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Barragan AC, Latorre SM, Malmgren A, Harant A, Win J, Sugihara Y, Burbano HA, Kamoun S, Langner T. Multiple Horizontal Mini-chromosome Transfers Drive Genome Evolution of Clonal Blast Fungus Lineages. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae164. [PMID: 39107250 PMCID: PMC11346369 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae164] [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: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Crop disease pandemics are often driven by asexually reproducing clonal lineages of plant pathogens that reproduce asexually. How these clonal pathogens continuously adapt to their hosts despite harboring limited genetic variation, and in absence of sexual recombination remains elusive. Here, we reveal multiple instances of horizontal chromosome transfer within pandemic clonal lineages of the blast fungus Magnaporthe (Syn. Pyricularia) oryzae. We identified a horizontally transferred 1.2Mb accessory mini-chromosome which is remarkably conserved between M. oryzae isolates from both the rice blast fungus lineage and the lineage infecting Indian goosegrass (Eleusine indica), a wild grass that often grows in the proximity of cultivated cereal crops. Furthermore, we show that this mini-chromosome was horizontally acquired by clonal rice blast isolates through at least nine distinct transfer events over the past three centuries. These findings establish horizontal mini-chromosome transfer as a mechanism facilitating genetic exchange among different host-associated blast fungus lineages. We propose that blast fungus populations infecting wild grasses act as genetic reservoirs that drive genome evolution of pandemic clonal lineages that afflict cereal crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cristina Barragan
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Sergio M Latorre
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, University College London, London, UK
| | - Angus Malmgren
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Adeline Harant
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Joe Win
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Yu Sugihara
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Hernán A Burbano
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sophien Kamoun
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Thorsten Langner
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
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2
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Attah V, Milner DS, Fang Y, Yan X, Leonard G, Heitman J, Talbot NJ, Richards TA. Duplication and neofunctionalization of a horizontally transferred xyloglucanase as a facet of the Red Queen coevolutionary dynamic. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2218927121. [PMID: 38830094 PMCID: PMC11181080 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218927121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Oomycete protists share phenotypic similarities with fungi, including the ability to cause plant diseases, but branch in a distant region of the tree of life. It has been suggested that multiple horizontal gene transfers (HGTs) from fungi-to-oomycetes contributed to the evolution of plant-pathogenic traits. These HGTs are predicted to include secreted proteins that degrade plant cell walls, a barrier to pathogen invasion and a rich source of carbohydrates. Using a combination of phylogenomics and functional assays, we investigate the diversification of a horizontally transferred xyloglucanase gene family in the model oomycete species Phytophthora sojae. Our analyses detect 11 xyloglucanase paralogs retained in P. sojae. Using heterologous expression in yeast, we show consistent evidence that eight of these paralogs have xyloglucanase function, including variants with distinct protein characteristics, such as a long-disordered C-terminal extension that can increase xyloglucanase activity. The functional variants analyzed subtend a phylogenetic node close to the fungi-to-oomycete transfer, suggesting the horizontally transferred gene was a bona fide xyloglucanase. Expression of three xyloglucanase paralogs in Nicotiana benthamiana triggers high-reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, while others inhibit ROS responses to bacterial immunogens, demonstrating that the paralogs differentially stimulate pattern-triggered immunity. Mass spectrometry of detectable enzymatic products demonstrates that some paralogs catalyze the production of variant breakdown profiles, suggesting that secretion of variant xyloglucanases increases efficiency of xyloglucan breakdown as well as diversifying the damage-associated molecular patterns released. We suggest that this pattern of neofunctionalization and the variant host responses represent an aspect of the Red Queen host-pathogen coevolutionary dynamic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Attah
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - David S. Milner
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Yufeng Fang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
| | - Xia Yan
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research ParkNR4 7UH, United Kingdom
| | - Guy Leonard
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
| | - Nicholas J. Talbot
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research ParkNR4 7UH, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas A. Richards
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
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Ahsan SM, Injamum-Ul-Hoque M, Das AK, Rahman MM, Mollah MMI, Paul NC, Choi HW. Plant-Entomopathogenic Fungi Interaction: Recent Progress and Future Prospects on Endophytism-Mediated Growth Promotion and Biocontrol. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1420. [PMID: 38794490 PMCID: PMC11124879 DOI: 10.3390/plants13101420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Entomopathogenic fungi, often acknowledged primarily for their insecticidal properties, fulfill diverse roles within ecosystems. These roles encompass endophytism, antagonism against plant diseases, promotion of the growth of plants, and inhabitation of the rhizosphere, occurring both naturally and upon artificial inoculation, as substantiated by a growing body of contemporary research. Numerous studies have highlighted the beneficial aspects of endophytic colonization. This review aims to systematically organize information concerning the direct (nutrient acquisition and production of phytohormones) and indirect (resistance induction, antibiotic and secondary metabolite production, siderophore production, and mitigation of abiotic and biotic stresses) implications of endophytic colonization. Furthermore, a thorough discussion of these mechanisms is provided. Several challenges, including isolation complexities, classification of novel strains, and the impact of terrestrial location, vegetation type, and anthropogenic reluctance to use fungal entomopathogens, have been recognized as hurdles. However, recent advancements in biotechnology within microbial research hold promising solutions to many of these challenges. Ultimately, the current constraints delineate potential future avenues for leveraging endophytic fungal entomopathogens as dual microbial control agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. M. Ahsan
- Department of Plant Medicals, Andong National University, Andong 36729, Republic of Korea;
| | - Md. Injamum-Ul-Hoque
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea; (M.I.-U.-H.); (A.K.D.)
| | - Ashim Kumar Das
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea; (M.I.-U.-H.); (A.K.D.)
| | - Md. Mezanur Rahman
- Department of Plant and Soil Science, Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA;
| | - Md. Mahi Imam Mollah
- Department of Entomology, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali 8602, Bangladesh;
| | - Narayan Chandra Paul
- Kumho Life Science Laboratory, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea;
| | - Hyong Woo Choi
- Department of Plant Medicals, Andong National University, Andong 36729, Republic of Korea;
- Institute of Cannabis Biotechnology, Andong National University, Andong 36729, Republic of Korea
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4
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Raimondeau P, Bianconi ME, Pereira L, Parisod C, Christin PA, Dunning LT. Lateral gene transfer generates accessory genes that accumulate at different rates within a grass lineage. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:2072-2084. [PMID: 37793435 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Lateral gene transfer (LGT) is the movement of DNA between organisms without sexual reproduction. The acquired genes represent genetic novelties that have independently evolved in the donor's genome. Phylogenetic methods have shown that LGT is widespread across the entire grass family, although we know little about the underlying dynamics. We identify laterally acquired genes in five de novo reference genomes from the same grass genus (four Alloteropsis semialata and one Alloteropsis angusta). Using additional resequencing data for a further 40 Alloteropsis individuals, we place the acquisition of each gene onto a phylogeny using stochastic character mapping, and then infer rates of gains and losses. We detect 168 laterally acquired genes in the five reference genomes (32-100 per genome). Exponential decay models indicate that the rate of LGT acquisitions (6-28 per Ma) and subsequent losses (11-24% per Ma) varied significantly among lineages. Laterally acquired genes were lost at a higher rate than vertically inherited loci (0.02-0.8% per Ma). This high turnover creates intraspecific gene content variation, with a preponderance of them occurring as accessory genes in the Alloteropsis pangenome. This rapid turnover generates standing variation that can ultimately fuel local adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Raimondeau
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, UMR5174, CNRS/IRD/Université Toulouse 3, Toulouse, 31062, France
| | - Matheus E Bianconi
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Lara Pereira
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Christian Parisod
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, Fribourg, 1700, Switzerland
| | - Pascal-Antoine Christin
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, Fribourg, 1700, Switzerland
| | - Luke T Dunning
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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5
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Attah V, Milner DS, Fang Y, Yan X, Leonard G, Heitman J, Talbot NJ, Richards TA. Duplication and neofunctionalization of a horizontally-transferred xyloglucanase as a facet of the red queen co-evolutionary dynamic. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.09.561229. [PMID: 37873201 PMCID: PMC10592688 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.09.561229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Oomycetes are heterotrophic protists that share phenotypic similarities with fungi, including the ability to cause plant diseases, but branch in a separate and distant region of the eukaryotic tree of life. It has been suggested that multiple horizontal gene transfers (HGTs) from fungi-to-oomycetes contributed to the evolution of plant-pathogenic traits. These HGTs are predicted to include secreted proteins that degrade plant cell walls. This is a key trait in the pathology of many oomycetes, as the plant cell wall represents a primary barrier to pathogen invasion and a rich source of carbohydrates. Many of the HGT gene families identified have undergone multiple rounds of duplication. Using a combination of phylogenomic analysis and functional assays, we investigate the diversification of a horizontally-transferred xyloglucanase gene family in the model oomycete species Phytophthora sojae. Our analyses detect 11 genes retained in P. sojae among a complex pattern of gene duplications and losses. Using a phenotype assay, based on heterologous expression in yeast, we show that eight of these paralogs have xyloglucanase function, including variants with distinct protein characteristics, such as a long-disordered C-terminal extension that can increase xyloglucanase activity. The functional xyloglucanase variants analysed subtend an ancestral node close to the fungi-oomycetes gene transfer, suggesting the horizontally-transferred gene was a bona fide xyloglucanase. Expression of xyloglucanase paralogs in Nicotiana benthamiana triggers distinct patterns of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, demonstrating that enzyme variants differentially stimulate pattern-triggered immunity in plants. Mass spectrometry of detectable enzymatic products demonstrates that some paralogs catalyze production of variant breakdown profiles, suggesting that secretion of multiple xyloglucanase variants increases efficiency of xyloglucan breakdown, as well as potentially diversifying the range of Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs) released during pathogen attack. We suggest that such patterns of protein neofunctionalization, and variant host responses, represent an aspect of the Red Queen host-pathogen co-evolutionary dynamic. Significance Statement The oomycetes are a diverse group of eukaryotic microbes that include some of the most devastating pathogens of plants. Oomycetes perceive, invade, and colonize plants in similar ways to fungi, in part because they acquired the genes to attack and feed on plants from fungi. These genes are predicted to be useful to oomycete plant pathogens because they have undergone multiple rounds of gene duplication. One key enzyme for attacking plant cell wall structures is called xyloglucanase. Xyloglucanase in the oomycetes has undergone multiple rounds of gene duplication, leading to variants including an enzyme with a C-terminal extension that increases activity. Some xyloglucanase variants trigger unique patterns of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in planta, and generate different profiles of cell wall breakdown products - such outcomes could act to mystify and increase the workload of the plant immune system, allowing successful pathogens to proliferate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Attah
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David S Milner
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Yufeng Fang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Current address: GreenLight Biosciences Inc., Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Xia Yan
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, United Kingdom
| | - Guy Leonard
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Nicholas J Talbot
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, United Kingdom
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6
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Kobayashi N, Dang TA, Pham KTM, Gómez Luciano LB, Van Vu B, Izumitsu K, Shimizu M, Ikeda KI, Li WH, Nakayashiki H. Horizontally Transferred DNA in the Genome of the Fungus Pyricularia oryzae is Associated With Repressive Histone Modifications. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad186. [PMID: 37595132 PMCID: PMC10473863 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad186] [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: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a means of exchanging genetic material asexually. The process by which horizontally transferred genes are domesticated by the host genome is of great interest but is not well understood. In this study, we determined the telomere-to-telomere genome sequence of the wheat-infecting Pyricularia oryzae strain Br48. SNP analysis indicated that the Br48 strain is a hybrid of wheat- and Brachiaria-infecting strains by a sexual or parasexual cross. Comparative genomic analysis identified several megabase-scale "insertions" in the Br48 genome, some of which were possibly gained by HGT-related events from related species, such as P. pennisetigena or P. grisea. Notably, the mega-insertions often contained genes whose phylogeny is not congruent with the species phylogeny. Moreover, some of the genes have a close homolog even in distantly related organisms, such as basidiomycetes or prokaryotes, implying the involvement of multiple HGT events. Interestingly, the levels of the silent epigenetic marks H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 in a genomic region tended to be negatively correlated with the phylogenetic concordance of genes in the same region, suggesting that horizontally transferred DNA is preferentially targeted for epigenetic silencing. Indeed, the putative HGT-derived genes were activated when MoKmt6, the gene responsible for H3K27me3 modification, was deleted. Notably, these genes also tended to be up-regulated during infection, suggesting that they are now under host control and have contributed to establishing a fungal niche. In conclusion, this study suggests that epigenetic modifications have played an important role in the domestication of HGT-derived genes in the P. oryzae genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsuki Kobayashi
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Thach An Dang
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kieu Thi Minh Pham
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Luis B Gómez Luciano
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ba Van Vu
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kosuke Izumitsu
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, The University of Shiga Prefecture, Hikone, Japan
| | - Motoki Shimizu
- Department of Genomics and Breeding, Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Japan
| | - Ken-ichi Ikeda
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Wen-Hsiung Li
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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7
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Jha P, Kaur T, Chhabra I, Panja A, Paul S, Kumar V, Malik T. Endophytic fungi: hidden treasure chest of antimicrobial metabolites interrelationship of endophytes and metabolites. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1227830. [PMID: 37497538 PMCID: PMC10366620 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1227830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Endophytic fungi comprise host-associated fungal communities which thrive within the tissues of host plants and produce a diverse range of secondary metabolites with various bioactive attributes. The metabolites such as phenols, polyketides, saponins, alkaloids help to mitigate biotic and abiotic stresses, fight against pathogen attacks and enhance the plant immune system. We present an overview of the association of endophytic fungal communities with a plant host and discuss molecular mechanisms induced during their symbiotic interaction. The overview focuses on the secondary metabolites (especially those of terpenoid nature) secreted by endophytic fungi and their respective function. The recent advancement in multi-omics approaches paved the way for identification of these metabolites and their characterization via comparative analysis of extensive omics datasets. This study also elaborates on the role of diverse endophytic fungi associated with key agricultural crops and hence important for sustainability of agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, Lovely Faculty of Technology and Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
| | - Tamanna Kaur
- Department of Biotechnology, Lovely Faculty of Technology and Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
| | | | - Avirup Panja
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Sushreeta Paul
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Vijay Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Lovely Faculty of Technology and Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
| | - Tabarak Malik
- Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
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de Novais DPS, Batista TM, Costa EA, Pirovani CP. Genomic and Pathogenicity Mechanisms of the Main Theobroma cacao L. Eukaryotic Pathogens: A Systematic Review. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1567. [PMID: 37375069 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A set of diseases caused by fungi and oomycetes are responsible for large losses in annual world cocoa production. Managing the impact caused by these diseases is very complex because a common solution has yet to be found for different pathogens. In this context, the systematic knowledge of Theobroma cacao L. pathogens' molecular characteristics may help researchers understand the possibilities and limitations of cocoa disease management strategies. This work systematically organized and summarized the main findings of omics studies of T. cacao eukaryotic pathogens, focusing on the plant-pathogen interaction and production dynamics. Using the PRISMA protocol and a semiautomated process, we selected papers from the Scopus and Web of Science databases and collected data from the selected papers. From the initial 3169 studies, 149 were selected. The first author's affiliations were mostly from two countries, Brazil (55%) and the USA (22%). The most frequent genera were Moniliophthora (105 studies), Phytophthora (59 studies) and Ceratocystis (13 studies). The systematic review database includes papers reporting the whole-genome sequence from six cocoa pathogens and evidence of some necrosis-inducing-like proteins, which are common in T. cacao pathogen genomes. This review contributes to the knowledge about T. cacao diseases, providing an integrated discussion of T. cacao pathogens' molecular characteristics, common mechanisms of pathogenicity and how this knowledge is produced worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Pereira Silva de Novais
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Biotechnology and Genetics, State University of Santa Cruz (UESC), Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil
- Bahia Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology (IFBA), Porto Seguro 45810-000, BA, Brazil
| | - Thiago Mafra Batista
- Environmental Science Training Center, Federal University of Southern Bahia (UFSB), Porto Seguro 45810-000, BA, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Almeida Costa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Biotechnology and Genetics, State University of Santa Cruz (UESC), Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil
| | - Carlos Priminho Pirovani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Biotechnology and Genetics, State University of Santa Cruz (UESC), Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil
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9
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Wisecaver JH, Auber RP, Pendleton AL, Watervoort NF, Fallon TR, Riedling OL, Manning SR, Moore BS, Driscoll WW. Extreme genome diversity and cryptic speciation in a harmful algal-bloom-forming eukaryote. Curr Biol 2023; 33:2246-2259.e8. [PMID: 37224809 PMCID: PMC10247466 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms of the toxic haptophyte Prymnesium parvum are a recurrent problem in many inland and estuarine waters around the world. Strains of P. parvum vary in the toxins they produce and in other physiological traits associated with harmful algal blooms, but the genetic basis for this variation is unknown. To investigate genome diversity in this morphospecies, we generated genome assemblies for 15 phylogenetically and geographically diverse strains of P. parvum, including Hi-C guided, near-chromosome-level assemblies for two strains. Comparative analysis revealed considerable DNA content variation between strains, ranging from 115 to 845 Mbp. Strains included haploids, diploids, and polyploids, but not all differences in DNA content were due to variation in genome copy number. Haploid genome size between strains of different chemotypes differed by as much as 243 Mbp. Syntenic and phylogenetic analyses indicate that UTEX 2797, a common laboratory strain from Texas, is a hybrid that retains two phylogenetically distinct haplotypes. Investigation of gene families variably present across the strains identified several functional categories associated with metabolic and genome size variation in P. parvum, including genes for the biosynthesis of toxic metabolites and proliferation of transposable elements. Together, our results indicate that P. parvum comprises multiple cryptic species. These genomes provide a robust phylogenetic and genomic framework for investigations into the eco-physiological consequences of the intra- and inter-specific genetic variation present in P. parvum and demonstrate the need for similar resources for other harmful algal-bloom-forming morphospecies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer H Wisecaver
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, 175 S University St, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, 175 S University St, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
| | - Robert P Auber
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, 175 S University St, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, 175 S University St, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Amanda L Pendleton
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, 175 S University St, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, 175 S University St, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Nathan F Watervoort
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, 175 S University St, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, 175 S University St, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Timothy R Fallon
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr #0204, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Olivia L Riedling
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, 175 S University St, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, 175 S University St, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Schonna R Manning
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st Street, MSB 250B, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Bradley S Moore
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr #0204, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr #0204, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - William W Driscoll
- Department of Biology, Penn State Harrisburg, 777 W. Harrisburg Pike, Middletown, PA 17057, USA
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10
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Bulasag AS, Camagna M, Kuroyanagi T, Ashida A, Ito K, Tanaka A, Sato I, Chiba S, Ojika M, Takemoto D. Botrytis cinerea tolerates phytoalexins produced by Solanaceae and Fabaceae plants through an efflux transporter BcatrB and metabolizing enzymes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1177060. [PMID: 37332725 PMCID: PMC10273015 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1177060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Botrytis cinerea, a plant pathogenic fungus with a wide host range, has reduced sensitivity to fungicides as well as phytoalexins, threatening cultivation of economically important fruits and vegetable crops worldwide. B. cinerea tolerates a wide array of phytoalexins, through efflux and/or enzymatic detoxification. Previously, we provided evidence that a distinctive set of genes were induced in B. cinerea when treated with different phytoalexins such as rishitin (produced by tomato and potato), capsidiol (tobacco and bell pepper) and resveratrol (grape and blueberry). In this study, we focused on the functional analyses of B. cinerea genes implicated in rishitin tolerance. LC/MS profiling revealed that B. cinerea can metabolize/detoxify rishitin into at least 4 oxidized forms. Heterologous expression of Bcin08g04910 and Bcin16g01490, two B. cinerea oxidoreductases upregulated by rishitin, in a plant symbiotic fungus Epichloë festucae revealed that these rishitin-induced enzymes are involved in the oxidation of rishitin. Expression of BcatrB, encoding an exporter of structurally unrelated phytoalexins and fungicides, was significantly upregulated by rishitin but not by capsidiol and was thus expected to be involved in the rishitin tolerance. Conidia of BcatrB KO (ΔbcatrB) showed enhanced sensitivity to rishitin, but not to capsidiol, despite their structural similarity. ΔbcatrB showed reduced virulence on tomato, but maintained full virulence on bell pepper, indicating that B. cinerea activates BcatrB by recognizing appropriate phytoalexins to utilize it in tolerance. Surveying 26 plant species across 13 families revealed that the BcatrB promoter is mainly activated during the infection of B. cinerea in plants belonging to the Solanaceae, Fabaceae and Brassicaceae. The BcatrB promoter was also activated by in vitro treatments of phytoalexins produced by members of these plant families, namely rishitin (Solanaceae), medicarpin and glyceollin (Fabaceae), as well as camalexin and brassinin (Brassicaceae). Consistently, ΔbcatrB showed reduced virulence on red clover, which produces medicarpin. These results suggest that B. cinerea distinguishes phytoalexins and induces differential expression of appropriate genes during the infection. Likewise, BcatrB plays a critical role in the strategy employed by B. cinerea to bypass the plant innate immune responses in a wide variety of important crops belonging to the Solanaceae, Brassicaceae and Fabaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abriel Salaria Bulasag
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Maurizio Camagna
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Teruhiko Kuroyanagi
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Akira Ashida
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kento Ito
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Aiko Tanaka
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ikuo Sato
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Sotaro Chiba
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Makoto Ojika
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Daigo Takemoto
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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11
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Joubert PM, Krasileva KV. The extrachromosomal circular DNAs of the rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae contain a wide variety of LTR retrotransposons, genes, and effectors. BMC Biol 2022; 20:260. [PMID: 36424609 PMCID: PMC9694575 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01457-2] [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: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the ways genomes respond to stress is by producing extrachromosomal circular DNAs (eccDNAs). EccDNAs can contain genes and dramatically increase their copy number. They can also reinsert into the genome, generating structural variation. They have been shown to provide a source of phenotypic and genotypic plasticity in several species. However, whole circularome studies have so far been limited to a few model organisms. Fungal plant pathogens are a serious threat to global food security in part because of their rapid adaptation to disease prevention strategies. Understanding the mechanisms fungal pathogens use to escape disease control is paramount to curbing their threat. RESULTS We present a whole circularome sequencing study of the rice blast pathogen, Magnaporthe oryzae. We find that M. oryzae has a highly diverse circularome that contains many genes and shows evidence of large LTR retrotransposon activity. We find that genes enriched on eccDNAs in M. oryzae occur in genomic regions prone to presence-absence variation and that disease-associated genes are frequently on eccDNAs. Finally, we find that a subset of genes is never present on eccDNAs in our data, which indicates that the presence of these genes on eccDNAs is selected against. CONCLUSIONS Our study paves the way to understanding how eccDNAs contribute to adaptation in M. oryzae. Our analysis also reveals how M. oryzae eccDNAs differ from those of other species and highlights the need for further comparative characterization of eccDNAs across species to gain a better understanding of these molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre M Joubert
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Ksenia V Krasileva
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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12
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Roik A, Reverter M, Pogoreutz C. A roadmap to understanding diversity and function of coral reef-associated fungi. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:fuac028. [PMID: 35746877 PMCID: PMC9629503 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropical coral reefs are hotspots of marine productivity, owing to the association of reef-building corals with endosymbiotic algae and metabolically diverse bacterial communities. However, the functional importance of fungi, well-known for their contribution to shaping terrestrial ecosystems and global nutrient cycles, remains underexplored on coral reefs. We here conceptualize how fungal functional traits may have facilitated the spread, diversification, and ecological adaptation of marine fungi on coral reefs. We propose that functions of reef-associated fungi may be diverse and go beyond their hitherto described roles of pathogens and bioeroders, including but not limited to reef-scale biogeochemical cycles and the structuring of coral-associated and environmental microbiomes via chemical mediation. Recent technological and conceptual advances will allow the elucidation of the physiological, ecological, and chemical contributions of understudied marine fungi to coral holobiont and reef ecosystem functioning and health and may help provide an outlook for reef management actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Roik
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, University of Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 231, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, 26046, Germany
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Miriam Reverter
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, 26046, Germany
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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13
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Towards Understanding the Function of Aegerolysins. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14090629. [PMID: 36136567 PMCID: PMC9505663 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14090629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aegerolysins are remarkable proteins. They are distributed over the tree of life, being relatively widespread in bacteria and fungi, but also present in some insects, plants, protozoa, and viruses. Despite their abundance in cells of certain developmental stages and their presence in secretomes, only a few aegerolysins have been studied in detail. Their function, in particular, is intriguing. Here, we summarize previously published findings on the distribution, molecular interactions, and function of these versatile aegerolysins. They have very diverse protein sequences but a common fold. The machine learning approach of the AlphaFold2 algorithm, which incorporates physical and biological knowledge of protein structures and multisequence alignments, provides us new insights into the aegerolysins and their pore-forming partners, complemented by additional genomic support. We hypothesize that aegerolysins are involved in the mechanisms of competitive exclusion in the niche.
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14
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Philips JG, Martin-Avila E, Robold AV. Horizontal gene transfer from genetically modified plants - Regulatory considerations. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:971402. [PMID: 36118580 PMCID: PMC9471246 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.971402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene technology regulators receive applications seeking permission for the environmental release of genetically modified (GM) plants, many of which possess beneficial traits such as improved production, enhanced nutrition and resistance to drought, pests and diseases. The regulators must assess the risks to human and animal health and to the environment from releasing these GM plants. One such consideration, of many, is the likelihood and potential consequence of the introduced or modified DNA being transferred to other organisms, including people. While such gene transfer is most likely to occur to sexually compatible relatives (vertical gene transfer), horizontal gene transfer (HGT), which is the acquisition of genetic material that has not been inherited from a parent, is also a possibility considered during these assessments. Advances in HGT detection, aided by next generation sequencing, have demonstrated that HGT occurrence may have been previously underestimated. In this review, we provide updated evidence on the likelihood, factors and the barriers for the introduced or modified DNA in GM plants to be horizontally transferred into a variety of recipients. We present the legislation and frameworks the Australian Gene Technology Regulator adheres to with respect to the consideration of risks posed by HGT. Such a perspective may generally be applicable to regulators in other jurisdictions as well as to commercial and research organisations who develop GM plants.
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15
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RoyChowdhury M, Sternhagen J, Xin Y, Lou B, Li X, Li C. Evolution of pathogenicity in obligate fungal pathogens and allied genera. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13794. [PMID: 36042858 PMCID: PMC9420410 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Obligate fungal pathogens (ascomycetes and basidiomycetes) and oomycetes are known to cause diseases in cereal crop plants. They feed on living cells and most of them have learned to bypass the host immune machinery. This paper discusses some of the factors that are associated with pathogenicity drawing examples from ascomycetes, basidiomycetes and oomycetes, with respect to their manifestation in crop plants. The comparisons have revealed a striking similarity in the three groups suggesting convergent pathways that have arisen from three lineages independently leading to an obligate lifestyle. This review has been written with the intent, that new information on adaptation strategies of biotrophs, modifications in pathogenicity strategies and population dynamics will improve current strategies for breeding with stable resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moytri RoyChowdhury
- Infectious Diseases Program, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California, United States of America
| | - Jake Sternhagen
- Riverside School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States of America
| | - Ya Xin
- Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Binghai Lou
- Guangxi Academy of Specialty Crops, Guilin, Guangxi, P.R. China
| | - Xiaobai Li
- Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Chunnan Li
- Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, P.R. China
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16
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Chen M, Farmer N, Zhong Z, Zheng W, Tang W, Han Y, Lu G, Wang Z, Ebbole DJ. HAG Effector Evolution in Pyricularia Species and Plant Cell Death Suppression by HAG4. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2022; 35:694-705. [PMID: 35345886 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-01-22-0010-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Seventy host-adapted gene (HAG) effector family members from Pyricularia species are found in P. oryzae and three closely related species (isolates LS and 18-2 from an unknown Pyricularia sp., P. grisea, and P. pennisetigena) that share at least eight orthologous HAG family members with P. oryzae. The genome sequence of a more distantly related species, P. penniseti, lacks HAG genes, suggesting a time frame for the origin of the gene family in the genus. In P. oryzae, HAG4 is uniquely found in the genetic lineage that contains populations adapted to Setaria and Oryza hosts. We find a nearly identical HAG4 allele in a P. grisea isolate, suggesting transfer of HAG4 from P. grisea to P. oryzae. HAG4 encodes a suppressor of plant cell death. Yeast two-hybrid screens with several HAG genes independently identify common interacting clones from a rice complementary DNA library, suggesting conservation of protein surface motifs between HAG homologs with as little as 40% protein sequence identity. HAG family orthologs have diverged rapidly and HAG15 orthologs display unusually high rates of sequence divergence compared with adjacent genes suggesting gene-specific accelerated divergence. The sequence diversity of the HAG homologs in Pyricularia species provides a resource for examining mechanisms of gene family evolution and the relationship to structural and functional evolution of HAG effector family activity. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meilian Chen
- College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide and Chemistry-Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Nick Farmer
- Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, U.S.A
| | - Zhenhui Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide and Chemistry-Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Wenhui Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide and Chemistry-Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Wei Tang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide and Chemistry-Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yijuan Han
- College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Guodong Lu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide and Chemistry-Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Zonghua Wang
- College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide and Chemistry-Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Daniel J Ebbole
- Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, U.S.A
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17
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Characterization of Host-Specific Genes from Pine- and Grass-Associated Species of the Fusarium fujikuroi Species Complex. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11080858. [PMID: 36014979 PMCID: PMC9415769 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11080858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) includes socioeconomically important pathogens that cause disease for numerous crops and synthesize a variety of secondary metabolites that can contaminate feedstocks and food. Here, we used comparative genomics to elucidate processes underlying the ability of pine-associated and grass-associated FFSC species to colonize tissues of their respective plant hosts. We characterized the identity, possible functions, evolutionary origins, and chromosomal positions of the host-range-associated genes encoded by the two groups of fungi. The 72 and 47 genes identified as unique to the respective genome groups were potentially involved in diverse processes, ranging from transcription, regulation, and substrate transport through to virulence/pathogenicity. Most genes arose early during the evolution of Fusarium/FFSC and were only subsequently retained in some lineages, while some had origins outside Fusarium. Although differences in the densities of these genes were especially noticeable on the conditionally dispensable chromosome of F. temperatum (representing the grass-associates) and F. circinatum (representing the pine-associates), the host-range-associated genes tended to be located towards the subtelomeric regions of chromosomes. Taken together, these results demonstrate that multiple mechanisms drive the emergence of genes in the grass- and pine-associated FFSC taxa examined. It also highlighted the diversity of the molecular processes potentially underlying niche-specificity in these and other Fusarium species.
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18
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Dacones LS, Kemerait RC, Brewer MT. Comparative genomics of host-specialized populations of Corynespora cassiicola causing target spot epidemics in the southeastern United States. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2022; 3:910232. [PMID: 37746203 PMCID: PMC10512278 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2022.910232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Numerous plant-pathogenic fungi secrete necrotrophic effectors (syn. host-selective toxins) that are important determinants of pathogenicity and virulence in species that have a necrotrophic lifestyle. Corynespora cassiicola is a necrotrophic fungus causing emerging target spot epidemics in the southeastern United States (US). Previous studies revealed that populations of C. cassiicola from cotton, soybean, and tomato are clonal, host specialized and genetically distinct. Additionally, cassiicolin - the necrotrophic effector identified in some C. cassiicola isolates - is an important toxin for virulence on rubber. It is encoded by seven Cas gene variants. Our goal was to conduct comparative genomic analyses to identify variation among putative necrotrophic effector genes and to determine if lack of one of the mating-types explained clonal populations in C. cassiicola causing outbreaks in the southeastern US and the apparent absence of sexual reproduction worldwide. A total of 12 C. cassiicola genomes, with four each from isolates from tomato, soybean, and cotton, were sequenced using an Illumina Next Seq platform. Each genome was assembled de novo, compared with the reference genome from rubber, and searched for known Cas, and other gene clusters with homologs of secondary metabolites. Cas2 and/or Cas6 were present in isolates from soybean in the southeastern US, whereas Cas1 and Cas2 were present in isolates from cotton in the southeastern US. In addition, several toxin genes, including the T-toxin biosynthetic genes were present in all C. cassiicola from cotton, soybean, and tomato. The mating-type locus was identified in all of the sequenced genomes, with the MAT1-1 idiomorph present in all cotton isolates and the rubber isolate, whereas the MAT1-2 idiomorph was present in all soybean isolates. We developed a PCR-based marker for mating-type in C. cassiicola. Both mating types were present in isolates from tomato. Thus, C. cassiicola has both mating-types necessary for sexual reproduction, but the absence of both mating-types within soybean and cotton populations could explain clonality in these populations. Variation in necrotrophic effectors may underlie host specialization and disease emergence of target spot on cotton, soybean, and tomato in the southeastern US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leilani S. Dacones
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Robert C. Kemerait
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA, United States
| | - Marin T. Brewer
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
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19
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Kotsaridis K, Tsakiri D, Sarris PF. Understanding enemy's weapons to an effective prevention: common virulence effects across microbial phytopathogens kingdoms. Crit Rev Microbiol 2022:1-15. [PMID: 35709325 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2022.2083939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Plant-pathogens interaction is an ongoing confrontation leading to the emergence of new diseases. The majority of the invading microorganisms inject effector proteins into the host cell, to bypass the sophisticated defense system of the host. However, the effectors could also have other specialized functions, which can disrupt various biological pathways of the host cell. Pathogens can enrich their effectors arsenal to increase infection success or expand their host range. This usually is accomplished by the horizontal gene transfer. Nowadays, the development of specialized software that can predict proteins structure, has changed the experimental designing in effectors' function research. Different effectors of distinct plant pathogens tend to fold alike and have the same function and focussed structural studies on microbial effectors can help to uncover their catalytic/functional activities, while the structural similarity can enable cataloguing the great number of pathogens' effectors. In this review, we collectively present phytopathogens' effectors with known enzymatic functions and proteins structure, originated from all the kingdoms of microbial plant pathogens. Presentation of their common domains and motifs is also included. We believe that the in-depth understanding of the enemy's weapons will help the development of new strategies to prevent newly emerging or re-emerging plant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Panagiotis F Sarris
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Crete, Greece.,Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Crete, Greece.,Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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20
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Rai N, Gupta P, Keshri PK, Verma A, Mishra P, Kumar D, Kumar A, Singh SK, Gautam V. Fungal Endophytes: an Accessible Source of Bioactive Compounds with Potential Anticancer Activity. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2022; 194:3296-3319. [PMID: 35349089 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-022-03872-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Endophytes either be bacteria, fungi, or actinomycetes colonize inside the tissue of host plants without showing any immediate negative effects on them. Among numerous natural alternative sources, fungal endophytes produce a wide range of structurally diverse bioactive metabolites including anticancer compounds. Considering the production of bioactive compounds in low quantity, genetic and physicochemical modification of the fungal endophytes is performed for the enhanced production of bioactive compounds. Presently, for the treatment of cancer, chemotherapy is majorly used, but the side effects of chemotherapy are of prime concern in clinical practices. Also, the drug-resistant properties of carcinoma cells, lack of cancer cells-specific medicine, and the side effects of drugs are the biggest obstacles in cancer treatment. The interminable requirement of potential drugs has encouraged researchers to seek alternatives to find novel bioactive compounds, and fungal endophytes seem to be a probable target for the discovery of anticancer drugs. The present review focuses a comprehensive literature on the major fungal endophyte-derived bioactive compounds which are presently been used for the management of cancer, biotic factors influencing the production of bioactive compounds and about the challenges in the field of fungal endophyte research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilesh Rai
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India
| | - Priyamvada Gupta
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India
| | - Priyanka Kumari Keshri
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India
| | - Ashish Verma
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India
| | - Pradeep Mishra
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics Kemihuset (K), Umeå Universitet, Umeå Campus, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Deepak Kumar
- Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India
| | - Ajay Kumar
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India
| | - Santosh Kumar Singh
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India
| | - Vibhav Gautam
- Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, India.
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Dolatabadian A, Fernando WGD. Genomic Variations and Mutational Events Associated with Plant-Pathogen Interactions. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:421. [PMID: 35336795 PMCID: PMC8945218 DOI: 10.3390/biology11030421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Phytopathologists are actively researching the molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions. The mechanisms of responses to pathogens have been studied extensively in model crop plant species and natural populations. Today, with the rapid expansion of genomic technologies such as DNA sequencing, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, as well as the development of new methods and protocols, data analysis, and bioinformatics, it is now possible to assess the role of genetic variation in plant-microbe interactions and to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of plant defense and microbe pathogenicity with ever-greater resolution and accuracy. Genetic variation is an important force in evolution that enables organisms to survive in stressful environments. Moreover, understanding the role of genetic variation and mutational events is essential for crop breeders to produce improved cultivars. This review focuses on genetic variations and mutational events associated with plant-pathogen interactions and discusses how these genome compartments enhance plants' and pathogens' evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aria Dolatabadian
- Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada;
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22
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Neofunctionalization of Glycolytic Enzymes: An Evolutionary Route to Plant Parasitism in the Oomycete Phytophthora nicotianae. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020281. [PMID: 35208735 PMCID: PMC8879444 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Oomycetes, of the genus Phytophthora, comprise of some of the most devastating plant pathogens. Parasitism of Phytophthora results from evolution from an autotrophic ancestor and adaptation to a wide range of environments, involving metabolic adaptation. Sequence mining showed that Phytophthora spp. display an unusual repertoire of glycolytic enzymes, made of multigene families and enzyme replacements. To investigate the impact of these gene duplications on the biology of Phytophthora and, eventually, identify novel functions associated to gene expansion, we focused our study on the first glycolytic step on P. nicotianae, a broad host range pathogen. We reveal that this step is committed by a set of three glucokinase types that differ by their structure, enzymatic properties, and evolutionary histories. In addition, they are expressed differentially during the P. nicotianae life cycle, including plant infection. Last, we show that there is a strong association between the expression of a glucokinase member in planta and extent of plant infection. Together, these results suggest that metabolic adaptation is a component of the processes underlying evolution of parasitism in Phytophthora, which may possibly involve the neofunctionalization of metabolic enzymes.
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Wu D, Wang L, Zhang Y, Bai L, Yu F. Emerging roles of pathogen-secreted host mimics in plant disease development. Trends Parasitol 2021; 37:1082-1095. [PMID: 34627670 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.09.007] [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: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Plant pathogens and parasites use multiple virulence factors to successfully infect plants. While most plant-pathogen interaction studies focus on pathogen effectors and their functions in suppressing plant immunity or interfering with normal cellular processes, other virulence factors likely also contribute. Here we highlight another important strategy used by pathogens to promote virulence: secretion of mimics of host molecules, including peptides, phytohormones, and small RNAs, which play diverse roles in plant development and stress responses. Pathogen-secreted mimics hijack the host endogenous signaling pathways, thereby modulating host cellular functions to the benefit of the pathogen and promoting infection. Understanding the mechanisms of pathogen-secreted host mimics will expand our knowledge of host-pathogen coevolution and interactions, while providing new targets for plant disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dousheng Wu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Lifeng Wang
- Hunan Weed Science Key Laboratory, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, 410125, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Lianyang Bai
- Hunan Weed Science Key Laboratory, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, 410125, China.
| | - Feng Yu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China.
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24
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Wang YW, Hess J, Slot JC, Pringle A. De Novo Gene Birth, Horizontal Gene Transfer, and Gene Duplication as Sources of New Gene Families Associated with the Origin of Symbiosis in Amanita. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 12:2168-2182. [PMID: 32926145 PMCID: PMC7674699 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
By introducing novel capacities and functions, new genes and gene families may play a crucial role in ecological transitions. Mechanisms generating new gene families include de novo gene birth, horizontal gene transfer, and neofunctionalization following a duplication event. The ectomycorrhizal (ECM) symbiosis is a ubiquitous mutualism and the association has evolved repeatedly and independently many times among the fungi, but the evolutionary dynamics enabling its emergence remain elusive. We developed a phylogenetic workflow to first understand if gene families unique to ECM Amanita fungi and absent from closely related asymbiotic species are functionally relevant to the symbiosis, and then to systematically infer their origins. We identified 109 gene families unique to ECM Amanita species. Genes belonging to unique gene families are under strong purifying selection and are upregulated during symbiosis, compared with genes of conserved or orphan gene families. The origins of seven of the unique gene families are strongly supported as either de novo gene birth (two gene families), horizontal gene transfer (four), or gene duplication (one). An additional 34 families appear new because of their selective retention within symbiotic species. Among the 109 unique gene families, the most upregulated gene in symbiotic cultures encodes a 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase, an enzyme capable of downregulating the synthesis of the plant hormone ethylene, a common negative regulator of plant-microbial mutualisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Wen Wang
- Departments of Botany and Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | - Jaqueline Hess
- Department of Soil Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jason C Slot
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University
| | - Anne Pringle
- Departments of Botany and Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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25
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Vangalis V, Likhotkin I, Knop M, Typas MA, Papaioannou IA. Starvation-induced cell fusion and heterokaryosis frequently escape imperfect allorecognition systems in an asexual fungal pathogen. BMC Biol 2021; 19:169. [PMID: 34429100 PMCID: PMC8385987 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01101-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Asexual fungi include important pathogens of plants and other organisms, and their effective management requires understanding of their evolutionary dynamics. Genetic recombination is critical for adaptability and could be achieved via heterokaryosis — the co-existence of genetically different nuclei in a cell resulting from fusion of non-self spores or hyphae — and the parasexual cycle in the absence of sexual reproduction. Fusion between different strains and establishment of viable heterokaryons are believed to be rare due to non-self recognition systems. Here, we investigate the extent and mechanisms of cell fusion and heterokaryosis in the important asexual plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae. Results We used live-cell imaging and genetic complementation assays of tagged V. dahliae strains to analyze the extent of non-self vegetative fusion, heterokaryotic cell fate, and nuclear behavior. An efficient CRISPR/Cas9-mediated system was developed to investigate the involvement of autophagy in heterokaryosis. Under starvation, non-self fusion of germinating spores occurs frequently regardless of the previously assessed vegetative compatibility of the partners. Supposedly “incompatible” fusions often establish viable heterokaryotic cells and mosaic mycelia, where nuclei can engage in fusion or transfer of genetic material. The molecular machinery of autophagy has a protective function against the destruction of “incompatible” heterokaryons. Conclusions We demonstrate an imperfect function of somatic incompatibility systems in V. dahliae. These systems frequently tolerate the establishment of heterokaryons and potentially the initiation of the parasexual cycle even between strains that were previously regarded as “incompatible.” Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01101-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasileios Vangalis
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Ilya Likhotkin
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Knop
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Milton A Typas
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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26
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Sacristán S, Goss EM, Eves-van den Akker S. How Do Pathogens Evolve Novel Virulence Activities? MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2021; 34:576-586. [PMID: 33522842 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-09-20-0258-ia] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This article is part of the Top 10 Unanswered Questions in MPMI invited review series.We consider the state of knowledge on pathogen evolution of novel virulence activities, broadly defined as anything that increases pathogen fitness with the consequence of causing disease in either the qualitative or quantitative senses, including adaptation of pathogens to host immunity and physiology, host species, genotypes, or tissues, or the environment. The evolution of novel virulence activities as an adaptive trait is based on the selection exerted by hosts on variants that have been generated de novo or arrived from elsewhere. In addition, the biotic and abiotic environment a pathogen experiences beyond the host may influence pathogen virulence activities. We consider host-pathogen evolution, host range expansion, and external factors that can mediate pathogen evolution. We then discuss the mechanisms by which pathogens generate and recombine the genetic variation that leads to novel virulence activities, including DNA point mutation, transposable element activity, gene duplication and neofunctionalization, and genetic exchange. In summary, if there is an (epi)genetic mechanism that can create variation in the genome, it will be used by pathogens to evolve virulence factors. Our knowledge of virulence evolution has been biased by pathogen evolution in response to major gene resistance, leaving other virulence activities underexplored. Understanding the key driving forces that give rise to novel virulence activities and the integration of evolutionary concepts and methods with mechanistic research on plant-microbe interactions can help inform crop protection.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soledad Sacristán
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)-Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Campus Montegancedo-UPM, 28223-Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040-Madrid, Spain
| | - Erica M Goss
- Department of Plant Pathology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A
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27
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Jiao J, Fefferman N. The dynamics of evolutionary rescue from a novel pathogen threat in a host metapopulation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10932. [PMID: 34035424 PMCID: PMC8149858 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90407-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
When a novel disease strikes a naïve host population, there is evidence that the most immediate response can involve host evolution while the pathogen remains relatively unchanged. When hosts also live in metapopulations, there may be critical differences in the dynamics that emerge from the synergy among evolutionary, ecological, and epidemiological factors. Here we used a Susceptible-Infected-Recovery model to explore how spatial and temporal ecological factors may drive the epidemiological and rapid-evolutionary dynamics of host metapopulations. For simplicity, we assumed two host genotypes: wild type, which has a positive intrinsic growth rate in the absence of disease, and robust type, which is less likely to catch the infection given exposure but has a lower intrinsic growth rate in the absence of infection. We found that the robust-type host would be strongly selected for in the presence of disease when transmission differences between the two types is large. The growth rate of the wild type had dual but opposite effects on host composition: a smaller increase in wild-type growth increased wild-type competition and lead to periodical disease outbreaks over the first generations after pathogen introduction, while larger growth increased disease by providing more susceptibles, which increased robust host density but decreased periodical outbreaks. Increased migration had a similar impact as the increased differential susceptibility, both of which led to an increase in robust hosts and a decrease in periodical outbreaks. Our study provided a comprehensive understanding of the combined effects among migration, disease epidemiology, and host demography on host evolution with an unchanging pathogen. The findings have important implications for wildlife conservation and zoonotic disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Jiao
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, The University of Tennessee, 1122 Volunteer Blvd., Suite 106, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Dr, Tallahassee, FL, 32304, USA.
| | - Nina Fefferman
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, The University of Tennessee, 1122 Volunteer Blvd., Suite 106, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, The University of Tennessee, 1416 Circle Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
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28
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Motaung TE, Peremore C, Wingfield B, Steenkamp E. Plant-associated fungal biofilms-knowns and unknowns. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 96:5956487. [PMID: 33150944 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nearly all microbes, including fungi, grow firmly attached to surfaces as a biofilm. Yet, attention toward fungal interactions with plants and the environment is dedicated to free-floating (planktonic) cells. Fungal biofilms are generally thought to configure interactions across and among plant populations. Despite this, plant fungal biofilm research lags far behind the research on biofilms of medically important fungi. The deficit in noticing and exploring this research avenue could limit disease management and plant improvement programs. Here, we provide the current state of knowledge of fungal biofilms and the different pivotal ecological roles they impart in the context of disease, through leveraging evidence across medically important fungi, secondary metabolite production, plant beneficial functions and climate change. We also provide views on several important information gaps potentially hampering plant fungal biofilm research, and propose a way forward to address these gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thabiso E Motaung
- University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Chizné Peremore
- University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Brenda Wingfield
- University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Emma Steenkamp
- University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
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29
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Orłowska M, Steczkiewicz K, Muszewska A. Utilization of cobalamin is ubiquitous in early-branching fungal phyla. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6157828. [PMID: 33682003 PMCID: PMC8085122 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cobalamin is a cofactor present in essential metabolic pathways in animals and one of the water-soluble vitamins. It is a complex compound synthesized solely by prokaryotes. Cobalamin dependence is scattered across the tree of life. In particular, fungi and plants were deemed devoid of cobalamin. We demonstrate that cobalamin is utilized by all non-Dikarya fungi lineages. This observation is supported by the genomic presence of both B12-dependent enzymes and cobalamin modifying enzymes. Fungal cobalamin-dependent enzymes are highly similar to their animal homologs. Phylogenetic analyses support a scenario of vertical inheritance of the cobalamin usage with several losses. Cobalamin usage was probably lost in Mucorinae and at the base of Dikarya which groups most of the model organisms and which hindered B12-dependent metabolism discovery in fungi. Our results indicate that cobalamin dependence was a widely distributed trait at least in Opisthokonta, across diverse microbial eukaryotes and was likely present in the LECA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Orłowska
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5A, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Kamil Steczkiewicz
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5A, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Muszewska
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5A, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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30
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Vangalis V, Knop M, Typas MA, Papaioannou IA. Establishment of conidial fusion in the asexual fungus Verticillium dahliae as a useful system for the study of non-sexual genetic interactions. Curr Genet 2021; 67:471-485. [PMID: 33582843 PMCID: PMC8139932 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-021-01157-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cell-to-cell fusion is a fundamental biological process across the tree of life. In filamentous fungi, somatic fusion (or anastomosis) is required for the normal development of their syncytial hyphal networks, and it can initiate non-sexual genetic exchange processes, such as horizontal genetic transfer and the parasexual cycle. Although these could be important drivers of the evolution of asexual fungi, this remains a largely unexplored possibility due to the lack of suitable resources for their study in these puzzling organisms. We thus aimed at the characterization of cell fusion in the important asexual fungus Verticillium dahliae via Conidial Anastomosis Tubes (CATs), which can be useful for the analysis of parasexuality. We optimized appropriate procedures for their highly reproducible quantification and live-cell imaging, which were used to characterize their physiology and cell biology, and to start elucidating their underlying genetic machinery. Formation of CATs was shown to depend on growth conditions and require functional Fus3 and Slt2 MAP kinases, as well as the NADPH oxidase NoxA, whereas the GPCR Ste2 and the mating-type protein MAT1-2-1 were dispensable. We show that nuclei and other organelles can migrate through CATs, which often leads to the formation of transient dikaryons. Their nuclei have possible windows of opportunity for genetic interaction before degradation of one by a presumably homeostatic mechanism. We establish here CAT-mediated fusion in V. dahliae as an experimentally convenient system for the cytological analysis of fungal non-sexual genetic interactions. We expect that it will facilitate the dissection of sexual alternatives in asexual fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasileios Vangalis
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Michael Knop
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Milton A Typas
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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31
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Rasmussen DA, Grünwald NJ. Phylogeographic Approaches to Characterize the Emergence of Plant Pathogens. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2021; 111:68-77. [PMID: 33021879 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-07-20-0319-fi] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Phylogeography combines geographic information with phylogenetic and population genomic approaches to infer the evolutionary history of a species or population in a geographic context. This approach has been instrumental in understanding the emergence, spread, and evolution of a range of plant pathogens. In particular, phylogeography can address questions about where a pathogen originated, whether it is native or introduced, and when and how often introductions occurred. We review the theory, methods, and approaches underpinning phylogeographic inference and highlight applications providing novel insights into the emergence and spread of select pathogens. We hope that this review will be useful in assessing the power, pitfalls, and opportunities presented by various phylogeographic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Rasmussen
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Niklaus J Grünwald
- Horticultural Crops Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Corvallis, OR
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32
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Alam B, Lǐ J, Gě Q, Khan MA, Gōng J, Mehmood S, Yuán Y, Gǒng W. Endophytic Fungi: From Symbiosis to Secondary Metabolite Communications or Vice Versa? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:791033. [PMID: 34975976 PMCID: PMC8718612 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.791033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Endophytic fungi (EF) are a group of fascinating host-associated fungal communities that colonize the intercellular or intracellular spaces of host tissues, providing beneficial effects to their hosts while gaining advantages. In recent decades, accumulated research on endophytic fungi has revealed their biodiversity, wide-ranging ecological distribution, and multidimensional interactions with host plants and other microbiomes in the symbiotic continuum. In this review, we highlight the role of secondary metabolites (SMs) as effectors in these multidimensional interactions, and the biosynthesis of SMs in symbiosis via complex gene expression regulation mechanisms in the symbiotic continuum and via the mimicry or alteration of phytochemical production in host plants. Alternative biological applications of SMs in modern medicine, agriculture, and industry and their major classes are also discussed. This review recapitulates an introduction to the research background, progress, and prospects of endophytic biology, and discusses problems and substantive challenges that need further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beena Alam
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Key Laboratory of Biological and Genetic Breeding of Cotton, The Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Jùnwén Lǐ
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Key Laboratory of Biological and Genetic Breeding of Cotton, The Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Qún Gě
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Key Laboratory of Biological and Genetic Breeding of Cotton, The Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Mueen Alam Khan
- Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB), Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Jǔwǔ Gōng
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Key Laboratory of Biological and Genetic Breeding of Cotton, The Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Shahid Mehmood
- Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yǒulù Yuán
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Key Laboratory of Biological and Genetic Breeding of Cotton, The Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- *Correspondence: Wànkuí Gǒng,
| | - Wànkuí Gǒng
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Key Laboratory of Biological and Genetic Breeding of Cotton, The Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Yǒulù Yuán,
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33
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Naranjo‐Ortiz MA, Gabaldón T. Fungal evolution: cellular, genomic and metabolic complexity. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1198-1232. [PMID: 32301582 PMCID: PMC7539958 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The question of how phenotypic and genomic complexity are inter-related and how they are shaped through evolution is a central question in biology that historically has been approached from the perspective of animals and plants. In recent years, however, fungi have emerged as a promising alternative system to address such questions. Key to their ecological success, fungi present a broad and diverse range of phenotypic traits. Fungal cells can adopt many different shapes, often within a single species, providing them with great adaptive potential. Fungal cellular organizations span from unicellular forms to complex, macroscopic multicellularity, with multiple transitions to higher or lower levels of cellular complexity occurring throughout the evolutionary history of fungi. Similarly, fungal genomes are very diverse in their architecture. Deep changes in genome organization can occur very quickly, and these phenomena are known to mediate rapid adaptations to environmental changes. Finally, the biochemical complexity of fungi is huge, particularly with regard to their secondary metabolites, chemical products that mediate many aspects of fungal biology, including ecological interactions. Herein, we explore how the interplay of these cellular, genomic and metabolic traits mediates the emergence of complex phenotypes, and how this complexity is shaped throughout the evolutionary history of Fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A. Naranjo‐Ortiz
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyDr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona08003Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyDr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona08003Spain
- Department of Experimental Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003BarcelonaSpain
- ICREAPg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010BarcelonaSpain
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34
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Wang M, Ruan R. Genome-wide identification and functional analysis of the horizontally transferred genes in Penicillium. Genomics 2020; 112:5037-5043. [PMID: 32941984 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2020.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the transmission of genetic material between different evolutionary lineages and is believed to be an important source of genomic innovation in fungi. In this study, we searched for prokaryotic-derived HGTs in 23 fully sequenced genomes using a comprehensive phylogenomic pipeline followed by manual curation. We found strong support for 60 HGT events comprising 190 genes putatively acquired from bacteria. HGT affected all Penicillium species to various degrees. Gene duplication events happened to 3 HGT genes after the transmission. Most HGT events include genes encoding a variety of enzymes, which are associated with sugar, amino acid, and lipid metabolism. Transcriptome data from 6 Penicillium species revealed that 33 of 35 HGT genes showed expression under the conditions tested and 16 genes were differentially expressed. Our results suggest an important role for inter-domain gene transfers in shaping the genome of Penicillium fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingshuang Wang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ruoxin Ruan
- Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China.
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35
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Nazarov PA, Baleev DN, Ivanova MI, Sokolova LM, Karakozova MV. Infectious Plant Diseases: Etiology, Current Status, Problems and Prospects in Plant Protection. Acta Naturae 2020; 12:46-59. [PMID: 33173596 PMCID: PMC7604890 DOI: 10.32607/actanaturae.11026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of diseases caused by bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. Infections affect plants at different stages of agricultural production. Depending on weather conditions and the phytosanitary condition of crops, the prevalence of diseases can reach 70-80% of the total plant population, and the yield can decrease in some cases down to 80-98%. Plants have innate cellular immunity, but specific phytopathogens have an ability to evade that immunity. This article examined phytopathogens of viral, fungal, and bacterial nature and explored the concepts of modern plant protection, methods of chemical, biological, and agrotechnical control, as well as modern methods used for identifying phytopathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. A. Nazarov
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991 Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow region, 141701 Russia
- Federal Scientific Vegetable Center, VNIISSOK, Moscow region, 143080 Russia
| | - D. N. Baleev
- All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Moscow, 117216 Russia
| | - M. I. Ivanova
- All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Vegetable Growing, Branch of the Federal Scientific Vegetable Center, Vereya, Moscow region, 140153 Russia
| | - L. M. Sokolova
- All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Vegetable Growing, Branch of the Federal Scientific Vegetable Center, Vereya, Moscow region, 140153 Russia
| | - M. V. Karakozova
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 121205 Russia
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36
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Exploration of space to achieve scientific breakthroughs. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 43:107572. [PMID: 32540473 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Living organisms adapt to changing environments using their amazing flexibility to remodel themselves by a process called evolution. Environmental stress causes selective pressure and is associated with genetic and phenotypic shifts for better modifications, maintenance, and functioning of organismal systems. The natural evolution process can be used in complement to rational strain engineering for the development of desired traits or phenotypes as well as for the production of novel biomaterials through the imposition of one or more selective pressures. Space provides a unique environment of stressors (e.g., weightlessness and high radiation) that organisms have never experienced on Earth. Cells in the outer space reorganize and develop or activate a range of molecular responses that lead to changes in cellular properties. Exposure of cells to the outer space will lead to the development of novel variants more efficiently than on Earth. For instance, natural crop varieties can be generated with higher nutrition value, yield, and improved features, such as resistance against high and low temperatures, salt stress, and microbial and pest attacks. The review summarizes the literature on the parameters of outer space that affect the growth and behavior of cells and organisms as well as complex colloidal systems. We illustrate an understanding of gravity-related basic biological mechanisms and enlighten the possibility to explore the outer space environment for application-oriented aspects. This will stimulate biological research in the pursuit of innovative approaches for the future of agriculture and health on Earth.
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Klein J, Neilen M, van Verk M, Dutilh BE, Van den Ackerveken G. Genome reconstruction of the non-culturable spinach downy mildew Peronospora effusa by metagenome filtering. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0225808. [PMID: 32396560 PMCID: PMC7217449 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Peronospora effusa (previously known as P. farinosa f. sp. spinaciae, and here referred to as Pfs) is an obligate biotrophic oomycete that causes downy mildew on spinach (Spinacia oleracea). To combat this destructive many disease resistant cultivars have been bred and used. However, new Pfs races rapidly break the employed resistance genes. To get insight into the gene repertoire of Pfs and identify infection-related genes, the genome of the first reference race, Pfs1, was sequenced, assembled, and annotated. Due to the obligate biotrophic nature of this pathogen, material for DNA isolation can only be collected from infected spinach leaves that, however, also contain many other microorganisms. The obtained sequences can, therefore, be considered a metagenome. To filter and obtain Pfs sequences we utilized the CAT tool to taxonomically annotate ORFs residing on long sequences of a genome pre-assembly. This study is the first to show that CAT filtering performs well on eukaryotic contigs. Based on the taxonomy, determined on multiple ORFs, contaminating long sequences and corresponding reads were removed from the metagenome. Filtered reads were re-assembled to provide a clean and improved Pfs genome sequence of 32.4 Mbp consisting of 8,635 scaffolds. Transcript sequencing of a range of infection time points aided the prediction of a total of 13,277 gene models, including 99 RxLR(-like) effector, and 14 putative Crinkler genes. Comparative analysis identified common features in the predicted secretomes of different obligate biotrophic oomycetes, regardless of their phylogenetic distance. Their secretomes are generally smaller, compared to hemi-biotrophic and necrotrophic oomycete species. We observe a reduction in proteins involved in cell wall degradation, in Nep1-like proteins (NLPs), proteins with PAN/apple domains, and host translocated effectors. The genome of Pfs1 will be instrumental in studying downy mildew virulence and for understanding the molecular adaptations by which new isolates break spinach resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joël Klein
- Department of Biology, Plant-Microbe Interactions, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Manon Neilen
- Department of Biology, Plant-Microbe Interactions, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel van Verk
- Department of Biology, Plant-Microbe Interactions, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Crop Data Science, KeyGene, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bas E. Dutilh
- Department of Biology, Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Guido Van den Ackerveken
- Department of Biology, Plant-Microbe Interactions, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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Wang M, Fu H, Ruan R. A Small Horizontally Transferred Gene Cluster Contributes to the Sporulation of Alternaria alternata. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 11:3436-3444. [PMID: 31764979 PMCID: PMC6916707 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz257] [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] [Accepted: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has been identified as an important source of genomic innovation in fungi. However, how HGT drove the evolution of Alternaria alternata, a necrotrophic fungus which can be ubiquitously isolated from soil and various plants and decaying plant materials is largely known. In this study, we identified 12 protein-encoding genes that are likely acquired from lineages outside Pezizomycotina. Phylogenetic trees and approximately unbiased comparative topology tests strongly supported the evolutionary origin of these genes. According to their predicted functions, these HGT candidates are involved in nitrogen and carbohydrate metabolism. Especially, five genes of them were likely transferred as a physically linked cluster from Tremellales (Basidiomycota). Functionally knocking out the five-gene cluster in an A. alternata isolate causing citrus brown spot resulted in an 80% decrease in asexual spore production in the deletion mutant. We further knocked out each of these five genes in this cluster and the resultant single-gene deletion mutants exhibited a various degree of reduction in spore production. Except for conidiation, functions of these genes associated with vegetative growth, stress tolerance, and virulence are very limited. Our results provide new evidence that HGT has played important roles over the course of the evolution of filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingshuang Wang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huilan Fu
- Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ruoxin Ruan
- Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
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Oghenekaro AO, Kovalchuk A, Raffaello T, Camarero S, Gressler M, Henrissat B, Lee J, Liu M, Martínez AT, Miettinen O, Mihaltcheva S, Pangilinan J, Ren F, Riley R, Ruiz-Dueñas FJ, Serrano A, Thon MR, Wen Z, Zeng Z, Barry K, Grigoriev IV, Martin F, Asiegbu FO. Genome sequencing of Rigidoporus microporus provides insights on genes important for wood decay, latex tolerance and interspecific fungal interactions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5250. [PMID: 32251355 PMCID: PMC7089950 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62150-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal plant pathogens remain a serious threat to the sustainable agriculture and forestry, despite the extensive efforts undertaken to control their spread. White root rot disease is threatening rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) plantations throughout South and Southeast Asia and Western Africa, causing tree mortality and severe yield losses. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of the basidiomycete fungus Rigidoporus microporus, a causative agent of the disease. Our phylogenetic analysis confirmed the position of R. microporus among the members of Hymenochaetales, an understudied group of basidiomycetes. Our analysis further identified pathogen's genes with a predicted role in the decay of plant cell wall polymers, in the utilization of latex components and in interspecific interactions between the pathogen and other fungi. We also detected putative horizontal gene transfer events in the genome of R. microporus. The reported first genome sequence of a tropical rubber tree pathogen R. microporus should contribute to the better understanding of how the fungus is able to facilitate wood decay and nutrient cycling as well as tolerate latex and utilize resinous extractives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbot O Oghenekaro
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Benin, P.M.B 1154, Benin City, Nigeria
- Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, MB R3T 2N2, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Andriy Kovalchuk
- Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tommaso Raffaello
- Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Susana Camarero
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, E28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Markus Gressler
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the Hans Knöll Institute, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- Aix-Marseille Université, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS, UMR 7257, 13288, Marseille, cedex 9, France
- USC1408 Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, F-13288, Marseille, France
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, 23218, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Juna Lee
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Mengxia Liu
- Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Angel T Martínez
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, E28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Otto Miettinen
- Mycology Unit, Botanical Museum, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 7, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sirma Mihaltcheva
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jasmyn Pangilinan
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Fei Ren
- Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Forestry experiment center of north China, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 102300, Beijing, China
| | - Robert Riley
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Francisco Javier Ruiz-Dueñas
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, E28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Serrano
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, E28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Michael R Thon
- Universidad de Salamanca, Instituto Hispano-Luso de Investigaciones Agrarias (CIALE), Villamayor, Spain
| | - Zilan Wen
- Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Zhen Zeng
- Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kerrie Barry
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Francis Martin
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Laboratory of Excellence Advanced Research on the Biology of Tree and Forest Ecosystems (ARBRE), UMR 1136, Champenoux, France
- University of Lorraine, Laboratory of Excellence ARBRE, UMR 1136, Champenoux, France
| | - Fred O Asiegbu
- Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
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Feng JM, Jiang CQ, Sun ZY, Hua CJ, Wen JF, Miao W, Xiong J. Single-cell transcriptome sequencing of rumen ciliates provides insight into their molecular adaptations to the anaerobic and carbohydrate-rich rumen microenvironment. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 143:106687. [PMID: 31740334 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Rumen ciliates are a specialized group of ciliates exclusively found in the anaerobic, carbohydrate-rich rumen microenvironment. However, the molecular and mechanistic basis of the physiological and behavioral adaptation of ciliates to the rumen microenvironment is undefined. We used single-cell transcriptome sequencing to explore the adaptive evolution of three rumen ciliates: two entodiniomorphids, Entodinium furca and Diplodinium dentatum; and one vestibuliferid, Isotricha intestinalis. We found that all three species are members of monophyletic orders within the class Litostomatea, with E. furca and D. dentatum in Entodiniomorphida and I. intestinalis in Vestibuliferida. The two entodiniomorphids might use H2-producing mitochondria and the vestibuliferid might use anaerobic mitochondria to survive under strictly anaerobic conditions. Moreover, carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) genes were identified in all three species, including cellulases, hemicellulases, and pectinases. The evidence that all three species have acquired prokaryote-derived genes by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) to digest plant biomass includes a significant enrichment of gene ontology categories such as cell wall macromolecule catabolic process and carbohydrate catabolic process and the identification of genes in common between CAZyme and HGT groups. These findings suggest that HGT might be an important mechanism in the adaptive evolution of ciliates to the rumen microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Mei Feng
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Medicine, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Chuan-Qi Jiang
- Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen 518120, China; Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Aquatic Animal Health Assessment, Shenzhen 518120, China; Shenzhen Dapeng New District Science and Technology Innovation Service Center, Shenzhen 518119, China; Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Zong-Yi Sun
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Cong-Jie Hua
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Medicine, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Jian-Fan Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Wei Miao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Wuhan 430072, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Kunming 650223, China.
| | - Jie Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
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Wang M, Fu H, Shen X, Ruan R, Rokas A, Li H. Genomic features and evolution of the conditionally dispensable chromosome in the tangerine pathotype of Alternaria alternata. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2019; 20:1425-1438. [PMID: 31297970 PMCID: PMC6792136 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The tangerine pathotype of the ascomycete fungus Alternaria alternata is the causal agent of citrus brown spot, which can result in significant losses of both yield and marketability for tangerines worldwide. A conditionally dispensable chromosome (CDC), which harbours the host-selective ACT toxin gene cluster, is required for tangerine pathogenicity of A. alternata. To understand the genetic makeup and evolution of the tangerine pathotype CDC, we isolated and sequenced the CDCs of the A. alternata Z7 strain and analysed the function and evolution of their genes. The A. alternata Z7 strain has two CDCs (~1.1 and ~0.8 Mb, respectively), and the longer Z7 CDC contains all but one contig of the shorter one. Z7 CDCs contain 254 predicted protein-coding genes, which are enriched in functional categories associated with 'metabolic process' (55 genes, P = 0.037). Relatively few of the CDC genes can be classified as carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) (4) and transporters (19) and none as kinases. Evolutionary analysis of the 254 CDC proteins showed that their evolutionary conservation tends to be restricted within the genus Alternaria and that the CDC genes evolve faster than genes in the essential chromosomes, likely due to fewer selective constraints. Interestingly, phylogenetic analysis suggested that four of the 25 genes responsible for the ACT toxin production were likely transferred from Colletotrichum (Sordariomycetes). Functional experiments showed that two of them are essential for the virulence of the tangerine pathotype of A. alternata. These results provide new insights into the function and evolution of CDC genes in Alternaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingshuang Wang
- Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of BiotechnologyZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- Department of Biological SciencesVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTN37235USA
- College of Life and Environmental SciencesHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou310036China
| | - Huilan Fu
- Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of BiotechnologyZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Xing‐Xing Shen
- Department of Biological SciencesVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTN37235USA
| | - Ruoxin Ruan
- Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of BiotechnologyZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural SciencesHangzhou310024China
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological SciencesVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTN37235USA
| | - Hongye Li
- Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of BiotechnologyZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
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Reus E, Nielsen MR, Frandsen RJN. Metabolic and regulatory insights from the experimental horizontal gene transfer of the aurofusarin and bikaverin gene clusters to
Aspergillus nidulans. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:1684-1700. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elise Reus
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering Technical University of Denmark Kongens Lyngby Denmark
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Zhao JH, Guo HS. Trans-kingdom RNA interactions drive the evolutionary arms race between hosts and pathogens. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2019; 58-59:62-69. [PMID: 31472442 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2019.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Trans-kingdom RNA plays a key role in host-parasite interactions. Hosts export specific endogenous microRNAs (miRNAs) into pathogens to target pathogen virulence genes and inhibit their invasion. In addition, trans-kingdom sRNAs produced by parasites may function as RNA effectors to suppress host immunity. Here, we summarize recent, important findings regarding trans-kingdom RNA and focus on the roles of trans-kingdom RNA in driving an evolutionary arms race between host and pathogen. We suggest that trans-kingdom RNA is a new platform for such arms races. Furthermore, we conjecture that trans-kingdom RNA contributes to horizontal gene transfer (HGT) involved in host-pathogen interactions. In addition, we propose that trans-kingdom RNA exchange and RNA driven HGT can have a great impact on the evolutionary ecology of interacting species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Hua Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Hui-Shan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China.
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Depotter JRL, Shi‐Kunne X, Missonnier H, Liu T, Faino L, van den Berg GCM, Wood TA, Zhang B, Jacques A, Seidl MF, Thomma BPHJ. Dynamic virulence-related regions of the plant pathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae display enhanced sequence conservation. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3482-3495. [PMID: 31282048 PMCID: PMC6771948 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Plant pathogens continuously evolve to evade host immune responses. During host colonization, many fungal pathogens secrete effectors to perturb such responses, but these in turn may become recognized by host immune receptors. To facilitate the evolution of effector repertoires, such as the elimination of recognized effectors, effector genes often reside in genomic regions that display increased plasticity, a phenomenon that is captured in the two-speed genome hypothesis. The genome of the vascular wilt fungus Verticillium dahliae displays regions with extensive presence/absence polymorphisms, so-called lineage-specific regions, that are enriched in in planta-induced putative effector genes. As expected, comparative genomics reveals differential degrees of sequence divergence between lineage-specific regions and the core genome. Unanticipated, lineage-specific regions display markedly higher sequence conservation in coding as well as noncoding regions than the core genome. We provide evidence that disqualifies horizontal transfer to explain the observed sequence conservation and conclude that sequence divergence occurs at a slower pace in lineage-specific regions of the V. dahliae genome. We hypothesize that differences in chromatin organisation may explain lower nucleotide substitution rates in the plastic, lineage-specific regions of V. dahliae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper R. L. Depotter
- Laboratory of PhytopathologyWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
- Department of Crops and AgronomyNational Institute of Agricultural BotanyCambridgeUK
- Present address:
Botanical Institute and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS)University of CologneCologneGermany
| | - Xiaoqian Shi‐Kunne
- Laboratory of PhytopathologyWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Hélène Missonnier
- Département des Sciences Agronomiques et Agroalimentaires, Equipe Agrophysiologie et Agromolécules, Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse – Ecole d'Ingénieurs de PurpanUniversité de ToulouseToulouseFrance
| | - Tingli Liu
- Provincial Key Laboratory of AgrobiologyJiangsu Academy of Agricultural SciencesNanjingChina
| | - Luigi Faino
- Laboratory of PhytopathologyWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
- Present address:
Department of Environmental BiologyUniversity La SapienzaRomeItaly
| | | | - Thomas A. Wood
- Department of Crops and AgronomyNational Institute of Agricultural BotanyCambridgeUK
| | - Baolong Zhang
- Provincial Key Laboratory of AgrobiologyJiangsu Academy of Agricultural SciencesNanjingChina
| | - Alban Jacques
- Département des Sciences Agronomiques et Agroalimentaires, Equipe Agrophysiologie et Agromolécules, Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse – Ecole d'Ingénieurs de PurpanUniversité de ToulouseToulouseFrance
| | - Michael F. Seidl
- Laboratory of PhytopathologyWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
- Present address:
Department of Biology, Theoretical Biology & BioinformaticsUtrecht UniversityCH UtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Bart P. H. J. Thomma
- Laboratory of PhytopathologyWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
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Savory FR, Milner DS, Miles DC, Richards TA. Ancestral Function and Diversification of a Horizontally Acquired Oomycete Carboxylic Acid Transporter. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:1887-1900. [PMID: 29701800 PMCID: PMC6063262 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) can equip organisms with novel genes, expanding the repertoire of genetic material available for evolutionary innovation and allowing recipient lineages to colonize new environments. However, few studies have characterized the functions of HGT genes experimentally or examined postacquisition functional divergence. Here, we report the use of ancestral sequence reconstruction and heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to examine the evolutionary history of an oomycete transporter gene family that was horizontally acquired from fungi. We demonstrate that the inferred ancestral oomycete HGT transporter proteins and their extant descendants transport dicarboxylic acids which are intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The substrate specificity profile of the most ancestral protein has largely been retained throughout the radiation of oomycetes, including in both plant and animal pathogens and in a free-living saprotroph, indicating that the ancestral HGT transporter function has been maintained by selection across a range of different lifestyles. No evidence of neofunctionalization in terms of substrate specificity was detected for different HGT transporter paralogues which have different patterns of temporal expression. However, a striking expansion of substrate range was observed for one plant pathogenic oomycete, with a HGT derived paralogue from Pythium aphanidermatum encoding a protein that enables tricarboxylic acid uptake in addition to dicarboxylic acid uptake. This demonstrates that HGT acquisitions can provide functional additions to the recipient proteome as well as the foundation material for the evolution of expanded protein functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona R Savory
- Living Systems Institute, School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - David S Milner
- Living Systems Institute, School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel C Miles
- Living Systems Institute, School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas A Richards
- Living Systems Institute, School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Roger
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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Horizontal gene transfer allowed the emergence of broad host range entomopathogens. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:7982-7989. [PMID: 30948646 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1816430116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of new pathogenic fungi has profoundly impacted global biota, but the underlying mechanisms behind host shifts remain largely unknown. The endophytic insect pathogen Metarhizium robertsii evolved from fungi that were plant associates, and entomopathogenicity is a more recently acquired adaptation. Here we report that the broad host-range entomopathogen M. robertsii has 18 genes that are derived via horizontal gene transfer (HGT). The necessity of degrading insect cuticle served as a major selective pressure to retain these genes, as 12 are up-regulated during penetration; 6 were confirmed to have a role in penetration, and their collective actions are indispensable for infection. Two lipid-carrier genes are involved in utilizing epicuticular lipids, and a third (MrNPC2a) facilitates hemocoel colonization. Three proteases degraded the procuticular protein matrix, which facilitated up-regulation of other cuticle-degrading enzymes. The three lipid carriers and one of the proteases are present in all analyzed Metarhizium species and are essential for entomopathogenicity. Acquisition of another protease (MAA_01413) in an ancestor of broad host-range lineages contributed to their host-range expansion, as heterologous expression in the locust specialist Metarhizium acridum enabled it to kill caterpillars. Our work reveals that HGT was a key mechanism in the emergence of entomopathogenicity in Metarhizium from a plant-associated ancestor and in subsequent host-range expansion by some Metarhizium lineages.
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Nie J, Yin Z, Li Z, Wu Y, Huang L. A small cysteine-rich protein from two kingdoms of microbes is recognized as a novel pathogen-associated molecular pattern. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 222:995-1011. [PMID: 30537041 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/01/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) are conserved molecules that are crucial for normal life cycle of microorganisms. However, the diversity of microbial PAMPs is little known. During screening of cell-death-inducing factors from the necrotrophic fungus Valsa mali, we identified a novel PAMP VmE02 that is widely spread in oomycetes and fungi. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient expression or infiltration of recombinant protein produced by Escherichia coli was performed to assay elicitor activity of the proteins tested. Virus-induced gene silencing in Nicotiana benthamiana was used to determine the components involved in VmE02-triggered cell death. The role of VmE02 in virulence and conidiation of V. mali were characterized by gene deletion and complementation. We found that VmE02, together with some of its homologues from both oomycete and fungal species, exhibited cell-death-inducing activity in N. benthamiana. VmE02-triggered cell death was shown to be dependent on BRI1-ASSOCIATED KINASE-1, SUPPRESSOR OF BIR1-1, HSP90 and SGT1 in N. benthamiana. Deletion of VmE02 in V. mali greatly attenuated pathogen conidiation but not virulence, and treatment of N. benthamiana with VmE02 enhances plant resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Phytophthora capsici. We conclude that VmE02 is a novel cross-kingdom PAMP produced by several fungi and oomycetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajun Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Zhiyuan Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Zhengpeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Yuxing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Lili Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
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Environment-dependent fitness gains can be driven by horizontal gene transfer of transporter-encoding genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:5613-5622. [PMID: 30842288 PMCID: PMC6431176 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1815994116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the transfer of genetic information between genomes by a route other than from parent to offspring. Of particular interest here are the transfers of transporter-encoding genes, which can allow an organism to utilize a new metabolite, often via the acquisition of a single foreign gene. Here we have identified a range of HGT events of transporter-encoding genes, characterized the substrate preferences for each HGT encoded protein, and demonstrated that the gain of one of these HGTs can provide yeast with a distinct competitive advantage in a given environment. This has wide implications for understanding how acquisition of single genes by HGT can drastically influence the environments fungi can colonize. Many microbes acquire metabolites in a “feeding” process where complex polymers are broken down in the environment to their subunits. The subsequent uptake of soluble metabolites by a cell, sometimes called osmotrophy, is facilitated by transporter proteins. As such, the diversification of osmotrophic microorganisms is closely tied to the diversification of transporter functions. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has been suggested to produce genetic variation that can lead to adaptation, allowing lineages to acquire traits and expand niche ranges. Transporter genes often encode single-gene phenotypes and tend to have low protein–protein interaction complexity and, as such, are potential candidates for HGT. Here we test the idea that HGT has underpinned the expansion of metabolic potential and substrate utilization via transfer of transporter-encoding genes. Using phylogenomics, we identify seven cases of transporter-gene HGT between fungal phyla, and investigate compatibility, localization, function, and fitness consequences when these genes are expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using this approach, we demonstrate that the transporters identified can alter how fungi utilize a range of metabolites, including peptides, polyols, and sugars. We then show, for one model gene, that transporter gene acquisition by HGT can significantly alter the fitness landscape of S. cerevisiae. We therefore provide evidence that transporter HGT occurs between fungi, alters how fungi can acquire metabolites, and can drive gain in fitness. We propose a “transporter-gene acquisition ratchet,” where transporter repertoires are continually augmented by duplication, HGT, and differential loss, collectively acting to overwrite, fine-tune, and diversify the complement of transporters present in a genome.
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