui Lin
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- Correspondence:
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11
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Choi Y, Lee HH, Park J, Kim S, Choi S, Moon H, Shin J, Kim JE, Choi GJ, Seo YS, Son H. Intron turnover is essential to the development and pathogenicity of the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1129. [PMID: 36289323 PMCID: PMC9606315 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04111-3] [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: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Intron lariats excised during the splicing process are rapidly degraded by RNA lariat debranching enzyme (Dbr1) and several exonucleases. Rapid turnover of lariat RNA is essential to cellular RNA homeostasis. However, the functions of Dbr1 have not been investigated in filamentous fungi. Here, we characterized the molecular functions of Dbr1 in Fusarium graminearum, a major fungal plant pathogen. Deletion of FgDBR1 resulted in pleiotropic defects in hyphal growth, conidiation, sexual reproduction, and virulence. Through transcriptome analysis, we revealed that the deletion mutant exhibited global accumulation of intron lariats and upregulation of ribosome-related genes. Excessive accumulation of lariat RNA led to reduced overall protein synthesis, causing various phenotypic defects in the absence of FgDBR1. The results of this study demonstrate that a compromised intron turnover process affects development and pathogenesis in this fungus and that Dbr1 function is critical to plant pathogenic fungi. RNA lariat debranching enzyme Dbr1 is required for intron turnover in the fungal plant pathogen <i>Fusarium graminearum <i > , and accumulation of lariat RNA affects its development and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yejin Choi
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Hee Lee
- grid.262229.f0000 0001 0719 8572Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, 46247 Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyeun Park
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Sieun Kim
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Soyoung Choi
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Heeji Moon
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyoung Shin
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Eun Kim
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Gyung Ja Choi
- grid.29869.3c0000 0001 2296 8192Therapeutic & Biotechnology Division, Center for Eco-friendly New Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, 34114 Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Su Seo
- grid.262229.f0000 0001 0719 8572Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, 46247 Republic of Korea
| | - Hokyoung Son
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
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12
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Roles of BrlA and AbaA in Mediating Asexual and Insect Pathogenic Lifecycles of Metarhizium robertsii. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8101110. [PMID: 36294676 PMCID: PMC9604561 DOI: 10.3390/jof8101110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
BrlA and AbaA are key activators of the central developmental pathway (CDP) that controls asexual development in Aspergillus but their roles remain insufficiently understood in hypocerealean insect pathogens. Here, regulatory roles of BrlA and AbaA orthologs in Metarhizium robertsii (Clavicipitaceae) were characterized for comparison to those elucidated previously in Beauveria bassiana (Cordycipitaceae) at phenotypic and transcriptomic levels. Time-course transcription profiles of brlA, abaA, and the other CDP activator gene wetA revealed that they were not so sequentially activated in M. robertsii as learned in Aspergillus. Aerial conidiation essential for fungal infection and dispersal, submerged blastospore production mimicking yeast-like budding proliferation in insect hemocoel, and insect pathogenicity via cuticular penetration were all abolished as a consequence of brlA or abaA disruption, which had little impact on normal hyphal growth. The disruptants were severely compromised in virulence via cuticle-bypassing infection (intrahemocoel injection) and differentially impaired in cellular tolerance to oxidative and cell wall-perturbing stresses. The ΔbrlA and ΔabaA mutant shad 255 and 233 dysregulated genes (up/down ratios: 52:203 and 101:122) respectively, including 108 genes co-dysregulated. These counts were small compared with 1513 and 2869 dysregulated genes (up/down ratios: 707:806 and 1513:1356) identified in ΔbrlA and ΔabaA mutants of B. bassiana. Results revealed not only conserved roles for BrlA and AbaA in asexual developmental control but also their indispensable roles in fungal adaptation to the insect-pathogenic lifecycle and host habitats. Intriguingly, BrlA- or AbaA-controlled gene expression networks are largely different between the two insect pathogens, in which similar phenotypes were compromised in the absence of either brlA or abaA.
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13
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Song D, Cao Y, Xia Y. MaNsdD regulates conidiation negatively by inhibiting the AbaA expression required for normal conidiation in Metarhizium acridum. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:2951-2961. [PMID: 35384250 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Conidiation necessary for filamentous fungal survival and dispersal, proceeds in two fashions, namely normal conidiation through conidiophores differentiated from hyphae, and microcycle conidiation through conidial budding. Normal conidiation has been well studied whereas mechanisms underlying microcycle conidiation are still largely unknown. Here, we report that a gene (MaNsdD) homologous to NsdD in Aspergillus nidulans serves as a suppressor of normal conidiation but a positive regulator of hyphal development in Metarhizium acridum. Disruption of MaNsdD (ΔMaNsdD) resulted in microcycle conidiation and significantly descended in conidial resistance to heat while improved to UV irradiation. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that many genes involved in conidiation, cell division and cell wall formation were differentially expressed in ΔMaNsdD, and likely associated with the conidiation process. We found that a gene (MaAbaA) homologous to the core asexual development regulator AbaA in A. nidulans, was negatively controlled by MaNsdD. Disruption of MaAbaA led to the abolition of the conidiation process of M. acridum. These findings unravel a novel regulatory mechanism of microcycle conidiation, and add a knowledge to the asexual conidiation pathway of filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxu Song
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, China.,Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticides, Chongqing, 401331, 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, China.,Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticides, Chongqing, 401331, 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, China.,Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticides, Chongqing, 401331, China.,Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, China
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14
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Application of recyclable CRISPR/Cas9 tools for targeted genome editing in the postharvest pathogenic fungi Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium expansum. Curr Genet 2022; 68:515-529. [PMID: 35298666 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-022-01236-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium expansum are plant pathogenic fungi that cause the green and blue mold diseases, respectively, leading to serious postharvest economic losses worldwide. Moreover, P. expansum can produce mycotoxins, which are hazardous compounds to human and animal health. The development of tools that allow multiple and precise genetic manipulation of these species is crucial for the functional characterization of their genes. In this sense, CRISPR/Cas9 represents an excellent opportunity for genome editing due to its efficiency, accuracy and versatility. In this study, we developed protoplast generation and transformation protocols and applied them to implement the CRISPR/Cas9 technology in both species for the first time. For this, we used a self-replicative, recyclable AMA1-based plasmid which allows unlimited number of genomic modifications without the limitation of integrative selection markers. As test case, we successfully targeted the wetA gene, which encodes a regulator of conidiophore development. Finally, CRISPR/Cas9-derived ΔwetA strains were analyzed. Mutants showed reduced axenic growth, differential pathogenicity and altered conidiogenesis and germination. Additionally, P. digitatum and P. expansum ΔwetA mutants showed distinct sensitivity to fungal antifungal proteins (AFPs), which are small, cationic, cysteine-rich proteins that have become interesting antifungals to be applied in agriculture, medicine and in the food industry. With this work, we demonstrate the feasibility of the CRISPR/Cas9 system, expanding the repertoire of genetic engineering tools available for these two important postharvest pathogens and open up the possibility to adapt them to other economically relevant phytopathogenic fungi, for which toolkits for genetic modifications are often limited.
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15
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Polozsányi Z, Kaliňák M, Babjak M, Šimkovič M, Varečka Ľ. How to enter the state of dormancy? A suggestion by Trichoderma atroviride conidia. Fungal Biol 2021; 125:934-949. [PMID: 34649680 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
It is generally accepted that conidia, propagules of filamentous fungi, exist in the state of dormancy. This state is defined mostly phenomenologically, e.g., by germination requirements. Its molecular characteristics are scarce and are concentrated on the water or osmolyte content, and/or respiration. However, a question of whether conidia are metabolic or ametabolic forms of life cannot be answered on the basis of available experimental data. In other words, are mature conidia open thermodynamic systems as are mycelia, or do they become closed upon the transition to the dormant state? In this article, we present observations which may help to define the transition of freshly formed conidia to the putative dormant forms using measurements of selected enzyme activities, 1H- and 13C-NMR and LC-MS-metabolomes, and 14C-bicarbonate or 45Ca2+ inward transport. We have found that Trichoderma atroviride and Aspergillus niger conidia arrest the 45Ca2+ uptake during the development stopping thereby the cyclic (i.e., bidirectional) Ca2+ flow existing in vegetative mycelia and conidia of T. atroviride across the cytoplasmic membrane. Furthermore, we have found that the activity of α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase was rendered completely inactive after 3 weeks from the conidia formation unlike of other central carbon metabolism enzymes. This may explain the loss of conidial respiration. Finally, we found that conidia take up the H14CO3- and convert it into few stable compounds within 80 d of maturation, with minor quantitative differences in the extent of this process. The uptake of H13CO3- confirmed these observation and demonstrated the incorporation of H13CO3- even in the absence of exogenous substrates. These results suggest that T. atroviride conidia remain metabolically active during first ten weeks of maturation. Under these circumstances, their metabolism displays features similar to those of chemoautotrophic microorganisms. However, the Ca2+ homeostasis changed from the open to the closed thermodynamic state during the early period of conidial maturation. These results may be helpful for studying the conidial ageing and/or maturation, and for defining the conidial dormant state in biochemical terms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Polozsányi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michal Kaliňák
- Central Laboratories, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Matej Babjak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Martin Šimkovič
- Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Ľudovít Varečka
- Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
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16
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Song D, Cao Y, Xia Y. Transcription Factor MaMsn2 Regulates Conidiation Pattern Shift under the Control of MaH1 through Homeobox Domain in Metarhizium acridum. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7100840. [PMID: 34682261 PMCID: PMC8541488 DOI: 10.3390/jof7100840] [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: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The growth pattern of filamentous fungi can switch between hyphal radial polar growth and non-polar yeast-like cell growth depending on the environmental conditions. Asexual conidiation after radial polar growth is called normal conidiation (NC), while yeast-like cell growth is called microcycle conidiation (MC). Previous research found that the disruption of MaH1 in Metarhizium acridum led to a conidiation shift from NC to MC. However, the regulation mechanism is not clear. Here, we found MaMsn2, an Msn2 homologous gene in M. acridum, was greatly downregulated when MaH1 was disrupted (ΔMaH1). Loss of MaMsn2 also caused a conidiation shift from NC to MC on a nutrient-rich medium. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) showed that MaH1 could bind to the promoter region of the MaMsn2 gene. Disrupting the interaction between MaH1 and the promoter region of MaMsn2 significantly downregulated the transcription level of MaMsn2, and the overexpression of MaMsn2 in ΔMaH1 could restore NC from MC of ΔMaH1. Our findings demonstrated that MaMsn2 played a role in maintaining the NC pattern directly under the control of MaH1, which revealed the molecular mechanisms that regulated the conidiation pattern shift in filamentous fungi for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxu Song
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China;
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticides, Chongqing 401331, China
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Yueqing Cao
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China;
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticides, Chongqing 401331, China
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing 400044, China
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (Y.X.)
| | - Yuxian Xia
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China;
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticides, Chongqing 401331, China
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing 400044, China
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (Y.X.)
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17
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Dipeptidase PEPDA is required for the conidiation pattern shift in Metarhizium acridum. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0090821. [PMID: 34288712 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00908-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi conduct two types of conidiation, typical conidiation from mycelia and microcycle conidiation (MC). Fungal conidiation can shift between the two patterns, which involved a large number of genes in the regulation of this process. In this study, we investigated the role of a dipeptidase gene pepdA in conidiation pattern shift in Metarhizium acridum, which is upregulated in MC pattern compared to typical conidiation. Results showed that disruption of the pepdA resulted in a shift of conidiation pattern from MC to typical conidiation. Metabolomic analyses of amino acids showed that the levels of 19 amino acids significantly changed in ΔpepdA mutant. The defect of MC in ΔpepdA can be rescued when nonpolar amino acids, α-alanine, β-alanine or proline, were added into sucrose yeast extract agar (SYA) medium. Digital gene expression profiling analysis revealed that PEPDA mediated transcription of sets of genes which were involved in hyphal growth and development, sporulation, cell division, and amino acid metabolism. Our results demonstrated that PEPDA played important roles in the regulation of MC by manipulating the levels of amino acids in M. acridum. IMPORTANCE Conidia, as the asexual propagules in many fungi, are start and end of fungal lifecycle. In entomopathogenic fungi, conidia are the infective form essential for their pathogenicity. Filamentous fungi conduct two types of conidiation, typical conidiation from mycelia and microcycle conidiation. The mechanisms of the shift between the two conidiation patterns remain to be elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that the dipeptidase PEPDA, a key enzyme from the insect-pathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum for the hydrolysis of dipeptides, is associated with a shift of conidiation pattern. The conidiation pattern of the ΔpepdA mutant was restored when supplemented with the nonpolar amino acids rather than polar amino acids. Therefore, this report highlights that the dipeptidase PEPDA regulates MC by manipulating the levels of amino acids in M. acridum.
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18
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Micafungin-Induced Cell Wall Damage Stimulates Morphological Changes Consistent with Microcycle Conidiation in Aspergillus nidulans. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7070525. [PMID: 34210108 PMCID: PMC8306900 DOI: 10.3390/jof7070525] [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: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal cell wall receptors relay messages about the state of the cell wall to the nucleus through the Cell Wall Integrity Signaling (CWIS) pathway. The ultimate role of the CWIS pathway is to coordinate repair of cell wall damage and to restore normal hyphal growth. Echinocandins such as micafungin represent a class of antifungals that trigger cell wall damage by affecting synthesis of β-glucans. To obtain a better understanding of the dynamics of the CWIS response and its multiple effects, we have coupled dynamic transcriptome analysis with morphological studies of Aspergillus nidulans hyphae in responds to micafungin. Our results reveal that expression of the master regulator of asexual development, BrlA, is induced by micafungin exposure. Further study showed that micafungin elicits morphological changes consistent with microcycle conidiation and that this effect is abolished in the absence of MpkA. Our results suggest that microcycle conidiation may be a general response to cell wall perturbation which in some cases would enable fungi to tolerate or survive otherwise lethal damage.
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19
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Wang J, Zeng W, Xie J, Fu Y, Jiang D, Lin Y, Chen W, Cheng J. A novel antisense long non-coding RNA participates in asexual and sexual reproduction by regulating the expression of GzmetE in Fusarium graminearum. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:4939-4955. [PMID: 33438341 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Fusarium graminearum is an important worldwide pathogen that causes Fusarium head blight in wheat, barley, maize and other grains. LncRNAs play important roles in many biological processes, but little is known about their functions and mechanisms in filamentous fungi. Here, we report that a natural antisense RNA, GzmetE-AS, is transcribed from the opposite strand of GzmetE. GzmetE encodes a homoserine O-acetyltransferase, which is important for sexual development and plant infection. The expression of GzmetE-AS was increased significantly during the conidiation stage, while GzmetE was upregulated in the late stage of sexual reproduction. Overexpression of GzmetE-AS inhibited the transcription of GzmetE. In contrast, the expression of GzmetE was significantly increased in GzmetE-AS transcription termination strain GzmetE-AS-T. Furthermore, GzmetE-AS-T produced more perithecia and facilitated the ascospore discharge, resembling the phenotype of GzmetE overexpressing strains. However, overexpression of GzmetE-AS in ∆dcl1/2 strain cannot inhibit the expression of GzmetE, and the GzmetE nat-siRNA is also significantly reduced in ∆dcl1/2 mutant. Taken together, we have identified a novel antisense lncRNA GzmetE-AS, which is involved in asexual and sexual reproduction by regulating its antisense gene GzmetE through RNAi pathway. Our findings reveal that the lncRNA plays critical roles in the development of F. graminearum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,The Provincial Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenping Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Resources Use in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of Education, Nanning Normal University, Nanning, 530001, China
| | - Jiatao Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,The Provincial Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanping Fu
- The Provincial Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Daohong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,The Provincial Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang Lin
- The Provincial Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Weidong Chen
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Jiasen Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,The Provincial Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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20
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Functional Characterization of Core Regulatory Genes Involved in Sporulation of the Nematophagous Fungus Purpureocillium lavendulum. mSphere 2020; 5:5/5/e00932-20. [PMID: 33115838 PMCID: PMC8534313 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00932-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematophagous fungus Purpureocillium lavendulum is a natural enemy of plant-parasitic nematodes, which cause severe economic losses in agriculture worldwide. The production of asexual spores (conidia) in P. lavendulum is crucial for its biocontrol activity against nematodes. In this study, we characterized the core regulatory genes involved in conidiation of P. lavendulum at the molecular level. The central regulatory pathway is composed of three genes, P. lavendulumbrlA (PlbrlA), PlabaA, and PlwetA, which regulate the early, middle, and late stages of asexual development, respectively. The deletion of PlbrlA completely inhibited conidiation, with only conidiophore stalks produced. PlAbaA determines the differentiation of conidia from phialides. The deletion of PlwetA affected many phenotypes related to conidial maturation, including abscission of conidia from conidium strings, thickening of the cell wall layers, vacuole generation inside the cytoplasm, production of trehalose, tolerance to heat shock, etc. Comparative analyses showed that the upstream regulators of the core regulatory pathway of conidiation, especially the “fluffy” genes, were different from those in Aspergillus. Besides their roles in conidiation, the central regulators also influence the production of secondary metabolites, such as the leucinostatins, in P. lavendulum. Our study revealed a set of essential genes controlling conidiation in P. lavendulum and provided a framework for further molecular genetic studies on fungus-nematode interactions and for the biocontrol of plant-parasitic nematodes. IMPORTANCE Plant-parasitic nematodes cause serious damage to crops throughout the world. Purpureocillium lavendulum is a nematophagous fungus which is a natural enemy of nematodes and a potential biocontrol agent against plant-parasitic nematodes. The conidia play an important role during infection of nematodes. In this study, we identified and characterized genes involved in regulating asexual development of P. lavendulum. We found that these genes not only regulate conidiation but also influence secondary-metabolite production. This work provides a basis for future studies of fungus-nematode interactions and nematode biocontrol.
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21
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Brauer EK, Subramaniam R, Harris LJ. Regulation and Dynamics of Gene Expression During the Life Cycle of Fusarium graminearum. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2020; 110:1368-1374. [PMID: 32460691 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-03-20-0080-ia] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Fungal pathogens survive harsh environments and overcome physical, temporal, and chemical barriers to colonize their hosts and reproduce. Fusarium graminearum was one of the first fungal plant pathogens for which transcriptomic tools were developed, making analysis of gene expression a cornerstone approach in studying its biology. The analysis of gene expression in diverse in vitro conditions and during infection of different cereal crops has revealed subsets of both unique and shared transcriptionally regulated genes. Together with genetic studies, these approaches have enhanced our understanding of the development and infection cycle of this economically important pathogen. Here, we will outline recent advances in transcriptional profiling during sporogenesis, spore germination, vegetative growth, and host infection. Several transcriptional regulators have been identified as essential components in these responses and the role of select transcription factors will be highlighted. Finally, we describe some of the gaps in our understanding of F. graminearum biology and how expression analysis could help to address these gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K Brauer
- Ottawa Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6, Canada
| | - Rajagopal Subramaniam
- Ottawa Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6, Canada
| | - Linda J Harris
- Ottawa Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6, Canada
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22
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Shin J, Bui DC, Kim S, Jung SY, Nam HJ, Lim JY, Choi GJ, Lee YW, Kim JE, Son H. The novel bZIP transcription factor Fpo1 negatively regulates perithecial development by modulating carbon metabolism in the ascomycete fungus Fusarium graminearum. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:2596-2612. [PMID: 32100421 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Fungal sexual reproduction requires complex cellular differentiation processes of hyphal cells. The plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum produces fruiting bodies called perithecia via sexual reproduction, and perithecia forcibly discharge ascospores into the air for disease initiation and propagation. Lipid metabolism and accumulation are closely related to perithecium formation, yet the molecular mechanisms that regulate these processes are largely unknown. Here, we report that a novel fungal specific bZIP transcription factor, F. graminearum perithecium overproducing 1 (Fpo1), plays a role as a global transcriptional repressor during perithecium production and maturation in F. graminearum. Deletion of FPO1 resulted in reduced vegetative growth, asexual sporulation and virulence and overproduced perithecium, which reached maturity earlier, compared with the wild type. Intriguingly, the hyphae of the fpo1 mutant accumulated excess lipids during perithecium production. Using a combination of molecular biological, transcriptomic and biochemical approaches, we demonstrate that repression of FPO1 after sexual induction leads to reprogramming of carbon metabolism, particularly fatty acid production, which affects sexual reproduction of this fungus. This is the first report of a perithecium-overproducing F. graminearum mutant, and the findings provide comprehensive insight into the role of modulation of carbon metabolism in the sexual reproduction of fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyoung Shin
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Duc-Cuong Bui
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sieun Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - So Yun Jung
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Jin Nam
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Yun Lim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyung Ja Choi
- Therapeutic & Biotechnology Division, Center for Eco-friendly New Materials, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Yin-Won Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Eun Kim
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hokyoung Son
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.,Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
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23
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Song D, Shi Y, Ji H, Xia Y, Peng G. The MaCreA Gene Regulates Normal Conidiation and Microcycle Conidiation in Metarhizium acridum. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1946. [PMID: 31497008 PMCID: PMC6713048 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
As a C2H2 type zinc finger transcription factor, CreA is the key in Carbon Catabolism Repression (CCR) pathway, which negatively regulates the genes in carbon sources utilization. As conidiation in filamentous fungi is affected by nutritional conditions, CreA may contribute to fungal conidiation, which has been well studied in filamentous fungi, especially Aspergillus spp., but researches on entomopathogenic fungi are not enough. In this study, we found a homologous gene MaCreA in Metarhizium acridum, and the MaCreA deletion strain showed delayed conidiation, significant decrease in conidial yield, and 96.88% lower conidial production, when compared with the wild-type strain, and the normal conidiation and microcycle conidiation pattern shift was blocked. RT-qPCR showed that the transcription levels of the genes FlbD and LaeA (related to asexual development) were significantly altered, and those of most of the conidiation-related genes were higher in ΔMaCreA strain. The results of RNA-Seq revealed that MaCreA regulated the two conidiation patterns by mediating genes related to cell cycle, cell division, cell wall, and cell polarity. In conclusion, CreA, as a core regulatory gene in conidiation, provides new insight into the mechanism of conidiation in entomopathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxu Song
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing, China.,Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, China
| | - Youhui Shi
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing, China.,Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, China
| | - HengQing Ji
- Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuxian Xia
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing, China.,Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, China
| | - Guoxiong Peng
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing, 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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BrlA and AbaA Govern Virulence-Required Dimorphic Switch, Conidiation, and Pathogenicity in a Fungal Insect Pathogen. mSystems 2019; 4:4/4/e00140-19. [PMID: 31289140 PMCID: PMC6616149 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00140-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Dimorphic plant and human mycopathogens require a switch from the usual yeast growth to filamentous growth for host tissue penetration, and the switch is controlled by multiple signaling systems other than the central developmental pathway. Unlike these fungi, dimorphic insect mycopathogens usually grow by hyphal extension, infect the host by hyphal penetration through the insect cuticle, and switch to unicellular blastospores from the penetrating hyphae only after entry into the host hemocoel, where blastospore propagation by yeast-like budding accelerates host mummification. Here, we report a dependence of the virulence-required dimorphic transition on the central pathway activators BrlA and AbaA in Beauveria bassiana Deletion of brlA or abaA abolished both aerial conidiation and submerged blastospore formation in vitro despite no negative impact on hyphal growth in various media, including a broth mimic of insect hemolymph. The hyphae of either deletion mutant lost insect pathogenicity through normal cuticle penetration, contrasting with a high infectivity of wild-type hyphae. The mutant hyphae injected into the host hemocoel failed to form blastospores, resulting in slower lethal action. Uncovered by transcriptomic analysis, several genes involved in host adhesion and cuticle degradation were sharply repressed in both deletion mutants versus wild type. However, almost all signaling genes homologous to those acting in the dimorphic switch of other fungi were not differentially expressed at a significant level and hence unlikely to be involved in shutting down the dimorphic switch of each deletion mutant. Therefore, like aerial conidiation, the submerged dimorphic switch in vitro and in vivo is a process of asexual development governed by the two central pathway activators in B. bassiana IMPORTANCE Dimorphic insect mycopathogens infect the host by hyphal penetration through the host cuticle and switch from the penetrating hyphae to unicellular blastospores after entry into the host hemocoel, where blastospore propagation by yeast-like budding accelerates host mummification to death. The fungal virulence-required dimorphic switch is confirmed as a process of asexual development directly regulated by BrlA and AbaA, two key activators of the central developmental pathway in an insect mycopathogen. This finding unveils a novel mechanism distinct from the control of the dimorphic switch by multiple signaling systems other than the central developmental pathway in dimorphic plant and human mycopathogens, which switch from the usual yeast growth to filamentous growth required for pathogenicity through host tissue penetration.
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25
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Zhang P, Zhou S, Wang G, An Z, Liu X, Li K, Yin WB. Two transcription factors cooperatively regulate DHN melanin biosynthesis and development in Pestalotiopsis fici. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:649-666. [PMID: 31116900 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Fungal 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin plays important roles in UV protection, oxidative stress and pathogenesis. However, knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms of its biosynthesis is limited. Previous studies showed two transcription factors, PfmaF and PfmaH, located in the DHN melanin biosynthetic gene cluster (Pfma) in Pestalotiopsis fici. In this study, deletion of PfmaH resulted in loss of melanin and affected conidia cell wall integrity. Specifically, PfmaH directly regulates the expression of scytalone dehydratase, which catalyzes the transition of scytalone to T3 HN. However, PfmaF disruption using CRISPR/Cas9 system affected neither DHN melanin distribution nor conidia cell wall integrity in P. fici. Unexpectedly, overexpression of PfmaF leads to heavy pigment accumulation in P. fici hyphae. Transcriptome and qRT-PCR analyses provide insight into the roles of PfmaF and PfmaH in DHN melanin regulation. PfmaH, as a pathway specific regulator, mainly regulates melanin biosynthesis that contributes to cell wall development. Furthermore, PfmaF functions as a broad regulator to stimulate PfmaH expression in melanin production, secondary metabolism as well as fungal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiqiang An
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Xingzhong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Kuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Bing Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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26
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Fan G, Zhang K, Zhang J, Yang J, Yang X, Hu Y, Huang J, Zhu Y, Yu W, Hu H, Wang B, Shim W, Lu GD. The transcription factor FgMed1 is involved in early conidiogenesis and DON biosynthesis in the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:5851-5865. [PMID: 31115634 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-09872-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Fusarium graminearum is a prominent fungal pathogen that causes economically important losses by infesting a wide variety of cereal crops. F. graminearum produces both asexual and sexual spores which disseminate and inoculate hosts. Therefore, to better understand the disease cycle and to develop strategies to improve disease management, it is important to further clarify molecular mechanisms of F. graminearum conidiogenesis. In this study, we functionally characterized the FgMed1, a gene encoding an ortholog of a conserved MedA transcription factor known to be a key conidiogenesis regulator in Aspergillus nidulans. The gene deletion mutants ΔFgMed1 produced significantly less conidia, and these were generated from abnormal conidiophores devoid of phialides. Additionally, we observed defective sexual development along with reduced virulence and deoxynivalenol (DON) production in ΔFgMed1. The GFP-tagged FgMed1 protein localized to the nuclei of conidiophores and phialides during early conidiogenesis. Significantly, RNA-Seq analyses showed that a number of the conidiation- and toxin-related genes are differentially expressed in the ΔFgMed1 mutant in early conidiogenesis. These data strongly suggest that FgMed1 involved in regulation of genes associated with early conidiogenesis, DON production, and virulence in F. graminearum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaili Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, and Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China.,Xiamen Greening Administration Center, Xiamen, 361004, Fujian, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.,College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, and Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Jie Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, and Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Xiaoshuang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, and Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Yanpei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, and Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Jiawei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, and Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Yangyan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, and Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Wenying Yu
- Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Hongli Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, and Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Baohua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, and Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China
| | - WonBo Shim
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Guo-Dong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, and Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China.
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27
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Jacobs-Venter A, Laraba I, Geiser DM, Busman M, Vaughan MM, Proctor RH, McCormick SP, O'Donnell K. Molecular systematics of two sister clades, the Fusarium concolor and F. babinda species complexes, and the discovery of a novel microcycle macroconidium-producing species from South Africa. Mycologia 2018; 110:1189-1204. [PMID: 30522417 DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2018.1526619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Multilocus DNA sequence data were used to investigate species identity and diversity in two sister clades, the Fusarium concolor (FCOSC) and F. babinda species complexes. Of the 109 isolates analyzed, only 4 were received correctly identified to species and these included 1/46 F. concolor, 1/31 F. babinda, and 2/3 F. anguioides. The majority of the F. concolor and F. babinda isolates were received as F. polyphialidicum, which is a heterotypic synonym of the former species. Previously documented from South America, Africa, Europe, and Australia, our data show that F. concolor is also present in North America. The present study expands the known distribution of F. babinda in Australia to Asia, Europe, and North America. The molecular phylogenetic results support the recognition of a novel Fusarium species within the FCOSC, which is described and illustrated here as F. austroafricanum, sp. nov. It was isolated as an endophyte of kikuyu grass associated with a putative mycotoxicosis of cattle and from plant debris in soil in South Africa. Fusarium austroafricanum is most similar morphologically to F. concolor and F. babinda but differs from the latter two species in producing (i) much longer macroconidia in which the apical cell is blunt to slightly papillate and the basal cell is only slightly notched and (ii) macroconidia via microcycle conidiation on water agar. BLASTn searches of the whole genome sequence of F. austroafricanum NRRL 53441 were conducted to predict mycotoxin potential, using genes known to be essential for the synthesis of several mycotoxins and biologically active metabolites. Based on the presence of intact gene clusters that confer the ability to synthesize mycotoxins and pigments, we analyzed cracked corn kernel cultures of F. austroafricanum via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) but failed to detect these metabolites in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriaana Jacobs-Venter
- a Biosystematics Unit, Plant Health and Protection, Agricultural Research Council , Pretoria , 0001 South Africa
| | - Imane Laraba
- b Laboratoire de phytopathologie et de biologie moléculaire, département de botanique, Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique , Algiers , Algeria
| | - David M Geiser
- c Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology , Pennsylvania State University, University Park , Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Mark Busman
- d Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture , Peoria , Illinois 60604-3999
| | - Martha M Vaughan
- d Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture , Peoria , Illinois 60604-3999
| | - Robert H Proctor
- d Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture , Peoria , Illinois 60604-3999
| | - Susan P McCormick
- d Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture , Peoria , Illinois 60604-3999
| | - Kerry O'Donnell
- d Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture , Peoria , Illinois 60604-3999
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Borin GP, Carazzolle MF, Dos Santos RAC, Riaño-Pachón DM, Oliveira JVDC. Gene Co-expression Network Reveals Potential New Genes Related to Sugarcane Bagasse Degradation in Trichoderma reesei RUT-30. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2018; 6:151. [PMID: 30406095 PMCID: PMC6204389 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2018.00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The biomass-degrading fungus Trichoderma reesei has been considered a model for cellulose degradation, and it is the primary source of the industrial enzymatic cocktails used in second-generation (2G) ethanol production. However, although various studies and advances have been conducted to understand the cellulolytic system and the transcriptional regulation of T. reesei, the whole set of genes related to lignocellulose degradation has not been completely elucidated. In this study, we inferred a weighted gene co-expression network analysis based on the transcriptome dataset of the T. reesei RUT-C30 strain aiming to identify new target genes involved in sugarcane bagasse breakdown. In total, ~70% of all the differentially expressed genes were found in 28 highly connected gene modules. Several cellulases, sugar transporters, and hypothetical proteins coding genes upregulated in bagasse were grouped into the same modules. Among them, a single module contained the most representative core of cellulolytic enzymes (cellobiohydrolase, endoglucanase, β-glucosidase, and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase). In addition, functional analysis using Gene Ontology (GO) revealed various classes of hydrolytic activity, cellulase activity, carbohydrate binding and cation:sugar symporter activity enriched in these modules. Several modules also showed GO enrichment for transcription factor activity, indicating the presence of transcriptional regulators along with the genes involved in cellulose breakdown and sugar transport as well as other genes encoding proteins with unknown functions. Highly connected genes (hubs) were also identified within each module, such as predicted transcription factors and genes encoding hypothetical proteins. In addition, various hubs contained at least one DNA binding site for the master activator Xyr1 according to our in silico analysis. The prediction of Xyr1 binding sites and the co-expression with genes encoding carbohydrate active enzymes and sugar transporters suggest a putative role of these hubs in bagasse cell wall deconstruction. Our results demonstrate a vast range of new promising targets that merit additional studies to improve the cellulolytic potential of T. reesei strains and to decrease the production costs of 2G ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Pagotto Borin
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Falsarella Carazzolle
- Laboratório de Genômica e Expressão (LGE), Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | | | | | - Juliana Velasco de Castro Oliveira
- Laboratório Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Bioetanol (CTBE), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
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29
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Abstract
Aspergillus nidulans has long-been used as a model organism to gain insights into the genetic basis of asexual and sexual developmental processes both in other members of the genus Aspergillus, and filamentous fungi in general. Paradigms have been established concerning the regulatory mechanisms of conidial development. However, recent studies have shown considerable genome divergence in the fungal kingdom, questioning the general applicability of findings from Aspergillus, and certain longstanding evolutionary theories have been questioned. The phylogenetic distribution of key regulatory elements of asexual reproduction in A. nidulans was investigated in a broad taxonomic range of fungi. This revealed that some proteins were well conserved in the Pezizomycotina (e.g. AbaA, FlbA, FluG, NsdD, MedA, and some velvet proteins), suggesting similar developmental roles. However, other elements (e.g. BrlA) had a more restricted distribution solely in the Eurotiomycetes, and it appears that the genetic control of sporulation seems to be more complex in the aspergilli than in some other taxonomic groups of the Pezizomycotina. The evolution of the velvet protein family is discussed based on the history of expansion and contraction events in the early divergent fungi. Heterologous expression of the A. nidulans abaA gene in Monascus ruber failed to induce development of complete conidiophores as seen in the aspergilli, but did result in increased conidial production. The absence of many components of the asexual developmental pathway from members of the Saccharomycotina supports the hypothesis that differences in the complexity of their spore formation is due in part to the increased diversity of the sporulation machinery evident in the Pezizomycotina. Investigations were also made into the evolution of sex and sexuality in the aspergilli. MAT loci were identified from the heterothallic Aspergillus (Emericella) heterothallicus and Aspergillus (Neosartorya) fennelliae and the homothallic Aspergillus pseudoglaucus (=Eurotium repens). A consistent architecture of the MAT locus was seen in these and other heterothallic aspergilli whereas much variation was seen in the arrangement of MAT loci in homothallic aspergilli. This suggested that it is most likely that the common ancestor of the aspergilli exhibited a heterothallic breeding system. Finally, the supposed prevalence of asexuality in the aspergilli was examined. Investigations were made using A. clavatus as a representative 'asexual' species. It was possible to induce a sexual cycle in A. clavatus given the correct MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 partners and environmental conditions, with recombination confirmed utilising molecular markers. This indicated that sexual reproduction might be possible in many supposedly asexual aspergilli and beyond, providing general insights into the nature of asexuality in fungi.
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Janevska S, Güldener U, Sulyok M, Tudzynski B, Studt L. Set1 and Kdm5 are antagonists for H3K4 methylation and regulators of the major conidiation-specific transcription factor gene ABA1 in Fusarium fujikuroi. Environ Microbiol 2018; 20:3343-3362. [PMID: 30047187 PMCID: PMC6175112 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Here we present the identification and characterization of the H3K4‐specific histone methyltransferase Set1 and its counterpart, the Jumonji C demethylase Kdm5, in the rice pathogen Fusarium fujikuroi. While Set1 is responsible for all detectable H3K4me2/me3 in this fungus, Kdm5 antagonizes the H3K4me3 mark. Notably, deletion of both SET1 and KDM5 mainly resulted in the upregulation of genome‐wide transcription, also affecting a large set of secondary metabolite (SM) key genes. Although H3K4 methylation is a hallmark of actively transcribed euchromatin, several SM gene clusters located in subtelomeric regions were affected by Set1 and Kdm5. While the regulation of many of them is likely indirect, H3K4me2 levels at gibberellic acid (GA) genes correlated with GA biosynthesis in the wild type, Δkdm5 and OE::KDM5 under inducing conditions. Whereas Δset1 showed an abolished GA3 production in axenic culture, phytohormone biosynthesis was induced in planta, so that residual amounts of GA3 were detected during rice infection. Accordingly, Δset1 exhibited a strongly attenuated, though not abolished, virulence on rice. Apart from regulating secondary metabolism, Set1 and Kdm5 function as activator and repressor of conidiation respectively. They antagonistically regulate H3K4me3 levels and expression of the major conidiation‐specific transcription factor gene ABA1 in F. fujikuroi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Slavica Janevska
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Ulrich Güldener
- Department of Bioinformatics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Michael Sulyok
- Center for Analytical Chemistry, Department IFA-Tulln, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bettina Tudzynski
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Lena Studt
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany.,Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology-Tulln, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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Systematic Dissection of the Evolutionarily Conserved WetA Developmental Regulator across a Genus of Filamentous Fungi. mBio 2018; 9:mBio.01130-18. [PMID: 30131357 PMCID: PMC6106085 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01130-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Asexual sporulation is fundamental to the ecology and lifestyle of filamentous fungi and can facilitate both plant and human infection. In Aspergillus, the production of asexual spores is primarily governed by the BrlA→AbaA→WetA regulatory cascade. The final step in this cascade is controlled by the WetA protein and governs not only the morphological differentiation of spores but also the production and deposition of diverse metabolites into spores. While WetA is conserved across the genus Aspergillus, the structure and degree of conservation of the wetA gene regulatory network (GRN) remain largely unknown. We carried out comparative transcriptome analyses of comparisons between wetA null mutant and wild-type asexual spores in three representative species spanning the diversity of the genus Aspergillus: A. nidulans, A. flavus, and A. fumigatus. We discovered that WetA regulates asexual sporulation in all three species via a negative-feedback loop that represses BrlA, the cascade’s first step. Furthermore, data from chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) experiments in A. nidulans asexual spores suggest that WetA is a DNA-binding protein that interacts with a novel regulatory motif. Several global regulators known to bridge spore production and the production of secondary metabolites show species-specific regulatory patterns in our data. These results suggest that the BrlA→AbaA→WetA cascade’s regulatory role in cellular and chemical asexual spore development is functionally conserved but that the wetA-associated GRN has diverged during Aspergillus evolution. The formation of resilient spores is a key factor contributing to the survival and fitness of many microorganisms, including fungi. In the fungal genus Aspergillus, spore formation is controlled by a complex gene regulatory network that also impacts a variety of other processes, including secondary metabolism. To gain mechanistic insights into how fungal spore formation is controlled across Aspergillus, we dissected the gene regulatory network downstream of a major regulator of spore maturation (WetA) in three species that span the diversity of the genus: the genetic model A. nidulans, the human pathogen A. fumigatus, and the aflatoxin producer A. flavus. Our data show that WetA regulates asexual sporulation in all three species via a negative-feedback loop and likely binds a novel regulatory element that we term the WetA response element (WRE). These results shed light on how gene regulatory networks in microorganisms control important biological processes and evolve across diverse species.
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32
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Kong X, van Diepeningen AD, van der Lee TAJ, Waalwijk C, Xu J, Xu J, Zhang H, Chen W, Feng J. The Fusarium graminearum Histone Acetyltransferases Are Important for Morphogenesis, DON Biosynthesis, and Pathogenicity. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:654. [PMID: 29755419 PMCID: PMC5932188 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-translational modifications of chromatin structure by histone acetyltransferase (HATs) play a central role in the regulation of gene expression and various biological processes in eukaryotes. Although HAT genes have been studied in many fungi, few of them have been functionally characterized. In this study, we identified and characterized four putative HATs (FgGCN5, FgRTT109, FgSAS2, FgSAS3) in the plant pathogenic ascomycete Fusarium graminearum, the causal agent of Fusarium head blight of wheat and barley. We replaced the genes and all mutant strains showed reduced growth of F. graminearum. The ΔFgSAS3 and ΔFgGCN5 mutant increased sensitivity to oxidative and osmotic stresses. Additionally, ΔFgSAS3 showed reduced conidia sporulation and perithecium formation. Mutant ΔFgGCN5 was unable to generate any conidia and lost its ability to form perithecia. Our data showed also that FgSAS3 and FgGCN5 are pathogenicity factors required for infecting wheat heads as well as tomato fruits. Importantly, almost no Deoxynivalenol (DON) was produced either in ΔFgSAS3 or ΔFgGCN5 mutants, which was consistent with a significant downregulation of TRI genes expression. Furthermore, we discovered for the first time that FgSAS3 is indispensable for the acetylation of histone site H3K4, while FgGCN5 is essential for the acetylation of H3K9, H3K18, and H3K27. H3K14 can be completely acetylated when FgSAS3 and FgGCN5 were both present. The RNA-seq analyses of the two mutant strains provide insight into their functions in development and metabolism. Results from this study clarify the functional divergence of HATs in F. graminearum, and may provide novel targeted strategies to control secondary metabolite expression and infections of F. graminearum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangjiu Kong
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Theo A J van der Lee
- Biointeractions & Plant Health, Wageningen Plant Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Cees Waalwijk
- Biointeractions & Plant Health, Wageningen Plant Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Jingsheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wanquan Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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33
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Boni AC, Ambrósio DL, Cupertino FB, Montenegro-Montero A, Virgilio S, Freitas FZ, Corrocher FA, Gonçalves RD, Yang A, Weirauch MT, Hughes TR, Larrondo LF, Bertolini MC. Neurospora crassa developmental control mediated by the FLB-3 transcription factor. Fungal Biol 2018; 122:570-582. [PMID: 29801802 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Here, we report that the Neurospora crassa FLB-3 protein, the ortholog of the Aspergillus nidulans FlbC transcription factor, is required for developmental control. Deletion of flb-3 leads to changes in hyphae morphology and affects sexual and asexual development. We identified, as putative FLB-3 targets, the N. crassa aba-1, wet-1 and vos-1 genes, orthologs of the ones involved in A. nidulans asexual development and that work downstream of FlbC (abaA, wetA and vosA). In N. crassa, these three genes require FLB-3 for proper expression; however, they appear not to be required for normal development, as demonstrated by gene expression analyses during vegetative growth and asexual development. Moreover, mutant strains in the three genes conidiate well and produce viable conidia. We also determined FLB-3 DNA-binding preferences via protein-binding microarrays (PBMs) and demonstrated by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) that FLB-3 binds the aba-1, wet-1 and vos-1 promoters. Our data support an important role for FLB-3 in N. crassa development and highlight differences between the regulatory pathways controlled by this transcription factor in different fungal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Boni
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Daniela Luz Ambrósio
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Barbosa Cupertino
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Alejandro Montenegro-Montero
- Millennium Institute for Integrative Systems and Synthetic Biology (MIISSB), Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Stela Virgilio
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Zanolli Freitas
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Flávia Adolfo Corrocher
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Duarte Gonçalves
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Ally Yang
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology (CAGE) and Divisions of Biomedical Informatics and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Timothy R Hughes
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Canadian Institutes for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Luis F Larrondo
- Millennium Institute for Integrative Systems and Synthetic Biology (MIISSB), Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Maria Célia Bertolini
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Tecnologia Química, Instituto de Química, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14800-060, Araraquara, SP, Brazil.
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34
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Niehaus EM, Kim HK, Münsterkötter M, Janevska S, Arndt B, Kalinina SA, Houterman PM, Ahn IP, Alberti I, Tonti S, Kim DW, Sieber CMK, Humpf HU, Yun SH, Güldener U, Tudzynski B. Comparative genomics of geographically distant Fusarium fujikuroi isolates revealed two distinct pathotypes correlating with secondary metabolite profiles. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006670. [PMID: 29073267 PMCID: PMC5675463 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fusarium fujikuroi causes bakanae ("foolish seedling") disease of rice which is characterized by hyper-elongation of seedlings resulting from production of gibberellic acids (GAs) by the fungus. This plant pathogen is also known for production of harmful mycotoxins, such as fusarins, fusaric acid, apicidin F and beauvericin. Recently, we generated the first de novo genome sequence of F. fujikuroi strain IMI 58289 combined with extensive transcriptional, epigenetic, proteomic and chemical product analyses. GA production was shown to provide a selective advantage during infection of the preferred host plant rice. Here, we provide genome sequences of eight additional F. fujikuroi isolates from distant geographic regions. The isolates differ in the size of chromosomes, most likely due to variability of subtelomeric regions, the type of asexual spores (microconidia and/or macroconidia), and the number and expression of secondary metabolite gene clusters. Whilst most of the isolates caused the typical bakanae symptoms, one isolate, B14, caused stunting and early withering of infected seedlings. In contrast to the other isolates, B14 produced no GAs but high amounts of fumonisins during infection on rice. Furthermore, it differed from the other isolates by the presence of three additional polyketide synthase (PKS) genes (PKS40, PKS43, PKS51) and the absence of the F. fujikuroi-specific apicidin F (NRPS31) gene cluster. Analysis of additional field isolates confirmed the strong correlation between the pathotype (bakanae or stunting/withering), and the ability to produce either GAs or fumonisins. Deletion of the fumonisin and fusaric acid-specific PKS genes in B14 reduced the stunting/withering symptoms, whereas deletion of the PKS51 gene resulted in elevated symptom development. Phylogenetic analyses revealed two subclades of F. fujikuroi strains according to their pathotype and secondary metabolite profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva-Maria Niehaus
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of Fungi, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Hee-Kyoung Kim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Republic of Korea
| | - Martin Münsterkötter
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Slavica Janevska
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of Fungi, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Birgit Arndt
- Institute of Food Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 45, Münster, Germany
| | - Svetlana A. Kalinina
- Institute of Food Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 45, Münster, Germany
| | - Petra M. Houterman
- University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Plant Pathology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Il-Pyung Ahn
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Wanju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ilaria Alberti
- CREA-CIN Sede di Rovigo, Viale Giovanni Amendola, 82, 45100 Rovigo, Italy
| | - Stefano Tonti
- CREA-SCS Sede di Bologna, Via di Corticella, 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy
| | - Da-Woon Kim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Republic of Korea
| | - Christian M. K. Sieber
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, University of California, Walnut Creek, Berkeley, California
| | - Hans-Ulrich Humpf
- Institute of Food Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 45, Münster, Germany
| | - Sung-Hwan Yun
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (BT); (UG); (SY)
| | - Ulrich Güldener
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair of Genome-oriented Bioinformatics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- * E-mail: (BT); (UG); (SY)
| | - Bettina Tudzynski
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of Fungi, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
- * E-mail: (BT); (UG); (SY)
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35
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Zhang Y, Gao X, Sun M, Liu H, Xu JR. The FgSRP1 SR-protein gene is important for plant infection and pre-mRNA processing in Fusarium graminearum. Environ Microbiol 2017; 19:4065-4079. [PMID: 28654215 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The versatile functions of SR (serine/arginine-rich) proteins in pre-mRNA splicing and processing are modulated by reversible phosphorylation. Previous studies showed that FgPrp4, the only protein kinase among spliceosome components, is important for intron splicing and the FgSrp1 SR protein is phosphorylated at five conserved sites in Fusarium graminearum. In this study, we showed that the Fgsrp1 deletion mutant rarely produced conidia and caused only limited symptoms on wheat heads and corn silks. Deletion of FgSRP1 also reduced ascospore ejection and deoxynivalenol (DON) production. Interestingly, FgSRP1 had two transcript isoforms due to alternative splicing and both of them were required for its normal functions in growth and DON biosynthesis. FgSrp1 localized to the nucleus and interacted with FgPrp4 in vivo. Deletion of all four conserved phosphorylation sites but not individual ones affected the FgSRP1 function, suggesting their overlapping functions. RNA-seq analysis showed that the expression of over thousands of genes and splicing efficiency in over 140 introns were affected. Taken together, FgSRP1 is important for conidiation, and pathogenesis and alternative splicing is important for its normal functions. The FgSrp1 SR protein is likely important for pre-mRNA processing or splicing of various genes in different developmental and infection processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Purdue-NWAFU Joint Research Center, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xuli Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Purdue-NWAFU Joint Research Center, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Manli Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Purdue-NWAFU Joint Research Center, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Huiquan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Purdue-NWAFU Joint Research Center, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jin-Rong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Purdue-NWAFU Joint Research Center, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.,Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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36
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WetA bridges cellular and chemical development in Aspergillus flavus. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179571. [PMID: 28658268 PMCID: PMC5489174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Bridging cellular reproduction and survival is essential for all life forms. Aspergillus fungi primarily reproduce by forming asexual spores called conidia, whose formation and maturation is governed by the central genetic regulatory circuit BrlA→AbaA→WetA. Here, we report that WetA is a multi-functional regulator that couples spore differentiation and survival, and governs proper chemical development in Aspergillus flavus. The deletion of wetA results in the formation of conidia with defective cell walls and no intra-cellular trehalose, leading to reduced stress tolerance, a rapid loss of viability, and disintegration of spores. WetA is also required for normal vegetative growth, hyphal branching, and production of aflatoxins. Targeted and genome-wide expression analyses reveal that WetA exerts feedback control of brlA and that 5,700 genes show altered mRNA levels in the mutant conidia. Functional category analyses of differentially expressed genes in ΔwetA RNA-seq data indicate that WetA contributes to spore integrity and maturity by properly regulating the metabolic pathways of trehalose, chitin, α-(1,3)-glucan, β-(1,3)-glucan, melanin, hydrophobins, and secondary metabolism more generally. Moreover, 160 genes predicted to encode transcription factors are differentially expressed by the absence of wetA, suggesting that WetA may play a global regulatory role in conidial development. Collectively, we present a comprehensive model for developmental control that bridges spore differentiation and survival in A. flavus.
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37
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Yu X, Liu H, Niu X, Akhberdi O, Wei D, Wang D, Zhu X. The Gα1-cAMP signaling pathway controls conidiation, development and secondary metabolism in the taxol-producing fungus Pestalotiopsis microspora. Microbiol Res 2017; 203:29-39. [PMID: 28754205 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
G-protein-mediated signaling pathways regulate fungal morphogenesis, development and secondary metabolism. In this study, we report a gene, pgα1, that putatively encodes the α-subunit of a group I G protein in Pestalotiopsis microspora NK17, which is known to produce various secondary metabolites, including the antitumor drug taxol and pestalotiollide B (PB). Mutants of pgα1 showed retarded vegetative growth, aging of the mycelium, premature conidiation, deformed conidia, significantly increased melanin production, and a sharp decrease in PB production. The introduction of extra copies of pgα1 led to a different phenotype that was characterized by enhanced production of PB. qRT-PCR revealed that the expression of pks1, which encodes melanin polyketide synthase, an enzyme that is involved in 1, 8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin biosynthesis, was up regulated by 55-fold in the absence of pgα1. Changes in conidiation and PB production in pgα1 mutants were able to be restored by the addition of exogenous cAMP. The deficiencies of PB production and conidiation in Δpgα1 were not able to be rescued by deletion or overexpression of a previously reported histone deacetylase gene (hid1), suggesting that pgα1 is able to override the effect of hid1 on PB production and conidiation. Our results suggested that the G protein-cAMP pathway plays a critical role in vegetative growth as well as in asexual development of P. microspora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Yu
- State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Heng Liu
- State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xueliang Niu
- State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Oren Akhberdi
- State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Dongsheng Wei
- State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Dan Wang
- State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xudong Zhu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering Drug and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
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38
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Myers RR, Smith TD, Elsawa SF, Puel O, Tadrist S, Calvo AM. rtfA controls development, secondary metabolism, and virulence in Aspergillus fumigatus. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176702. [PMID: 28453536 PMCID: PMC5409149 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive aspergillosis by Aspergillus fumigatus is a leading cause of infection-related mortality in immune-compromised patients. In order to discover potential genetic targets to control A. fumigatus infections we characterized rtfA, a gene encoding a putative RNA polymerase II transcription elongation factor-like protein. Our recent work has shown that the rtfA ortholog in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans regulates morphogenesis and secondary metabolism. The present study on the opportunistic pathogen A. fumigatus rtfA gene revealed that this gene influences fungal growth and conidiation, as well as production of the secondary metabolites tryptoquivaline F, pseurotin A, fumiquinazoline C, festuclavine, and fumigaclavines A, B and C. Additionally, rtfA influences protease activity levels, the sensitivity to oxidative stress and adhesion capacity, all factors important in pathogenicity. Furthermore, rtfA was shown to be indispensable for normal virulence using Galleria mellonella as well as murine infection model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan R. Myers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Timothy D. Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Sherine F. Elsawa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Olivier Puel
- Toxalim (Research Centre in Food Toxicology), Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, INP-Purpan, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Souraia Tadrist
- Toxalim (Research Centre in Food Toxicology), Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, INP-Purpan, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Ana M. Calvo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Muñiz-Paredes F, Miranda-Hernández F, Loera O. Production of conidia by entomopathogenic fungi: from inoculants to final quality tests. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2017; 33:57. [DOI: 10.1007/s11274-017-2229-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Nguyen Van Long N, Vasseur V, Coroller L, Dantigny P, Le Panse S, Weill A, Mounier J, Rigalma K. Temperature, water activity and pH during conidia production affect the physiological state and germination time of Penicillium species. Int J Food Microbiol 2016; 241:151-160. [PMID: 27780083 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2016.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Revised: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Conidial germination and mycelial growth are generally studied with conidia produced under optimal conditions to increase conidial yield. Nonetheless, the physiological state of such conidia most likely differs from those involved in spoilage of naturally contaminated food. The present study aimed at investigating the impact of temperature, pH and water activity (aw) during production of conidia on the germination parameters and compatible solutes of conidia of Penicillium roqueforti and Penicillium expansum. Low temperature (5°C) and reduced aw (0.900 aw) during sporulation significantly reduced conidial germination times whereas the pH of the sporulation medium only had a slight effect at the tested values (2.5, 8.0). Conidia of P. roqueforti produced at 5°C germinated up to 45h earlier than those produced at 20°C. Conidia of P. roqueforti and P. expansum produced at 0.900 aw germinated respectively up to 8h and 3h earlier than conidia produced at 0.980 aw. Furthermore, trehalose and mannitol assessments suggested that earlier germination might be related to delayed conidial maturation even though no ultra-structural modifications were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of considering environmental conditions during sporulation in mycological studies. The physiological state of fungal conidia should be taken into account to design challenge tests or predictive mycology studies. This knowledge may also be of interest to improve the germination capacity of fungal cultures commonly used in fermented foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Nguyen Van Long
- Université de Brest, EA 3882, Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Microbienne, IBSAM, ESIAB, Technopôle Brest-Iroise, 29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Valérie Vasseur
- Université de Brest, EA 3882, Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Microbienne, IBSAM, ESIAB, Technopôle Brest-Iroise, 29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Louis Coroller
- Université de Brest, EA 3882, Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Microbienne, IBSAM, UMT Spore Risk, IUT Quimper, 6 rue de l'Université, 29334 Quimper, France
| | - Philippe Dantigny
- Université de Brest, EA 3882, Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Microbienne, IBSAM, ESIAB, Technopôle Brest-Iroise, 29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Sophie Le Panse
- Plateforme Merimage, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CNRS-UPMC, Place Georges Teissier, CS90074, 29688 Roscoff, Cedex, France
| | - Amélie Weill
- Université de Brest, EA 3882, Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Microbienne, IBSAM, ESIAB, Technopôle Brest-Iroise, 29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Jérôme Mounier
- Université de Brest, EA 3882, Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Microbienne, IBSAM, ESIAB, Technopôle Brest-Iroise, 29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Karim Rigalma
- Université de Brest, EA 3882, Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Microbienne, IBSAM, ESIAB, Technopôle Brest-Iroise, 29280 Plouzané, France.
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Lin H, Travisano M, Kazlauskas RJ. The Fungus Trichoderma Regulates Submerged Conidiation Using the Steroid Pregnenolone. ACS Chem Biol 2016; 11:2568-75. [PMID: 27413801 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.6b00376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In previous work, we evolved a population of Trichoderma citrinoviride in liquid cultures to speed up its asexual development cycle. The evolved population, called T-6, formed conidia 3 times sooner and in >1000-fold greater numbers. Here, we identify the steroid pregnenolone as a molecular signal for this different behavior. Media in which the ancestral T. citrinoviride population was grown (called ancestral spent media) contained a submerged conidiation inhibitor. Growing the evolved population T-6 in ancestral spent media eliminated the abundant formation of conidia. This inhibition depended on the amount and age of the ancestral spent medium and the time that the ancestral spent medium was added to the T-6 culture. Fractionation of the ancestral spent medium identified a hydrophobic inhibiting compound with a molecular weight less than 2000 g/mol. A combination of GC-MS, ELISA, and reaction with cholesterol oxidase identified it as pregnenolone. The addition of pregnenolone to cultures of T-6 inhibited submerged conidiation by inhibiting formation of conidiophores, while 10 other analogous steroids did not. Pregnenolone also inhibited submerged conidiation of Fusarium graminearum PH-1, a plant pathogen that causes head blight in wheat and barley. This identification of steroids as signal molecules in fungi creates opportunities to disrupt this signaling to control fungal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Lin
- The Biotechnology Institute, ‡Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, and §Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
| | - Michael Travisano
- The Biotechnology Institute, ‡Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, and §Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
| | - Romas J. Kazlauskas
- The Biotechnology Institute, ‡Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, and §Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
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Bui DC, Lee Y, Lim JY, Fu M, Kim JC, Choi GJ, Son H, Lee YW. Heat shock protein 90 is required for sexual and asexual development, virulence, and heat shock response in Fusarium graminearum. Sci Rep 2016; 6:28154. [PMID: 27306495 PMCID: PMC4910114 DOI: 10.1038/srep28154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells repress global translation and selectively upregulate stress response proteins by altering multiple steps in gene expression. In this study, genome-wide transcriptome analysis of cellular adaptation to thermal stress was performed on the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. The results revealed that profound alterations in gene expression were required for heat shock responses in F. graminearum. Among these proteins, heat shock protein 90 (FgHsp90) was revealed to play a central role in heat shock stress responses in this fungus. FgHsp90 was highly expressed and exclusively localised to nuclei in response to heat stress. Moreover, our comprehensive functional characterisation of FgHsp90 provides clear genetic evidence supporting its crucial roles in the vegetative growth, reproduction, and virulence of F. graminearum. In particular, FgHsp90 performs multiple functions as a transcriptional regulator of conidiation. Our findings provide new insight into the mechanisms underlying adaptation to heat shock and the roles of Hsp90 in fungal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc-Cuong Bui
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonji Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Yun Lim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Minmin Fu
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Cheol Kim
- Division of Applied Bioscience and Biotechnology, Institute of Environmentally Friendly Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyung Ja Choi
- Eco-friendly New Materials Research Group, Research Centre for Biobased Chemistry, Division of Convergence Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Hokyoung Son
- Centre for Food and Bioconvergence, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Yin-Won Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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Son H, Lim JY, Lee Y, Lee YW. Utilization of a Conidia-Deficient Mutant to Study Sexual Development in Fusarium graminearum. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155671. [PMID: 27175901 PMCID: PMC4866773 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptome analysis is a widely used approach to study the molecular mechanisms underlying development and the responses of fungi to environmental cues. However, it is difficult to obtain cells with a homogeneous status from the sexually-induced culture of the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. In this study, we provided phenotypic and genetic evidence to show that the current conditions applied for perithecia induction inevitably highly induced asexual sporulation in this fungus. We also found that hundreds of genes under the control of the conidiation-specific gene ABAA were unnecessarily upregulated after perithecia induction. Deletion of ABAA specifically blocked conidia production in both the wild-type strain and sexually-defective mutants during sexual development. Taken together, our results suggest that the abaA strain could be used as a background strain for studies of the initial stages of perithecia production in F. graminearum. Further comparative transcriptome analysis between the abaA mutant and the sexually-defective transcription factor mutant carrying the ABAA deletion would contribute to the construction of the genetic networks involved in perithecia development in F. graminearum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hokyoung Son
- Center for Food and Bioconvergence, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Yun Lim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonji Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yin-Won Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Zhang L, Zhou Z, Guo Q, Fokkens L, Miskei M, Pócsi I, Zhang W, Chen M, Wang L, Sun Y, Donzelli BGG, Gibson DM, Nelson DR, Luo JG, Rep M, Liu H, Yang S, Wang J, Krasnoff SB, Xu Y, Molnár I, Lin M. Insights into Adaptations to a Near-Obligate Nematode Endoparasitic Lifestyle from the Finished Genome of Drechmeria coniospora. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23122. [PMID: 26975455 PMCID: PMC4792172 DOI: 10.1038/srep23122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Nematophagous fungi employ three distinct predatory strategies: nematode trapping, parasitism of females and eggs, and endoparasitism. While endoparasites play key roles in controlling nematode populations in nature, their application for integrated pest management is hindered by the limited understanding of their biology. We present a comparative analysis of a high quality finished genome assembly of Drechmeria coniospora, a model endoparasitic nematophagous fungus, integrated with a transcriptomic study. Adaptation of D. coniospora to its almost completely obligate endoparasitic lifestyle led to the simplification of many orthologous gene families involved in the saprophytic trophic mode, while maintaining orthologs of most known fungal pathogen-host interaction proteins, stress response circuits and putative effectors of the small secreted protein type. The need to adhere to and penetrate the host cuticle led to a selective radiation of surface proteins and hydrolytic enzymes. Although the endoparasite has a simplified secondary metabolome, it produces a novel peptaibiotic family that shows antibacterial, antifungal and nematicidal activities. Our analyses emphasize the basic malleability of the D. coniospora genome: loss of genes advantageous for the saprophytic lifestyle; modulation of elements that its cohort species utilize for entomopathogenesis; and expansion of protein families necessary for the nematode endoparasitic lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwen Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengfu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics (Beijing), Ministry of Agriculture, China
| | - Qiannan Guo
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Like Fokkens
- Molecular Plant Pathology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Márton Miskei
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Hungary
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - István Pócsi
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Wei Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Chen
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Microbial Functional Genomics, TEDA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yamin Sun
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Microbial Functional Genomics, TEDA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Bruno G. G. Donzelli
- Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Donna M. Gibson
- USDA-ARS, Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - David R. Nelson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jian-Guang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Martijn Rep
- Molecular Plant Pathology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics (Beijing), Ministry of Agriculture, China
| | - Shengnan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics (Beijing), Ministry of Agriculture, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics (Beijing), Ministry of Agriculture, China
| | - Stuart B. Krasnoff
- USDA-ARS, Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Yuquan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics (Beijing), Ministry of Agriculture, China
| | - István Molnár
- Natural Products Center, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Min Lin
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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Bui DC, Son H, Shin JY, Kim JC, Kim H, Choi GJ, Lee YW. The FgNot3 Subunit of the Ccr4-Not Complex Regulates Vegetative Growth, Sporulation, and Virulence in Fusarium graminearum. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147481. [PMID: 26799401 PMCID: PMC4723064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The Ccr4-Not complex is evolutionarily conserved and important for multiple cellular functions in eukaryotic cells. In this study, the biological roles of the FgNot3 subunit of this complex were investigated in the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. Deletion of FgNOT3 resulted in retarded vegetative growth, retarded spore germination, swollen hyphae, and hyper-branching. The ΔFgnot3 mutants also showed impaired sexual and asexual sporulation, decreased virulence, and reduced expression of genes related to conidiogenesis. Fgnot3 deletion mutants were sensitive to thermal stress, whereas NOT3 orthologs in other model eukaryotes are known to be required for cell wall integrity. We found that FgNot3 functions as a negative regulator of the production of secondary metabolites, including trichothecenes and zearalenone. Further functional characterization of other components of the Not module of the Ccr4-Not complex demonstrated that the module is conserved. Each subunit primarily functions within the context of a complex and might have distinct roles outside of the complex in F. graminearum. This is the first study to functionally characterize the Not module in filamentous fungi and provides novel insights into signal transduction pathways in fungal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc-Cuong Bui
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hokyoung Son
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Center for Food and Bioconvergence, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Young Shin
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Cheol Kim
- Division of Applied Bioscience and Biotechnology, Institute of Environmentally Friendly Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hun Kim
- Eco-friendly New Materials Research Group, Research Center for Biobased Chemistry, Division of Convergence Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyung Ja Choi
- Eco-friendly New Materials Research Group, Research Center for Biobased Chemistry, Division of Convergence Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yin-Won Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail:
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WetA and VosA are distinct regulators of conidiation capacity, conidial quality, and biological control potential of a fungal insect pathogen. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 99:10069-81. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-6823-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Revised: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Son H, Park AR, Lim JY, Lee YW. Fss1 is involved in the regulation of anENA5homologue for sodium and lithium tolerance inFusarium graminearum. Environ Microbiol 2015; 17:2048-63. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Revised: 12/13/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hokyoung Son
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology; Seoul National University; Seoul 151-921 Korea
- Center for Fungal Pathogenesis; Seoul National University; Seoul 151-921 Korea
| | - Ae Ran Park
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology; Seoul National University; Seoul 151-921 Korea
- Center for Fungal Pathogenesis; Seoul National University; Seoul 151-921 Korea
| | - Jae Yun Lim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology; Seoul National University; Seoul 151-921 Korea
- Center for Fungal Pathogenesis; Seoul National University; Seoul 151-921 Korea
| | - Yin-Won Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology; Seoul National University; Seoul 151-921 Korea
- Center for Fungal Pathogenesis; Seoul National University; Seoul 151-921 Korea
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Yang C, Liu H, Li G, Liu M, Yun Y, Wang C, Ma Z, Xu JR. The MADS-box transcription factor FgMcm1 regulates cell identity and fungal development in Fusarium graminearum. Environ Microbiol 2015; 17:2762-76. [PMID: 25627073 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Revised: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, MADS-box genes are known to play major regulatory roles in various biological processes by combinatorial interactions with other transcription factors. In this study, we functionally characterized the FgMCM1 MADS-box gene in Fusarium graminearum, the causal agent of wheat and barley head blight. Deletion of FgMCM1 resulted in the loss of perithecium production and phialide formation. The Fgmcm1 mutant was significantly reduced in virulence, deoxynivalenol biosynthesis and conidiation. In yeast two-hybrid assays, FgMcm1 interacted with Mat1-1-1 and Fst12, two transcription factors important for sexual reproduction. Whereas Fgmcm1 mutants were unstable and produced stunted subcultures, Fgmcm1 mat1-1-1 but not Fgmcm1 fst12 double mutants were stable. Furthermore, spontaneous suppressor mutations occurred frequently in stunted subcultures to recover growth rate. Ribonucleic acid sequencing analysis indicated that a number of sexual reproduction-related genes were upregulated in stunted subcultures compared with the Fgmcm1 mutant, which was downregulated in the expression of genes involved in pathogenesis, secondary metabolism and conidiation. We also showed that culture instability was not observed in the Fvmcm1 mutants of the heterothallic Fusarium verticillioides. Overall, our data indicate that FgMcm1 plays a critical role in the regulation of cell identity, sexual and asexual reproduction, secondary metabolism and pathogenesis in F. graminearum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Huiquan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Guotian Li
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Meigang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Yingzi Yun
- Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Chenfang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Zhonghua Ma
- Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Jin-Rong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwestern A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.,Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
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Wang M, Sun X, Zhu C, Xu Q, Ruan R, Yu D, Li H. PdbrlA, PdabaA and PdwetA control distinct stages of conidiogenesis in Penicillium digitatum. Res Microbiol 2015; 166:56-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2014.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Revised: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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50
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Lee Y, Min K, Son H, Park AR, Kim JC, Choi GJ, Lee YW. ELP3 is involved in sexual and asexual development, virulence, and the oxidative stress response in Fusarium graminearum. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2014; 27:1344-1355. [PMID: 25083910 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-05-14-0145-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Fusarium graminearum is an important fungal plant pathogen that causes serious losses in cereal crop yields and mycotoxicoses in humans and livestock. In this study, we characterized an insertion mutant, Z39R9282, with pleiotropic defects in sexual development and virulence. We determined that the insertion occurred in a gene encoding an ortholog of yeast elongator complex protein 3 (ELP3). Deletion of elp3 led to significant defects in sexual and asexual development in F. graminearum. In the elp3 deletion mutant, the number of perithecia formed was reduced and maturation of perithecia was delayed. This mutant also produced morphologically abnormal ascospores and conidia. Histone acetylation in the elp3 deletion mutant was reduced compared with the wild type, which likely caused the developmental defects. Trichothecenes were not produced at detectable levels, and expression of trichothecene biosynthesis genes were significantly reduced in the elp3 deletion mutant. Infection of wheat heads revealed that the elp3 deletion mutant was unable to spread from inoculated florets to neighboring spikelets. Furthermore, the elp3 deletion mutant was more sensitive to oxidative stress than the wild type, and the expression of putative catalase genes was reduced. We demonstrate that elp3 functions in sexual and asexual development, virulence, and the oxidative stress response of F. graminearum by regulating the expression of genes involved in these various developmental processes.
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