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Vandermeulen MD, Lorenz MC, Cullen PJ. Conserved signaling modules regulate filamentous growth in fungi: a model for eukaryotic cell differentiation. Genetics 2024; 228:iyae122. [PMID: 39239926 PMCID: PMC11457945 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae122] [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: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic organisms are composed of different cell types with defined shapes and functions. Specific cell types are produced by the process of cell differentiation, which is regulated by signal transduction pathways. Signaling pathways regulate cell differentiation by sensing cues and controlling the expression of target genes whose products generate cell types with specific attributes. In studying how cells differentiate, fungi have proved valuable models because of their ease of genetic manipulation and striking cell morphologies. Many fungal species undergo filamentous growth-a specialized growth pattern where cells produce elongated tube-like projections. Filamentous growth promotes expansion into new environments, including invasion into plant and animal hosts by fungal pathogens. The same signaling pathways that regulate filamentous growth in fungi also control cell differentiation throughout eukaryotes and include highly conserved mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, which is the focus of this review. In many fungal species, mucin-type sensors regulate MAPK pathways to control filamentous growth in response to diverse stimuli. Once activated, MAPK pathways reorganize cell polarity, induce changes in cell adhesion, and promote the secretion of degradative enzymes that mediate access to new environments. However, MAPK pathway regulation is complicated because related pathways can share components with each other yet induce unique responses (i.e. signal specificity). In addition, MAPK pathways function in highly integrated networks with other regulatory pathways (i.e. signal integration). Here, we discuss signal specificity and integration in several yeast models (mainly Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans) by focusing on the filamentation MAPK pathway. Because of the strong evolutionary ties between species, a deeper understanding of the regulation of filamentous growth in established models and increasingly diverse fungal species can reveal fundamentally new mechanisms underlying eukaryotic cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael C Lorenz
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Paul J Cullen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260-1300, USA
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Tian L, Li J, Xu Y, Qiu Y, Zhang Y, Li X. A MAP kinase cascade broadly regulates the lifestyle of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and can be targeted by HIGS for disease control. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 118:324-344. [PMID: 38149487 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes white mold or stem rot in a wide range of economically important plants, bringing significant yield losses worldwide. Control of this pathogen is difficult as its resting structure sclerotia can survive in soil for years, and no Resistance genes have been identified in S. sclerotiorum hosts. Host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) has shown promising effects in controlling many fungal pathogens, including S. sclerotiorum. However, better molecular genetic understanding of signaling pathways involved in its development and pathogenicity is needed to provide effective HIGS gene targets. Here, by employing a forward genetic screen, we characterized an evolutionarily conserved mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade in S. sclerotiorum, consisting of SsSte50-SsSte11-SsSte7-Smk1, which controls mycelial growth, sclerotia development, compound appressoria formation, virulence, and hyphal fusion. Moreover, disruption of the putative downstream transcription factor SsSte12 led to normal sclerotia but deformed appressoria and attenuated host penetration, as well as impaired apothecia formation, suggestive of diverged regulation downstream of the MAPK cascade. Most importantly, targeting SsSte50 using host-expressed double-stranded RNA resulted in largely reduced virulence of S. sclerotiorum on both Nicotiana benthamiana leaves and transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Therefore, this MAPK signaling cascade is generally needed for its growth, development, and pathogenesis and can serve as ideal HIGS targets for mitigating economic damages caused by S. sclerotiorum infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Tian
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Josh Li
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Yan Xu
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Yilan Qiu
- Department of Life Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Yuelin Zhang
- College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Xin Li
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
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Cao H, Gong H, Yu M, Pan X, Song T, Yu J, Qi Z, Du Y, Zhang R, Liu Y. The Ras GTPase-activating protein UvGap1 orchestrates conidiogenesis and pathogenesis in the rice false smut fungus Ustilaginoidea virens. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2024; 25:e13448. [PMID: 38502297 PMCID: PMC10950028 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Ras GTPase-activating proteins (Ras GAPs) act as negative regulators for Ras proteins and are involved in various signalling processes that influence cellular functions. Here, the function of four Ras GAPs, UvGap1 to UvGap4, was identified and analysed in Ustilaginoidea virens, the causal agent of rice false smut disease. Disruption of UvGAP1 or UvGAP2 resulted in reduced mycelial growth and an increased percentage of larger or dumbbell-shaped conidia. Notably, the mutant ΔUvgap1 completely lost its pathogenicity. Compared to the wild-type strain, the mutants ΔUvgap1, ΔUvgap2 and ΔUvgap3 exhibited reduced tolerance to H2 O2 oxidative stress. In particular, the ΔUvgap1 mutant was barely able to grow on the H2 O2 plate, and UvGAP1 was found to influence the expression level of genes involved in reactive oxygen species synthesis and scavenging. The intracellular cAMP level in the ΔUvgap1 mutant was elevated, as UvGap1 plays an important role in maintaining the intracellular cAMP level by affecting the expression of phosphodiesterases, which are linked to cAMP degradation in U. virens. In a yeast two-hybrid assay, UvRas1 and UvRasGef (Ras guanyl nucleotide exchange factor) physically interacted with UvGap1. UvRas2 was identified as an interacting partner of UvGap1 through a bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay and affinity capture-mass spectrometry analysis. Taken together, these findings suggest that the UvGAP1-mediated Ras pathway is essential for the development and pathogenicity of U. virens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijuan Cao
- Institute of Plant ProtectionJiangsu Academy of Agricultural SciencesNanjingChina
| | - Hao Gong
- Institute of Plant ProtectionJiangsu Academy of Agricultural SciencesNanjingChina
| | - Mina Yu
- Institute of Plant ProtectionJiangsu Academy of Agricultural SciencesNanjingChina
| | - Xiayan Pan
- Institute of Plant ProtectionJiangsu Academy of Agricultural SciencesNanjingChina
| | - Tianqiao Song
- Institute of Plant ProtectionJiangsu Academy of Agricultural SciencesNanjingChina
| | - Junjie Yu
- Institute of Plant ProtectionJiangsu Academy of Agricultural SciencesNanjingChina
| | - Zhongqiang Qi
- Institute of Plant ProtectionJiangsu Academy of Agricultural SciencesNanjingChina
| | - Yan Du
- Institute of Plant ProtectionJiangsu Academy of Agricultural SciencesNanjingChina
| | - Rongsheng Zhang
- Institute of Plant ProtectionJiangsu Academy of Agricultural SciencesNanjingChina
| | - Yongfeng Liu
- Institute of Plant ProtectionJiangsu Academy of Agricultural SciencesNanjingChina
- College of Plant ProtectionNanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjingChina
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Gujjar RS, Kumar R, Goswami SK, Srivastava S, Kumar S. MAPK signaling pathway orchestrates and fine-tunes the pathogenicity of Colletotrichum falcatum. J Proteomics 2024; 292:105056. [PMID: 38043863 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2023.105056] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Colletotrichum falcatum is the causal organism of red rot, the most devastating disease of sugarcane. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway plays pivotal role in coordinating the process of pathogenesis. We identified eighteen proteins implicated in MAPK signaling pathway in C. falcatum, through nanoLCMS/MS based proteomics approach. Twelve of these proteins were the part of core MAPK signaling pathway, whereas remaining proteins were indirectly implicated in MAPK signaling. Majority of these proteins had enhanced abundance in C. falcatum samples cultured with host sugarcane stalks. To validate the findings, core MAPK pathway genes (MAPKKK-NSY1, MAPK 17-MAPK17, MAPKKK 5-MAPKKK5, MAPK-HOG1B, MAPKKK-MCK1/STE11, MAPK-MST50/STE50, MAPKK-SEK1, MAPKK-MEK1/MST7/STE7, MAPKK-MKK2/STE7, MAPKKK-MST11/STE11, MAPK 5-MPK5, and MAPK-MPK-C) were analyzed by qPCR to confirm the real-time expression in C. falcatum samples cultured with host sugarcane stalks. The results of qPCR-based expression of genes were largely in agreement with the findings of proteomics. String association networks of MAPKK- MEK1/MST7/STE7, and MAPK- MPK-C revealed strong association with plenty of assorted proteins implicated in the process of pathogenesis/virulence. This is the novel and first large scale study of MAPK proteins in C. falcatum, responsible for red rot epidemics of sugarcane various countries. KEY MESSAGE: Our findings demonstrate the pivotal role of MAPK proteins in orchestrating the pathogenicity of Colletotrichum falcatum, responsible devastating red rot disease of sugarcane. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings are novel and the first large scale study demonstrating the pivotal role of MAPK proteins in C. falcatum, responsible devastating red rot disease of sugarcane. The study will be useful for future researchers in terms of manipulating the fungal pathogenicity through genome editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjit Singh Gujjar
- Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Raibareli Road, Lucknow 226002, India.
| | - Rajeev Kumar
- Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Raibareli Road, Lucknow 226002, India
| | | | - Sangeeta Srivastava
- Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Raibareli Road, Lucknow 226002, India
| | - Sanjeev Kumar
- Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Raibareli Road, Lucknow 226002, India
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Xu Y, Tan J, Lu J, Zhang Y, Li X. RAS signalling genes can be used as host-induced gene silencing targets to control fungal diseases caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024; 22:262-277. [PMID: 37845842 PMCID: PMC10754012 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes white mold (also called stem rot, Sclerotinia blight, etc.) in many economically important plants. It is a notorious soilborne fungal pathogen due to its wide host range and ability to survive in soil for long periods of time as sclerotia. Although host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) was recently demonstrated to be an effective method for controlling white mold, limited gene targets are available. Here, using a forward genetics approach, we identified a RAS-GTPase activating protein, SsGAP1, which plays essential roles in sclerotia formation, compound appressoria production and virulence. In parallel, as revealed by our knockout analysis, the SsGAP1 ortholog in Botrytis cinerea, BcGAP1, plays similar roles in fungal development and virulence. By knocking down SsRAS1 and SsRAS2, we also revealed that both SsRAS1 and SsRAS2 are required for vegetative growth, sclerotia development, compound appressoria production and virulence in S. sclerotiorum. Due to the major roles these RAS signalling components play in Sclerotiniaceae biology, they can be used as HIGS targets to control diseases caused by both S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea. Indeed, when we introduced HIGS constructs targeting SsGAP1, SsRAS1 and SsRAS2 in Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis thaliana, we observed reduced virulence. Taken together, our forward genetics gene discovery pipeline in S. sclerotiorum is highly effective in identifying novel HIGS targets to control S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Xu
- Michael Smith LaboratoriesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of BotanyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Jinyi Tan
- Michael Smith LaboratoriesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of BotanyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Junxing Lu
- Michael Smith LaboratoriesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- College of Life ScienceChongqing Normal UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Yuelin Zhang
- Department of BotanyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Xin Li
- Michael Smith LaboratoriesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of BotanyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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6
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Wang PA, Zhang JM, Zhong JJ. CRISPR-Cas9 assisted in-situ complementation of functional genes in the basidiomycete Ganoderma lucidum. Process Biochem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2022.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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A Plant-Derived Alkanol Induces Teliospore Germination in Sporisorium scitamineum. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8020209. [PMID: 35205963 PMCID: PMC8878970 DOI: 10.3390/jof8020209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Sugarcane smut caused by the basidiomycetes fungus Sporisorium scitamineum is a devastating disease for the sugarcane industry worldwide. As the initial step, the smut teliospores germinate on sugarcane buds, and subsequently, the mycelium infects the bud tissues. However, chemical signals that induce spore germination are still unknown. By comparison of the behavior of the teliospores on the buds of both resistant and susceptible varieties, we found that spore germination rates were significantly lower on the buds of resistant cultivars ZZ1, ZZ6, and ZZ9 than on the susceptible varieties GT42 and ROC22. It was found that the levels of hexacosanol and octacosanol were higher on the buds of smut-susceptible varieties than on the smut-resistant varieties. These observations were extended to the smut-resistant and smut-susceptible sub-genetic populations derived from the cross of ROC25 and YZ89-7. In artificial surface assays, we found that hexacosanol and octacosanol promoted smut teliospore germination. Transcriptome analysis of smut teliospores under the induction by octacosanol revealed that genes in the MAPK signaling pathway and fatty acid metabolism were significantly differentially expressed. Overall, our results provide evidence that alkanol plays important roles in smut teliospore germination and thus could be used as a potential marker for smut resistance in sugarcane breeding programs.
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Pleiotropic roles of Ras GTPases in the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora identified through multi-omics analyses. iScience 2021; 24:102820. [PMID: 34337364 PMCID: PMC8313493 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode-trapping fungi are ideal agents for controlling pathogenic nematodes. Arthrobotrys oligospora is a representative species of the same, producing traps for nematode predation. Here, three orthologous Ras GTPases (Ras2, Ras3, and Rheb) were characterized in A. oligospora. Our results indicate that they play pleiotropic roles in regulating the mycelial growth, conidiation, stress resistance, and pathogenicity of A. oligospora. Furthermore, deletion of Aoras2 and Aorheb significantly affected the mitochondrial activity, reactive oxygen species levels, lipid storage, and autophagy. Transcriptome analyses of ΔAoras2 mutant revealed that many repressed genes were associated with signal transduction, energy production, and carbohydrate transport and metabolism. Moreover, metabolic profile analyses showed that AoRas2 and AoRheb affect the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in A. oligospora. Collectively, these findings provide an in-depth insight into the essential roles of Ras GTPases in vegetative growth, development, and pathogenicity and highlight their importance in the lifestyle switch of the nematode-trapping fungi. Ras GTPases play a multifunctional role in the lifestyle switch of A. oligospora Ras GTPases affect multiple cellular processes, including mitochondrial activity AoRas2 plays a key role in regulating global gene expression and nematode predation AoRas2 and AoRheb significantly affect the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites
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Zhu Z, Ma G, Yang M, Tan C, Yang G, Wang S, Li N, Ge F, Wang S. Ras subfamily GTPases regulate development, aflatoxin biosynthesis and pathogenicity in the fungus Aspergillus flavus. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:5334-5348. [PMID: 34097354 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ras subfamily proteins are molecular switches in signal transduction pathways of many eukaryotes that regulate a variety of cellular processes. Here, the Ras subfamily, encoded by six genes, was identified in Aspergillus flavus: rasA, rasB, rasC, rab-33, rheb and rsr1. The rsr1 deletion mutant (∆rsr1), rheb deletion mutant (∆rheb) and double deletion mutant (∆rheb/rsr1) displayed significantly decreased growth and sporulation. Sclerotia formation was significantly decreased for ∆rheb or ∆rheb/rsr1 but increased for ∆rsr1. Aflatoxin production was significantly increased in ∆rheb but decreased in ∆rsr1 and ∆rheb/rsr1. We found that rsr1 and rheb are crucial for the pathogenicity of A. flavus. Quantitative proteomics identified 520 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) for the ∆rsr1 mutant and 133 DEPs for the ∆rheb mutant. These DEPs were annotated in multiple biological processes and KEGG pathways in A. flavus. Importantly, we identified the cytokinesis protein SepA in the protein-protein interaction network of rsr1, and deletion mutants showed that SepA has pleiotropic effects on growth and AF biosynthesis, which may depend on Rsr1 for regulation in A. flavus. Our results indicated that these Ras subfamily proteins exhibited functional redundancy with each other but there were also differences in A. flavus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Gengli Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Mingkun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Can Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Guang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Sen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Na Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Feng Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Shihua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
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Ras2 is important for growth and pathogenicity in Fusarium circinatum. Fungal Genet Biol 2021; 150:103541. [PMID: 33639303 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2021.103541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated to possible role of Ras2 in Fusarium circinatum- a fungus that causes pine pitch canker disease on many different pine species and has a wide geographic distribution. This protein is encoded by the RAS2 gene and has been shown to control growth and pathogenicity in a number of fungi in a mitogen-activated protein kinase- and/or cyclic adenosyl monophosphate pathway-dependent manner. The aim was therefore to characterize the phenotypes of RAS2 gene knockout and complementation mutants of F. circinatum. These mutants were generated by transforming protoplasts of the fungus with suitable split-marker constructs. The mutant strains, together with the wild type strain, were used in growth studies as well as pathogenicity assays on Pinus patula seedlings. Results showed that the knockout mutant strain produced significantly smaller lesions compared to the complementation mutant and wild type strains. Growth studies also showed significantly smaller colonies and delayed conidial germination in the knockout mutant strain compared to the complement mutant and wild type strains. Interestingly, the knockout mutant strain produced more macroconidia than the wild type strain. Collectively, these results showed that Ras2 plays an important role in both growth and pathogenicity of F. circinatum. Future studies will seek to determine the pathway(s) through which Ras2 controls these traits in F. circinatum.
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Liu N, Soong YHV, Mirzaee I, Olsen A, Yu P, Wong HW, Xie D. Biomanufacturing of value-added products from oils or fats: A case study on cellular and fermentation engineering of Yarrowia lipolytica. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:1677-1692. [PMID: 33470430 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The United States produces more than 10 million tons of waste oils and fats each year. This paper aims to establish a new biomanufacturing platform that converts waste oils or fats into a series of value-added products. Our research employs the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica as a case study for citric acid (CA) production from waste oils. First, we conducted the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the bioreactor system and identified that the extracellular mixing and mass transfer is the first limiting factor of an oil fermentation process due to the insolubility of oil in water. Based on the CFD simulation results, the bioreactor design and operating conditions were optimized and successfully enhanced oil uptake and bioconversion in fed-batch fermentation experiments. After that, we investigated the impacts of cell morphology on oil uptake, intracellular lipid accumulation, and CA formation by overexpressing and deleting the MHY1 gene in the wild type Y. lipolytica ATCC20362. Fairly good linear correlations (R2 > 0.82) were achieved between cell morphology and productivities of biomass, lipid, and CA. Finally, fermentation kinetics with both glucose and oil substrates were compared and the oil fermentation process was carefully evaluated. Our study suggests that waste oils or fats can be economical feedstocks for biomanufacturing of many high-value products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Liu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ya-Hue V Soong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Iman Mirzaee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrew Olsen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Peng Yu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hsi-Wu Wong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dongming Xie
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
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Kijpornyongpan T, Aime MC. Investigating the Smuts: Common Cues, Signaling Pathways, and the Role of MAT in Dimorphic Switching and Pathogenesis. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6040368. [PMID: 33339287 PMCID: PMC7766764 DOI: 10.3390/jof6040368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis serves as a model species for studying fungal dimorphism and its role in phytopathogenic development. The pathogen has two growth phases: a saprobic yeast phase and a pathogenic filamentous phase. Dimorphic transition of U. maydis involves complex processes of signal perception, mating, and cellular reprogramming. Recent advances in improvement of reference genomes, high-throughput sequencing and molecular genetics studies have been expanding research in this field. However, the biology of other non-model species is frequently overlooked. This leads to uncertainty regarding how much of what is known in U. maydis is applicable to other dimorphic fungi. In this review, we will discuss dimorphic fungi in the aspects of physiology, reproductive biology, genomics, and molecular genetics. We also perform comparative analyses between U. maydis and other fungi in Ustilaginomycotina, the subphylum to which U. maydis belongs. We find that lipid/hydrophobicity is a potential common cue for dimorphic transition in plant-associated dimorphic fungi. However, genomic profiles alone are not adequate to explain dimorphism across different fungi.
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Martínez-Soto D, Ortiz-Castellanos L, Robledo-Briones M, León-Ramírez CG. Molecular Mechanisms Involved in the Multicellular Growth of Ustilaginomycetes. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1072. [PMID: 32708448 PMCID: PMC7409079 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8071072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Multicellularity is defined as the developmental process by which unicellular organisms became pluricellular during the evolution of complex organisms on Earth. This process requires the convergence of genetic, ecological, and environmental factors. In fungi, mycelial and pseudomycelium growth, snowflake phenotype (where daughter cells remain attached to their stem cells after mitosis), and fruiting bodies have been described as models of multicellular structures. Ustilaginomycetes are Basidiomycota fungi, many of which are pathogens of economically important plant species. These fungi usually grow unicellularly as yeasts (sporidia), but also as simple multicellular forms, such as pseudomycelium, multicellular clusters, or mycelium during plant infection and under different environmental conditions: Nitrogen starvation, nutrient starvation, acid culture media, or with fatty acids as a carbon source. Even under specific conditions, Ustilago maydis can form basidiocarps or fruiting bodies that are complex multicellular structures. These fungi conserve an important set of genes and molecular mechanisms involved in their multicellular growth. In this review, we will discuss in-depth the signaling pathways, epigenetic regulation, required polyamines, cell wall synthesis/degradation, polarized cell growth, and other cellular-genetic processes involved in the different types of Ustilaginomycetes multicellular growth. Finally, considering their short life cycle, easy handling in the laboratory and great morphological plasticity, Ustilaginomycetes can be considered as model organisms for studying fungal multicellularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domingo Martínez-Soto
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Los Reyes, Los Reyes 60300, Mexico
| | - Lucila Ortiz-Castellanos
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato 36821, Mexico; (L.O.-C.); (C.G.L.-R.)
| | - Mariana Robledo-Briones
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Instituto Hispano-Luso de Investigaciones Agrarias (CIALE), Universidad de Salamanca, 37185 Salamanca, Spain;
| | - Claudia Geraldine León-Ramírez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Unidad Irapuato, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato 36821, Mexico; (L.O.-C.); (C.G.L.-R.)
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Threonine synthase CoTHR4 is involved in infection-related morphogenesis during the pre-penetration stage in Colletotrichum orbiculare. Microb Pathog 2019; 137:103746. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.103746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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15
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Hosseinpour Tehrani H, Tharmasothirajan A, Track E, Blank LM, Wierckx N. Engineering the morphology and metabolism of pH tolerant Ustilago cynodontis for efficient itaconic acid production. Metab Eng 2019; 54:293-300. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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16
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Sun S, Deng Y, Cai E, Yan M, Li L, Chen B, Chang C, Jiang Z. The Farnesyltransferase β-Subunit Ram1 Regulates Sporisorium scitamineum Mating, Pathogenicity and Cell Wall Integrity. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:976. [PMID: 31134021 PMCID: PMC6517510 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The basidiomycetous fungus Sporisorium scitamineum causes a serious sugarcane smut disease in major sugarcane growing areas. Sexual mating is essential for infection to the host; however, its underlying molecular mechanism has not been fully studied. In this study, we identified a conserved farnesyltransferase (FTase) β subunit Ram1 in S. scitamineum. The ram1Δ mutant displayed significantly reduced mating/filamentation, thus of weak pathogenicity to the host cane. The ram1Δ mutant sporidia showed more tolerant toward cell wall stressor Congo red compared to that of the wild-type. Transcriptional profiling showed that Congo red treatment resulted in notable up-regulation of the core genes involving in cell wall integrity pathway in ram1Δ sporidia compared with that of WT, indicating that Ram1 may be involved in cell wall integrity regulation. In yeast the heterodimeric FTase is responsible for post-translational modification of Ras (small G protein) and a-factor (pheromone). We also identified and characterized two conserved Ras proteins, Ras1 and Ras2, respectively, and a MAT-1 pheromone precursor Mfa1. The ras1Δ, ras2Δ and mfa1Δ mutants all displayed reduced mating/filamentation similar as the ram1Δ mutant. However, both ras1Δ and ras2Δ mutants were hypersensitive to Congo red while the mfa1Δ mutant was the same as wild-type. Overall our study displayed that RAM1 plays an essential role in S. scitamineum mating/filamentation, pathogenicity, and cell wall stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuquan Sun
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yizhen Deng
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Enping Cai
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meixin Yan
- Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Lingyu Li
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Baoshan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Changqing Chang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zide Jiang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
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17
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Soong YHV, Liu N, Yoon S, Lawton C, Xie D. Cellular and metabolic engineering of oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica for bioconversion of hydrophobic substrates into high-value products. Eng Life Sci 2019; 19:423-443. [PMID: 32625020 DOI: 10.1002/elsc.201800147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The non-conventional oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is able to utilize both hydrophilic and hydrophobic carbon sources as substrates and convert them into value-added bioproducts such as organic acids, extracellular proteins, wax esters, long-chain diacids, fatty acid ethyl esters, carotenoids and omega-3 fatty acids. Metabolic pathway analysis and previous research results show that hydrophobic substrates are potentially more preferred by Y. lipolytica than hydrophilic substrates to make high-value products at higher productivity, titer, rate, and yield. Hence, Y. lipolytica is becoming an efficient and promising biomanufacturing platform due to its capabilities in biosynthesis of extracellular lipases and directly converting the extracellular triacylglycerol oils and fats into high-value products. It is believed that the cell size and morphology of the Y. lipolytica is related to the cell growth, nutrient uptake, and product formation. Dimorphic Y. lipolytica demonstrates the yeast-to-hypha transition in response to the extracellular environments and genetic background. Yeast-to-hyphal transition regulating genes, such as YlBEM1, YlMHY1 and YlZNC1 and so forth, have been identified to involve as major transcriptional factors that control morphology transition in Y. lipolytica. The connection of the cell polarization including cell cycle and the dimorphic transition with the cell size and morphology in Y. lipolytica adapting to new growth are reviewed and discussed. This review also summarizes the general and advanced genetic tools that are used to build a Y. lipolytica biomanufacturing platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Hue Valerie Soong
- Massachusetts Biomanufacturing Center Department of Chemical Engineering University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell MA USA
| | - Na Liu
- Massachusetts Biomanufacturing Center Department of Chemical Engineering University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell MA USA
| | - Seongkyu Yoon
- Massachusetts Biomanufacturing Center Department of Chemical Engineering University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell MA USA
| | - Carl Lawton
- Massachusetts Biomanufacturing Center Department of Chemical Engineering University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell MA USA
| | - Dongming Xie
- Massachusetts Biomanufacturing Center Department of Chemical Engineering University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell MA USA
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18
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Pawlowska TE, Gaspar ML, Lastovetsky OA, Mondo SJ, Real-Ramirez I, Shakya E, Bonfante P. Biology of Fungi and Their Bacterial Endosymbionts. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2018; 56:289-309. [PMID: 30149793 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-080417-045914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Heritable symbioses, in which endosymbiotic bacteria (EB) are transmitted vertically between host generations, are an important source of evolutionary novelties. A primary example of such symbioses is the eukaryotic cell with its EB-derived organelles. Recent discoveries suggest that endosymbiosis-related innovations can be also found in associations formed by early divergent fungi in the phylum Mucoromycota with heritable EB from two classes, Betaproteobacteria and Mollicutes. These symbioses exemplify novel types of host-symbiont interactions. Studies of these partnerships fuel theoretical models describing mechanisms that stabilize heritable symbioses, control the rate of molecular evolution, and enable the establishment of mutualisms. Lastly, by altering host phenotypes and metabolism, these associations represent an important instrument for probing the basic biology of the Mucoromycota hosts, which remain one of the least explored filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa E Pawlowska
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe-Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA;
| | - Maria L Gaspar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Olga A Lastovetsky
- School of Biology and Environmental Science and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Stephen J Mondo
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California 94598, USA
| | | | - Evaniya Shakya
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe-Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA;
| | - Paola Bonfante
- Department of Life Sciences & Systems Biology, University of Torino, 10125 Torino, Italy
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19
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Mondo SJ, Lastovetsky OA, Gaspar ML, Schwardt NH, Barber CC, Riley R, Sun H, Grigoriev IV, Pawlowska TE. Bacterial endosymbionts influence host sexuality and reveal reproductive genes of early divergent fungi. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1843. [PMID: 29184190 PMCID: PMC5705715 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02052-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Many heritable mutualisms, in which beneficial symbionts are transmitted vertically between host generations, originate as antagonisms with parasite dispersal constrained by the host. Only after the parasite gains control over its transmission is the symbiosis expected to transition from antagonism to mutualism. Here, we explore this prediction in the mutualism between the fungus Rhizopus microsporus (Rm, Mucoromycotina) and a beta-proteobacterium Burkholderia, which controls host asexual reproduction. We show that reproductive addiction of Rm to endobacteria extends to mating, and is mediated by the symbiont gaining transcriptional control of the fungal ras2 gene, which encodes a GTPase central to fungal reproductive development. We also discover candidate G-protein-coupled receptors for the perception of trisporic acids, mating pheromones unique to Mucoromycotina. Our results demonstrate that regulating host asexual proliferation and modifying its sexual reproduction are sufficient for the symbiont's control of its own transmission, needed for antagonism-to-mutualism transition in heritable symbioses. These properties establish the Rm-Burkholderia symbiosis as a powerful system for identifying reproductive genes in Mucoromycotina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Mondo
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe-Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- US DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
| | - Olga A Lastovetsky
- Graduate Field of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Maria L Gaspar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Nicole H Schwardt
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe-Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Colin C Barber
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe-Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Robert Riley
- US DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
| | - Hui Sun
- US DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- US DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Teresa E Pawlowska
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe-Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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20
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Gyöngyösi N, Szőke A, Ella K, Káldi K. The small G protein RAS2 is involved in the metabolic compensation of the circadian clock in the circadian model Neurospora crassa. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:14929-14939. [PMID: 28729421 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.804922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence from both experimental and clinical investigations indicates a tight interaction between metabolism and circadian timekeeping; however, knowledge of the underlying mechanism is still incomplete. Metabolic compensation allows circadian oscillators to run with a constant speed at different substrate levels and, therefore, is a substantial criterion of a robust rhythm in a changing environment. Because previous data have suggested a central role of RAS2-mediated signaling in the adaptation of yeast to different nutritional environments, we examined the involvement of RAS2 in the metabolic regulation of the clock in the circadian model organism Neurospora crassa We show that, in a ras2-deficient strain, the period is longer than in the control. Moreover, unlike in the WT, in Δras2, operation of the circadian clock was affected by glucose; compared with starvation conditions, the period was longer and the oscillation of expression of the frequency (frq) gene was dampened. In constant darkness, the delayed phosphorylation of the FRQ protein and the long-lasting accumulation of FRQ in the nucleus were in accordance with the longer period and the less robust rhythm in the mutant. Although glucose did not affect the subcellular distribution of FRQ in the WT, highly elevated FRQ levels were detected in the nucleus in Δras2 RAS2 interacted with the RAS-binding domain of the adenylate cyclase in vitro, and the cAMP analogue 8-bromo-cyclic AMP partially rescued the circadian phenotype in vivo We therefore propose that RAS2 acts via a cAMP-dependent pathway and exerts significant metabolic control on the Neurospora circadian clock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Gyöngyösi
- From the Department of Physiology, Semmelweis University, Tűzoltó u. 37-47, 1094 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anita Szőke
- From the Department of Physiology, Semmelweis University, Tűzoltó u. 37-47, 1094 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Krisztina Ella
- From the Department of Physiology, Semmelweis University, Tűzoltó u. 37-47, 1094 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Krisztina Káldi
- From the Department of Physiology, Semmelweis University, Tűzoltó u. 37-47, 1094 Budapest, Hungary
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21
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Gu Q, Chen M, Huang J, Wei Y, Hsiang T, Zheng L. Multifaceted Roles of the Ras Guanine-Nucleotide Exchange Factor ChRgf in Development, Pathogenesis, and Stress Responses of Colletotrichum higginsianum. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2017; 107:433-443. [PMID: 28026997 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-03-16-0137-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The infection process of Colletotrichum higginsianum, which causes a disease of crucifers, involves several key steps: conidial germination, appressorial formation, appressorial penetration, and invasive growth in host tissues. In this study, the ChRgf gene encoding a Ras guanine-nucleotide exchange factor protein was identified by screening T-DNA insertion mutants generated from Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation that were unable to cause disease on the host Arabidopsis thaliana. Targeted gene deletion of ChRgf resulted in a null mutant (ΔChrgf-42) with defects in vegetative growth, hyphal morphology, and conidiation, and poor surface attachment and low germination on hydrophobic surfaces; however, there were no apparent differences in appressorial turgor pressure between the wild type and the mutant. The conidia of the mutant were unable to geminate on attached Arabidopsis leaves and did not cause any disease symptoms. Intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels in the ΔChrgf mutant were lower than that of the wild type. Our results suggest that ChRgf is a key regulator in response to salt and osmotic stresses in C. higginsianum, and indicate that it is involved in fungal pathogenicity. This gene seems to act as an important modulator upstream of several distinct signaling pathways that are involved in regulating vegetative growth, conidiation, infection-related structure development, and stress responses of C. higginsianum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiongnan Gu
- First, second, and sixth authors: The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China; first and fourth authors: Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5E2, Canada; and fifth author: School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Meijuan Chen
- First, second, and sixth authors: The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China; first and fourth authors: Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5E2, Canada; and fifth author: School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Junbin Huang
- First, second, and sixth authors: The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China; first and fourth authors: Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5E2, Canada; and fifth author: School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Yangdou Wei
- First, second, and sixth authors: The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China; first and fourth authors: Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5E2, Canada; and fifth author: School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Tom Hsiang
- First, second, and sixth authors: The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China; first and fourth authors: Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5E2, Canada; and fifth author: School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Lu Zheng
- First, second, and sixth authors: The Key Lab of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China; first and fourth authors: Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5E2, Canada; and fifth author: School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
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Cheng Y, Yao J, Zhang Y, Li S, Kang Z. Characterization of a Ran gene from Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici involved in fungal growth and anti-cell death. Sci Rep 2016; 6:35248. [PMID: 27734916 PMCID: PMC5062253 DOI: 10.1038/srep35248] [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: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Ran, an important family of small GTP-binding proteins, has been shown to regulate a variety of important cellular processes in many eukaryotes. However, little is known about Ran function in pathogenic fungi. In this study, we report the identification and functional analysis of a Ran gene (designated PsRan) from Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), an important fungal pathogen affecting wheat production worldwide. The PsRan protein contains all conserved domains of Ran GTPases and shares more than 70% identity with Ran proteins from other organisms, indicating that Ran proteins are conserved in different organisms. PsRan shows a low level of intra-species polymorphism and is localized to the nucleus. qRT-PCR analysis showed that transcript level of PsRan was induced in planta during Pst infection. Silencing of PsRan did not alter Pst virulence phenotype but impeded fungal growth of Pst. In addition, heterologous overexpression of PsRan in plant failed to induce cell death but suppressed cell death triggered by a mouse BAX gene or a Pst Ras gene. Our results suggest that PsRan is involved in the regulation of fungal growth and anti-cell death, which provides significant insight into Ran function in pathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Juanni Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yanru Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shumin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhensheng Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
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23
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Cheng Y, Wang W, Yao J, Huang L, Voegele RT, Wang X, Kang Z. Two distinct Ras genes from Puccinia striiformis
exhibit differential roles in rust pathogenicity and cell death. Environ Microbiol 2016; 18:3910-3922. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Life Sciences; Northwest A&F University; Yangling Shaanxi 712100 People's Republic of China
| | - Wumei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection; Northwest A&F University; Yangling Shaanxi 712100 People's Republic of China
| | - Juanni Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection; Northwest A&F University; Yangling Shaanxi 712100 People's Republic of China
| | - Lili Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection; Northwest A&F University; Yangling Shaanxi 712100 People's Republic of China
| | - Ralf T. Voegele
- Fachgebiet Phytopathologie, Fakultät Agrarwissenschaften, Institut für Phytomedizin, Universität Hohenheim; Stuttgart Germany
| | - Xiaojie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection; Northwest A&F University; Yangling Shaanxi 712100 People's Republic of China
| | - Zhensheng Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection; Northwest A&F University; Yangling Shaanxi 712100 People's Republic of China
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Talas F, Kalih R, Miedaner T, McDonald BA. Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Novel Candidate Genes for Aggressiveness, Deoxynivalenol Production, and Azole Sensitivity in Natural Field Populations of Fusarium graminearum. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2016; 29:417-30. [PMID: 26959837 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-09-15-0218-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies can identify novel genomic regions and genes that affect quantitative traits. Fusarium head blight is a destructive disease caused by Fusarium graminearum that exhibits several quantitative traits, including aggressiveness, mycotoxin production, and fungicide resistance. Restriction site-associated DNA sequencing was performed for 220 isolates of F. graminearum. A total of 119 isolates were phenotyped for aggressiveness and deoxynivalenol (DON) production under natural field conditions across four environments. The effective concentration of propiconazole that inhibits isolate growth in vitro by 50% was calculated for 220 strains. Approximately 29,000 single nucleotide polymorphism markers were associated to each trait, resulting in 50, 29, and 74 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) that were significantly associated to aggressiveness, DON production, and propiconazole sensitivity, respectively. Approximately 41% of these QTNs caused nonsynonymous substitutions in predicted exons, while the remainder were synonymous substitutions or located in intergenic regions. Three QTNs associated with propiconazole sensitivity were significant after Bonferroni correction. These QTNs were located in genes not previously associated with azole sensitivity. The majority of the detected QTNs were located in genes with predicted regulatory functions, suggesting that nucleotide variation in regulatory genes plays a major role in the corresponding quantitative trait variation.
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25
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Liu T, Wang Y, Ma B, Hou J, Jin Y, Zhang Y, Ke X, Tai L, Zuo Y, Dey K. Clg2p interacts with Clf and ClUrase to regulate appressorium formation, pathogenicity and conidial morphology in Curvularia lunata. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24047. [PMID: 27041392 PMCID: PMC4819193 DOI: 10.1038/srep24047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Ras is a small GTPase that regulates numerous processes in the cellular development and morphogenesis of many organisms. In this study, we identified and functionally characterized the Clg2p gene of Curvularia lunata, which is homologous with the Ras protein. The Clg2p deletion mutant (ΔClg2p) had altered appressorium formation and conidial morphology and produced fewer, smaller lesions compared with the wild-type strain. When a dominant Clg2p allele was introduced into the mutant, all of these defective phenotypes were completely restored. To further understand the regulation of Clg2p in appressorium formation and conidial morphology, and its role in pathogenicity, seven Clg2p-interacting proteins were screened using a yeast two-hybrid assay. Two of these proteins, Clf, a homologue of Mst11, which corresponds to MAP kinase kinase kinase in Magnaporthe oryzae, and urate oxidase (designated ClUrase) were functionally characterized. Clg2p specifically interacted with Clf through its RA domain to regulate appressorium formation and pathogenicity, whereas the Clg2p-ClUrase interaction regulated conidial morphology without affecting fungal pathogenicity. This report is the first to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of the key Ras protein Clg2p in C. lunata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Liu
- Institute of Plant Pathology and Applied Microbiology, School of Agronomy, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, Heilongjiang, 163319, P. R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Regions, Northwest A &F University, Yangling, Shanxi, 712100, P. R. China
| | - Yuying Wang
- Institute of Plant Pathology and Applied Microbiology, School of Agronomy, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, Heilongjiang, 163319, P. R. China
| | - Bingchen Ma
- Institute of Plant Pathology and Applied Microbiology, School of Agronomy, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, Heilongjiang, 163319, P. R. China
| | - Jumei Hou
- Institute of Plant Pathology and Applied Microbiology, School of Agronomy, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, Heilongjiang, 163319, P. R. China
| | - Yazhong Jin
- Institute of Plant Pathology and Applied Microbiology, School of Agronomy, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, Heilongjiang, 163319, P. R. China
| | - Youli Zhang
- Institute of Plant Pathology and Applied Microbiology, School of Agronomy, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, Heilongjiang, 163319, P. R. China
| | - Xiwang Ke
- National Coarse Cereals Engineering Research Center, Daqing, Heilongjiang, 163319, P. R. China
| | - Lianmei Tai
- Institute of Plant Pathology and Applied Microbiology, School of Agronomy, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, Heilongjiang, 163319, P. R. China
| | - Yuhu Zuo
- Institute of Plant Pathology and Applied Microbiology, School of Agronomy, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, Heilongjiang, 163319, P. R. China
| | - Kishore Dey
- Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
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Guan Y, Wang DY, Ying SH, Feng MG. A novel Ras GTPase (Ras3) regulates conidiation, multi-stress tolerance and virulence by acting upstream of Hog1 signaling pathway in Beauveria bassiana. Fungal Genet Biol 2015; 82:85-94. [PMID: 26162967 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2015] [Revised: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Two Ras ATPases (Ras1 and Ras2) are well known to regulate antagonistically or cooperatively various cellular events in many fungi. Here we show the significance of a novel Ras homolog (Ras3) for Beauveria bassiana. Ras3 possesses five domains and two GTP/GDP switches typical for Ras family and was proven to localize to plasma membrane despite the position change of a membrane-targeting cysteine in C-terminal CAAX motif. Deletion of ras3 altered temporal transcription pattern of ras1 instead of ras2. Compared with wild-type, Δras3 grew significantly faster in a rich medium but slower in some minimal media, and produced far fewer conidia with impaired quality, which was evident with slower germination, attenuated virulence, reduced thermotolerance and decreased UV-B resistance. Moreover, Δras3 was much more sensitive to the oxidative stress of menadione than of H2O2 and to the stress of high osmolarity than of cell wall perturbation during growth. The high sensitivity of Δras3 to menadione was concurrent with reductions in both gene transcripts and total activity of superoxide dismutases. Intriguingly, the high osmosensitivity was concurrent with not only reduced transcripts of a critical transcription factor (Msn2) and most signaling proteins in the high-osmolarity-glycerol pathway of Δras3 but nearly undetectable phosphorylation signal of Hog1 hallmarking the pathway. All the changes were restored by ras3 complementation. Taken together, Ras3 is involved in the Hog1 pathway required for osmoregulation and hence can positively regulate conidiation, germination, multi-stress tolerance and virulence linked to the biological control potential of the filamentous insect pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Guan
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Ding-Yi Wang
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Sheng-Hua Ying
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming-Guang Feng
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China.
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Arkowitz RA, Bassilana M. Regulation of hyphal morphogenesis by Ras and Rho small GTPases. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2015.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Ras GTPase activating protein CoIra1 is involved in infection-related morphogenesis by regulating cAMP and MAPK signaling pathways through CoRas2 in Colletotrichum orbiculare. PLoS One 2014; 9:e109045. [PMID: 25275394 PMCID: PMC4183519 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Colletotrichum orbiculare is the causative agent of anthracnose disease on cucurbitaceous plants. Several signaling pathways, including cAMP–PKA and mitogen-activating protein kinase (MAPK) pathways are involved in the infection-related morphogenesis and pathogenicity of C. orbiculare. However, upstream regulators of these pathways for this species remain unidentified. In this study, CoIRA1, encoding RAS GTPase activating protein, was identified by screening the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (AtMT) mutant, which was defective in the pathogenesis of C. orbiculare. The coira1 disrupted mutant showed an abnormal infection-related morphogenesis and attenuated pathogenesis. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Ira1/2 inactivates Ras1/2, which activates adenylate cyclase, leading to the synthesis of cAMP. Increase in the intracellular cAMP levels in coira1 mutants and dominant active forms of CoRAS2 introduced transformants indicated that CoIra1 regulates intracellular cAMP levels through CoRas2. Moreover, the phenotypic analysis of transformants that express dominant active form CoRAS2 in the comekk1 mutant or a dominant active form CoMEKK1 in the coras2 mutant indicated that CoRas2 regulates the MAPK CoMekk1–Cmk1 signaling pathway. The CoRas2 localization pattern in vegetative hyphae of the coira1 mutant was similar to that of the wild-type, expressing a dominant active form of RFP–CoRAS2. Moreover, we demonstrated that bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) signals between CoIra1 and CoRas2 were detected in the plasma membrane of vegetative hyphae. Therefore, it is likely that CoIra1 negatively regulates CoRas2 in vegetative hyphae. Furthermore, cytological analysis of the localization of CoIraI and CoRas2 revealed the dynamic cellular localization of the proteins that leads to proper assembly of F-actin at appressorial pore required for successful penetration peg formation through the pore. Thus, our results indicated that CoIra1 is involved in infection-related morphogenesis and pathogenicity by proper regulation of cAMP and MAPK signaling pathways through CoRas2.
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Zhou X, Zhao X, Xue C, Dai Y, Xu JR. Bypassing both surface attachment and surface recognition requirements for appressorium formation by overactive ras signaling in Magnaporthe oryzae. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2014; 27:996-1004. [PMID: 24835254 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-02-14-0052-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Magnaporthe oryzae forms a highly specialized infection structure called an appressorium for plant penetration. In M. oryzae and many other plant-pathogenic fungi, surface attachment and surface recognition are two essential requirements for appressorium formation. Development of appressoria in the air has not been reported. In this study, we found that expression of a dominant active MoRAS2(G18V) allele in M. oryzae resulted in the formation of morphologically abnormal appressoria on nonconducive surfaces, in liquid suspensions, and on aerial hyphae without attachment to hard surfaces. Both the Pmk1 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade and cAMP signaling pathways that regulate surface recognition and appressorium morphogenesis in M. oryzae were overactivated in the MoRAS2(G18V) transformant. In mutants deleted of PMK1 or CPKA, expression of MoRAS2(G18V) had no significant effects on appressorium morphogenesis. Furthermore, expression of dominant MoRAS2 in Colletotrichum graminicola and C. gloeosporioides also caused the formation of appressorium-like structures in aerial hyphae. Overall, our data indicate that MoRas2 functions upstream from both the cAMP-PKA and Pmk1 pathways and overactive Ras signaling leads to improper activation of these two pathways and appressorium formation without surface attachment in appressorium-forming pathogens.
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Martin SG, Arkowitz RA. Cell polarization in budding and fission yeasts. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2014; 38:228-53. [DOI: 10.1111/1574-6976.12055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2013] [Revised: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Turrà D, Segorbe D, Di Pietro A. Protein kinases in plant-pathogenic fungi: conserved regulators of infection. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2014; 52:267-88. [PMID: 25090477 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-102313-050143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Phytopathogenic fungi have evolved an amazing diversity of infection modes and nutritional strategies, yet the signaling pathways that govern pathogenicity are remarkably conserved. Protein kinases (PKs) catalyze the reversible phosphorylation of proteins, regulating a variety of cellular processes. Here, we present an overview of our current understanding of the different classes of PKs that contribute to fungal pathogenicity on plants and of the mechanisms that regulate and coordinate PK activity during infection-related development. In addition to the well-studied PK modules, such as MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) and cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate)-PKA (protein kinase A) cascades, we also discuss new PK pathways that have emerged in recent years as key players of pathogenic development and disease. Understanding how conserved PK signaling networks have been recruited during the evolution of fungal pathogenicity not only advances our knowledge of the highly elaborate infection process but may also lead to the development of novel strategies for the control of plant disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Turrà
- Departamento de Genética and Campus de Excelencia Agroalimentario (ceiA3), Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain; , ,
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Li M, Li YQ, Zhao XF, Gao XD. Roles of the three Ras proteins in the regulation of dimorphic transition in the yeastYarrowia lipolytica. FEMS Yeast Res 2013; 14:451-63. [DOI: 10.1111/1567-1364.12129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Revised: 11/28/2013] [Accepted: 12/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Department of Microbiology; College of Life Sciences; Wuhan University; Wuhan China
| | - Yun-Qing Li
- Department of Microbiology; College of Life Sciences; Wuhan University; Wuhan China
| | - Xiao-Feng Zhao
- Department of Microbiology; College of Life Sciences; Wuhan University; Wuhan China
| | - Xiang-Dong Gao
- Department of Microbiology; College of Life Sciences; Wuhan University; Wuhan China
- Hubei Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation; Wuhan China
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Involvement of Botrytis cinerea small GTPases BcRAS1 and BcRAC in differentiation, virulence, and the cell cycle. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2013; 12:1609-18. [PMID: 24096906 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00160-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Small GTPases of the Ras superfamily are highly conserved proteins that are involved in various cellular processes, in particular morphogenesis, differentiation, and polar growth. Here we report on the analysis of RAS1 and RAC homologues from the gray mold fungus Botrytis cinerea. We show that these small GTPases are individually necessary for polar growth, reproduction, and pathogenicity, required for cell cycle progression through mitosis (BcRAC), and may lie upstream of the stress-related mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. bcras1 and bcrac deletion strains had reduced growth rates, and their hyphae were hyperbranched and deformed. In addition, both strains were vegetatively sterile and nonpathogenic. A strain expressing a constitutively active (CA) allele of the BcRAC protein had partially similar but milder phenotypes. Similar to the deletion strains, the CA-BcRAC strain did not produce any conidia and had swollen hyphae. In contrast to the two deletion strains, however, the growth rate of the CA-BcRAC strain was normal, and it caused delayed but well-developed disease symptoms. Microscopic examination revealed an increased number of nuclei and disturbance of actin localization in the CA-BcRAC strain. Further work with cell cycle- and RAC-specific inhibitory compounds associated the BcRAC protein with progression of the cell cycle through mitosis, possibly via an effect on microtubules. Together, these results show that the multinucleate phenotype of the CA-BcRAC strain could result from at least two defects: disruption of polar growth through disturbed actin localization and uncontrolled nuclear division due to constitutive activity of BcRAC.
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Ballou ER, Kozubowski L, Nichols CB, Alspaugh JA. Ras1 acts through duplicated Cdc42 and Rac proteins to regulate morphogenesis and pathogenesis in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003687. [PMID: 23950731 PMCID: PMC3738472 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2012] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Proliferation and morphogenesis in eukaryotic cells depend on the concerted activity of Rho-type GTPases, including Ras, Cdc42, and Rac. The sexually dimorphic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans, which encodes paralogous, non-essential copies of all three, provides a unique model in which to examine the interactions of these conserved proteins. Previously, we demonstrated that RAS1 mediates C. neoformans virulence by acting as a central regulator of both thermotolerance and mating. We report here that ras1Δ mutants accumulate defects in polarized growth, cytokinesis, and cell cycle progression. We demonstrate that the ras1Δ defects in thermotolerance and mating can be largely explained by the compromised activity of four downstream Rho-GTPases: the Cdc42 paralogs, Cdc42 and Cdc420; and the Rac paralogs, Rac1 and Rac2. Further, we demonstrate that the separate GTPase classes play distinct Ras-dependent roles in C. neoformans morphogenesis and pathogenesis. Cdc42 paralogs primarily control septin localization and cytokinesis, while Rac paralogs play a primary role in polarized cell growth. Together, these duplicate, related signaling proteins provide a robust system to allow microbial proliferation in the presence of host-derived cell stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Ripley Ballou
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Lukasz Kozubowski
- Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Connie B. Nichols
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - J. Andrew Alspaugh
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
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Knabe N, Jung EM, Freihorst D, Hennicke F, Horton JS, Kothe E. A central role for Ras1 in morphogenesis of the basidiomycete Schizophyllum commune. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2013; 12:941-52. [PMID: 23606288 PMCID: PMC3675993 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00355-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2012] [Accepted: 04/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Fungi have been used as model systems to define general processes in eukaryotes, for example, the one gene-one enzyme hypothesis, as well as to study polar growth or pathogenesis. Here, we show a central role for the regulator protein Ras in a mushroom-forming, filamentous basidiomycete linking growth, pheromone signaling, sexual development, and meiosis to different signal transduction pathways. ras1 and Ras-specific gap1 mutants were generated and used to modify the intracellular activation state of the Ras module. Transformants containing constitutive ras1 alleles (ras1(G12V) and ras1(Q61L)), as well as their compatible mating interactions, did show strong phenotypes for growth (associated with Cdc42 signaling) and mating (associated with mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling). Normal fruiting bodies with abnormal spores exhibiting a reduced germination rate were produced by outcrossing of these mutant strains. Homozygous Δgap1 primordia, expected to experience increased Ras signaling, showed overlapping phenotypes with a block in basidium development and meiosis. Investigation of cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase A indicated that constitutively active ras1, as well as Δgap1 mutant strains, exhibit a strong increase in Tpk activity. Ras1-dependent, cAMP-mediated signal transduction is, in addition to the known signaling pathways, involved in fruiting body formation in Schizophyllum commune. To integrate these analyses of Ras signaling, microarray studies were performed. Mutant strains containing constitutively active Ras1, deletion of RasGap1, or constitutively active Cdc42 were characterized and compared. At the transcriptome level, specific regulation highlighting the phenotypic differences of the mutants is clearly visible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Knabe
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Elke-Martina Jung
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Daniela Freihorst
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Florian Hennicke
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Junior Research Group Fundamental Molecular Biology of Pathogenic Fungi, Jena, Germany
| | - J. Stephen Horton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Science and Engineering Center, Union College, Schenectady, New York, USA
| | - Erika Kothe
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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Zhang J, Zhang Y, Zhong Y, Qu Y, Wang T. Ras GTPases modulate morphogenesis, sporulation and cellulase gene expression in the cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma reesei. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48786. [PMID: 23152805 PMCID: PMC3494722 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The model cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma reesei (teleomorph Hypocrea jecorina) is capable of responding to environmental cues to compete for nutrients in its natural saprophytic habitat despite its genome encodes fewer degradative enzymes. Efficient signalling pathways in perception and interpretation of environmental signals are indispensable in this process. Ras GTPases represent a kind of critical signal proteins involved in signal transduction and regulation of gene expression. In T. reesei the genome contains two Ras subfamily small GTPases TrRas1 and TrRas2 homologous to Ras1 and Ras2 from S. cerevisiae, but their functions remain unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we have investigated the roles of GTPases TrRas1 and TrRas2 during fungal morphogenesis and cellulase gene expression. We show that both TrRas1 and TrRas2 play important roles in some cellular processes such as polarized apical growth, hyphal branch formation, sporulation and cAMP level adjustment, while TrRas1 is more dominant in these processes. Strikingly, we find that TrRas2 is involved in modulation of cellulase gene expression. Deletion of TrRas2 results in considerably decreased transcription of cellulolytic genes upon growth on cellulose. Although the strain carrying a constitutively activated TrRas2G16V allele exhibits increased cellulase gene transcription, the cbh1 and cbh2 expression in this mutant still strictly depends on cellulose, indicating TrRas2 does not directly mediate the transmission of the cellulose signal. In addition, our data suggest that the effect of TrRas2 on cellulase gene is exerted through regulation of transcript abundance of cellulase transcription factors such as Xyr1, but the influence is independent of cAMP signalling pathway. Conclusions/Significance Together, these findings elucidate the functions for Ras signalling of T. reesei in cellular morphogenesis, especially in cellulase gene expression, which contribute to deciphering the powerful competitive ability of plant cell wall degrading fungi in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yinbo Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- * E-mail: (YQ); (TW)
| | - Tianhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- * E-mail: (YQ); (TW)
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Potenza L, Saltarelli R, Polidori E, Ceccaroli P, Amicucci A, Zeppa S, Zambonelli A, Stocchi V. Effect of 300 mT static and 50 Hz 0.1 mT extremely low frequency magnetic fields on Tuber borchii mycelium. Can J Microbiol 2012; 58:1174-82. [DOI: 10.1139/w2012-093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The present work aimed to investigate whether exposure to static magnetic field (SMF) and extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) can induce biomolecular changes on Tuber borchii hyphal growth. Tuber borchii mycelium was exposed for 1 h for 3 consecutive days to a SMF of 300 mT or an ELF-MF of 0.1 mT 50 Hz. Gene expression and biochemical analyses were performed. In mycelia exposed to ELF-MF, some genes involved in hyphal growth, investigated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, were upregulated, and the activity of many glycolytic enzymes was increased. On the contrary, no differences were observed in gene expression after exposure to SMF treatment, and only the activities of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and hexokinase increased. The data herein presented suggest that the electromagnetic field can act as an environmental factor in promoting hyphal growth and can be used for applicative purposes, such as the set up of new in vitro cultivation techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Potenza
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Universiy of Urbino “Carlo Bo,” Via A. Saffi 2, 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - Roberta Saltarelli
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Universiy of Urbino “Carlo Bo,” Via A. Saffi 2, 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - Emanuela Polidori
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Universiy of Urbino “Carlo Bo,” Via A. Saffi 2, 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - Paola Ceccaroli
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Universiy of Urbino “Carlo Bo,” Via A. Saffi 2, 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - Antonella Amicucci
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Universiy of Urbino “Carlo Bo,” Via A. Saffi 2, 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - Sabrina Zeppa
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Universiy of Urbino “Carlo Bo,” Via A. Saffi 2, 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - Alessandra Zambonelli
- Department of Agri-food Protection and Improvement, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Vilberto Stocchi
- Department of Biomolecular Science, Universiy of Urbino “Carlo Bo,” Via A. Saffi 2, 61029 Urbino, Italy
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Xie XQ, Guan Y, Ying SH, Feng MG. Differentiated functions of Ras1 and Ras2 proteins in regulating the germination, growth, conidiation, multi-stress tolerance and virulence of Beauveria bassiana. Environ Microbiol 2012; 15:447-62. [PMID: 22958161 DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2012.02871.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2012] [Revised: 08/08/2012] [Accepted: 08/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Ras1 and Ras2 are two distinct Ras GTPases in Beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus whose biocontrol potential against insect pests depends largely on virulence and multi-stress tolerance. The functions of both proteins were characterized for the first time by constructing dominant-active (GTP-bound) Ras1(G19V) and dominant-negative (GDP-bound) Ras1(D126A) and integrating them and normal Ras1 into wild type and ΔRas2 for a series of phenotypic and transcriptional analyses. The resultant mutants showed gradient changes of multiple phenotypes but little difference in conidial thermotolerance. Expression of Ras1(D126A) caused vigorous hyphal growth, severely defective conidiation, and increased tolerances to oxidation, cell wall disturbance, fungicide and UV-A/UV-B irradiations, but affected slightly germination, osmosensitivity and virulence. These phenotypes were antagonistically altered by mRas1(G19V) expressed in either wild type or ΔRas2, which was severely defective in conidial germination and hyphal growth and displayed intermediate changes in other mentioned phenotypes between paired mutants expressing Ras1(G19V) or Ras1(D126A) in wild type and ΔRas2. Their growth, UV tolerance or virulence was significantly correlated with cellular response to oxidation or cell wall disturbance. Transcriptional changes of 35 downstream effector genes involved in conidiation and multi-stress responses also related to most of the phenotypic changes among the mutants. Our findings highlight that Ras1 and Ras2 regulate differentially or antagonistically the germination, growth, conidiation, multi-stress tolerance and virulence of B. bassiana, thereby exerting profound effects on the fungal biocontrol potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Qin Xie
- Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang, China
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Raudaskoski M, Kothe E, Fowler TJ, Jung EM, Horton JS. Ras and Rho small G proteins: insights from the Schizophyllum commune genome sequence and comparisons to other fungi. Biotechnol Genet Eng Rev 2012; 28:61-100. [PMID: 22616482 DOI: 10.5661/bger-28-61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Unlike in animal cells and yeasts, the Ras and Rho small G proteins and their regulators have not received extensive research attention in the case of the filamentous fungi. In an effort to begin to rectify this deficiency, the genome sequence of the basidiomycete mushroom Schizophyllum commune was searched for all known components of the Ras and Rho signalling pathways. The results of this study should provide an impetus for further detailed investigations into their role in polarized hyphal growth, sexual reproduction and fruiting body development. These processes have long been the targets for genetic and cell biological research in this fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjatta Raudaskoski
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Biocity A, Tykistökatu 6A, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
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Hamel LP, Nicole MC, Duplessis S, Ellis BE. Mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling in plant-interacting fungi: distinct messages from conserved messengers. THE PLANT CELL 2012; 24:1327-51. [PMID: 22517321 PMCID: PMC3398478 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.112.096156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2012] [Revised: 03/15/2012] [Accepted: 03/28/2012] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are evolutionarily conserved proteins that function as key signal transduction components in fungi, plants, and mammals. During interaction between phytopathogenic fungi and plants, fungal MAPKs help to promote mechanical and/or enzymatic penetration of host tissues, while plant MAPKs are required for activation of plant immunity. However, new insights suggest that MAPK cascades in both organisms do not operate independently but that they mutually contribute to a highly interconnected molecular dialogue between the plant and the fungus. As a result, some pathogenesis-related processes controlled by fungal MAPKs lead to the activation of plant signaling, including the recruitment of plant MAPK cascades. Conversely, plant MAPKs promote defense mechanisms that threaten the survival of fungal cells, leading to a stress response mediated in part by fungal MAPK cascades. In this review, we make use of the genomic data available following completion of whole-genome sequencing projects to analyze the structure of MAPK protein families in 24 fungal taxa, including both plant pathogens and mycorrhizal symbionts. Based on conserved patterns of sequence diversification, we also propose the adoption of a unified fungal MAPK nomenclature derived from that established for the model species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Finally, we summarize current knowledge of the functions of MAPK cascades in phytopathogenic fungi and highlight the central role played by MAPK signaling during the molecular dialogue between plants and invading fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis-Philippe Hamel
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1K 2R1, Canada.
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Zhang SR, Hao ZM, Wang LH, Shen S, Cao ZY, Xin YY, Hou ML, Gu SQ, Han JM, Dong JG. StRas2 regulates morphogenesis, conidiation and appressorium development in Setosphaeria turcica. Microbiol Res 2012; 167:478-86. [PMID: 22444434 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2012.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2012] [Revised: 02/22/2012] [Accepted: 02/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The proteins of Ras family are a large group of monomeric GTPases and act as molecular switches transducing extracellular signals into the cell in higher eukaryotes. However, little is known about roles of Ras family in the foliar pathogens. In this research, we cloned the gene named StRas2 encoding Ras in Setosphaeria turcica and investigated its function by RNA interference technology. We found that the growth rate of RNAi transformants named as R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6, in which the StRas2 silencing efficiency fell in turn. With the highest silencing efficiency, the transformant R1 showed anomalistic hyphae morphology, indicating its growth was significantly affected. The transformants with a middle-silencing efficiency, such as R3, R4, displayed a delay when forming appressoria and invasive hyphae. R1 could not form conidia and appressoria. However, the conidial formation in R5 and R6 was significantly reduced, and these two transformants could form appressoria and penetrate the artificial cellophane, only that its invasive hyphae were fascicular and rarely branched. The HT-toxin biological activity of all transformants showed no difference. All results suggested that StRas2 is involved in the morphogenesis, conidiation, and appressorium development and is not related to the biosynthesis of HT-toxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Ru Zhang
- Mycotoxins and Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China
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Amicucci A, Balestrini R, Kohler A, Barbieri E, Saltarelli R, Faccio A, Roberson RW, Bonfante P, Stocchi V. Hyphal and cytoskeleton polarization in Tuber melanosporum: A genomic and cellular analysis. Fungal Genet Biol 2011; 48:561-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2010.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2010] [Revised: 12/04/2010] [Accepted: 12/07/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Zhang H, Liu K, Zhang X, Tang W, Wang J, Guo M, Zhao Q, Zheng X, Wang P, Zhang Z. Two phosphodiesterase genes, PDEL and PDEH, regulate development and pathogenicity by modulating intracellular cyclic AMP levels in Magnaporthe oryzae. PLoS One 2011; 6:e17241. [PMID: 21386978 PMCID: PMC3046207 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2010] [Accepted: 01/22/2011] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling plays an important role in regulating multiple cellular responses, such as growth, morphogenesis, and/or pathogenicity of eukaryotic organisms such as fungi. As a second messenger, cAMP is important in the activation of downstream effector molecules. The balance of intracellular cAMP levels depends on biosynthesis by adenylyl cyclases (ACs) and hydrolysis by cAMP phosphodiesterases (PDEases). The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae contains a high-affinity (PdeH/Pde2) and a low-affinity (PdeL/Pde1) PDEases, and a previous study showed that PdeH has a major role in asexual differentiation and pathogenicity. Here, we show that PdeL is required for asexual development and conidial morphology, and it also plays a minor role in regulating cAMP signaling. This is in contrast to PdeH whose mutation resulted in major defects in conidial morphology, cell wall integrity, and surface hydrophobicity, as well as a significant reduction in pathogenicity. Consistent with both PdeH and PdeL functioning in cAMP signaling, disruption of PDEH only partially rescued the mutant phenotype of ΔmagB and Δpka1. Further studies suggest that PdeH might function through a feedback mechanism to regulate the expression of pathogenicity factor Mpg1 during surface hydrophobicity and pathogenic development. Moreover, microarray data revealed new insights into the underlying cAMP regulatory mechanisms that may help to identify potential pathogenicity factors for the development of new disease management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifeng Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
| | - Kaiyue Liu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
| | - Xing Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei Tang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiansheng Wang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
| | - Min Guo
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
| | - Qian Zhao
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaobo Zheng
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Pediatrics and the Research Institute for Children, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Zhengguang Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
- * E-mail:
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Ramanujam R, Naqvi NI. PdeH, a high-affinity cAMP phosphodiesterase, is a key regulator of asexual and pathogenic differentiation in Magnaporthe oryzae. PLoS Pathog 2010; 6:e1000897. [PMID: 20463817 PMCID: PMC2865543 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2009] [Accepted: 04/05/2010] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic AMP-dependent pathways mediate the communication between external stimuli and the intracellular signaling machinery, thereby influencing important aspects of cellular growth, morphogenesis and differentiation. Crucial to proper function and robustness of these signaling cascades is the strict regulation and maintenance of intracellular levels of cAMP through a fine balance between biosynthesis (by adenylate cyclases) and hydrolysis (by cAMP phosphodiesterases). We functionally characterized gene-deletion mutants of a high-affinity (PdeH) and a low-affinity (PdeL) cAMP phosphodiesterase in order to gain insights into the spatial and temporal regulation of cAMP signaling in the rice-blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. In contrast to the expendable PdeL function, the PdeH activity was found to be a key regulator of asexual and pathogenic development in M. oryzae. Loss of PdeH led to increased accumulation of intracellular cAMP during vegetative and infectious growth. Furthermore, the pdeHDelta showed enhanced conidiation (2-3 fold), precocious appressorial development, loss of surface dependency during pathogenesis, and highly reduced in planta growth and host colonization. A pdeHDelta pdeLDelta mutant showed reduced conidiation, exhibited dramatically increased (approximately 10 fold) cAMP levels relative to the wild type, and was completely defective in virulence. Exogenous addition of 8-Br-cAMP to the wild type simulated the pdeHDelta defects in conidiation as well as in planta growth and development. While a fully functional GFP-PdeH was cytosolic but associated dynamically with the plasma membrane and vesicular compartments, the GFP-PdeL localized predominantly to the nucleus. Based on data from cAMP measurements and Real-Time RTPCR, we uncover a PdeH-dependent biphasic regulation of cAMP levels during early and late stages of appressorial development in M. oryzae. We propose that PdeH-mediated sustenance and dynamic regulation of cAMP signaling during M. oryzae development is crucial for successful establishment and spread of the blast disease in rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravikrishna Ramanujam
- Fungal Patho-Biology Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Naweed I. Naqvi
- Fungal Patho-Biology Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
The genome sequences of the basidiomycete Agaricomycetes species Coprinopsis cinerea, Laccaria bicolor, Schizophyllum commune, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and Postia placenta, as well as of Cryptococcus neoformans and Ustilago maydis, are now publicly available. Out of these fungi, C. cinerea, S. commune, and U. maydis, together with the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, have been investigated for years genetically and molecularly for signaling in sexual reproduction. The comparison of the structure and organization of mating type genes in fungal genomes reveals an amazing conservation of genes regulating the sexual reproduction throughout the fungal kingdom. In agaricomycetes, two mating type loci, A, coding for homeodomain type transcription factors, and B, encoding a pheromone/receptor system, regulate the four typical mating interactions of tetrapolar species. Evidence for both A and B mating type genes can also be identified in basidiomycetes with bipolar systems, where only two mating interactions are seen. In some of these fungi, the B locus has lost its self/nonself discrimination ability and thus its specificity while retaining the other regulatory functions in development. In silico analyses now also permit the identification of putative components of the pheromone-dependent signaling pathways. Induction of these signaling cascades leads to development of dikaryotic mycelia, fruiting body formation, and meiotic spore production. In pheromone-dependent signaling, the role of heterotrimeric G proteins, components of a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, and cyclic AMP-dependent pathways can now be defined. Additionally, the pheromone-dependent signaling through monomeric, small GTPases potentially involved in creating the polarized cytoskeleton for reciprocal nuclear exchange and migration during mating is predicted.
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Hammami W, Chain F, Michaud D, Bélanger RR. Proteomic analysis of the metabolic adaptation of the biocontrol agent Pseudozyma flocculosa leading to glycolipid production. Proteome Sci 2010; 8:7. [PMID: 20181132 PMCID: PMC2830954 DOI: 10.1186/1477-5956-8-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2009] [Accepted: 02/09/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The yeast-like epiphytic fungus Pseudozyma flocculosa is known to antagonize powdery mildew fungi through proliferation on colonies presumably preceded by the release of an antifungal glycolipid (flocculosin). In culture conditions, P. flocculosa can be induced to produce or not flocculosin through manipulation of the culture medium nutrients. In order to characterize and understand the metabolic changes in P. flocculosa linked to glycolipid production, we conducted a 2-DE proteomic analysis and compared the proteomic profile of P. flocculosa growing under conditions favoring the development of the fungus (control) or conducive to flocculosin synthesis (stress). A large number of protein spots (771) were detected in protein extracts of the control treatment compared to only 435 matched protein spots in extracts of the stress cultures, which clearly suggests an important metabolic reorganization in slow-growing cells producing flocculosin. From the latter treatment, we were able to identify 21 protein spots that were either specific to the treatment or up-regulated significantly (2-fold increase). All of them were identified based on similarity between predicted ORF of the newly sequenced genome of P. flocculosa with Ustilago maydis' available annotated sequences. These proteins were associated with the carbon and fatty acid metabolism, and also with the filamentous change of the fungus leading to flocculosin production. This first look into the proteome of P. flocculosa suggests that flocculosin synthesis is elicited in response to specific stress or limiting conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walid Hammami
- Département de Phytologie, Centre de recherche en horticulture, Université Laval, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
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Rispail N, Soanes DM, Ant C, Czajkowski R, Grünler A, Huguet R, Perez-Nadales E, Poli A, Sartorel E, Valiante V, Yang M, Beffa R, Brakhage AA, Gow NAR, Kahmann R, Lebrun MH, Lenasi H, Perez-Martin J, Talbot NJ, Wendland J, Di Pietro A. Comparative genomics of MAP kinase and calcium-calcineurin signalling components in plant and human pathogenic fungi. Fungal Genet Biol 2009; 46:287-98. [PMID: 19570501 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2009.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2008] [Revised: 01/16/2009] [Accepted: 01/17/2009] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades and the calcium-calcineurin pathway control fundamental aspects of fungal growth, development and reproduction. Core elements of these signalling pathways are required for virulence in a wide array of fungal pathogens of plants and mammals. In this review, we have used the available genome databases to explore the structural conservation of three MAPK cascades and the calcium-calcineurin pathway in ten different fungal species, including model organisms, plant pathogens and human pathogens. While most known pathway components from the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae appear to be widely conserved among taxonomically and biologically diverse fungi, some of them were found to be restricted to the Saccharomycotina. The presence of multiple paralogues in certain species such as the zygomycete Rhizopus oryzae and the incorporation of new functional domains that are lacking in S. cerevisiae signalling proteins, most likely reflect functional diversification or adaptation as filamentous fungi have evolved to occupy distinct ecological niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Rispail
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
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Comparative EST analysis of a Zoophthora radicans isolate derived from Pieris brassicae and an isogenic strain adapted to Plutella xylostella. Microbiology (Reading) 2009; 155:174-185. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.022103-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Zoophthora radicansis an entomopathogenic fungus with the potential to be used as an insect biological control agent. To better understand the mechanisms used byZ. radicansto infect different hosts, we generated expressed sequence tag (EST) datasets from aZ. radicansstrain originally isolated fromPieris brassicae, and an isogenic strain passaged throughPlutella xylostella. In total, 1839 ESTs were generated which clustered into 466 contigs and 433 singletons to provide a set of 899 unique sequences. Approximately 85 % of the ESTs were significantly similar (E≤e−03) to other fungal genes, of which 69.6 % encoded proteins with a reported function. Proteins involved in protein synthesis and metabolism were encoded by 38.3 % of the ESTs, while 26.3 % encoded proteins involved in cell-cycle regulation, DNA synthesis, protein fate, transport, cell defence, transcription and RNA synthesis, and 4.9 % encoded proteins associated with cellular transport, signal transduction, control of cellular organization and cell-wall degradation. Several proteinases, including aspartic proteinases, trypsins, trypsin-like serine proteases and metalloproteases, with the potential to degrade insect cuticle were expressed by the two isolates.
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Brefort T, Doehlemann G, Mendoza-Mendoza A, Reissmann S, Djamei A, Kahmann R. Ustilago maydis as a Pathogen. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2009; 47:423-45. [PMID: 19400641 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-080508-081923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 225] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The Ustilago maydis-maize pathosystem has emerged as the current model for plant pathogenic basidiomycetes and as one of the few models for a true biotrophic interaction that persists throughout fungal development inside the host plant. This is based on the highly advanced genetic system for both the pathogen and its host, the ability to propagate U. maydis in axenic culture, and its unique capacity to induce prominent disease symptoms (tumors) on all aerial parts of maize within less than a week. The corn smut pathogen, though economically not threatening, will continue to serve as a model for related obligate biotrophic fungi such as the rusts, but also for closely related smut species that induce symptoms only in the flower organs of their hosts. In this review we describe the most prominent features of the U. maydis-maize pathosystem as well as genes and pathways most relevant to disease. We highlight recent developments that place this system at the forefront of understanding the function of secreted effectors in eukaryotic pathogens and describe the expected spin-offs for closely related species exploiting comparative genomics approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Brefort
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
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Rajashekar B, Kohler A, Johansson T, Martin F, Tunlid A, Ahrén D. Expansion of signal pathways in the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor- evolution of nucleotide sequences and expression patterns in families of protein kinases and RAS small GTPases. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2009; 183:365-379. [PMID: 19453435 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02860.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor has the largest genome of all fungi yet sequenced. The large genome size is partly a result of an expansion of gene family sizes. Among the largest gene families are protein kinases and RAS small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases), which are key components of signal transduction pathways. Comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses were used to examine the evolution of the two largest families of protein kinases and RAS small GTPases in L. bicolor. Expression levels in various tissues and growth conditions were inferred from microarray data. The two families possessed a large number of young duplicates (paralogs) that had arisen in the Laccaria lineage following the separation from the saprophyte Coprinopsis cinerea. The protein kinase paralogs were dispersed in many small clades and the majority were pseudogenes. By contrast, the RAS paralogs were found in three large groups of RAS1-, RAS2- and RHO1-like GTPases with few pseudogenes. Duplicates of protein kinases and RAS small GTPase have either retained, gained or lost motifs found in the coding regions of their ancestors. Frequent outcomes during evolution were the formation of pseudogenes (nonfunctionalization) or proteins with novel structures and expression patterns (neofunctionalization).
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Affiliation(s)
- Balaji Rajashekar
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Ecology Building, Lund University, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Annegret Kohler
- UMR1136, INRA-Nancy Université, Interactions Arbres/Microorganismes, INRA-Nancy, 54280 Champenoux, France
| | - Tomas Johansson
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Ecology Building, Lund University, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Francis Martin
- UMR1136, INRA-Nancy Université, Interactions Arbres/Microorganismes, INRA-Nancy, 54280 Champenoux, France
| | - Anders Tunlid
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Ecology Building, Lund University, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Dag Ahrén
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Ecology Building, Lund University, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
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