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Yu M, Song T, Yu J, Cao H, Pan X, Qi Z, Du Y, Liu W, Liu Y. UvVelC is important for conidiation and pathogenicity in the rice false smut pathogen Ustilaginoidea virens. Virulence 2024; 15:2301243. [PMID: 38240294 PMCID: PMC10802205 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2301243] [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: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Rice false smut disease is one of the most significant rice diseases worldwide. Ustilaginoidea virens is the causative agent of this disease. Although several developmental and pathogenic genes have been identified and functionally analyzed, the pathogenic molecular mechanisms of U. virens remain elusive. The velvet family regulatory proteins are involved in fungal development, conidiation, and pathogenicity. In this study, we demonstrated the function of the VelC homolog UvVELC in U. virens. We identified the velvet family protein UvVELC and characterized its functions using a target gene deletion-strategy. Deletion of UvVELC resulted in conidiation failure and pathogenicity. The UvVELC expression levels during infection suggested that this gene might be involved in the early infection process. UvVELC is also important in resistance to abiotic stresses, the utilization efficiency of glucose, stachyose, raffinose, and other sugars, and the expression of transport-related genes. Moreover, UvVELC could physically interact with UvVEA in yeast, and UvVELC/UvVEA double-knockout mutants also failed in conidiation and pathogenicity. These results indicate that UvVELC play a critical role in the conidiation and pathogenicity in U. virens. Functional analysis indicated that UvVELC-mediated conidiation and nutrient acquisition from rice regulates the pathogenicity of U. virens. Understanding the function of the UvVELC homolog could provide a potential molecular target for controlling rice false smut disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Yu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Tianqiao Song
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Junjie Yu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Huijuan Cao
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiayan Pan
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhongqiang Qi
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Yan Du
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Wende Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Insistant of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Yongfeng Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
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Bayram ÖS, Dettmann A, Karahoda B, Moloney NM, Ormsby T, McGowan J, Cea-Sánchez S, Miralles-Durán A, Brancini GTP, Luque EM, Fitzpatrick DA, Cánovas D, Corrochano LM, Doyle S, Selker EU, Seiler S, Bayram Ö. Control of Development, Secondary Metabolism and Light-Dependent Carotenoid Biosynthesis by the Velvet Complex of Neurospora crassa. Genetics 2019; 212:691-710. [PMID: 31068340 PMCID: PMC6614901 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurospora crassa is an established reference organism to investigate carotene biosynthesis and light regulation. However, there is little evidence of its capacity to produce secondary metabolites. Here, we report the role of the fungal-specific regulatory velvet complexes in development and secondary metabolism (SM) in N. crassa Three velvet proteins VE-1, VE-2, VOS-1, and a putative methyltransferase LAE-1 show light-independent nucleocytoplasmic localization. Two distinct velvet complexes, a heterotrimeric VE-1/VE-2/LAE-1 and a heterodimeric VE-2/VOS-1 are found in vivo The heterotrimer-complex, which positively regulates sexual development and represses asexual sporulation, suppresses siderophore coprogen production under iron starvation conditions. The VE-1/VE-2 heterodimer controls carotene production. VE-1 regulates the expression of >15% of the whole genome, comprising mainly regulatory and developmental features. We also studied intergenera functions of the velvet complex through complementation of Aspergillus nidulans veA, velB, laeA, vosA mutants with their N. crassa orthologs ve-1, ve-2, lae-1, and vos-1, respectively. Expression of VE-1 and VE-2 in A. nidulans successfully substitutes the developmental and SM functions of VeA and VelB by forming two functional chimeric velvet complexes in vivo, VelB/VE-1/LaeA and VE-2/VeA/LaeA, respectively. Reciprocally, expression of veA restores the phenotypes of the N. crassa ve-1 mutant. All N. crassa velvet proteins heterologously expressed in A. nidulans are localized to the nuclear fraction independent of light. These data highlight the conservation of the complex formation in N. crassa and A. nidulans However, they also underline the intergenera similarities and differences of velvet roles according to different life styles, niches and ontogenetic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne Dettmann
- Institute for Biology II, Molecular Plant Physiology, Albert-Ludwigs-University 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Betim Karahoda
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Co. Kildare, W23 F2H6, Ireland
| | - Nicola M Moloney
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Co. Kildare, W23 F2H6, Ireland
| | - Tereza Ormsby
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, 97403 Oregon
| | - Jamie McGowan
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Co. Kildare, W23 F2H6, Ireland
| | - Sara Cea-Sánchez
- Departmento de Genética, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Guilherme T P Brancini
- Departmento de Genética, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Eva M Luque
- Departmento de Genética, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - David Cánovas
- Departmento de Genética, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Luis M Corrochano
- Departmento de Genética, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Sean Doyle
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Co. Kildare, W23 F2H6, Ireland
| | - Eric U Selker
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, 97403 Oregon
| | - Stephan Seiler
- Institute for Biology II, Molecular Plant Physiology, Albert-Ludwigs-University 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Özgür Bayram
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Co. Kildare, W23 F2H6, Ireland
- Human Health Research Institute, Maynooth University, Co. Kildare, W23 F2H6, Ireland
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3
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Nowrousian M. Genomics and transcriptomics to study fruiting body development: An update. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Velvet domain protein VosA represses the zinc cluster transcription factor SclB regulatory network for Aspergillus nidulans asexual development, oxidative stress response and secondary metabolism. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007511. [PMID: 30044771 PMCID: PMC6078315 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The NF-κB-like velvet domain protein VosA (viability of spores) binds to more than 1,500 promoter sequences in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. VosA inhibits premature induction of the developmental activator gene brlA, which promotes asexual spore formation in response to environmental cues as light. VosA represses a novel genetic network controlled by the sclB gene. SclB function is antagonistic to VosA, because it induces the expression of early activator genes of asexual differentiation as flbC and flbD as well as brlA. The SclB controlled network promotes asexual development and spore viability, but is independent of the fungal light control. SclB interactions with the RcoA transcriptional repressor subunit suggest additional inhibitory functions on transcription. SclB links asexual spore formation to the synthesis of secondary metabolites including emericellamides, austinol as well as dehydroaustinol and activates the oxidative stress response of the fungus. The fungal VosA-SclB regulatory system of transcription includes a VosA control of the sclB promoter, common and opposite VosA and SclB control functions of fungal development and several additional regulatory genes. The relationship between VosA and SclB illustrates the presence of a convoluted surveillance apparatus of transcriptional control, which is required for accurate fungal development and the linkage to the appropriate secondary metabolism. Velvet domain proteins of filamentous fungi are structurally similar to Rel-homology domains of mammalian NF-κB proteins. Velvet and NF-κB proteins control regulatory circuits of downstream transcriptional networks for cellular differentiation, survival and stress responses. Velvet proteins interconnect developmental programs with secondary metabolism in fungi. The velvet protein VosA binds to more than ten percent of the Aspergillus nidulans promoters and is important for the spatial and temporal control of asexual spore formation from conidiophores. A novel VosA-dependent genetic network has been identified and is controlled by the zinc cluster protein SclB. Although zinc cluster proteins constitute one of the most abundant classes of transcription factors in fungi, only a small amount is characterized. SclB is a repression target of VosA and both transcription factors are part of a mutual control in the timely adjusted choreography of asexual sporulation in A. nidulans. SclB acts at the interphase of asexual development and secondary metabolism and interconnects both programs with an adequate oxidative stress response. This study underlines the complexity of different hierarchical levels of the fungal velvet protein transcriptional network for developmental programs and interconnected secondary metabolism.
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Riquelme M, Aguirre J, Bartnicki-García S, Braus GH, Feldbrügge M, Fleig U, Hansberg W, Herrera-Estrella A, Kämper J, Kück U, Mouriño-Pérez RR, Takeshita N, Fischer R. Fungal Morphogenesis, from the Polarized Growth of Hyphae to Complex Reproduction and Infection Structures. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2018; 82:e00068-17. [PMID: 29643171 PMCID: PMC5968459 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00068-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi constitute a large group of eukaryotic microorganisms that grow by forming simple tube-like hyphae that are capable of differentiating into more-complex morphological structures and distinct cell types. Hyphae form filamentous networks by extending at their tips while branching in subapical regions. Rapid tip elongation requires massive membrane insertion and extension of the rigid chitin-containing cell wall. This process is sustained by a continuous flow of secretory vesicles that depends on the coordinated action of the microtubule and actin cytoskeletons and the corresponding motors and associated proteins. Vesicles transport cell wall-synthesizing enzymes and accumulate in a special structure, the Spitzenkörper, before traveling further and fusing with the tip membrane. The place of vesicle fusion and growth direction are enabled and defined by the position of the Spitzenkörper, the so-called cell end markers, and other proteins involved in the exocytic process. Also important for tip extension is membrane recycling by endocytosis via early endosomes, which function as multipurpose transport vehicles for mRNA, septins, ribosomes, and peroxisomes. Cell integrity, hyphal branching, and morphogenesis are all processes that are largely dependent on vesicle and cytoskeleton dynamics. When hyphae differentiate structures for asexual or sexual reproduction or to mediate interspecies interactions, the hyphal basic cellular machinery may be reprogrammed through the synthesis of new proteins and/or the modification of protein activity. Although some transcriptional networks involved in such reprogramming of hyphae are well studied in several model filamentous fungi, clear connections between these networks and known determinants of hyphal morphogenesis are yet to be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meritxell Riquelme
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Jesús Aguirre
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Salomon Bartnicki-García
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Gerhard H Braus
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Michael Feldbrügge
- Institute for Microbiology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ursula Fleig
- Institute for Functional Genomics of Microorganisms, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Wilhelm Hansberg
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alfredo Herrera-Estrella
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Irapuato, Mexico
| | - Jörg Kämper
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology-South Campus, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Ulrich Kück
- Ruhr University Bochum, Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik, Bochum, Germany
| | - Rosa R Mouriño-Pérez
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Norio Takeshita
- University of Tsukuba, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Reinhard Fischer
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology-South Campus, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Karlsruhe, Germany
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Rojas-Aedo JF, Gil-Durán C, Del-Cid A, Valdés N, Álamos P, Vaca I, García-Rico RO, Levicán G, Tello M, Chávez R. The Biosynthetic Gene Cluster for Andrastin A in Penicillium roqueforti. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:813. [PMID: 28529508 PMCID: PMC5418334 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Penicillium roqueforti is a filamentous fungus involved in the ripening of several kinds of blue cheeses. In addition, this fungus produces several secondary metabolites, including the meroterpenoid compound andrastin A, a promising antitumoral compound. However, to date the genomic cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of this compound in P. roqueforti has not been described. In this work, we have sequenced and annotated a genomic region of approximately 29.4 kbp (named the adr gene cluster) that is involved in the biosynthesis of andrastin A in P. roqueforti. This region contains ten genes, named adrA, adrC, adrD, adrE, adrF, adrG, adrH, adrI, adrJ and adrK. Interestingly, the adrB gene previously found in the adr cluster from P. chrysogenum, was found as a residual pseudogene in the adr cluster from P. roqueforti. RNA-mediated gene silencing of each of the ten genes resulted in significant reductions in andrastin A production, confirming that all of them are involved in the biosynthesis of this compound. Of particular interest was the adrC gene, encoding for a major facilitator superfamily transporter. According to our results, this gene is required for the production of andrastin A but does not have any role in its secretion to the extracellular medium. The identification of the adr cluster in P. roqueforti will be important to understand the molecular basis of the production of andrastin A, and for the obtainment of strains of P. roqueforti overproducing andrastin A that might be of interest for the cheese industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F Rojas-Aedo
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - Carlos Gil-Durán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - Abdiel Del-Cid
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - Natalia Valdés
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - Pamela Álamos
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - Inmaculada Vaca
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - Ramón O García-Rico
- GIMBIO Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Universidad de PamplonaPamplona, Colombia
| | - Gloria Levicán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - Mario Tello
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - Renato Chávez
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de ChileSantiago, Chile
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Terfehr D, Dahlmann TA, Kück U. Transcriptome analysis of the two unrelated fungal β-lactam producers Acremonium chrysogenum and Penicillium chrysogenum: Velvet-regulated genes are major targets during conventional strain improvement programs. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:272. [PMID: 28359302 PMCID: PMC5374653 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3663-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cephalosporins and penicillins are the most frequently used β-lactam antibiotics for the treatment of human infections worldwide. The main industrial producers of these antibiotics are Acremonium chrysogenum and Penicillium chrysogenum, two taxonomically unrelated fungi. Both were subjects of long-term strain development programs to reach economically relevant antibiotic titers. It is so far unknown, whether equivalent changes in gene expression lead to elevated antibiotic titers in production strains. RESULTS Using the sequence of PcbC, a key enzyme of β-lactam antibiotic biosynthesis, from eighteen different pro- and eukaryotic microorganisms, we have constructed a phylogenetic tree to demonstrate the distant relationship of both fungal producers. To address the question whether both fungi have undergone similar genetic adaptions, we have performed a comparative gene expression analysis of wild-type and production strains. We found that strain improvement is associated with the remodeling of the transcriptional landscape in both fungi. In P. chrysogenum, 748 genes showed differential expression, while 1572 genes from A. chrysogenum are differentially expressed in the industrial strain. Common in both fungi is the upregulation of genes belonging to primary and secondary metabolism, notably those involved in precursor supply for β-lactam production. Other genes not essential for β-lactam production are downregulated with a preference for those responsible for transport processes or biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites. Transcriptional regulation was shown to be an important parameter during strain improvement in different organisms. We therefore investigated deletion strains of the major transcriptional regulator velvet from both production strains. We identified 567 P. chrysogenum and 412 A. chrysogenum Velvet target genes. In both deletion strains, approximately 50% of all secondary metabolite cluster genes are differentially regulated, including β-lactam biosynthesis genes. Most importantly, 35-57% of Velvet target genes are among those that showed differential expression in both improved industrial strains. CONCLUSIONS The major finding of our comparative transcriptome analysis is that strain improvement programs in two unrelated fungal β-lactam antibiotic producers alter the expression of target genes of Velvet, a global regulator of secondary metabolism. From these results, we conclude that regulatory alterations are crucial contributing factors for improved β-lactam antibiotic titers during strain improvement in both fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Terfehr
- Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, Bochum, 44780, Germany
| | - Tim A Dahlmann
- Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, Bochum, 44780, Germany
| | - Ulrich Kück
- Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, Bochum, 44780, Germany.
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